Marie Harte
Woohoo everyone I have Marie Harte in the house!!! I can’t begin to tell you’ll how excited I am to interview her. I fell in love with her writing when I read Enjoying the Show, the first book in her Wicked Warrens series, and I remember writing to her way back then to ask if the rest of the brothers would be getting their own stories (which they did). She’s with me today to talk about her new series, The McCauley Brothers.
Slick: Welcome Marie and thanks so much for being here today. As you can tell I’m a big fan of your work so let me just ask, what made you decide to write another family based series, how many books are in this series, and what’s time timeline for their release?
Marie: Thanks for having me, Slick. It’s a pleasure! You know, the family-based series are so much fun to write. Nothing makes a character richer than seeing where he or she came from. And I’m a sucker for tight-knit families, especially ones with hunky brothers. *grin* There are four books in the McCauley Brothers series. The first, The Troublemaker Next Door, arrives June 3rd—next week! Then How to Handle a Heartbreaker onAugust 5th, Ruining Mr. Perfect on October 7th, and finally, What to Do With a Bad Boy on November 4th. Four books, six months. Whew!
Slick: One of the things I’ve always loved about your work is the closeness between the brothers, and it’s no different in this series. Are these characters modeled after anyone in your life?
Marie: No. I wish. I always wanted a close family growing up, but I only had one sibling and my family of four stayed pretty much to ourselves. All of the McCauleys are figments of my imagination, of what the ideal bigger family might be like.
Slick: I love the way The McCauley’s are all up in each other’s business and how they jab at one another. How enjoyable are these scenes to write? I have to say they are some of my favorite to read.
Marie: Thanks. I love that camaraderie too. I have been around men a lot in my chosen fields of work, especially in the Marine Corps. Men are a lot of fun to be around. They tease, poke, get angry, hit each other, and it’s over. Men don’t tend to hang onto pique the way women do. And that simplicity of saying what they think appeals to me. (Yes, I generalize here, but from what I’ve witnessed with both genders, it applies.)
Slick: I’ve always appreciated the humor you inject into your work; does this come easily for you? Are you the family jokester?
Marie: I make my mother laugh all the time. Friends too. Life is too short to be serious. But I can’t do slapstick well at all. I like funny, not goofy.
Slick: What is your favorite thing about the hero and heroine in The Trouble Maker Next Door? You share yours and then I’ll share mine!
Marie: I love how strong Maddie is. It’s not easy to come from humble beginnings, but she’s made a success of herself. She’s confident in her femininity too—that I envy. Flynn has a terrific heart. He’s not afraid of commitment, which I love. Though he hasn’t found the right woman yet—until he meets Maddie—he’s not willing to settle. I respect that.
Slick: Wow, you basically just described what made me fall in love with these characters as well although Maddie at times did drive me a wee bit crazy with her refusal to accept help from anyone.
Are you one of those writers that have the next 3 years worth of books mapped out in your brain and what are you planning after this series?
Marie: I wish! I know what I’m writing through the end of this year, and I have a few leads on next year, but a lot of what I’ll do depends on how well-received certain series are in 2014. I’m currently working on edits for a paranormal novella in an anthology releasing in August—Dark Fates anthology (my story is Jackal’s Measure.) And I’m gearing up to write the third book in my Best Revenge trilogy, a series of erotic contemporary romance where the heroines get revenge on the guys who did them wrong. It’s a lot of fun! Served Cold releases in September from Samhain.
Slick: Here goes the speedy round. I hope you are ready…LOL! Favorite snack?
Marie: chocolate
Slick: Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
Marie: read
Slick: What is your dream vacation?
Marie: lounging on a deserted beach in the Caribbean, just me and three hunky men wearing loin cloths as they fan me to keep me cool
Slick: Favorite sexual position?
Marie: Everything. LOL
Slick: E-books or tree (paper) books?
Marie: Both. Ebooks for storage and ease of buying, print for my collection
Slick: Last but not least, what is you GUILTY PLEASURE??
Marie: Long naps. I think I was a cat in past life, because I lovvveee a long nap.
Slick: Thank you so very much for being here with me today. I can’t think you enough for allowing me to climb inside your brain. I love your work so much and hope one day I’ll get to meet you in real life.
Me too, Slick. Come on out to the West Coast. Coffee’s on me!
Marie’s Bio:
I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember. Interest in the written word, no doubt spawned by my English teacher father, continues to this day. I’m a voracious reader, gobbling everything from romance to horror to fantasy and more. I’m in love with the art of putting pen to paper…so to speak.
I majored in English from Penn State University, earning a B.A. in Liberal Arts, as well as a commission in the United States Marine Corps. Five years later, after serving as a communications officer, I left the service to focus more on family. After going through an assortment of jobs–the Marine Corps Reserve, an IT representative, a middle manager for a Fortune 500 transportation company–I stopped working to raise two new additions to the family–my youngest sons. During this period, I decided to stop dreaming and start seriously writing.
In December of 2004 my first story was published, and I haven’t looked back since. I currently have over a hundred titles (yeah, shocked me too!) with Carina, Ellora’s Cave, Fated Desires, Loose Id, Samhain, Sourcebooks, and Totally Bound.
I’ve received several awards to include: the 2005 Passionate Plume for Scifi/fantasy romance, the 2006 Amber Quill Heat Wave contest winner, 1st Place in Steamy Erotic romance for the 2006 Lories, finalist in the 2007 Linda Howard Award of Excellence, finalist in the 2008 Reveal Your Inner Vixen MRWA contest, and finalist in the 2012 Reveal Your Inner Vixen MRWA contest. (Photo courtesy of Aliona O’Brien Photography)
SOME FACTS ABOUT ME
- I’m a mood reader. If I read a book with a bad ending, it throws me into a funk for days.
- If it’s paranormal, I’m digging it.
- I majored in English but never read Charles Dickens until a few years ago. I have yet to read Jane Austen. Seriously.
- I’m naturally lazy but perform best under deadlines.
- I’ve fired a 9mm pistol, a Squad Automatic Weapon, an M16A2 rifle, an M203 grenade launcher, and have thrown live grenades. And I loved it!
- Grammar is my rock. I respect those who know when to use their, there and they’re correctly.
- I’m definitely a night owl.
- I love books. I’ll read until they bury me, and then I’ll haunt libraries.
- I can’t write to music or television. I need perfect quiet.
Where to find Marie:
Be sure to check out Marie’s newest series The McCauley Brothers – Book 1 The Troublemaker Next Door releases 6/3/14
Slick’s review of The Troublemaker Next Door
He can fix her sink, but can he wrench his way into her heart?
Flynn McCauley never thought he’d be so cliché as to fall for the girl next door. But when Maddie calls him over to help fix her faulty sink, he’s a goner. Too bad the fiercely independent interior designer wants nothing to do with him. Even worse, he’s forced to rely on the advice of his nosy brothers—and his five-year-old nephew!—to figure out how to make her give him a shot.
Great interview