Emily March

HEARTACHE FALLS IN ETERNITY SPRINGS

I am pleased to welcome USA Today and NY Times bestselling author EMILY MARCH.

I'm switching things up today, starting with my GOTTA ASK Q&A. When I read about my fellow Texan and chapter mate's new passion, I wanted to share it with you.

ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: So, Emily, I doubt you remember the first time we met but it was at a book signing. I think I bought EVERYthing Walden’s had on the table by you. I loved your historical fiction written as Geralyn Dawson. But I’d like to know more about Patchwork Angels. AND it really does sound like fiction when you admit you couldn’t sew a hem but have started a quilting project. So how do you go from not sewing to quilting?

EMILY’S GOTTA ANSWER: First, thank you for the kind words about my work. I started writing historical romance, so it will always have a special place in my heart.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk about Patchwork Angels! One of the most important themes of my Eternity Springs series is friendship, particularly friendship between women. I am blessed to have many wonderful friendships in my life and recently as a result of some volunteer work I did, I made friends with a wonderful woman who introduced me to a new sisterhood, the world of quilters. As someone who didn’t even sew hems at the time, it was quite a wonderful discovery.

Quilting is a hugely popular pastime--something I didn't know at the time. For instance, there's an annual quilt show in Houston that attracts over 50,000 each year.

I discovered that quilting and writing are similar in that both are creative endeavors and both require discipline to complete a project. Quilters are good people--like readers, in fact. I enjoy spending time with them and learning the craft, just like I enjoy spending time with other writers and learning from them, too.

Of course because all of life is fodder for the muse, I wrote a quilting bee into the series. In Eternity Springs, the group calls themselves the Patchwork Angels and they are making quilts from wedding gown fabric--something my master quilter friend introduced me to. Somewhere along the line we got the idea to turn fiction into reality and our Patchwork Quilters project was born.

It took some time to take it from idea to reality, but we now have a plan in place. Basically, I furnish fabric that's been salvaged from damaged wedding gowns to volunteer quilters who agree to make a simple table runner which will be offered for sale at wedding-related fundraising events for Project Pink, Inc., a new 501©3 charitable organization founded by other friends of mine who have a background in the wedding industry. Part of Project Pink, Inc.'s mission is to grant college scholarships to students who have lost a parent to breast cancer and they've agreed that funds raised from sale of the table runners will go toward part of the mission.

This is a labor of love for me and as we get the program up and running, I hope it will offer an opportunity for those involved to make new friendships while participating in a good cause and using their creativity to make something unique. For more information, please email angels@emilymarch.com

AND NOW FOR THE STORIES . . .

ANGEL’S REST

John Gabriel Callahan has lost everything that mattered. All he wants is solitude on an isolated mountain estate. Instead, he gets a neighbor. Vibrant, no-nonsense Nic Sullivan is Eternity Springs' veterinarian, and she has an uncanny plan to lure this talented architect back to the world of the living. First with a dog, next with a renovation project, and, finally, with a night of passion that ends with a surprise.

Now a man still raw from tragedy must face the biggest struggle of his heart. Can he forgive himself and believe in the power of second chances? Dare he trust in the promise of a future and brand-new family here in Eternity Springs?

HUMMINGBIRD LAKE

Shattered after her experiences in war-torn Africa, obstetrical surgeon Sage Anderson gives up medicine and moves to Eternity Springs. There she finds a place to call home, but even her new-found success as a gifted artist isn't enough to keep her nightmares at bay. Colt Rafferty is about to change all that.

Eternity Springs is a refuge for Colt, a place to ground himself when the stress of investigating tragedies takes its toll. He has come here for a little R&R, but instead of relaxing, he finds himself fascinated by the mysterious redhead whose secrets beg to be discovered--a beauty running from her past, a heartsick woman in desperate need of the sweet sanctuary of a devoted man's embrace. And he is just the man to show her the true path to peace--by offering her the healing power of love.

HEARTACHE FALLS

Ballentine, May 2011

ISBN: 0345518381

Married for more than twenty years, and with her children out of the nest, Ali Timberlake has come to Eternity Springs alone. She's looking for answers to heartbreaking questions and searching for something that's missing deep within herself. Taking a lease on the Bristlecone Cafe in pursuit of a lifelong dream, Ali feels revitalized as she becomes part of this charming mountain town. But a big piece of her is still back in Denver with her husband, Mac, a successful judge--and a man who isn't going to let the woman he loves leave without a fight.

When Mac shows up in Eternity Springs--sexy, seductive, and determined to win his wife back--he experiences the wonder of the place that has given Ali such feelings of happiness and belonging. He wants that for her, but even more, he wants that with her. Ali has found a special place for her heart. But is there still enough room left in that heart for him?

MORE Q&A
ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
EMILY: Cat in the Hat. Gotta love Dr. S!
ANGI: What’s your favorite “love” word?
EMILY: Steve (That's my husband's name and our anniversary is tomorrow so he's on my mind.)
ANGI: What’s your favorite fairy tale?
EMILY: Beauty and the Beast
ANGI: What turns you off like nothing else?
EMILY: Liars
ANGI: Where do you read and how often?
EMILY: Lately I do most of my "reading" through audiobooks. I LOVE audiobooks. I listen to one every day as I exercise and every night as I go to sleep. One of the big thrills for me as a writer is to have my Eternity Springs series available in audio.
ANGI: What sound or noise do you love?
EMILY: I love the sound of moving water. Most peaceful sound in the world to me. Love the surf, fountains, mountain streams, waterfalls.
ANGI: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?
EMILY: Nope.
ANGI: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?
EMILY: Story-telling. I learned from my dad, the greatest storyteller ever born
ANGI: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?
EMILY: After writing 24 books in a variety of sub-genres, I feel that with my Eternity Springs series, I'm finally writing what I was always meant to write. I hope you will give them a try.

YOU PROBABLY WANT TO INCLUDE YOUR WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, AND ALL THAT GREAT PROMOTION INFO:
http://www.emilymarch.com/
www.facebook.com/emilymarchbooks
Twitter: @emilymarchbooks

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS? I'm about to jump into the e-book market with my backlist. There are a couple titles of the books I either hated (MY LONG TALL TEXAS HEARTTHROB--gag) or didn't feel fit the story. I'd like to give those books new titles, but list "previously titled xyz" clearly on the buy page. Good idea or a huge mistake?

EMILY will be giving a lucky commenter a copy of ANGEL'S REST (the first book of the Eternity Springs series).
Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an electronic Advanced Reading Copy (ARC) is available, the author may utilize that option for International participants. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants.

Don't miss tomorrow's guest Robin D. Owen and come back Friday for Michelle Deiner. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on all our guests. And don't forget to check out the WINNER'S CIRCLE.