Interview with contemporary romance author Rachel Brimble

I’m featuring contemporary romance author Rachel Brimble today as one stop in her virtual book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions for her new novel, Her Hometown Redemption.   

During her tour, Rachel will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

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. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance and a further three in 2013. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013, followed by a second in January 2014 and the third is released Jan 2015.

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!

Welcome, Rachel. Please tell us about your current release.
Her Hometown Redemption is book 5 in my Harlequin Superromance Templeton Cove series, but all the books can be read as stand-alone stories. This is a reunion story between former banker turned party planner, Tanya Todd and criminal lawyer, Liam Browne.

What inspired you to write this book?
Tanya and Liam appeared as secondary characters in book three (What Belongs To Her) of the series and during the writing of the book, it emerged that these two had a history together. Whatever led to their break-up is hinted at but never fully revealed. As I finished book 4 (Christmas At The Cove), Tanya started nudging me to write her and Liam’s story…she is the type of woman who’s hard to ignore!

Excerpt from Her Hometown Redemption:
He stepped toward the window and peered through the small gap between the frame and the closed blind. An array of glass display cabinets stood side by side, waiting to be filled with whatever party planners filled cabinets with, as well as what looked like a rolled rug or carpet. He was about to pull back and get his ass over to his own office where it belonged, when a very female shadow passed over the cabinets. Judging by the curve of breasts he remembered only too well, Tanya had just made herself visible. He smiled. “Got you.”

He walked back to the door and bent down, pushing open the letterbox. “Tanya, open up. I know you’re in there. Look, I just want to talk to you, okay?” Liam darted his gaze over the gleaming white floor tiles and a stack of boxes. “If you’re still upset about the whole tossing you on the couch thing, I’m sor––”

A brief glance of black denim clad legs whipped into his limited vision before a lock clicked. Tanya flung the door open with such force he nearly fell face first onto her office floor. He gripped the doorjamb and straightened.

She stared into his eyes, her darkening with sadness. “You’re right. We do need to talk.”

He frowned. “Are you okay?”

She blinked. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

His smile dissolved and his heart kicked painfully. “What?”

“I’m sorry for a lot of things, but I’m sorry for hurting you most of all.”

When a tear slipped down her cheek, Liam reached for her before he could think just how stupid a mistake that might be. “Hey, come here.”

Taking her hand in his, Liam leaned down to retrieve his briefcase before kicking the door closed. Dropping the case a second time, he led Tanya to a low wooden cabinet and drew his hands to her waist, lifted her and sat her down on top. Her legs opened and he stood between them…just like he used to.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am just polishing my first single title romantic suspense – the proposal is currently under consideration with several publishers so I’m hoping for some good news soon! As well as that I am working on the first draft on what will be book six in the Templeton Cove series – it will be a mainstream romance which introduces two brand new characters to the Cove. I am very excited about these two!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I’d like to say when I first started seriously writing toward publication – once you write, you’re a writer! Yet, I think I truly started ‘owning’ it once I signed a contract with Harlequin in 2012 – it had always been a goal of mine to be published by Harlequin and I’d finally made it J

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I am one of the lucky few able to write full time and I am always determined to treat my writing as a job. I work 8.30am to 5.30pm through the week (with an hour for lunch) and then as much as I can on the weekend. Family time is in the evenings…or maybe I should be more honest and say TV time, lol!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Um…I don’t think I have one! Does that make me boring??

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A journalist – I know I always wanted to write but it never occurred to me that I could make a living as a novelist even though fiction has always been my first love. I never did make it as a journalist, instead, I ended up working in a bank for ten years.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Yes! As well as Her Hometown Redemption, I also have my fourth Victorian romance (eKensington/Lyrical) coming in March 2016 – I would love your readers to mark their diaries for that one too!

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Street Team - Rachel's Readers 

Buy links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Harlequin

Thanks, Rachel!

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