Ladies and gents, please give it up for a new release by my dear author friend Marie Lavender, who's already visited my blog a few times! She let me bug her with a Q&A and she's sharing a bit about her latest romance novel "Second Chance Heart".
Author Interview with Marie Lavender
1) Tell us a little about yourself and any hidden talents that are totally worth mentioning.
I have written and published in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. I currently have three book series going, but many others planned for the future. Hidden talents? I guess I have a DIY mindset when it comes to being an author. If there’s something I don’t know how to do, I’ll try it at least once and see if it works for me. Case in point, I have designed my own book covers and book trailers before. I also enjoy being creative, and that sort of spills into my life in the form of decorating projects at home or creating new recipes on the fly. And it helps to surround oneself with creative people. I’m not only referring to my author friends, but my fiancé is also an artist/inventor.
2) If you weren’t a writer, what job would you choose?
I would own a bookstore. I think I’d want to be close to books in some way. And I love those little alcoves with comfy chairs where you can park it and read to your heart’s content!
3) Do you have any writing rituals?
Sometimes I am casual. At other times, I can get incredibly focused on a project and push myself to finish. I like to use pretty journals and colored gel pens, but I’m just as comfortable using cheap, one subject notebooks to compose my work in. I compose on the computer as well. I randomly write as many scenes of a story that I can, and then I crack the whip. I guess one ritual is that when I am ready to focus on something, I do a detailed outline and use notes I’ve gathered as a jumping off point. If I need to stop and do research, then so be it. I also leave myself open to go in a different direction if, say, a character has a mind of his own. If I am writing a specific genre, I try to set the mood by reading books from that genre or even watching films or television shows that remind me of the genre. It gets the creative juices flowing, and if I get stuck, well, it isn’t such a bad distraction, is it? LOL.
4) You have written about vampires in your paranormal romance novel “Second Nature”. What makes them so fascinating to you?
Besides the ones that are total hotties? LOL. I guess I’ve always had a sort of strange fascination with the idea of vampires. I have a pretty open mind when it comes to magic and fantastic worlds. In my imagination, vampires are real and with Second Nature, I had a lot of fun bringing them to life. The idea of drinking blood is sexy on some level, though I’d probably never try it myself. And the notion that there may be a whole subspecies out there that sustains itself by consuming blood in certain amounts? Is that really so farfetched? I think there could be worse things we may not know about in the world than vampires so why not write about them?
5) Is there any sub-genre in romance that you wish would get more attention?
I think time travel romance is starting to get popular. It should be very popular by now, though. I’ve always loved historical romances, and the idea of being a modern girl and just popping in some place randomly just to see how things were then is pretty appealing. I mean, sure, there would be some culture shock and probably a little danger, but it would still be interesting. And I’ve been following the series Dr. Who for several years now. The contrast of history with science fiction is quite appealing. Who knows? Maybe someone will invent time travel someday.
6) Your latest release is titled “Second Chance Heart”. Do you believe in second chances?
I do for certain cases. I think it just totally depends on the circumstances and the people involved. I think there are some things we probably can’t come back from. But, I’d like to believe that forgiveness is possible, that we have it within ourselves as human beings to refrain from holding grudges, or at least to stop doing it when we notice we have. We err as humans, but those mistakes define us and help us grow into better people.
7) Who would you like to play the lead roles in your new release “Second Chance Heart” if it were ever turned into a movie?
For Dana, I would choose Deborah Ann Woll. And for Vince, maybe Taylor Kinney.
8) You are a multi-genre author. Which genre is the easiest for you to write?
My fallback genre is romance. Sometimes I stumble into it without even meaning to. However, I think that no book is easy to write really. Each one takes a lot of work. With every project, you encounter new hurdles and it can be challenging to surmount those obstacles.
9) What inspired you to write your latest book?
Second Chance Heart was born out of those awkward moments in life, such as running into your ex (I have so been there before), and the idea that we deal with certain regrets all the time. I wanted to see if forgiveness was possible for both sides.
10) What can we expect from you next?
Well, I am finishing up final round edits for Upon Your Love, book three of the Heiresses in Love Series. That is a historical romance saga, and the last book of the trilogy. It should be ready to send to beta readers soon. Beyond that, I am also working on a sci-fi romance, titled Blue Vision, in my spare time. I am eager to focus fully on that project and get it ready for betas as well. I hope to have UYL out sometime before the end of the year, and Blue Vision should be released around Valentine’s Day if all goes as planned.
I have written and published in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. I currently have three book series going, but many others planned for the future. Hidden talents? I guess I have a DIY mindset when it comes to being an author. If there’s something I don’t know how to do, I’ll try it at least once and see if it works for me. Case in point, I have designed my own book covers and book trailers before. I also enjoy being creative, and that sort of spills into my life in the form of decorating projects at home or creating new recipes on the fly. And it helps to surround oneself with creative people. I’m not only referring to my author friends, but my fiancé is also an artist/inventor.
2) If you weren’t a writer, what job would you choose?
I would own a bookstore. I think I’d want to be close to books in some way. And I love those little alcoves with comfy chairs where you can park it and read to your heart’s content!
3) Do you have any writing rituals?
Sometimes I am casual. At other times, I can get incredibly focused on a project and push myself to finish. I like to use pretty journals and colored gel pens, but I’m just as comfortable using cheap, one subject notebooks to compose my work in. I compose on the computer as well. I randomly write as many scenes of a story that I can, and then I crack the whip. I guess one ritual is that when I am ready to focus on something, I do a detailed outline and use notes I’ve gathered as a jumping off point. If I need to stop and do research, then so be it. I also leave myself open to go in a different direction if, say, a character has a mind of his own. If I am writing a specific genre, I try to set the mood by reading books from that genre or even watching films or television shows that remind me of the genre. It gets the creative juices flowing, and if I get stuck, well, it isn’t such a bad distraction, is it? LOL.
4) You have written about vampires in your paranormal romance novel “Second Nature”. What makes them so fascinating to you?
Besides the ones that are total hotties? LOL. I guess I’ve always had a sort of strange fascination with the idea of vampires. I have a pretty open mind when it comes to magic and fantastic worlds. In my imagination, vampires are real and with Second Nature, I had a lot of fun bringing them to life. The idea of drinking blood is sexy on some level, though I’d probably never try it myself. And the notion that there may be a whole subspecies out there that sustains itself by consuming blood in certain amounts? Is that really so farfetched? I think there could be worse things we may not know about in the world than vampires so why not write about them?
5) Is there any sub-genre in romance that you wish would get more attention?
I think time travel romance is starting to get popular. It should be very popular by now, though. I’ve always loved historical romances, and the idea of being a modern girl and just popping in some place randomly just to see how things were then is pretty appealing. I mean, sure, there would be some culture shock and probably a little danger, but it would still be interesting. And I’ve been following the series Dr. Who for several years now. The contrast of history with science fiction is quite appealing. Who knows? Maybe someone will invent time travel someday.
6) Your latest release is titled “Second Chance Heart”. Do you believe in second chances?
I do for certain cases. I think it just totally depends on the circumstances and the people involved. I think there are some things we probably can’t come back from. But, I’d like to believe that forgiveness is possible, that we have it within ourselves as human beings to refrain from holding grudges, or at least to stop doing it when we notice we have. We err as humans, but those mistakes define us and help us grow into better people.
7) Who would you like to play the lead roles in your new release “Second Chance Heart” if it were ever turned into a movie?
For Dana, I would choose Deborah Ann Woll. And for Vince, maybe Taylor Kinney.
8) You are a multi-genre author. Which genre is the easiest for you to write?
My fallback genre is romance. Sometimes I stumble into it without even meaning to. However, I think that no book is easy to write really. Each one takes a lot of work. With every project, you encounter new hurdles and it can be challenging to surmount those obstacles.
9) What inspired you to write your latest book?
Second Chance Heart was born out of those awkward moments in life, such as running into your ex (I have so been there before), and the idea that we deal with certain regrets all the time. I wanted to see if forgiveness was possible for both sides.
10) What can we expect from you next?
Well, I am finishing up final round edits for Upon Your Love, book three of the Heiresses in Love Series. That is a historical romance saga, and the last book of the trilogy. It should be ready to send to beta readers soon. Beyond that, I am also working on a sci-fi romance, titled Blue Vision, in my spare time. I am eager to focus fully on that project and get it ready for betas as well. I hope to have UYL out sometime before the end of the year, and Blue Vision should be released around Valentine’s Day if all goes as planned.
About the Author
Author Bio
Bestselling multi-genre author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 20 other books. Nominated in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013 and 2014. Top 10 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 22 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. Her current series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Magick Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.
A list of her books and pen names are as follows:
Marie Lavender: Upon Your Return; Magick & Moonlight; Upon Your Honor; Second Nature; "Lovers Like Us" (from the book anthology, Poets & Writers in Action); A Little Magick; Second Chance Heart
Erica Sutherhome: Hard to Get; Memories; A Hint of Scandal; Without You; Strange Heat; Terror in the Night; Haunted;Pursuit; Perfect Game; A Touch of Dawn; Ransom; Leather and Lace
Kathryn Layne: A Misplaced Life
Heather Crouse: Express Café and Other Ramblings; Ramblings, Musings and Other Things; Soulful Ramblings and Other Worldly Things
Author Links
http://marielavender.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MarieLavender/posts
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
http://amazon.com/author/marielavender
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
Bestselling multi-genre author of UPON YOUR RETURN and 20 other books. Nominated in the TRR Readers' Choice Awards for Winter 2015. Poetry winner of the 2015 PnPAuthors Contest. Honorable Mention in the 2014 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards. Finalist and Runner-up in the 2014 MARSocial's Author of the Year Competition. Honorable mention in the January 2014 Reader's Choice Award. Liebster Blogger Award for 2013 and 2014. Top 10 Authors on AuthorsDB.com. Winner of the Great One Liners Contest on the Directory of Published Authors.
Marie Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and three cats. She has been writing for over twenty years. She has more works in progress than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 22 books in the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, fantasy, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. Her current series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Magick Series and The Blood at First Sight Series.
A list of her books and pen names are as follows:
Marie Lavender: Upon Your Return; Magick & Moonlight; Upon Your Honor; Second Nature; "Lovers Like Us" (from the book anthology, Poets & Writers in Action); A Little Magick; Second Chance Heart
Erica Sutherhome: Hard to Get; Memories; A Hint of Scandal; Without You; Strange Heat; Terror in the Night; Haunted;Pursuit; Perfect Game; A Touch of Dawn; Ransom; Leather and Lace
Kathryn Layne: A Misplaced Life
Heather Crouse: Express Café and Other Ramblings; Ramblings, Musings and Other Things; Soulful Ramblings and Other Worldly Things
Author Links
http://marielavender.com/
http://iloveromanceblog.wordpress.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
http://marielavender.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MarieLavender/posts
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
http://amazon.com/author/marielavender
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/1578-marie-lavender
http://www.pw.org/content/marie_lavender
http://manicreaders.com/marielavender/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu8HjRVYCFOqcIoX6ZxdqQ/videos
About the Book
Blurb for Second Chance Heart
After a wild storm forces her to take shelter in a small town inn, Dana Nelson thinks that all she has to worry about is a brief stay before she heads back to the city. She gets far more than she bargained for…
The last thing she expects is to run into an old flame, and even worse, the man who broke her heart twelve years ago. She’s sure that the only thing remaining between them is a strong attraction for another.
She can’t be more wrong…
The more time she spends with Vince Reynolds, the more she begins to believe she can trust him again. But, can she put her faith in the one man who captivates her, body and soul, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
Purchase Links
Amazon Universal link: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01593TDO6
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/576453
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-chance-heart-marie-lavender/1122651302
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/second-chance-heart
After a wild storm forces her to take shelter in a small town inn, Dana Nelson thinks that all she has to worry about is a brief stay before she heads back to the city. She gets far more than she bargained for…
The last thing she expects is to run into an old flame, and even worse, the man who broke her heart twelve years ago. She’s sure that the only thing remaining between them is a strong attraction for another.
She can’t be more wrong…
The more time she spends with Vince Reynolds, the more she begins to believe she can trust him again. But, can she put her faith in the one man who captivates her, body and soul, or are some wounds too deep to heal?
Purchase Links
Amazon Universal link: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01593TDO6
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/576453
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/second-chance-heart-marie-lavender/1122651302
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/second-chance-heart
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