RI Author Month: Interview with Marie Force and Giveaway

Welcome to the RI Author Month

Yesterday I posted the full series (to date) review of the Green Mountain and Butler Vermont series by Marie Force.  I was fortunate to have met Marie Force at the RI Author Expo last December and listen to her talk about her writing and publishing journey. She kindly agreed to an interview with me for the RI Author Month!  So please join me in thanking her for taking the time out of her very busy schedule full of new releases and the recent Gansett Island Reader Getaway!

  Marie Force is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 contemporary romances, including the Gansett Island Series, which has sold more than 2.3 million books, and the Fatal Series from Harlequin Books, which has sold more than 1.2 million books. In addition, she is the author of the Green Mountain Series as well as the erotic romance Quantum Series, written under the slightly modified name of M.S. Force. All together, her books have sold more than 5 million copies worldwide!

Her goals in life are simple—to finish raising two happy, healthy, productive young adults, to keep writing books for as long as she possibly can and to never be on a flight that makes the news. 

Ang: I just recently finished (at least to the latest release) the Green Mountain/ Butler Vermont series and loved the small town setting. What do you think makes Small Town Romances so appealing and popular with readers?

Marie: I think the readers respond to the sense of community in small-town romances, that feeling of belonging in a place where everyone knows your name, knows your family, remembers you as a kid. As an author, it’s fun to dig into those long-standing relationships for story. In the Green Mountain/Butler Series, there are examples of this throughout the series of people who grew up together. For example, the brother of one sister’s late husband becomes a love interest for another sister. I find those relationships very interesting to write—and read. 

Ang: You currently have 6 series in progress and a few standalone novels too.  With so many ongoing series with large casts of characters do you have any routines or rituals to get you into the mind set for writing in a particular series?

Marie: I don’t have routines or rituals beyond working every day to get words on the page. I try to do at least 2,000 words a day, seven days a week, which keeps things moving forward all the time. I rely on Excel spreadsheets to track the series details as well as frequent re-reads of past books to make sure the continuity is intact from one book to another. It’s a lot of work, no doubt, but it’s also the most fun I’ve ever had doing anything. 

That is definitely dedication to your work! I tried to create a family tree for the Abbott/Coleman clan but quickly ran out of space on the page!

Ang: Do you find any character type easiest to write? Do those witty characters just take over the page, do you have to coax the shy characters to life?

Marie: I don’t have a lot of “shy” characters in my books, especially in the series that feature big, boisterous families. My favorite character to write is Sam Holland, the heroine of the Fatal Series. She’s a DC homicide detective married to a politician, and she’s a take-no-prisoners kind of woman, who is endlessly amusing to write. I’m writing the 14th book in that series, so I’ve been writing her for more than 10 years. We’re like old friends at this point.

Ang: What is your favorite place to write? And what about favorite place to read?

Marie: I write in bed—and I read there, too! I joke about being a romance author who does her best work in bed. ;-)

Ang: Go to snack and/or beverage while writing and editing?

Marie: I’m not a big snacker, but I do love chocolate at all stages of the writing process.

Ang: Can you give us so of your favorite beach read recommendations?

Marie: Well, I hope readers are taking the Gansett Island Series to the beach, especially this summer when the mass-market paperbacks are in print for the first time. Romance is a great genre to take to the beach. One thing you can always count on from a romance is a happy ending, and who doesn’t love that?

I have definitely started downloading the audio books for any beach escapes I get this summer!

Ang: What is your favorite local place to visit?  What about your favorite place to eat?

Marie: My favorite place in Rhode Island is the deck of the National Hotel in Block Island, which is also a great place to eat!

Ang: Do you have any quirky or odd Rhode Island facts to share?

Marie:  I’m drawing a complete blank on this. I might need more coffee.

Or maybe some Coffee Milk?! Coffee Syrup added to milk was definitely one of the weirdest things I have seen since moving to Rhode Island!

Ang: Have you found there to be any advantages or disadvantages to being an author in Rhode Island as opposed to one of the bigger cities? 

Marie: The advantage is that there aren’t TONS of other books about Rhode Island, so setting my books here makes them unique in that way.

There is certainly a lot of inspiration in Rhode Island, and you really couldn't ask for a better setting!

Ang: What new releases do we have to look forward to in the second half of the year?

Marie: Aug. 14: Outrageous, Quantum Series Book 7

Oct. 9: Five Years Gone, a standalone contemporary romance

Nov. 27: Fatal Invasion, Fatal Series Book 13

Jan. 29: Duchess by Deception, Gilded Series Book 1

March 26: Fatal Reckoning, Fatal Series Book 14

That’s what I know so far, but there’s more coming.

I can't believe the pace you manage to keep, but I am happy there aren't long waits for new books from you!  I am excited to see a new series starting as well!

Thank you so much Marie for taking the time to stop by for the interview!  I hope all of you have found out a little bit more about one of our treasured authors! You can find out more about Marie Force and her books on her Goodreads Page or Website.  You can also follow her on social media on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter.  You can also follower her on the newer Romance Reader/Author platform Book + Main.

Now how about a giveaway?!   I would love to share some of Marie's books with you, and I am happy to let you choose the series that would interest you most, or if you have already started reading one to continue the series.  So I will be giving away 3 Kindle Ebooks by Marie Force of your choice. 

Of course with anything else we have rules
~You must be 18 or older to enter (because of the adult content of the books)

~Enter the giveaway via the below Rafflecopter methods
 ~This is open internationally too (though will need to be able to download ebooks through Amazon.com)
~Giveaway ends midnight on the 28th, winners will be announced the next day (I will be contacting you via email after the announcement for selection)

a Rafflecopter giveaway