Marina Adair

First and foremost, please tell us a little bit about yourself.  Thanks for having me here today! Okay, a little about me … I am a screenwriter turned romance novelist who has a thing for burgers, beer, and Jane Austin novels—sometimes simultaneously. My relationship with Eggo waffles boarders on unhealthy and I hate mayonnaise. I am also a mother and a wife, I love reading and I am a HUGE Hart of Dixie fan.

Team Tucker! 

Are you a plotter or a pantser?  Plotter. Obsessive plotter.

What is your writing routine?  I wait until everyone is off to school or work and the house is quiet. Then it is butt in chair, head down, and I write. Lately, my goal has been a steady 15,000 words a week, so roughly 3000 words a day. If come Friday, I am under then I make up the words on the weekend.

                              

Where do you find your inspiration?  Country songs. My critique partner and I always joke that if we could, we would move into Luke Bryan song. Right now Crash My Party is at the top of the list.

Did you have to do any research for your ST. HELENA'S VINEYARD series?  Since I lived in St. Helena for a few years, the setting was easy, but when I got to the third book in the series, AUTUMN IN THE VINEYARD, I was faced with Frankie Baudouin and Nate DeLuca, two rivaling winemakers. I realized quickly that although I am an expert wine drinker, I had no idea what goes into being a wine maker. So I went to my wine-go-to-guy, Gary Galleron of Galleron Wines. He was sweet enough to answer all of my questions, even the ridiculous ones—and great guy that he is, he didn’t even laugh at me once. Gary gave me better understanding of just what goes into owning a winery: from the planting, to harvest, production, and right on to sales and distribution. He was a life saver—and Galleron wines are incredible. Yum!

Your ST. HELENA'S VINEYARD series deals with cheating.  How do you develop your heroines so they can move on and trust a worthy hero after going through such betrayal?  Betrayal is something that I think most readers can relate to, plus it is one of my favorite obstacles to tackle—especially when the characters have a past with each other. I like to figure out what my heroine’s goal and biggest fear is, then put her in a situation where the only way to accomplish the goal is to overcome the fear. And who stands in the way of her goal … the hero, of course.

In AUTUMN IN THE VINEYARD, my heroine Frankie has experienced enough betrayal and disappointment in her lifetime to understand that it is just easier to go it alone. The idea of leaning on someone—especially a man—is terrifying. So I put her in a situation where, if she wants to save her new vineyard, she has to live and work with the one guy who broke her heart and her trust, Nate.

What can you tell us about BE MINE FOREVER without giving too much away?  Book #4 in the St. Helena Vineyard series, BE MINE FOREVER, comes out January 21, 2014 and follows the baby of the family, Trey DeLuca. After watching each of his brothers trade in their man-card for a minivan, Trey develops a severe allergic reaction to commitment, compromise, and kids. So of course I paired him with the sexy single-mom next door who isn’t in the market for a man—so much as a Manny to watch her son. It was fun to witness the commitment-phobe playboy fall hard, especially when the woman he is falling for comes stock-ready with a kid, white picket fence, and a life that screams commitment.

What can you tell us about your SUGAR, GEORGIA series?  The Sugar, Georgia series is a brand new series I am writing for Grand Central Publishing. The first book, SUGAR’S TWICE AS SWEET, will release late 2014. It follows Josephina Harrington, a New York socialite whose perfect life is uprooted when she finds herself dumped, homeless, and broke—and the only asset she has left is her great Aunt Fairchild’s old plantation house in Sugar, Georgia. One look at the dilapidated in and Joie realized that she does need a man—one that wears a tool belt and knows a thing or two about renovations.

With three Master’s Jackets and a nasty sex scandal under his belt, PGA playboy Brett McGraw decides to return home and lay low before he does something else stupid . . . like lose his corporate endorsements. But when Brett calls on the new neighbor to settle a dispute, he’s given a tool belt and a hammer. One look at Joie’s long legs and city-girl sass and playing contractor doesn’t seem so bad. Especially if it means spending his days watching her parade around in those ridiculous heels and his nights in her bed. Too bad for him, she is done with men.

When will you write another SWEET PLAINS TEXAS novel?  Those Tucker boys have a special place in my heart. When I wrote Tucker’s Crossing I mapped out a story for all three brothers, and one for Gina and Logan. I plan to finish the series, but there is no publication date as of yet. I hope that after I wrap up the DeLucas and the Sugar, Georgia series, that I will be able to take a trip back to Sweet Plains, Texas and stay for a while.

What type of relationship is your favorite to explore and develop?  Enemies to lovers who have a heated past. I love the idea of a second chance at a first love. There is so much natural conflict and tension that stems from those kinds of stories, and finding believable motivations for them to give into the chemistry is always so much fun.

What type of person is your ideal heroine when you're both reading and writing? 

I love the sweet, girl-next-door who has a secret wild side. I also love heroines who find out how strong they really are when their perfect world collapses and they have to pull themselves back up.

 What type of person is your ideal hero when you're both reading and writing?  I love my heroes to be all male. I don’t like them whiny or brooding or dark, I love them funny and charming and so full of banter and swagger that they burn up the page. But I also love them to have a vulnerable side.

Are they the same?  I think what my hero and heroine want is ultimately the same, but how they go about getting there takes very different courses—which is where the conflict and tension comes in.

What has the publishing process been like?  I am with two different publishers right now and I think I really lucked out. I absolutely love my editors and the teams that work on my books.

Would you recommend advertisements or did you market your books through a different venue?  My publisher handles all of my advertising and marketing. They do such an incredible job of it I have never had to consider additional promotions outside of blog tours.

How involved are you in terms of editing/book cover/release date/marketing process? This is a tricky question. I am as involved as I am allowed to be. I have a great relationship with all of my editors, and I really listen to their advice and suggestions, and we have created a great back and forth dialogue to make each book the best it can be. As for covers and release dates, I have input but in the end the final decision is up to that team.

Are you working on anything now?  I am just finishing up book #5 in the St Helena Series, FROM THE MOMENT WE MET. It follows the only sister in the family, Abby DeLuca, who after 8 years of being stuck in a marriage of lies, finally gets her divorce. Ready to rebuild her life and embrace her new found freedom, Abby lands a job designing the Wine Country’s newest premiere wine and cheese shop. Only day one into being man-free her ex-husband arrives on her door step—in an urn. To make matters worse, Jack Tanner, former NFL heartthrob and the guy who stole her virginity and then broke her heart, is the hired hammer for the remodel—and he won’t back down until Abby agrees to one date with him.

Any upcoming releases?  October 29, 2013 ~ Autumn in the Vineyard (St Helena Vineyard #3)

http://www.amazon.com/Autumn-Vineyard-Helena-Novel-ebook/dp/B00CRMUJV4/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

January 21, 2014 ~ Be Mine Forever (St. Helena Vineyard #4)

http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Helena-Vineyard-Novel-ebook/dp/B00EJYI6KY/ref=pd_sim_kstore_4

June 2014 ~ From the Moment we Met ~ (St. Helena #5)

August 2014 ~ Sugar’s Twice as Sweet (Sugar, Georgia #1)

Website: www.MarinaAdair.com

Twitter: @MarinaEAdair

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Marina-Adair/313569728682853?ref=hl

Thanks for having me today! :)