Guest Post: Marie Force "Where Do These People Come From?" and a Giveaway!

Where Do These People Come From?

I ask myself that question all the time: where do the people who populate my books come from? Honestly, I have nooooooo idea. I never consciously remember “thinking them up.” When writing a book, I usually start with the story. In the case of Everyone Loves a Hero, the idea came from an encounter I witnessed in Washington’s Reagan National Airport. A pretty blonde woman ran into the arms of an arriving pilot. The story, the setting and the characters came from there.

Some of Cole’s story comes from my life. My husband is from Cole’s hometown—Lafayette, Indiana. His siblings and Cole’s are graduates of Purdue University. Cole is a graduate of my dad’s alma mater, Embry Riddle University in Florida. Cole’s mother, like mine, died from pancreatic cancer. He spent 10 years in the Navy. My husband is retired from the Navy.

Olivia, on the other hand, was someone quite “new” to me. She’s an artist, her mother is an agoraphobic with a shopping obsession, she’s still in college at 27 and is working at the airport to put herself through school a class at a time. I don’t have much in common with her, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t relate to her journey.

I loved writing Cole and Olivia’s story—a man of the world meets a woman who lives a smallish life and expands her geographical horizons while she expands his emotional horizons. Before Cole, Olivia has never even been on an airplane. Until he meets Olivia, Cole can’t imagine himself married or settled, but once she’s in his life he can’t imagine living without her.

Here’s some more about Everyone Loves a Hero:
Hero pilot Cole Langston is learning to live with—and enjoy—his newfound fame and the rabid female attention that comes with it until a lucky punch knocks some sense into him and opens his eyes to true love.

When his copilot suffers a heart attack in flight, Cole lands the jetliner in a blizzard and revives the stricken captain. Catapulted to national hero status, Cole has more women vying for his attention than he knows what to do with. They all have one thing in common: they try without success to bring this happy-go-lucky pilot down to earth. Then comes an airport altercation, a punch to the face, and the lovely Olivia—a shy, timid artist who does what no other woman has ever managed to do: steal Cole’s well-protected heart. With women coming on to him everywhere they go, Olivia struggles to believe that Cole is ready for a committed relationship. His biggest problem is getting rid of all his extra ladies before the only one he wants figures out that she’s one of many.
Tell me what you think of characters who come from totally different places in life. Do you think their differences make their romance more interesting?

EVERYONE LOVES A HERO BY MARIE FORCE – IN STORES FEBRUARY 2011

Fame has its perks…

Reluctantly famous, First Officer Cole Langston finds being in the spotlight has its advantages—until he meets Olivia. Having women throw themselves at him everywhere he goes becomes a serious problem when he's trying to convince her she's the one…


And its price…

Olivia has trouble trusting a guy like Cole, and everywhere she turns she sees reasons to run. But he's the only man who's ever seemed to understand her as an artist and as a woman…


Cole is working overtime to prove to Olivia that he's serious, but her deep seated mistrust and his entourage of unwelcomed fans may be more than they can overcome…

Thanks again for having me! Look forward to chatting today.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marie Force is the author of Line of Scrimmage, Love at First Flight, Fatal Affair and Fatal Justice, as well as True North and The Fall (available as eBooks through Amazon.com). She is a member of RWA’s New England, From the Heart and Published Authors Special Interest Chapters. Marie lives in Rhode Island with her family and their feisty dog named Brandy. To find out more information about Marie’s upcoming releases, please visit http://www.mariesullivanforce.com/.

GIVEAWAY

Sourcebooks is sponsoring a giveaway for two copies of Everyone Loves a Hero!!

USA and Canada Only!

MANDATORY ENTRY

Answer Marie's Question and leave your email: Tell me what you think of characters who come from totally different places in life. Do you think their differences make their romance more interesting?

Contest ends on February 22nd.  Winners have 48 hours to respond to email to claim prize or a new winner will be selected by randomizer.org.  All prizes shipped direct from sponsor.