Welcome Guest Author Rachel Brimble!

Welcome guest author

Rachel Brimble

to the blog today!

See below for her giveaway!

Welcome, Rachel!  Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

I live in South West England with my husband of 14 years and our two daughters, Jessica and Hannah. My third baby is my black Lab, Max, who is my constant writing companion! I am lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mum so I write every day from 9am til 3pm and then the rest is chaos…sorry, family time.

I am published in mainstream contemporary romance, Victorian romance and romantic suspense. I’ve been writing seriously since 2005. The Wild Rose Press accepted my first novel in 2007.

Awesome! So, tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

My next new release comes in September, and it will be my first novella-length Victorian historical. LOVE’S DEBT is due for release by The Wild Rose Press on September 5^th. Here’s the blurb:

To keep herself from the depths of poverty, Milly Shepherd needs to be appointed manager of the Red Lion Tavern.  The elderly owner is in failing health and has promised her the job permanently if no one more suitable applies.  Milly will fight with her entire being to make the job her own.

Joseph Jacobs needs to supplement his income to pay off his father’s creditors and save him from debtor’s prison.  Though the job as manager of the local tavern looks promising, Milly is favored by both the owner and customers.  Instead, Joseph swallows his pride and agrees to tend bar.

As they work together, their attraction grows, their goals cross, and both Millie and Joseph find they must face their fears …the question is whether they face them alone or together?

Today, I would like to promote one of my recent contemporary novels, GETTING IT RIGHT THIS TIME. Set in South West England – it’s a reunion story about a mother returning home after the accidental death of her husband and finding love again.

Congrats on both! Which character is your favorite and why?

The hero, Mark Johnston is a man to remember – wealthy, hard-working and honest, he goes after the girl he lost to his best friend with gentle persuasion and patience. A definite Beta man but lordy, full of sexy integrity and grit. Yum!

Oh, yum! As the author, what surprised you about this story?

How easy I found it to write! These characters reunited and the sparks flew, lol! They both have genuine fears and flaws that made it an easy job for me because I understood them from the start. Kate, the heroine, has her daughter to think of and remains her priority throughout the novel.

Her decisions are made with her head throughout which I hope keeps the reader turning the pages wondering how long she can resist Mark’s gallant pursuit of her and his soft adoration of her beloved daughter.

Aw, sounds wonderful! Will there be any sequels or other books in the same series?

No – this is a stand alone title with no plans for any follow ups. Unless of course, the readers pester me for one and then I might have to consider it :)

LOL! What was the hardest thing for you about writing this story?

As I said I found this story quite easy to write but the hardest aspect was keeping Mark and Kate apart for as long as possible. The tension and similarities between them made it very hard to resist letting them jump into bed and get the ball rolling. I hope I managed to keep it realistic and made them bide their time.

Yes, that would be challenging! What are you working on right now?

Right now, I am working on edits for my very first acceptance by Harlequin Superromance – I am so excited! This book is my first romantic suspense for three years so I was very nervous that I might have lost the skill of writing a good mystery plot and combining it with a sizzling romance.

When my agent emailed me to tell me Harlequin had offered a contract, I promptly burst into tears. My editor told me yesterday that the book will be released in February 2013. Mark your diaries!

Aw, that’s wonderful, Rachel! Congratulations! What happened to the first book you ever wrote?

It was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2007 – SEARCHING FOR SOPHIE had some great four and five star reviews and still sells steadily today. Never forget your first book!

Oh, I totally agree! What do you find easiest and hardest to write?

I find my characters the easiest to write. I am lucky enough that they talk to me very early on. Although I do tend to know my hero better than my heroine for quite a while during the first draft. The women tend to hold themselves back a bit which is ironic seeing men are renowned for not letting us know what they’re feeling!

The hardest is the plotting. Coming up with the conflicts to keep the hero and heroine apart and make it plausible for the reader is always a huge challenge. Plotting never gets any easier so I tend to write a first draft from start to finish and then clean up in draft two.

I really relate to both of those! Which romance book or series do you wish you had written?

The Chesapeake Bay Series by Nora Roberts is pretty high up on my all-time favorites. I am a huge Nora fan and it was strange how I came to read her in the first place. I really believe a greater force pushed me into it! My husband and I were at a literary festival in Wales and were browsing a tiny bookshop. He went in one direction and I went the other.

When we met outside the shop thirty minutes later, I had bought Seaswept by Nora Roberts and Holiday in Death by J D Robb with no clue they were the same person. LOL!

Love that story! Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

Most probably Lily from THE ARRIVAL OF LILY CURTIS but it is very hard to choose just one – I love them all in some way. Lily is a great character. She is funny, feisty and independent in ab age when none of those traits were respected in a woman.

My readers continue to tell me her journey is fun…and sad in places too – “Lily” was my first attempted at historical and will always be special to me.

Wonderful! Okay, now, just for fun:

Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Milk chocolate

Salty or sweet? Sweet

Bed or kitchen table? Bed

Beach or mountains? Ooh, tough one – mountains

Give or receive? Give

She's back, but this time she’s a mother…intent on protecting her young.

Two years after her husband’s death, Kate Marshall returns home seeking security and stability for her three-year-old daughter. But when her path crosses with ‘the one who got away’…her husband’s best friend, she has to fight the desire to be with him for the sake of further heartbreak for her and her daughter.

A tough, straight talking theatrical agent, Mark Johnston is dangerously handsome, exceedingly rich, irresistibly charming – and branded by the tabloids as one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors. So even though Mark lost the girl of his dreams to his best friend, he finds no hardship in being single. Or so he thought.

Determined not to lose her a second time, Mark has to find a way to convince her they can work.  But can Kate cope with the media interest and ruthless, money-hungry clients surrounding him, being anywhere near her daughter?  Or accept that Mark Johnston is really the family man he claims to be?

Buy Getting it Right This Time

Where can we find you on the web?

 Website | Bio | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway!

One commenter who leaves their email address will win their choice of any of Rachel's ebooks. Open to international! Winner to be chosen by random.org. Contest ends at midnight EST on Sunday, May 27! Good luck!

Thanks so much for coming on the blog, Rachel! Everyone, please leave Rachel some new release love! And thanks for reading!

Laura