Please Welcome My Guest...

Please welcome my guest, Romance Author Rachel Brimble. Rachel writes a wide variety of romance sub-genres including suspense, historical, comedy, and contemporary.  She lives in England near the Georgian town of Bath with her family.

Tell us something about yourself both writing and not writing related.

My writing is entirely self-taught having left school at 16 to work in a bank – I learned through trial and error and online courses and now write for Harlequin and Kensington. I am very proud! (Like you couldn’t tell…)  :o)

I’m married and mom to two young daughters, I love to read, knit and walk the English countryside. The thing that makes me smile most often is when people continue to compliment my curly hair when no-one realizes I haven’t had it professionally cut for 15 years. My hairdressers are either my husband or eldest daughter hacking at it with kitchen scissors!

I haven't had my professionally cut in years either. My mom cuts it for me. She cuts most of my sisters' hair too. Do you have a writing routine?  Where do you usually do your writing?

I feel very blessed that I am able to stay at home and write around the kids and home. I work from 8.30-3.30 during the week and every spare minute afterward until 7pm and then it’s strict family time. The weekends are as much as possible without them noticing ;)

I usually write on the living room sofa with my big black Lab sleeping beside me.  :o)

Why do you write in the genre/sub-genre that you do?  Any plans in the future to write in a different one?

I love romance! I love the feel good factor and watching two people grow and learn in order to be with each other and have their happy ever after. My writing gives me great joy and takes me out of the problems of real life every day.

I’ve no plans to try a different genre at the moment but if I were to try something else it would be crime – most likely cozy mystery.

What a great way to explain why you write romance. How do you stay motivated when writer’s block hits or your muse won’t cooperate?

I write through it – always!! When you are contracted and have deadlines, you can’t allow writer’s block to enter your vocabulary. Time and again I’ve felt that a book isn’t working and I need to scrap the entire thing and start again. I haven’t the time, or the courage, to do that so I force myself onward. Following drafts can be used to sort out the mess.

Currently, my deadlines are my own but I feel the same way. If I don't write at least 5 days a week then I find myself not writing for weeks on end and that's no way to keep a writing career alive. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

Ohh, this is a difficult question…I haven’t really done anything strange in the name of research but I have used my real life experience of being rescued from the French floods in 2010 in my upcoming book with Harlequin in August. I have written a step-by-step record of what happened in the most terrifying 12 hours of my life. You’ll have to buy the book to see what happens… ;)

That definitely follows the old adage, "Write what you know." What’s the best writing advice you were ever given? 

“Allow yourself to write a crappy first draft” – best advice EVER!!!

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

See question 1, lol! I read, knit and walk as much as possible – any free time after that is spend languishing in a bubble bath or drinking far too much wine and eating too much food with friends and family.

Sigh, I can't remember the last time I was able to languish in a bubble bath...I'm so jealous. :o) Tell us about your current release in a couple of sentences.

The Seduction of Emily is a story of two people struggling to release themselves from the bonds of their parents’ decisions in very different ways. The heroine from a monetary decision, the hero from a need to avenge an act of violence on his mother.

Sounds interesting. I'll have to get a copy. Can you tell us a little about your next project?

My next release is out in June and something completely different – a sexy, romantic comedy from Omnific Publishing. Here’s the blurb:

There isn't a situation that can't be fixed by a coat of chocolate body paint or a liberal smear of Champagne Lick, right? Wrong!

Ever since her father was murdered by a gang of youths, Sienna Lloyd has named herself Potterford’s protector—her sexy lingerie shop is a place where the town’s women can visit and feel safe. But when that shop is in danger of closing, Sienna needs a solution that will keep her in Potterford, where she can always look out for her mother, friends, and clients.

The answer? Move the shop to her home at 16 Marsden Place. The problem? Her new neighbor, the delicious but seriously uptight Jack Beaton. Oh, and his four-year-old twin girls.

Jack has just moved to the tiny town of Potterford in a bid to start over. To build a new life that keeps his children safe from their violent and sex-crazed mother. So when he discovers his neighbor intends to open a sex shop right next door, Jack will do anything to ensure it doesn’t happen…including fighting every ounce of his attraction to the shop’s owner and his innate need to trust again.

Wow, sounds great. I'm going to have to put this on my list too. Anything else you’d like to share?

I LOVE hearing from other readers and writers. I am an avid Twitter fan and that’s where you will find me far too often throughout the day. Here are my links:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Rachel mentioned the book she wrote based on her rescue from the 2010 French floods that will be released by Harlequin later this year, but she didn't mention that she already has a wonderful book that's been released by Harlequin.  I'm posting a picture of the cover of that book - Finding Justice. I've read it and I highly recommend it.