Blog Tour - Interview with Marie Astor

Hello! I'm participating on the On The Rim Of Love blog tour and Marie Astor answered a few of my questions.

Here's the interview:

1 – Tell us a little bit about you.

Hi Carla and thank you for inviting me to Library Mosaic. My name is Marie Astor and I am the author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, Dance Me to the Stars, which was recently released, and a short story collection A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.

2 - Have you always wanted to be a writer? If not, when did you decide you wanted to write?

Being a writer has always been my dream, but for a long time I was too intimidated to pursue it. Then, about three years ago, I came to the realization that unless I got serious about it, my dream would never materialize. Since then I wrote three novels and a collection of short stories.

3 – What can you tell us about On the Rim of Love?

On the Rim of Love is a story about finding the courage to follow one’s heart.

What if you found yourself in a situation where you were about to marry the wrong guy and you met a man whom you were simply drawn to - would you have the courage to pursue the new love interest or would you stick with the safer, known choice?

Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking, successful Jeffrey Preston for two years. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage a week after Maggie’s college graduation, she is no longer sure if she wants to marry a workaholic TV producer.

Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia, Maggie meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier who is the complete opposite of Jeffrey. It does not take Maggie long to realize that she has fallen in love with Taylor and she decides to break off her engagement with Jeffrey. But just when she thinks she has found the love of her life, an ill-fated misunderstanding tears Maggie and Taylor apart.

A week later, Maggie is told that Taylor has died in a tragic ski accident; yet, her heart refuses to believe in Taylor’s death. When Maggie returns to Taylor’s native town, she learns that Taylor is indeed alive, but has been seriously injured. Resolved to bring her lover back to life Maggie stands by Taylor’s side, convincing him to embrace life again.

4 – What inspired you to write On the Rim if Love?

The location was the inspiration for On the Rim of Love - two years ago I went to British Columbia for the first time and was smitten by the beauty of the region. I immediately started thinking that it would be the perfect setting for a love story. Slowly, Maggie’s and Taylor’s love story started to materialize in my mind... I put the idea on hold for some time, and two years later, On the Rim of Love was written.

5 – Would you say you are a romantic?

Yes! As I say in my bio, I am die-hard romantic – I believe in love at first sight and in happily ever after!

6 – Which author/ authors have inspired you the most?

There are many writers whom I admire for their works, and each and every single one of them has inspired me in a different way. Some of my favorite authors, in no particular order, are: Anita Brookner, Richard Russo, Jane Austen, Truman Capote, Sarah Addison Allen, Kristin Hannah, Patti Callahan Henry – the list goes on, but I’ll stop here for the sake of space.

7 – If you could invite one of your characters for dinner, which one would you invite and why?

Definitely Taylor Denton – when I was writing his character, I had a major crush on him! I really admire off-piste skiers and the courage it takes to engage this dangerous pursuit. When I was writing Taylor’s character, I gave him the qualities that, in my opinion, would be required to lead the lifestyle that Taylor leads. There are not too my white knights in real life, so I enjoyed creating Taylor’s character immensely. That being said, Taylor is far from perfect – he too has flaws – as they say - still water runs deep….

8 – Can you let us know a little bit about your future projects?

I just finished working on my next novel, Dance Me to the Stars - it is a love story (of course!) about letting go of one’s inhibitions, finding true love and learning to tango. The main character, Claire, is an architect who is engaged to marry her real estate magnate fiancé, but when a handsome tango instructor moves into the apartment above from hers, Claire begins to question her seemingly perfect life.

The release date for Dance Me to the Stars has been moved up to February from March of 2012 – please visit my website, www.marieastor.com or my Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/Marie-Astor/e/B004EBDX9Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

9 – Is there anything you would like your readers to know?

Thank you very much for inviting me to Library Mosaic and giving me an opportunity to talk about On the Rim of Love. I hope that the readers of this blog enjoyed reading about my work and will join Maggie and Taylor on their journey. 

Thank you, Marie!

Marie's also hosting a giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you can, check out the other tour stops:

Monday, February 13th - Riverina Romantics
Tuesday, February 14th - Snowdrop Dreams of Books
Wednesday, February 15th - My Reading Room
Thursday, February 16th - Books Like Breathing
Friday, February 17th - Obsession with Books

Monday, February 20th - Reviews By Molly
Tuesday, February 21st - Sweeping Me
Wednesday, February 22nd - A Casual Reader's Blog
Thursday, February 23rd - Better Read Than Dead
Friday, February 24th - I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!
 

Monday, February 27th - Hesperia Loves Books
Tuesday, February 28th - A Tale of Many Reviews
Wednesday, February 29th - Library Mosaic
Thursday, March 1st - The Magic Attic
Friday, March 2nd - Ce-Ce's Garden Reviews