Today's Special - - Marie Force

With more than 2.5 million books sold, Marie Force is the New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 contemporary romances. Her New York Times bestselling self-published McCarthys of Gansett Island Series has sold more than 1 million e-books since Maid for Love was released in 2011. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling Fatal Series from Harlequin’s Carina Press, as well as the Treading Water Series and numerous stand-alone books. All You Need is Love, book 1 in her new Green Mountain Series from Berkley Sensation, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller in February. The second book, I Want to Hold Your Hand, will be out in June, and the third book, I Saw Her Standing There, is coming in November. In 2014, Marie will have eight mass-market print releases—the first five Fatal Series books from Harlequin and the first three Green Mountain Series books from Berkley. While her husband was in the Navy, Marie lived in Spain, Maryland and Florida, and she is now settled in her home state of Rhode Island. She is the mother of two teenagers and two feisty dogs, Brandy and Louie. Join Marie's mailing list at http://marieforce.com/ for news about new books and other possible appearances in your area. Follow her on Twitter@marieforce and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MarieForceAuthor/. Join one of Marie's many reader groups by viewing the complete listing at http://marieforce.com/connect/. Contact Marie at marie@marieforce.com.

Read Janga's review of All You Need is Love here.

Marie recently took time from her busy writing schedule to answer some questions for us. Please give her a warm welcome!  

Welcome back, Marie!  It’s a pleasure to have you visit with us here at The Romance Dish.  You recently released All You Need is Love, the first book in a new series.  Please tell us about the series and what readers can expect from this first book.

Thanks for having me! I always love to visit with your community. The new Green Mountain Series is about a family in Vermont that runs the Green Mountain Country Store in the fictional town of Butler. Lincoln and Molly Abbott have ten children, five of whom help their father run the business while the other five contribute items to the store, including maple syrup, beaded jewelry, wood working and Christmas trees.

It sounds so appealing.  How does the tone of this series differ from your McCarthy’s of Gansett Island books?  Will they appeal to the same readers?

In the Green Mountain Series, the Abbotts are very committed to their lives in the mountains whereas the McCarthys are all about beaches and boats and island living. The Abbott family dynamic is similar to the McCarthys in that the siblings are close and in each other’s business the way the McCarthy siblings are. I do believe the Green Mountain Series will appeal to readers who enjoy the McCarthy Series.

At first glance, Cameron and Will, the heroine and hero of All You Need is Love seem an unlikely pairing.  What is it about these two that convinced you they belong together? 

I enjoyed the fact that their differences made them attractive and intriguing to each other. She sleeps with her cell phone in her hand. He doesn’t own one. She grew up watching family sit-coms on TV and yearning for siblings and families like her fictional favorites. He grew up in a family of ten kids and hardly watched TV. The one thing they have in common from the beginning is an overwhelming attraction to each other that only grows stronger with every hour they spend together. I really enjoyed writing these two characters from different worlds who discover they have all the most important things in common.

Our reviewer, Janga has fallen in love with the Abbot family and is hoping that each of the siblings will have his/her own story.  What are your plans for this family?  Will they each have their own book?  Do you have a timeline in mind for the release of those stories? 

I hope to do a book for each of the Abbott siblings. So far I’ve written Will’s story in All You Need Is Love, Hannah’s story in I Want to Hold Your Hand (June 3), and Colton’s story in I Saw Her Standing There (November 4). Next up in book four is oldest brother Hunter’s story in And I Love Her (March 3, 2015).

It’s been four years since you visited us here at TRD.  How has your life changed in that time?

Oh wow! It would be easier to say how my life hasn’t changed. J My books have really taken off in the last few years. I left my 16-year day job at the end of 2011. I moved into a lovely new home with my family in 2012. I hired a full-time assistant in 2013, and this year I also have a full-time accountant working with me, among other part-time helpers. Our days are busy and full of exciting challenges. The best thing, by far, are the readers who have discovered my books and become faithful fans and friends.

What would readers be surprised to discover about you?

I spend a lot of time chatting with my readers on Facebook and Twitter, so they know a lot about me already, but one thing I love to tell them is that writing is the only talent I was blessed with. I can’t do much of anything else, and my “failings” in other areas are a source of great entertainment to my family and friends. I like to joke that I’m still trying to complete my first cartwheel at age forty-seven. J

The last time you were here it was to launch Fatal Affair, the first book in your popular romantic suspense Fatal series.   On March 24^th, the seventh book in that series, Fatal Jeopardy will be released.  Fans of Sam and Nick would like to see this series continue for a long time to come.  What are your plans for the Fatal books? 

It’s been a wild four years for the Fatal Series, and I hope to write those characters for a long time to come. . Fatal Affair is out now everywhere print books are sold with Fatal Justice coming in print on March 25. Three others are coming this year with more to come next year. I’m really excited to get the Fatal Series out to print readers. Fatal Jeopardy, Book 7 in the series, contains some really big developments for both Sam and Nick. The mystery surrounds Sam’s troublesome niece Brooke, so it’s a very personal case for her. I hope readers enjoy this latest installment!  I really enjoy Sam and Nick and their dynamic as well as their cast of supporting characters. Your readers may like to know that the Fatal Series is now coming in print, too

There are a lot of print readers who I'm sure will be very happy to hear that!  

What else are you working on?

With three series going at full speed, I’m really busy! I just finished I Saw Her Standing There, Book 3 in the Green Mountain Series, and will write one more Green Mountain book this year as well as Fatal Scandal, Book 8 in the Fatal Series. I’m currently writing Gansett After Dark, Book 11 in the McCarthys of Gansett Island Series, and hope to get Book 12 out this year, too. In my “spare” time, I’m working on a new project that I’m really excited about. So lots going on and much more to come from all my series.

Will you be attending any conferences or book signings this year where readers will have an opportunity to meet you?

I will be at the RT Book Lover’s Convention for the day on Saturday, May 17, and will be attending the Berkley Publishing Lemonade Social and getting together with some of my readers in New Orleans while I’m there. We’re hosting my first Reader Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island on Memorial Day Weekend. I’m holding a launch party for the Green Mountain Series at the Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vermont, on June 28 that everyone is welcome to attend. I’ll be at the RWA conference in San Antonio on July 23-26 and heading to Australia and New Zealand for the romance conferences in Sydney and Auckland the weekend of August 8-10 in Sydney and August 15-17 in Auckland. Readers can find out more about all of these events, including registration information, on my website at www.marieforce.com.

Wow!  That's a busy schedule!  

It’s always a pleasure to chat with you, Marie.  Thank you for visiting with us today.  Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Thanks so much for having me! I’d love to ask your readers what it is about series that keep them coming back for more. I’m happy to give away a signed copy of All You Need Is Love, Fatal Affair and Fatal Justice to three respondents. Look forward to chatting with you!

Okay, Readers,  leave your comments for a chance to win one of the above signed books. Deadline for leaving comments is Midnight (EST), March 21st.