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Thursday, August 15, 2013

A Man Like Him by Rachel Brimble ~ Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour ~ Giveaway ~ Interview

A Man Like Him 
by Rachel Brimble 

Rachel will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So be sure to leave a comment below along with your email address so you may be contacted if you are the lucky winner. To increase your chances of winning visit the other stops on the tour. You may find the other tour stops here...  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/06/virtual-book-tour-man-like-him-by.html
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Interview:

Crystal: Today as part of the Goddess Fish Virtual Book tour, I have the opportunity to interview Rachel Brimble. Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

Rachel: I’m not sure what it says about me as a writer or a human being, but the love scenes! I adore writing them and reading them. In A Man Like Him, the first time Angela and Chris make love it’s a moment of absolute surrender for Angela. Her past has prevented her from putting herself in a position of vulnerability so when she gives herself to Chris, she gives herself fully. This scene just wrote itself. Love it!

Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for A Man Like Him?

Rachel: The book was inspired by the real life event of my family and me being trapped in a caravan park during the 2010 French floods. We were rescued from a clubhouse roof after being stranded in the rain, wind followed sweltering heat, for thirteen hours. It was terrifying. Of course, it wasn’t long before I was pondering how the experience could be used in a book…

Crystal: What are you currently working on?

Rachel: Book four in my Harlequin ongoing series – this will a Christmas 2014 book and features a brand new hero and heroine, but lots of recurring characters from books one to three, including some from A Man Like Him. Writing a series is scary but SO satisfying. I’m absolutely loving it!

Crystal: Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?

Rachel: Each new book starts with either a setting, a premise or maybe even a particular actor or actress. I am a very visual writer and before I can start my characterization, I need to browse the internet “looking” for my main characters. I always know when I have just the right actor/actress/model or unknown. They leap off the screen I know I have my new character. After that, I write characters sketches and then a two-three page synopsis. Occasionally, a chapter plan comes into play but that happens less as less often as a morph from plotter to pantser.
First draft is discovery and, more often than not, a bit of mess – the hard part comes in the following drafts!

Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research for this book or any other? If so do you have a fascinating fact that you have learned you would like to share with us?

Rachel: I’m not much of a researcher to be honest – my books are firmly ground in emotion rather than real events or the ins and outs of occupation or a specialized thing of any sort. Emotion is universal and unchanged, so whether I’m writing contemporary for Harlequin or Victorian romance for Kensington, I usually have all I need in my head and heart.

Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?

Rachel: So many! My favorites are Nora Roberts, Jill Shalvis and Robyn Carr – these are the authors who inspire and influence me the most. For Victorian romance, I love British author, Jean Fullerton, who has also become a very good friend of mine, which is fantastic :)


Crystal:  Is there any genre you haven't written that you would like to try?

Rachel: I can definitely see myself writing bigger books as time goes on – I currently write 85,000-90,000 words but would like to try my hand at a gritter romantic suspense or a very emotional/moral dilemma type of women’s fiction novel. Watch this space!


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BLURB:

Changing her life...again 

After two years in hiding, Angela Taylor knows her independence is worth it. As long as she can escape her past, she has everything under control. Until a flash flood hits the park where she works, and hot Chris Forrester shows up the exact moment she needs a hero. 

Chris proves he can save lives-and weaken a girl's knees. But how can she make him understand that she's off-limits, that getting close to her will endanger his life? Her happiness or his safety: it shouldn't even be a choice. 

Because when you love someone, you protect them, no matter the cost. At least, that's what Angela keeps telling herself....

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EXCERPT:

Their eyes locked and Chris’ gaze dropped to her mouth. It fell ajar and her tongue poked out to wet her bottom lip. He snatched his gaze back to the sky. They were in the middle of a disaster situation. They were reaching out to each other for support. Nothing more. Nothing less. So why the hell was his heart beating like a damn jackhammer?


He shielded his eyes against the sun and prayed to God she hadn’t seen his need to kiss her. He focused on the helicopters. “Damn it.”

She shifted beside him and he felt her gaze on him once more. “What is it?”

“They’re not going to be any help to the people stranded in the trees.”

“Of course--”

“Those vultures aren’t going to do a damn bit of good. Where are the rescue teams?”

“What are you talking about? What vultures?”

“Can’t you see?” He shot his arm toward the sky as frustration hummed along his nerve endings. “They’re TV helicopters. A fat lot of bloody help--”

“TV cameras? Oh, my God.”

Chris turned. Her face grew ashen and she swayed back on her heels, her eyes wide with terror. She gripped his forearm. “Help me. Don’t let them see me. You have to do something.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Chris, please. Help me.”

Without thinking, he pulled her into his arms and she buried her face into his chest. He brought one hand to the back of her head, the other to the small of her back and pulled her close. She fit the contours of his body like she was meant to be there. 

He held her tight. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

She shook her head against his chest. “It’s over. It’s all over.”

The helicopters circled one more time and then flew away, disappearing over the horizon once more. “They’ve gone. Angela? Look at me. What is it?”

She pulled back and tears slipped over her lower lids and down her cheeks. “I’m dead. He’s coming. He’s coming and this time he’ll kill me.”

He gripped her forearms, adrenaline filling his blood on a protective wave. “Who will? What are you talking about?”

She closed her eyes. “My husband.”


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Rachel lives with her husband and two young daughters in a small town near Bath in the UK. After having several novels published by small US presses, she secured agent representation in 2011. In 2012, she sold two books to Harlequin Superromance. She also writes Victorian romance for Kensington--her debut was released in April 2013. 

16 Marsden Place with Omnific Publishing is her first romantic comedy since 2010.

She has just signed a further three-book contract with Harlequin Superromance.

Rachel is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and Romance Writers of America. When she isn’t writing, you’ll find Rachel with her head in a book or walking the beautiful English countryside with her family and beloved black Lab, Max. 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!

She likes nothing more than connecting and chatting with her readers and fellow romance writers. Rachel would love to hear from you!

Links:

Website:  http://rachelbrimble.com/

Blog:  http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/RachelBrimble

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachel-Brimble/181873201887441?fref=ts

Buy Links:

Amazon: A Man Like Him Buy Link

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-man-like-him-rachel-brimble/1114668447?ean=9780373607938

Harlequin: http://www.harlequin.com/author.html;jsessionid=0581216E9F356317B504382885C86C69?authorid=2370

21 comments:

  1. Thanks for the giveaway bobbyehopebooth@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck with the giveaway :)

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  2. Pretty book cover. Sounds so good. Will have to add to my reading.
    Sue B
    katsrus(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. I agree, that cover is very pretty and catches you eye :)

      Thanks for stopping by.

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  3. Hi Bobbye + Sue!

    Great to see you here - I love this cover, Sue. Was thrilled when it dropped into my inbox!

    Rachel x

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  4. Thanks for the great interview. I can see why you'd enjoy writing the love scenes, it is the perfect place to really let your imagination run wild as you concoct the perfect scene

    fencingromein at hotmail dot com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Shannon. I think those are my favorite scene's to read as well. Watching the connection of love :)

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  5. Hi Shannon,

    Exactly! I try to put as much concentration on the emotional impact of the love scene as I do the physical - I want the reader to recognize that something major is happening...more than the obvious. These scenes, for me, are always the easiest to write!

    Rachel x

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  6. Couple of questions for you today:
    1. Are all of your books set in the UK or do you have some (or do you plan) set in the US or other countries?
    2. You write books in several genres. Which to you find most challenging to write and why?

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

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    1. Hi Karen!

      At the moment, all my books are set in the UK and I'm really proud that my books are the first Harlequin Superromances to feature British characters in a British setting :) I would love to set a book in the US in the future but having never been, I worry about getting things wrong. I am doing all I can to get to the RWA 2014 conference in San Antonio so watch this space, lol!

      My historicals are the most challenging to write because of getting the detail right - having said that, I don't spend too much time burying myself in historical research because I ground my Victorian novels in the emotion rather than real events or people in history. Love, hate, revenge, desire...they are all felt the same today as they were in the 1800s.

      Thanks for your questions!

      Rachel x

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  7. I'm happy to be one of your tour host :)

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  8. This does sound like an awesome read. I'm going to add it to my ever growing to be read pile :)

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    Replies
    1. Hi Crystal!

      Great to see you here - hope you enjoy A Man Like Him!

      Rachel x

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  9. Nice interview

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  10. Sounds like an exciting story. Thanks for the interview and congrats to Rachel on the new contract!

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    1. Nice to meet you Elf2060! Thanks for your congrats - I am one busy lady right now but I'm not complaining ;)

      Rachel x

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  11. I enjoyed the interview thank you.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  12. Thanks so much for all your lovely comments and support - apologies for my absence yesterday, it was my daughter's 12th birthday and the day was manic!

    Hope to see you all again later today or another time on the blog this week :)

    Rachel x

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  13. Just trying to catch up here! My traitorous kidneys acted up last week and now I'm playing catch up!

    Sounds like a great interview! Would you believe I've never read a nora roberts book though?!?

    andralynn7 AT gmail DOT com

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  14. What a great excerpt! I'm loving this tour!

    hense1kk (At) cmich (dot) edu

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  15. Great interview and excerpt. Both were really nice to read.

    Mindaf79 @ aol.com

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