MarilynBaxter's crush is Hugh Jackman -- why not? -- and her #newbook : Direct Deposit #baby #singleparent

Welcome, Marilyn Baxter, to Get Lost in a Story!

I --Vicki-- broke into fiction writing through the romance magazines, but wasn't sure I was doing the writing right. That's when I came across Marilyn's class. I took it and learned so much. When people say to me that I should teach a class on writing short fiction, I say "no" and point them to Marilyn. :)

A Bit about Marilyn:  In 2001, Marilyn discovered romance novels quite by accident, which led to a renewed interest in writing. She’s had over forty stories published in the confessions and romance magazines and taught a class in how to effectively write for this genre. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and her local RWA chapter, Heart of Dixie Romance Writers. Her involvement on the local and national levels has combined to give her a great love of the romance genre and to develop friendships that span the globe.

In addition to reading and writing, Marilyn loves to knit simple things, cook in the crockpot and garden in a few pots on her patio. Her motto is “Have passport, will travel,” and she recently added Ireland and Wales to the list of 32 states and 21 foreign countries she has visited.

A native of North Carolina, she came to Huntsville, Alabama by way of Frankfurt, Germany. She has lived there longer than anywhere else and calls it home. After raising two great sons, she loves to dote on her two granddaughters. And somewhere amidst all the above, she fits in a day job as an administrative assistant for a boutique law firm.

 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.

Link to Excerpt

Find Direct Deposit at: Amazon

QUESTIONS for Marilyn:

Vicki:  I’m a huge handbag girl. What is your favorite accessory? 

Marilyn: Scarves, scarves and more scarves. I have square ones, oblong ones, pashminas and infinity scarves. I can take a scarf and make an inexpensive t-shirt or sweater look fabulous. Check out this video for ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LYAEz777AU

Vicki: What’s your favorite cartoon character? 

Marilyn:  Wiley E. Coyote! He never gives up!

Vicki: I love Bugs Bunny. 

Vicki: What turns you off like nothing else? 

Marilyn:  Rudeness.

Vicki: Can you tell us about a real-life hero you’ve met? 

Marilyn: My mother.  She was widowed at age 43 with two teenage daughters to raise.  She had re-entered the work force years earlier when my father was laid off from his job, and by the time she retired, she was the head of the advertising department of a local newspaper.  She just celebrated her 88^th birthday (don’t shoot me Mom!) and still lives on her own.  When I get discouraged, I think of her, and I know I can’t give up because she never did.

Vicki: I feel the same way about my grandmother.

Vicki: What’s your favorite movie of all time?

Marilyn: Romancing the Stone. I love this movie because the heroine is a romance writer.  It’s been a favorite since I first saw it in the theater when it was released in 1984.  Who knew then I’d be a romance writer one day? How cool is that?

Vicki: What is your biggest vice? 

Marilyn: Sweet tea with lemon

Vicki: What’s something you’d like to tell your fans?

Marilyn: The biggest compliment you can pay an author – me or any other author you read – is to post honest reviews of their books online and telling others how much you enjoyed their books.

Vicki: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

Marilyn: I would LOVE to be a private investigator specializing in divorce investigations.

Vicki: What do you do to unwind and relax?

Marilyn: I watch documentaries on Netflix, PBS and Smithsonian Channel. My tastes are eclectic and I watch everything from archaeological digs at Stonehenge to Nelson Mandela and the South African rubgy team to Steve Martin and the history of the banjo.  I also like to knit and often have knitting needles in my hands while I watch these documentaries. 

I knit scarves and hats for a Lakota mission my church supports.  I knit dishcloths to give as gifts.  And back in November and December, I experimented with knitting fingerless gloves.  I used a simple pattern but in my copious free time (insert sarcasm here) I want to learn how to do circular knitting so I can knit more difficult items. (I’ll send a photo of the fingerless gloves I knit for myself.)

Vicki: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

Marilyn: I have made friends with an amazing variety of writers who span the globe.  The sun never sets on my circle of writing friends.  I never imagined I would be on a first-name basis with New York Times best-sellers on the one hand and helping new writers work toward their dream of being published on the other.

Vicki: What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?

Marilyn: Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy.”  It’s the ringtone on my phone.  ♪♫♫Clap along if you know what happiness is to you. ♪♫♫♪

Vicki: What drew you to write in the genre(s) you do?

Marilyn: Reading the genre I write – short contemporary romance.  I picked up my first short contemporary in 2001, devoured it, wondered why I hadn’t been reading them before and never looked back.

Vicki: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Marilyn: A news article appeared in my feed one day with the headline “Seeking Sperm, Not Sex, Online: Online banking has taken on a brave new meaning.” After learning that many women are turning to online sperm banks, I began developing a story about a woman who decides to do the same.

Vicki: Who's your celebrity crush and why?

Marilyn: Hugh Jackman.  And why the heck not?!?!?!?

Vicki: I agree!

FIND Marilyn at:  Email Website  Facebook  Twitter  Pinterest

What's NEXT:  Picture This, tentatively scheduled for release in March 2015. It features a secondary character from Direct Deposit. 

PREVIOUS RELEASES:

Find Tea for Two at:  Amazon

Find Better as a Memory at: Amazon

WILL YOU HAVE A DRAWING FROM THOSE LEAVING COMMENTS or do you have a promotion you'd like us to link to? Yes, North America only and please leave an email address in your comments for the drawing. I’ll give away a digital copy of Direct Deposit and a handmade zipper pouch great for make-up, change, flash drives or whatever you’d like to put in it.  

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?  

Why do YOU read romance?