Interview with Rachel Brimble

Rachel Brimble is our guest today. Rachel lives in a small town near Bath with her husband and two young daughters. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find her with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black labrador. Her dream place to live is Bourton-on-the-Water in South West England, although she hopes a dream visit to Canada might just change her mind! FINDING JUSTICE is your debut novel for Harlequin. What do you think was the special ingredient which caused it to be picked up? 

Emotion, emotion, emotion! I must have been given this advice a hundred times from different Harlequin writers over the years, but just didn’t GET it. Harlequin, of course, want a great story but it is the emotions of the hero and heroine they crave more than anything. What are they thinking? Feeling? Wanting? Fearing? All of that internal dialogue and emotion needs to be on the page as well as heaps of interaction between the hero and heroine to constantly reveal their internal conflict. Easy, right?

Some writers need silence, others prefer the bustle of a coffee shop. What is your favourite mode of working?

Silence – I can only create new words if I have absolute silence so I utilise the time my children are at school and my husband at work to get the words on the page and also tackle edits. If they’re home, I find I can easily work on promotional interviews/blogs or plot my next story. I’ve become quite adept as using my time to its optimum!

You write about contemporary women. Do you take your notebook and pen for a walk and observe those around you, or do they just emerge on the page?

More often than not, they emerge on the page. I am ashamed to say I very rarely use a notebook, although I always carry one. As most romances are all about emotion, pain and happiness, I dig deep into my own experiences and those of the people I’ve known or still know. The external plot often emerges from the hero or heroine’s internal struggle and tends to come to me once I’ve got a real feel of the driving emotion or theme of what it is I want to convey.


Are you involved in social networking and blogs? Any tips for other writers? 

I sometimes fear I play out my entire life on Twitter and Facebook, ha ha! As I’m at the computer more hours than not, it’s very easy to pop in and out of both sites, letting people know my thoughts or what I’m doing. My biggest tip with social networking is not to make it entirely about your work and promoting your next story. People want to know who you are, bits and pieces about your daily life, your family, your likes and dislikes. The one thing I try to do as much as possible is retweet other writers successes, appearances and funny comments. Pay it forward. That’s the secret!

Which three books would you take on a desert island with you, and why?

All time favourite is Gone With The Wind. I am obsessed with stories set against the American Civil War. I just love them and this novel has so much more. I’ve read it four times so far. Anything by Nora Roberts. I first discovered the writer who was to become my favourite romance author whilst browsing through a bookshop at Hay-on-the-Wye. I picked up a random Nora Roberts and a random J D Robb. Unbeknownst to me, they were the same writer.

So what next? Can you tell us something of your work in progress?

I have just sent the second book for Kensington to my agent last week and I’m now plotting book three for Harlequin. The second book with them: A MAN LIKE HIM, is out in August. Finding Justice is available now from Harlequin Superromance and in April, the first of a two book Victorian romance contract I signed with E-Kensington will be released. THE SEDUCTION OF EMILY is set in Bath and about a confidence trickster wooing an upper middle class lady in the name of vengeance. He soon realises just what a bad idea that is… Busy, busy, busy!

Old friends, new secrets Sergeant Cat Forrester lives by her own set of rules. 
When her childhood friend is murdered, Cat’s world is thrown into chaos. Especially because Jay Garrett-a man from her past-is a suspect, and he needs her help to prove he's innocent. After all they once shared, how can she say no? 

The attraction flares between them, and getting involved with a suspect is a huge risk. But the more time Cat spends with Jay, the stronger the tug on her heart. He is the same caring, irresistible man she remembers. Yet she can't let her emotions interfere with the case—solving it is top priority. But as she digs deeper, she discovers Jay has secrets that may jeopardize any possible future together. 

Book Depository

Amazon US

Thank you for sparing time to talk to us today, Rachel. We wish you continuing success with your books. 
Best wishes, Freda 

Find out more:

http://www.rachelbrimble.com/ 
http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.co.uk/ 
https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble 
Facebook

Interviews on the RNA Blog are for RNA members, although we do occasionally take guests. If you are interested in an interview, please contact me: freda@fredalightfoot.co.uk