Hey there, WordWrangler readers! I'm super excited today because one of my SuperSisters (Harlequin Superromance) is visiting the round corral! Please help me give a warm welcome to Rachel Brimble, who writes amazing contemporary romances with a ton of heart and characters you wish you could run into on your street... Let's get going with the interview - and then I'll give you a sneak peek into Rachel's latest book, Her Hometown Redemption (that's the cover over there, isn't it sigh-worthy?).
Liz: Are there any funny stories your family tells about you that come to mind?
Rachel: A lot of them seem to revolve around too much wine and too much thinking I’m a good dancer…
Nan: If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?
Rachel: My maternal and paternal grandmothers – they worked in service in big houses and I really wish I’d taken the time to speak to them about their experiences. I imagine there is a wonderful pot of story ideas to be had as well as character inspiration!
Kristina: My grandparents are on my list, too. Yours sound amazing! Back to the questions - Do you believe a writer should write every day?
Rachel: Yes – even if it’s only for 30 minutes. Words will be written and progress made whether on an article, short story or novel. It all helps!
Margie: Great advice, Rachel! What is your character's birth order? And how does that affect his/her life?
Rachel: Tanya Todd is the eldest sister of two and this affects her life in that she takes on a lot of responsibility and always feels as though she is under the microscope to do well. This, of course, means that she often feels a failure…
Ava: One more character question: What is your character's greatest strength?
Rachel: Her tenacity and ability to admit her mistakes
Kristina: And now for the lightning round. Would you rather go without your favorite shampoo or your favorite lipstick?
Rachel: Favorite lipstick
Liz: What is a word the you always spell wrong?
Rachel: Surreptitiously
Nan: In romance novels, sometimes the characters kiss to shut one another
up...have you ever done this in real life?
Rachel: No…but I will now, lol!
Liz: Are there any funny stories your family tells about you that come to mind?
Rachel: A lot of them seem to revolve around too much wine and too much thinking I’m a good dancer…
Nan: If you could interview anyone from your life living or dead, but not a celebrity, who would it be and why?
Rachel: My maternal and paternal grandmothers – they worked in service in big houses and I really wish I’d taken the time to speak to them about their experiences. I imagine there is a wonderful pot of story ideas to be had as well as character inspiration!
Kristina: My grandparents are on my list, too. Yours sound amazing! Back to the questions - Do you believe a writer should write every day?
Rachel: Yes – even if it’s only for 30 minutes. Words will be written and progress made whether on an article, short story or novel. It all helps!
Margie: Great advice, Rachel! What is your character's birth order? And how does that affect his/her life?
Rachel: Tanya Todd is the eldest sister of two and this affects her life in that she takes on a lot of responsibility and always feels as though she is under the microscope to do well. This, of course, means that she often feels a failure…
Ava: One more character question: What is your character's greatest strength?
Rachel: Her tenacity and ability to admit her mistakes
Kristina: And now for the lightning round. Would you rather go without your favorite shampoo or your favorite lipstick?
Rachel: Favorite lipstick
Liz: What is a word the you always spell wrong?
Rachel: Surreptitiously
Nan: In romance novels, sometimes the characters kiss to shut one another
up...have you ever done this in real life?
Rachel: No…but I will now, lol!
Kristina: Thanks for playing along with us today, Rachel, it's been so much fun! Now, readers, here's
a peek into Her Hometown Redemption:
a peek into Her Hometown Redemption:
She's back to right her wrongs
When Tanya Todd returns to Templeton Cove, she knows better than
to expect a warm welcome. She burned a few bridges on her way out of town, and
making amends won't be easy. First on her list is the man whose heart she
carelessly shattered, Liam Browne.
Seeing the successful criminal lawyer after all these years, Tanya
is interested in more than just Liam's forgiveness. As they work together to
bring the man who hurt her sister to justice, the attraction between them
sizzles. Suddenly Tanya's second chance could include a future with Liam…if she can prove she's changed.
Excerpt:
Hitching her bag onto her
shoulder, Tanya pulled back her shoulders and approached Liam, trepidation
ricocheting through her. What choice did she have but to talk to him? If she
walked out without a word, things would only be harder the next time they
met––and there would most definitely be a next time. There was always a next
time in a place as small as Templeton.
His shoulders straightened beneath
his crisp, white shirt as she neared. The music seemed to grow in volume, the
beat matching her footsteps and the banging of her heart. When she was a safe
distance away from him, Tanya stopped. “Hi.”
His crystal blue gaze bored
into hers, his jaw tight and his mouth a thin line. The burning stares of the
other patrons pricked at her skin, making her want to turn and face each of
them down.
When it was clear Liam had
nothing to say to her, Tanya inhaled. “Right, well, I guess I’ll see you around
then.”
“Wait.”
She halted with her back to
him. Let me go, Liam. Please. She briefly closed her eyes,
before opening them and facing him. “What?”
“Why don’t you join me?” He
waved toward the empty seat at his table. “It’s…good to see you.”
Tanya glanced at the seat, at
him and then around the restaurant. Familiar faces swam in front of her. Faces
she remembered from a different life, a different time. Kevin and Nick. Bianca
and Ella. All people she should’ve known would still be here. People who
thought they knew her and her mother, but never really knew or understood them
at all.
All About Rachel Brimble:
Rachel
lives with her husband and two teenage daughters in a small town near Bath in
the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured
agent representation in 2011. Since 2013, she has had five books published by
Harlequin Superromance (Templeton Cove Stories) and recently signed a contract
for three more. She also has four Victorian romances with eKensington/Lyrical
Press.
Rachel is
a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America,
and was selected to mentor the Superromance finalist of So You Think You Can
Write 2014 contest. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in
a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family. Her dream
place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England.
She likes
nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance
writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!
Hi, Rachel! Welcome to the round corrall!
ReplyDeletethanks for being our guest today, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you could be with us today, Rachel!
ReplyDeleteHi, Rachel, I like your excerpt and the last sentence has me wondering why Tanya feels that she and her mother were wrongly judged by the townspeople. Feeling misunderstood is a theme that always intrigues me. How wonderful that you're from England. I spent a quarter studying in London while in college and have loved the country ever since. Cathy Shouse
ReplyDeleteHello, everyone! Thanks so much for having me here today - I'm looking forward to chatting with your visitors!
ReplyDeleteHi, Cathy! That's so great you spent some time on our little island - hope you'll be tempted to read Her Hometown Redemption. Templeton Cove and its residents are VERY close to my heart :D
Loved your answers! I think I'd want to interview my grandparents as well--
ReplyDeleteHi Margie! Wouldn't it be great...so much wisdom that we missed out on :(
Delete