Wendy S. Marcus

Anatomy for Romance: A Strong Hero, a Feisty Heroine and Lots of Laughs!



Welcome Harlequin debut author, Wendy S. Marcus!


Wendy lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley region of New York with her husband, two of her three children, and a much loved Bichon Frise named Buddy. A nurse by trade, Wendy has her Master of Science degree in Healthcare Administration. After years of working in the medical profession, Wendy has taken a radical turn to writing hot contemporary romance with strong heroes, feisty heroines, and lots of laughs. When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and blogging/e-mailing/tweeting with her online friends. To learn more about Wendy visit her website, http://www.wendysmarcus.com/






When One Night Isn't Enough
Wendy S. Marcus
Harlequin Medical Romance

Nurse Ali Forshay has found the perfect man for her. Dependable. Routine. Boring. Exactly what she wants to ensure a quiet, stable and anonymous life. Then his friend, Dr. Jared Padget, shows up and goodbye fairytale ending. The man’s a schmoozer. A womanizer. A whoo-a-woman-into-bed-using-any-means-necessary kind of man just like her father. And Ali wants nothing to do with him. But he’s so tempting. Thank goodness his temporary assignment at Madrin Memorial is over, and he’s heading out of town. If only he hadn’t shown up at girls’ night out on the eve of his departure. If only he hadn’t taken her up on her drunken one-time offer. If only he hadn’t come back when he’d promised to stay away…

After a steady diet of dependable and boring, I'm willing to bet one night with hot Dr. Tempting isn't enough. Okay, it's interview time!

Jillian: Hi Wendy, What’s the first book you remember reading?
Wendy: My first romance book was Home to Copper Mountain, a Harlequin Superromance by Rebecca Winters. This book started my love affair with romance novels.
Jillian: Where do you read and how often?
Wendy: Before I received ‘The Call’ I could easily read a book every 1-2 days. Now that I’m a published author under deadline I don’t read near as much as I’d like. But when I can squeeze in some reading time I can read anywhere…even in the car!
Jillian: What sound or noise do you love?
Wendy: I absolutely love the sound of moving water. I can sit and listen to ocean waves or a babbling brook, or lake water lapping against the shore, for hours. I also love to listen to rain.
Jillian: Be honest, when reading 1st person...do you miss the hero’s POV?
Wendy: Yes. I absolutely love a particular author who writes in the first person. In my opinion, she is a wonderful writer. But while reading one of her books, I got so frustrated at not being given the hero’s POV I actually could not force myself to finish. And I haven’t purchased one of her books since, which makes me sad since I love her writing style.
Jillian: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?
Wendy: I reward myself by reading someone else’s book… that I’ve probably used to bribe myself into staying focused.
Jillian: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
Wendy: I’m not a big coffee drinker, but when I drink it it’s usually after a meal out at a restaurant and I have a decaf with a shot of Bailys. No whipped cream. (I try to watch where I can!)
Jillian: What does it mean to love someone?
Wendy: To put someone’s needs before your own, to strive to make them happy even when you’re sad and to forgive them when they screw up - because they will screw up.
Jillian: What do you do to unwind and relax?
Wendy: I read. Actually I started reading after I had my first panic attack many years ago. After confirming I was not having a heart or asthma attack, my doctor told me I was wound too tight and needed to relax. And exactly how was I supposed to do that with three young children, a forgetful husband, and a full time job? I tried escaping my life by entering someone else’s – in a book. And it worked!


Okay, I gotta ask, and Wendy's gotta answer:

Jillian: Perhaps more than any other sub-genre I can think of, the medical romance has to draw on a great deal of technical knowledge/experience––especially when it comes to world building. Tell us a little about how you go about incorporating romance into the hospital environment.
Wendy: This is one of the hardest parts of writing a medical romance. Before I get started there are a few things I’d like to clarify. First, medical romance has a wide variety of settings that span the continents, and the hospital is just one of many different locations in which our stories take place. Second, the focus of our stories is on the hero and heroine, just like other category romance lines, only medical romance must have a hero and/or heroine involved in the medical profession. The medical aspects of the stories occur in the background. Our characters lead full lives outside of work. Third, not all medical romance authors are medical professionals. My editor says, “If you’re good with research you can write a medical romance.” But for me, being a nurse (even one not currently practicing) certainly helps! Now, for world building and incorporating romance into the medical setting. The most important thing is not to get too technical or too gory. Either can pull the reader out of the story. The focus shouldn’t be on the medical aspects of a scene but more on how your hero and heroine react to the medical drama and how they interact with each other during it. We need to show the respect they have for one another in addition to the attraction they feel. It can be a tricky sell to the reader because health care professionals are held to a high standard and readers will lose respect for a doctor/nurse who runs off for a quickie in the Clean Utility Room when he/she should be caring for their patients. Here’s a little example of a medical scene from WHEN ONE NIGHT ISN’T ENOUGH:

When she returned to the E.R., a triage nurse called down the hall. “Ali, eight-year-old male in respiratory distress, possible asthma, ETA three minutes.”
“Put him in Trauma One, Bed Two,” she called back.
After calling a respiratory therapist to the E.R., she went in search of Dr. P., finding him in Exam Room Five with two of the older boys sitting next to each other on a stretcher, their legs dangling over the side. “Wow,” Ali said looking at the reddish, purplish swollen eye each one wore with pride. “You two are going to have some cool shiners tomorrow.”
“What’d I tell you?” Dr. P. asked, playfully elbowing the boy closest to him. “Chicks dig bruises. Now, tomorrow when someone says, ‘Oh, Tommy, Oh, Bobby what happened?’” His voice slid from falsetto back to tenor when he added, “What are you going to say?”
Both boys puffed out their chests, smiled and said in unison, “You should see the other guy.”
“My work here is done,” Dr. P. declared.
Dr. P.’s joking lifted Ali’s spirits. Things were back to normal. Maybe his distant behavior had to do with the calls from his attorney. Maybe things between them were fine. “Jeez Louise,” she said. “The macho vibe in this room is so strong I have the urge to challenge someone to an arm wrestle.”
Dr. P. stepped forward, sliding the sleeve of his lab coat up over his left elbow and flexing his arm. “What do you say, boys? Think I can take her?”
They both smiled up at their new hero. “I bet you can pin her in ten seconds flat,” the smaller of the two said.
“Ah, the naïveté of youth,” Dr. P. said to Ali then turned his attention to the boys who listened aptly. “When in the presence of a beautiful woman, you never want to rush. You need to take your time, draw out the pleasure of her company.”
Ali heard the ambulance siren and put a stop to the fun. “Hold that thought, Romeo. That ambulance is for us. Pediatric respiratory distress. Possible asthma. Going into Trauma One, Bed Two. Respiratory therapy is on the way. I’ll finish up with these bruisers and meet you there.”
Playful Dr. P. disappeared. “They’re both free to go. No fractures. Give their parents the closed head injury instruction sheet.”


Wendy's got a question for fans and readers:

Are you a fan of medical drama shows on television? Who is your favorite TV physician and why? Have you ever read a medical romance? If yes, what did you think? If no, why not? And are you willing to make mine your first?

For Medical Romance fans or those who'd like to try one, Wendy has a giveaway!***

One lucky commenter will win a 2-in-1 UK edition of my book which includes a full novel by author Janice Lynn. Since Harlequin Medical Romance has an international audience, there is no restriction on who can enter. I am happy to mail the book anywhere. In addition to locations in the U.S., I’ve already sent copies of my books to South Africa, Australia, Fiji, and the UK.

WHEN ONE NIGHT ISN'T ENOUGH is currently available in the following places:

In the UK: Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flirting-Society-Doctor-Enough Medical/dp/0263885925/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1307558369&sr=1-1

In Aus/NZ: Online at Mills and Boon: http://www.millsandboon.com.au/product.asp?productid=4371&dest=%2Fcategory%2Easp%3Fbookcategoryid%3D27%26page%3D1%20and%20coming%20to%20store%20shelves%20in%20July.and coming to store shelves in July.

In the U.S.: Coming to Amazon and eharlequin.com in July.

Visit my website: http://wendysmarcus/
Visit me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#%21/pages/Wendy-S-Marcus-Author-Page/184507031577429
Visit me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#%21/WendySMarcus
Visit me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4823224.Wendy_S_Marcus

***Note: Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only. If an 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.