Talkin' Tuesday with Rachel Brimble

Welcome to a rainy week for Talkin' Tuesday. Yes, it's going to pour for the next six days and I'm so glad you came to visit. I love great some great company! Today we have Rachel Brimble talkin' to us. So, please sit down, grab some coffee, tea, donuts, guacamole, whatever it is you desire and enjoy.

 

RR-What's you favorite read & series?

RB-I love Nora Roberts and so in turn, I love her J D Robb series. Roarke (the hero) is a man every woman needs in her life. He is fabulous! The trouble I always have reading Nora/J D Robb is, I end every book thinking, ‘will I ever, ever be able to deliver a story of that caliber?” Makes me feel extremely uncomfortable…

I expressed that to a friend once and she said, "Don't compare yourself to others, because you've already made your own mark in this business." She's a wise woman, that Lorettajo! 

RR-What/who got you reading?

RB-My mother was always reading when I was growing up and I can remember going to the library with her at an incredibly early age. Early enough that I remember dragging a chair over from a reading table so I could reach an upper chair in the children’s section!

That's sweet. :)

RR-Writing seems to have come natural for you, but what part of it is the hardest?

RB-The plotting! The plotting never comes naturally to me. I start with a fabulous premise, an exciting plot point or two and the inevitable happy ending. It’s the stuff in between that causes the problem. I usually write a rubbishy first draft and fine tune in the second and third, hopefully ending up with a book my readers will love.

RR-Too organized Plotter or Maniac Panster?

RB-See above – a bit of both. I have a good idea of where I’m going with a story when I start but the first draft is definitely written in pantser mode. Start to finish with no going back.

I'm finding more and more authors write that way.

RR-When writing, must you hide from the kids? Where do you go and what kind of death threats do you shout?

RB-Can’t hide from the kids, they find me no matter what I do! But I do send my poor husband off with them as much as possible without us ending up in divorce ; )

For the most part though, they are getting older (twelve & nine) now and I don’t feel the stress I did when I used to have a baby and a toddler and tried to write. Those times are gone, thank goodness! As for the shouting, don’t you ever hear me across the water?

LOL I thought that was my echo coming by! Oh thank goodness, I was feeling a little guilty. 

 

RR-Do you allow your girls to read your work, or have you put an age limit on it?

RB-Noooo, not yet. The older one is asking more and more often so I have said she can read them at fourteen or fifteen. Hopefully, she won’t sneak a peek before then but I’m not entirely confident about that…

I hear ya with my daughter. She's eleven and has admitting to sneaking some pages.

 

RR-Where do you come up with your material for books?

RB-Everywhere – news, conversation, past relationships/experiences, issues I feel strongly about. The ongoing theme in my books is regaining trust once it’s been broken – it seems to be my ‘thing’. I think most authors have common theme in their writing whether they realize it or not.

Very true.

 

RR-Is there anything we all would be shocked to know about you?

RB-Not so sure about shocked – but my family and I were rescued by helicopter from the roof of a hotel during the French floods last year. Most terrifying experience of my life!

Dude! That's cool! Love to hear more about it! Are you going to include that in a story sometime?

For Fun

Red & sexy or Black & mysterious?

 Red & sexy

Wine with cheese or Beer with TV?

 Wine with cheese

Paperback or ebooks?

Paperback (don’t shoot me!)

LOL Promise I won't. :)

Great cook or master at ordering take out?

Master at ordering take out

Back to Work

RR-Are you insanely organized or are there notes written on everything?

RB-Very organized – with a part-time job, hubby, two kids, a dog and usually two editor deadlines going on at a time, I have no other choice, lol!

Crazy life. Don't you love it?

 

RR-Does your husband like to brag about your career as a romance writer?

RB-Yes! He drops it into conversation when I least expect it when we are out with other people. He’s quite the genius with it really.

I can honestly say, I like your husband. He sounds fun!

 

RR-Do you ever get so overwhelmed you want to quit?

RB-I don’t ever want to quit because of feeling overwhelmed, I work really well under pressure – I want to quit when a story is just wrong and I have no idea why. I doubt every word, every sentence, tell myself I’ll never make it as a writer and why am I kidding myself after all this time. It’s not a good place to be… : (

It's a rough place to be. At those times I sit and meditate or go for a walk. Getting back to natural is a real good way to find solace. 

 

RR-What's the pet-peeve that makes you want to beat something?

RB-“I could write a bestseller if I put my mind to it. I just haven’t got the time.” (said by too many people to mention) Grrr!!

Ohh...how about, "Romance is so easy to write."?  *sticks tongue out at those people* 

RR-Any advice for aspiring writers?

RB-Keeping reading, keep writing, keep focused & keep believing.

:)

Find me here:

 www.rachelbrimble.com

www.rachelbrimble.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble

Buy Links

Getting It Right This Time

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?

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Transatlantic Loving

In a desperate bid to escape the bitter reality of her children accepting her ex-husband’s new – and younger – fiancée, Lisa Cavendish travels from the UK to accompany her friend to a high school reunion.  Forced to dress as Madonna in her hey day, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with the school’s coach, who seems to hold as much regard for his child as her ex did when he walked out…

Aaron Taylor can’t believe his eyes or ears when he is introduced to Lisa – sexy and funny, she has no idea how her accent enhances the heartbreaking wait he endures waiting for his daughter to call him back to the UK.  But after spending just three short weeks with Lisa, he sees the answer to his pain in the eyes of the most phenomenal British lady he has ever met…

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Thank you everyone for stopping by and Have a Sparkling Day!

 Rebecca Rose

Next week we have the fabulous Brynna Curry coming.