Blurb:
She wanted to make a
withdrawal from a sperm bank. He would give all he has to make
a direct deposit.
Synopsis:
INVESTING IT ALL
Family law attorney Maddie Prescott is driven to
succeed. A pawn in her parents’ messy divorce, she devoted her career to
representing children in court, and when her husband’s early death makes it
seem like she can’t have it all, she’s ready to beat the odds by going to a
sperm bank. One advantage to single parenthood is that her child will never be
a pawn. That, and she’ll never have to deal with sarcastic ladies’ men or
liars.
Jack Worth promised to look out for his dying
best friend’s wife: a small repayment for someone who once helped an
irredeemable bad boy find the path to happiness. So, while Maddie Prescott’s
baby plans are questionable, duty and loyalty prompt Jack first to volunteer as
the sperm donor…and then to propose a marriage of convenience. And the more he
gets to know her, the more this onetime player will see that Maddie is the
woman of his dreams, and that the child they will make deserves to be from a
direct deposit.
Excerpt:
It’s time to move on, Jack,” she told him. “And
I think it’s time we stopped these monthly pity parties. We struggle to carry
on polite conversation. I choke on every bite of food. You sit there feeling
sorry for me. I’ve made some decisions in the last few weeks that will move my
life in a new direction. I only hope you’re able to do the same.”
“Is that what the sperm canister is all about?”
Water spewed everywhere.
“How...” Her cheeks burned from embarrassment.
“The letter behind your phone. You aren’t
seriously considering going to a sperm bank are you?”
Maddie pushed away from the table and picked up
her plate, heading toward the kitchen. “And if I am, what makes it your
business?” Chagrin replaced the previous awkwardness.
In 2001, Marilyn discovered Romance novels quite by accident, which led to a renewed interest in writing. She started out by writing fanfiction about Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Superman, which developed into a desire to write about her own characters. She’s had over forty short stories published in the confessions and Romance magazines.
Also, she has taught a class in how to effectively write for this genre and worked as a researcher and copy editor for several Romance authors. All this combined to give her a great love of the Romance genre and helped develop a multitude of friendships in the Romance community.
She’s a member of Romance Writers ofAmerica, as well as her local chapter, Heart of Dixie. In addition to reading, Marilyn loves to knit (as long as it’s only a scarf), cook (in the crockpot), garden (in a couple of pots on her patio), and her motto is “Have passport, will travel.” She’d love to add to the list of 32 states and 21 foreign countries she’s already visited.
After raising two great sons, she loves to spoil... er... dote on her two granddaughters.
Interview:
- 1.When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? I wrote angsty (and very bad) poetry in high school and did some non-fiction work in the early 2000’s. After reading my first Romance novel in 2001, my interest in writing was renewed and I began writing Romance about ten years ago.
2.
How long does it take
you to write a book? I’m a slow writer, plus I
have a day job. I have knocked out 50,000 words in 30 days for NaNoWriMo on
several occasions, but those dirty first drafts then took months to clean up
and finish.
3.
What is your work
schedule like when you're writing? I usually handle personal stuff in the mornings and book promo. I
head to the day job shortly after lunch and work there from 1:00 to 5:00. After I get home from work I have dinner and do
a little more book promo. Then, I write. Because I don’t have to be at work
until 1:00, I can stay up late and write, which is great because my creative
brain works best at night. I love whoever invented the DVR because that lets me
watch my fave TV shows in snippets of time I carve out here and there when the
story isn’t working or I’m doing something like folding laundry or ironing
(yes, I still iron clothes).
4.
What would you say is
your interesting writing quirk? I often write far better when I’m away from home. Thank goodness I live near a coffee shop. I
think the distraction of dust, dirty laundry, the phone ringing, the lure of
the shows on the DVR and the fingerprints on the patio doors pull me out of the
story. At the coffee shop, I don’t care if their doors have fingerprints or not
because I don’t have to clean them.
5.
How do books get
published? This question reminds me
of the joke about the tourist who asked the New Yorker how to get to Carnegie
Hall. His answer was, “Practice, practice, practice.” In a way that’s how books
get published: you write, write, write. And then you depend on the hard work of
a lot of other people at your publishing house.
6.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books? A lot of my ideas have been sparked by news stories. That’s where I
got the idea for Direct Deposit. The
online news site I check daily had the following headline one morning: Seeking
Sperm, Not Sex, Online. The story detailed how couples are using online sperm
banks and I started wondering what sort of Romance heroine would use an online
sperm bank. I keep my eyes and ears open and a news blurb or magazine article can
often make me ask “What if…” and a story is born.
7.
When did you write your
first book and how old were you? I wrote my first book in 2008 and I was 57. I’d often wondered if I
was too old to break into a business that to me seemed to be filled with
authors young enough to be my children. Then I met a woman who published her
first book at age 72. It’s never too late and you’re never too old.
8.
What do you like to do
when you're not writing? I’m a crime TV nut – CSI,
Bones, Law & Order SVU, Major Crimes, Rizzoli & Isles, How to Get Away
with Murder and more. Also, I’m a Netflix documentary junkie. I watch
everything ranging from social and science documentaries to the history of ice-skating
shows and the story behind the Academy Awards.
I took up knitting about ten years ago. I’m still
a novice. I can knit and watch TV, too, so I don’t feel so guilty about all
those documentaries. Now, I’m teaching myself to crochet using YouTube. I’ve
already learned the most common stitch – the frog stitch. It goes rip it, rip it, rip it. And I sew a little, too. Lots of folks got handmade shoe bags the past
couple of Christmases.
9.
What does your family
think of your writing? They are very proud of me.
I doubt my grown sons read my books, and my daughter-in-law is too busy with a
job and taking care of my two adorable granddaughters; but my mother and sister
do. Direct
Deposit is dedicated to my sister because she hung with me through
NaNoWriMo when I wrote the story. She did nightly proofreading and helped catch
continuity errors, typos, et cetera.
10.
What was one of the most
surprising things you learned in creating your books? Sometimes characters veer off in a direction you
never expected. It happened in my last
book because apparently this character wanted her own book. I’m still shaking
my head over her surprise announcement in chapter twelve. And if she wants her
own book, she darned well better start telling me more about herself.
11.
How many books have you
written? Which is your favorite? I’ve written two full-length novels, a novella, a Lunchbox Romance
(a 6,000 to 12,000 word short story line unique to Boroughs Publishing Group)
plus over 40 stories for the confessions magazines. Naming one as a favorite is
rather like saying you like one of your children more than the other. Don’t
tell the others, but Direct Deposit is my favorite. I worked
a long time to get it published and getting the email from my editor offering
me a contract had me whooping for joy.
12.
Do you have any
suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they? Read, read and read some more, especially in the genre
in which you want to write. Good writers are good readers. Take classes. Join
RWA, and if possible, join a local chapter. That’s where you will not only
learn about writing, but you will learn about the business of writing.
13.
Do you hear from your readers
much? What kinds of things do they say?. I’ve had some wonderful emails and Facebook messages from readers
telling me how much they have enjoyed my books. Some have asked how to get
published; others have asked if a certain character in books will get their own
stories (in some cases, yes, in others, no). And I always get comments about my
covers. The Boroughs Art Department does a terrific job with the covers. I LOVE
my covers.
14.
Do you like to create
books for adults? Absolutely. Today’s adults
face issues our parents never dealt with. My characters deal with contemporary
problems; my hope is that the reader will take away something that helps them
even if it’s just to let them escape from reality for a little while.
15.
What do you think makes
a good story? Realistic situations,
engaging characters and good writing. I’ve read books where bad grammar, poor
spelling and bad structure derailed a great premise. This is where studying
your craft and having a good proofreader can help. I have a longtime friend who
beta reads my books before they ever go to my editor. She absolutely rocks.
16.
As a child, what did you
want to do when you grew up? I
thought I wanted to be a teacher. I even began college as an elementary
education major. I had a chance during my freshman year to do some substitute
teaching. I learned desire and reality didn’t intersect, so I changed my major
to Psychology and German. I have the utmost respect for teachers and always let
my sons’ teachers know they had my complete support.
17.
What would you like my
readers to know? If you read Romance, you’re
the tops. Studies show Romance readers are smart and savvy. And readers of
fiction tend to be more empathetic and show more compassion than others. Pat
yourself on the back for being in that group.
Also, I’d like your readers to know where to find
me:
Twitter: @marilyn_baxter
You can contact me through my website and I answer
all emails as soon as I can.
Media Links:
Website: www.marilynbaxter.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marilyn.baxter.372
Twitter: twitter.com/marilyn_baxter
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