Marie Force - Guest Blog!

Marie Force, author of The Line of Scrimmage is doing a guest blog here today! I'm so happy that she's graced my little blog with her writing as I loved LOS and can't wait to read her next book! I'm also a wee bit romance-happy because the football season has started and my boyfriend will be decidedly unromantic until it's over.

Let's get to Marie's post, shall we? She's even being generous and giving away a signed copy of LOS to a commenter who responds to her question at the end!

How does she do that? by Marie Force

One of the questions I’m often asked is, “How do you write a book?” Stephen King says, “One page at a time.” The writers out there will attest that it’s as simple as Stephan suggests—and much more complicated. Most of the time, I’m convinced I could never teach my process because it’s so bizarre. However, as I’ve connected with more and more writers, I’ve decided we’re all a little bizarre, but that makes us better writers.

So how do I do it? I’ll try to explain my process using my debut novel “Line of Scrimmage” and my spring release “Same Time Sunday” as examples. The seeds of “Line of Scrimmage” began with a vision: boots dropping in a fancy foyer. From that came a series of questions and answers: Are those boots welcome? No. Work boots or cowboy? Cowboy. Definitely cowboy. What if the house is his but he doesn’t live there anymore? And what if the mistress of the house is entertaining her fiancé and his parents when her soon-to-be ex-husband shows up? And what if that ex-husband happens to be an NFL superstar who just won his third Super Bowl championship? And what if he blackmails his wife into spending their last ten days as Mr. and Mrs. together or he’ll stop the divorce? Since she’s due to married in a month, that’s going to be a problem.

That’s exactly how it unfolds in my mind. Then come the decisions about where they’re from, what brought them together, and what broke them up in the first place. Often I don’t have those answers before I start a book. I tend to discover these things as my story unfolds, which I’m told makes me a “linear pantser” in writing vernacular. I write the story in chronological order, I edit as I go, and nothing gets in unless it propels Character X or Character Y’s story forward. Because I go back, re-read, and edit often during the writing process, I end up with a pretty clean first draft. In fact, I recently stumbled upon the hand-written opening scene of “Line of Scrimmage” and discovered that other than a renamed character, not much had changed.

For my second book, “Same Time Sunday,” I began with a conversation I overheard in an airport. Two twenty-somethings, on their way to visit their significant others for the weekend, discover they are on the same flight home and agree to meet up again to compare notes on how their weekends went. That part actually happened in the overheard (note I don’t say eavesdropped”) conversation. From there I wondered, what if both their weekends were a disaster? What if they strike up a friendship that leads to love? What if their exes don’t go quietly? What if he’s a prosecutor on the eve of the biggest murder trial of his career and she gets sucked into it in ways that endanger them both? From there, it was off to the races!

Since I don’t plot, I spend a lot of time staring off into space when a book has me by the throat. During these phases, my kids often ask, “ARE YOU LISTENING TO US?” at the top of their considerable lungs. I have to confess that Mom just took a brief trip to Pluto, but I’m back now and you have my full attention. I do my best zoning/plotting when I’m driving (watch out for a green Honda Odyssey), doing dishes, showering, drying my hair, and vacuuming. I’ve solved a lot of plot issues while sucking up a few days’ worth of dog hair. I’ve run dripping from the shower to the computer to get something down before I forget it. Bizarre? You bet. My friend Chris likes to say that my mind is a strange, scary place. Of course I take that as a compliment!

To the writers out there, are you a plotter, a seat-of-the-pantser, a linear plotter, a linear pantser, an organic or what? To the readers, are you more convinced than ever after reading this that all writers are a little bit nuts? I’ll give away a signed copy of “Line of Scrimmage” to one lucky commenter, so let’s hear from you!

Line of Scrimmage - Author Q & A

I've been a huge fan of romances involving football, like Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series, so when I heard about Marie Force's new book, Line of Scrimmage, I had to find out more. In short, it's about an NFL quarterback whose wife is about to divorce him because she's sick of being number two to his career. He realizes he misses her and demands they spend the last ten days of their marriage together or he'll call off the divorce. My actual review will follow in the next couple weeks as I've just gotten it. In the meantime, check out this Q & A with Marie Force:

1. Where did you get your inspiration for Line of Scrimmage?
   I had a vision of cowboy boots landing in a foyer, and I knew they weren’t welcome there. The rest of the story sprang from that vision. Ryan’s boots land in Susannah’s foyer while she’s entertaining her fiancé and his parents. To say her soon-to-be ex-husband is unwelcome at this event would be putting it mildly. With just ten days until their divorce is final, Susannah thinks she’s home free until Ryan shows up and “blackmails” her into spending their last days as Mr. and Mrs. together. It all goes back to the boots!


2. Not only do you go into detail to describe plays, there’s a lot of player-to-player interaction that seems pretty authentic! What kind of research did you do for this book?
   Thank you for that compliment! As someone who never really. . . um . . . liked football all that much, it was a huge surprise when the Muse presented me with Ryan. Since I’m big into baseball, I tried to remake him into a star shortstop, but Ryan wasn’t willing to be reinvented. He was every inch the NFL quarterback, so I immersed myself in football during the 2006 season. My husband was thrilled (not) with my newfound interest and the litany of questions I peppered him with during the games. I also relied on my brother and a girlfriend who are football fanatics to make sure I got the facts right. As for the dialogue between Ryan and his teammates, I wish I could say I visited a locker room or two and hung out with big, sweaty men wearing skimpy towels, but in reality my goal was to have their interaction reflect the way guys talk to each other in general, not just in football.


3. Susannah seems so certain that she will be happy with her new fiancé, Henry, but Ryan is goes above and beyond to prove that they are meant to be, which brings about a lot of conflict. What was your favorite part about creating this tension?
   Writing Ryan in all his over-the-top glory was so much fun! I love the way he talks down to Henry even though he’s scared to death that Susannah is really going to pick Henry over him. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Susannah is telling Ryan that he could have any woman he wants, and he says the only one he wants is the one right in front of him. “You can’t have me,” she says. “What part of that don’t you understand?” To which he replies, “Um, the ‘can’t’ part?” He pulls this intentionally obtuse routine with Henry, too, which makes for some major fireworks between the two men vying for Susannah’s heart.


4. Even though Ryan could have any woman in the world, he chose Susannah back when they were in college. While he was able to go forth in his career, Susannah takes a back seat, doesn’t finish school and supports Ryan (for as long as she can). What do you think this aspect of the back story added to their divorce?
   When she left school to marry Ryan, Susannah was young and in love and under the impression that love would get them through any challenge. The series of events that led to their separation taught her that sometimes love isn’t enough. This is especially true when you’re competing with your husband’s larger-than-life career, public image, and sex-symbol status. I made sure Susannah spent the year she and Ryan were separated reestablishing her own life and figuring out who she is without him at the center of everything.
   


5. Henry, Susannah’s new fiancé, while wimpy and conniving, has always been second fiddle to Ryan. Do you think some of his initial actions are justified because he wants to be with Susannah, a woman he’s been in love with since high school and had always “been there” for (as he feels)?
   Absolutely! Henry has loved Susannah since they were in high school and is on the cusp of having everything he ever dreamed of with her when Ryan shows up. Henry, who was Susannah’s high school boyfriend, is definitely nerdy, but his conniving side comes out in full force when he realizes Susannah might be capitulating to Ryan’s campaign to win her back. Susannah broke up with Henry after she met Ryan in college. Since then, she’s thought of Henry as a friend and never paid much attention to his passive aggressive behavior when she and Ryan were together. Ryan, however, was well aware of Henry’s obsession with Susannah and refers to him the “third person” in their marriage.


6. What advice would you offer to aspiring writers?
   Perseverance is the key to this business. Before I sold, my motto was: “The only thing I know for sure is if I give up, it’ll never happen.” No one else is going to do it for you, so you have to stick with it no matter how many lumps you take, no matter how many rejections you receive or roadblocks you encounter. If you want to be a writer, WRITE every day. Nora Roberts has a great quote about how you can’t edit a blank page. It’s so true! Don’t get caught up in activities that take time away from your writing. I’ve learned to say no to a lot of things. I only volunteer in my kids’ schools, for instance, if the activity directly involves them. Finally, keep writing while you’re waiting to sell. “Line of Scrimmage” was the seventh book I wrote and the first one I sold. The third book I wrote will go next. “Same Time Sunday” (and it’s not about football, despite the name) will be out next spring. How glad am I that I wrote a lot before I sold? Very glad! Sometimes it takes a while to find an agent and an editor who “get” you. I’m thrilled to have both now.


7. What else do you do other than write?
   I have two children, a daughter who’s 13, and a son, who’ll be 10 in October, and they keep me busy! My family would say I don’t do much besides work the day job and write at night, but I also read something every day, even if it’s just a magazine or the newspaper. I love to spend time at the beach, but my favorite way to pass a summer day is on my dad’s boat with my husband and kids as well as my brother’s family. We have a good time out there! I wrote about my love of the water on my website at www.mariesullivanforce.com/about.php if you want to read more. After ten years of living away from the Northeast when my husband was in the Navy, I’ve also developed a whole new appreciation for snow days. I used to hate snow! Now, it’s a lovely excuse to light a fire and write, write, write all day while the kids play outside.
   


8. What’s next for your writing?
   I’ve been writing about “Line of Scrimmage” all summer! :-) I’m working on the second book in a suspense series, and I have a fun idea for another single-title contemporary. I knew this was going to be a crazy summer, so I gave myself a few months “off” from new projects. Now I’m ready to get back to the WIP!


9. What are you currently reading?
   I brought back a box full of fun books from RWA National. I’m looking forward to “Sugar Daddy” by Lisa Kleypas (who was sooooo nice); “Say Goodbye” by Lisa Gardner, a member of my RWA Chapter and a lovely person; and “Nightkeepers” by Jessica Andersen, another chapter friend. I just finished Brenda Novak’s Last Stand series, and I loved it. Of course, I recommend all my Sourcebooks Casablanca sisters’ books! You can view the fabulous covers and read more about the books on our Casablanca Authors Blog at http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/.
   


10. What’s your writing process? When do you write best?
    I learned at a recent chapter meeting that I’m a “linear pantser.” I don’t do outlines, plotting, or storyboards. I start with the germ of an idea (such as “the boots”) and go from there. I write, go back, re-read, edit, think, write some more, and then repeat the process. I keep all the various threads in my head, which will no doubt explode some day soon, and somehow end up with a decent first draft that doesn’t require much revising. I’d have trouble teaching someone to write a book the way I do it. It’s one of those “don’t try this at home” things. I write at night and on weekends—and only after the day job is done, the laundry folded, the kids played with, the lunches made, etc.

SEALed with a Kiss Q & A

Mary Margret Daughtridge, author of SEALed with a Kiss has kindly done some Q & A for her web tour! If you have a question you'd like to ask Mary Margret, you can post it in the comments by the end of the week (4/5/08) and she'll answer it.

Both Jax and Pickett have occupations that are very technical and specific. How much research did you do for them?

Fortunately, my speech pathology and family education background is somewhat similar to that of a family therapist, so for Pickett I drew on my own experience. After all, she doesn’t try to be a therapist to Jax and Tyler—just a friend.

Detailed, current, technical data about SEALs is very hard to come by because their work is covert, and most of their operations classified. However, I was more concerned with how being a SEAL shapes a man’s character, than whether he would prefer a Heckler and Koch semi-automatic or a Glock.

JC Roat’s Class 29 was probably the most insightful book I read about what character traits make a man want to be a SEAL, and how becoming a SEAL changes him. I read and reread more than twenty books about SEALs and Special Operations, poured over military web sites, and corresponded extensively with two former SEALs, one of whom has become a good friend. A Navy lieutenant who works closely with SEALs was another source of information.
Without the two SEALs who patiently told me how they would handled this or that, SEALed With A Kiss would never have been written. In some scenes, I have actually used their own words. They exemplified the generosity of spirit, willingness to overcome all obstacles, and uncompromising accountability of these extraordinary men.

You created some important secondary characters in Tyler, Pickett’s Dogs, and many others. Talk about their roles and what made them so special to you.

There are characters that an author designs to fit a role, and characters that just appear. Tyler was the former. I needed a bright child, old enough to talk fluently, but too young to be left unattended under any circumstances. I chose a four-year-old because between four and five is an unstable age emotionally. Without warning, an otherwise good-natured child may return to the trantruming and non-compliance one associates with two’s, so Tyler could be counted on to give Jax a hard time. [grin] However, once I had established the parameters, Tyler proved he was his father’s son. I knew it the moment he surprised me by asking Pickett out of the blue, “Is my mother dead, do you think?”

As for the dogs, the lumbering yellow Lab, Patterson, and his sidekick, the cheerfully lowbred Lucy, just popped into my mind. Later, scruffy and a little dangerous, a Shepherd-mix named Hobo Joe turned up and I almost wrote him out, because, my goodness, Pickett didn’t need another dog! I was wrong. It turned out there was a lot more to Hobo Joe than met the eye.

The other secondary character is Tyler’s grandmother. When I first imagined her, she was only Jax’s antagonist, but in time I came to feel such compassion for her…she isn’t evil, she’s only trying to stop the pain of losing her daughter. I hope I get to write her story someday and give her a happy ending.

See, there’s this SEAL who’s not intimidated at all by her money, power and beauty. He tells her some truths she needs to hear, and then, because no good deed goes unpunished, he winds up having to ride herd on her, but he’s got troubles of his own, not the least of which is an injury that could sideline him permanently, and then…

Navy SEALs lead a pretty intense life. What do you think this brought to the character of Jax?

I chose a SEAL as my hero precisely because the life of a SEAL is just too hard, too all consuming to bear unless he wants it passionately. Jax’s marriage foundered because being a SEAL came first, and he has a son he hardly knows, because being away two-hundred plus days a year doesn’t leave much time for visits. But SEALs also feel hyper-responsible for those in their care. Of course every SEAL is an individual, but both by nature and by training they share certain characteristics. It was fun to extrapolate how Jax would think like a SEAL in a non-SEAL challenge.

Pickett seems so unsure of the developing relationship with Jax. What was it like creating a character with such an internal struggle?

The truth is that therapists have as many insecurities and blind spots as everyone else, and can just as easily fool themselves. Pickett has worked hard and overcome much to become the woman she is. However, she has placed all her confidence and her personal pride in her clinical expertise. So when she’s attracted to a man who doesn’t measure up to her husband checklist, she’s more lost than the average person would be. Pickett’s real problem is that she’s achieved a certain a level in her life and now she’s playing it safe. Jax is just what she needs to kick her out of her comfort zone.

I had fun dropping hints to the reader that Pickett is much more than thinks she is. Right up to the end, the reader can see Pickett more clearly than she sees herself.

What’s next for your writing?

Jax’s friend, the wily and subtle MENSA material, Caleb “Do Lord” Dulaude, demanded his own book before I was half done with SEALed With a Kiss. For this ex-bad-boy who grew up at the dirty fringes of society, becoming a SEAL saved his life and probably his soul. Now, to finally live up to a promise he made his mother, he has to trust an absent-minded professor, rather than another SEAL, to watch his six and he has to lose his heart, if he hopes to mend it.

What else do you do other than write?

I love choral singing, for which I have extremely minor talent, and painting. Recently I took up ballroom dance. It’s so much fun, one of these days I want to work it into a book. I also love to learn and most of the time I’m taking a course in something—right now, I’m studying a communication process called “Non-violent Communication.”