Dear Readers, here’s
another collection from Write Intgrity Press. They are always a fun read!
Bio: Marji Laine
is a wife and homeschooling mom with teenage twins left in the nest. Having
just released her debut novella Grime
Beat, she spends her non-writing time transporting to and from volleyball,
directing high school classes at a local coop, and leading the children’s music
program at her church. From suburban Dallas , she
loves to create scintillating suspense with a side of Texas sassy. She invites readers to unravel
their inspiration, seeking a deeper knowledge of the Lord’s Great Mystery that
invites us all.
Welcome back, Marji. I
know that this is a collaboration. How did this story come about?
I love answering that question. This is the third book in a
series of stand-alone collaborations. The first, A Dozen Apologies, had a heroine
who met with 12 different men. The readers chose the man they liked the best,
and he won the girl. The 2nd place guy became the next book star and The Love Boat Bachelor was born.
The hero was stuck on a single’s cruise with women constantly surrounding him,
but he met a different special lady at each port of call. Again the readers
decided on their favorite who ultimately married the hero. The 2nd place gal in
that vote was my heroine, Mercy Lacewell. So this is her book, Unlikely
Merger.
Did you find it easy
to work together on it?
You know, it’s really amazing how it all works together. I
got to be on the inside a little more than normal because I needed to help with
character continuity. But it amazed me how the authors grasped the concept and
characters and did an outstanding job with their individual chapters. And with
this book, we offered the chance for a new author to come on board and join us.
Out of all the submissions, we actually chose two and those blend perfectly,
just like the others. Seamless. If you didn’t know there were 10 authors, you’d
never guess it on your own.
I just finished
reading The Love Boat Bachelor, and
it’s amazing how the stories blend together. How did collaborating with this
team impact you?
It’s inspiring to see how each of the authors dug into her
chapter. In the book, Mercy visits a number of different businesses on behalf
of her father’s company. The authors got to choose the businesses for their
chapters and the places. Incredible! The diversity is amazing. And some of the
businesses are downright genius!
I can hardly wait to
read this new one. What is the hardest thing about writing as a team?
Timing issues. The more people working on a project, the
more schedules come into play. Other books were coming out, some authors were
traveling or dealing with family issues. Sometimes I have trouble just
scheduling lunch with a friend and there are only 2 of us. Compound that to 10
authors and add in editors as well and time becomes a huge issue. But happily,
the book cranked off right on schedule!
What are you reading
right now?
I’m currently reading Beth Goddard’s latest, Backfire, but by the time you
post this, I’ll have reviewed it at the Suspense Sisters review page. My next
book might be Margaret Brownley’s Undercover
Bride. That sounds like a fun one.
How did you choose
your characters’ names?
I really worked hard on Mercy’s name. I searched for a name
that meant compassionate and found the name Dara, but I had a bit of a problem
with that name because it is so like the heroine in A Dozen Apologies, Mara, who broke the hero’s heart. So my editor
suggested Mercy, which also means compassionate. I loved the name!
Would you want to
work on another book together?
I always enjoy these collaborations. This time I’m getting
to work with several whom I’ve worked with before: Jennifer Hallmark, Fay Lamb,
Betty Owens, Phee Paradise, Pat Dyer, and I love working with Tracy Ruckman,
editor at Write Integrity Press. I’m also delighted to be working with an
online bud, Julie Arduini, and Carole Towriss, who is one of my critique
partners. Our other two authors are excellent! Suzy Moore and Rachel Tear. I’m
looking forward to getting to know them better. But I’d be thrilled to work
with any/all of them again. This is a fun group!
What do you want to
tell us about the book?
Well, during Mercy’s Caribbean
cruise (The Love Boat Bachelor) she
nurses her ailing father who is recuperating from a stroke. But Unlikely
Merger finds him better, stronger, and back to working at his office.
No longer needed as her father’s nurse, Mercy Lacewell
attempts to step into his shoes at his acquisitions firm. That means travel,
engaging strangers, and making final decisions—nothing she feels equipped to
do. If her best friend has her way, Mercy will simply marry one of the single,
available men she meets, but they overwhelm her. So handsome and kind. And so
many. Even if she felt obliged, how could she ever choose?
Should she shove all attraction aside and focus on her father’s business, or is God warming her heart with the possibility of forever?
Should she shove all attraction aside and focus on her father’s business, or is God warming her heart with the possibility of forever?
Please give us the
first page of the book.
Lacewell Limited, Denver , Colorado
Mercy Lacewell
turned away from her computer’s flat-screen and faced the open doorway of her
office. The squeak of her father’s wheelchair in the hallway was unmistakable.
He lifted his hand as he rounded the entrance. “Darts or Tiddly-Winks?”
“Huh?” Had she
heard him right?
His
administrative assistant, Madeline Conroy, gave the door a shove with her foot
as she followed him in. “See there, you’re confusing her.” She marched to
Mercy’s desk and began setting her files and paperwork aside.
“What are you
doing?” Seemed like Mercy never knew what her dad wanted from her nowadays.
Taking on the position at Lacewell Limited when Daddy decided to return to work
threw her into an unfamiliar environment, but at least Madeline came with the
job. The petite lady practically ran the company by herself, and she’d been
almost a mother to Mercy.
His blue eyes
twinkled. “Thought I might do something for you.”
Oh, dear. The
last time he said that, he wanted to go on a cruise to visit his friend in St.
Maarten. Enjoyable as it was, she didn’t need another vacation, especially
after only a week at her dad’s company. “Okay? What’s on your mind?” She stood.
Her bangs flopped over her eyes, and she pushed them back, tucking the longest
behind her ear.
He set a folded
packet on her desk and scooted aside a penholder. Madeline unfolded the paper
and spread it flat.
“A map?”
Exactly what she feared. How could she leave again, now, when she was only
starting to understand her new position?
“Not a simple
map, sugar. All of these yellow marks”—he ran his hand over the map of the United States —”are
potential additions to our company’s repertoire.”
So many places.
“How do you choose where to go?”
He shrugged.
“Going back to my original question. Darts or Tiddly-Winks?”
She rolled her
eyes, and he chuckled.
Madeline laid a
dime on Denver .
“You won’t need to make any of the in-town visits. Your dad can take care of
these places.”
Mercy stifled a
groan. Not that she didn’t enjoy helping Dad, even during his travel. But she
floundered right now, with no sense of direction for her life. And she’d
finally experienced some success at this job. At least enough to wrap her mind
around her new duties.
“Well?” Dad
tilted his head to the side.
“Oh, you want
me to choose the destination.” She picked up the dime. This wasn’t her
preferred way of making a decision, but her dad had to do the actual
evaluating.
“I thought you
should.” He folded his hands in his lap. “Since you’re the one who’s going.”
She flinched,
and the dime toppled to the smooth carpet. Mercy retrieved it but couldn’t
fathom what her father was thinking. She blinked and stared at the coin.
“Sorry.”
Madeline straightened the map. “I couldn’t find a Tiddly-Wink, and I didn’t
think you’d want to use a dart on your new desk.
“But …” Synapses
slowed. Choosing the businesses for investment or purchase was the most crucial
task that Dad had done. “I thought Uncle Thomas took care of that.” He had
since Dad’s stroke.
“Tom’s retired,
sugar. He’s been a great help this last year, but I don’t want to burden him.”
Mercy gave her
head a shake. “So you want me to visit all these places?” Put her life on hold
again?
Sounds interesting. Where
can our readers find you on the Internet?
I’m at MarjiLaine.com
and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads,
and they can find me at my Amazon Author page as
well.
Thank you, Marji, for
sharing this new book with us.
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Angela in Ky would love to win
ReplyDeleteSounds good!
ReplyDeleteMelanie Backus, TX
I am always impressed by collaborations. So much creativity.
ReplyDeleteMary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I would love to win this for my wife.
ReplyDeleteEdward Arrington from Martinsville, VA
Deanna in Nebraska would enjoy reading this book :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting read! I like collaboration stories. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteBeth in Montana
Really looking forward to reading this book, would love to win.
ReplyDeleteLourdes Long Island,NY
Enter me in your great giveaway!!
ReplyDeleteConway, SC.
Good interview. The book sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteEdward Arrington in Martinsville, VA
Nice topic of business and romance. I also like 'collections' as I read different authors and meet some new ones to me. sm wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com CA
ReplyDelete