Island Detour
by Maria Imbalzano
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BOOK BLURB:
Falsely accused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts a temporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys to wait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape, but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton, are anything but tranquil.
Max is determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, but he suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoor skills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet, something about her tames the demons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit inside him.
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EXCERPT THREE:
Just because you have issues shouldn’t mean you can’t trust anyone but yourself.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she knew she’d gone too far. But he had started it. And frankly, she didn’t care if she had struck a nerve.
His jaw clenched, an almost imperceptible movement. After a few seconds he bowed his head and sighed. Then he turned his back to her, picked up his rod, and cast the line into the ocean. No comeback. No smart remark. A minor victory. Had she really gotten in the last word this time?
Unfortunately, she couldn’t let it go.
“Is that how you deal with conflict? You turn around and ignore it?”
She was definitely pushing the envelope now, but he deserved it. One didn’t just end an argument by turning away. He needed to stick with it. Fight it out. Until the bitter end.
She watched him in profile, the brooding, detached fisherman whose lips rarely inched into a smile, whose eyes rarely sparkled, and whose cutting words were meant to slice—and hurt. Which they did.
Sophie looked over at Ben, who had remained quiet during their little altercation. He held his finger to his lips as if to say enough.
She itched to continue but followed his unspoken suggestion. He knew Max a lot better than she did. And sometimes, she just had to let things settle down.
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GUEST POST:
What Have Been Your Biggest Writing Mistakes and What Lessons Have You Learned From Them?
I wish I had just one. Unfortunately, I have several. It’s a good thing I consider myself a lifelong learner since the value of making mistakes is to learn from them.
The first big mistake I made was in writing my Sworn Sisters Series. It’s about four women who have been best friends since high school, and are now in their early 30s. Each woman has their own book with their own story, but the other women come in and out of each other’s books.
The first book in the series, “Sworn to Forget,” is Nicki’s story, but Sam has a big role in that book. The second book in the series, “Sworn to Remember” is Sam’s story. I made the huge mistake of having much of these stories take place during the same time period. As a result, when I was writing Sam’s story, I had to keep going back to Nicki’s story to see exactly what they said to each other and what time of year it was when they met at different locations. I also needed to make sure the timeline of Sam’s story coordinated with the time line in Nicki’s. Further, I had to put all the other secondary characters in scenes that overlapped. The lesson I learned was to never have stories in a series overlap. Make them serial in time so I can just write that story fresh, without having to keep going back to a prior story. As a result of my education, the third book in the series, “Sworn to Fly” takes place after the events of “Sworn to Remember.”
The next big mistake I made was with “Return to Wylder.” I wrote the entire book in the third person, which is how I usually write. It wasn’t until I was finished with the book that I decided it would be better if written in first person. I then had to go back and edit the entire book. Lesson Two: decide which point of view I want before I start writing the book.
Another mistake I tend to make with every book (I clearly haven’t learned this teachable lesson) is to info dump. It never fails that when I send each book in to my editor, she asks me to get rid of the first chapter (at least) and start with Chapter Two. I then need to filter in all the information I had in Chapter One throughout the next several chapters. I always agree. This assures that Chapter One starts where it should start – at a life changing moment—and that I don’t bore the reader with backstory. Lesson Three: Before I send the book to my editor, delete the first chapter myself and filter in the information throughout the next several chapters.
Another painful lesson I learned was with the manuscript I am currently working on. It’s the last of the Sworn Sisters books titled “Sworn to Collide.” My critique partners don’t like my heroine. That is the death knell for a book. The main character can be flawed and should be, but he/she must have some redeeming trait up front to allow the reader to root for them. If the reader doesn’t like the character, then she won’t care what happens to her and won’t want to finish the book. So…I’m working on making her a more likable character up front, despite her flaws. This has not been an easy task and I am now re-writing the book with “then” and “now” chapters to show why she thinks the way she does. Lesson Four: Make my main character likable from the beginning. Don’t wait until I’m halfway through the book to show why she is the way she is.
Just so you know, I did make mistake number three in my new release “Island Detour.” I had to delete the first chapter. And it was so good! 😊
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AUTHOR BIO:
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Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states. Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two daughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.
Awards:
Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3rd Place for Book of the Year), and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Maria will be awarding a $15 Amazon OR Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner's Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
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