With: Marie Lavender
I’ve been writing stories since I was about nine years
old. In most of them, a minor character – a friend – was mentioned. This was
almost always in a casual fashion, unless the dialogue between them tied back
to the storyline. In Upon Your Love, the final book of the Heiresses trilogy,
friendship was vital, in a way, for the plot to flourish – matchmaking their
mutual friends and protecting a friend from danger, as well as attending a
pal’s wedding…not to mention the developing romance between a family friend and
the housemaid. After all, the novel was a family saga, while also being a
historical romance.
But in my latest venture, a romantic comedy, I had the
chance to delve more into the interplay between a group of friends, as well as
Ginger’s relationship with a brotherly type of character. In fact, I plan for
each book in The Misfits Series to focus on one gal pal in the group. Hell,
even the couple in the story become friends before they’re ever lovers.
Ginger relies a lot on her friends, and vice versa.
Though the origins of this strange troop might seem odd, they somehow fit as a
whole. The sisterhood which is portrayed in the narrative is as much a part of
the story as the main female character’s central journey. Hell, even the couple
in the story become friends before they’re lovers.
So, what makes a true friend? Loyalty, for sure. How
about someone who’s there for you when life gets crazy and you need to vent, or
when your heart is breaking? Someone willing to cheer you up. Also, a person
who knows you well, challenges you sometimes, and tells you the truth, even if
it’s hard to take. Maybe when it comes down to it, the prescription calls for
someone who cares, a person you give a damn about in return. And that’s the
heart of The Misfits Series…
Let’s learn more about book one, Chasing
Ginger.
CHASING GINGER
Chased by a group of angry men. Saved by quite a hunk.
This is not the résumé Ginger Halloway ever imagined
having. But thanks to a miracle pill, which makes her size 22 body instantly
sexy, that’s what happened.
Yet, now Lance Franklin is showing interest in her,
and she can’t figure out if he really likes her for her, or if it’s just
because of a bizarre drug.
And her wild bunch of friends, The Misfits…well,
they’re always getting her into some interesting situations.
So, yep, business as usual. Except for the guy. What
the hell should she do about him?
As for Lance, he believes he’s lucky to have found
Ginger. But can he convince her they should go for it?
With some new attention from the hottest guy she’s
ever met, Ginger can’t help but wonder…is this all too good to be true?
(CONTENT WARNING: Watch for foul language, steamy scenes, and a
pesky yet messy ability to choke on your dinner while laughing. If you’ve come
expecting just a lighthearted, slapstick romance, you may not get that here.
The author approaches sensitive topics in the best way she knows how. Just be
prepared for all the feels to be deeper than usual for this
genre – an emotional romantic comedy. No unruly cliffhangers, HEA
guaranteed.)
Universal reader link: https://books2read.com/ChasingGinger
“You
should cook him a meal. They say the key to a man’s heart is through his
stomach,” Valerie suggested.
Ginger
lifted a brow. “I’m not trying to get him to fall in love with me. We’re just
dance partners.”
“Pity,”
Nicky commented. “He’s fairly attractive, and you deserve a shot of happiness.”
Yeah,
too bad it didn’t come in an emergency package, like an EpiPen. She had a bad
allergy, and the technical term for it was romantic misfortune.
“Thanks,”
she murmured. And ‘fairly attractive’ didn’t cover it with Lance, as far as she
was concerned. He was the hottest guy who’d ever gotten this close.
Jessica
offered, “She’s right. What could it hurt to get to know him a little better?”
It
was a surprise to hear those words from Jessi, who didn’t have much dating
experience, was usually shy around men and had the same weight issues as
Ginger. She hadn’t pushed this much earlier.
She
tapped her front teeth with a fingernail. “I guess you could say we are.
Learning about each other as friends, nothing else. But just because he’s
amiable doesn’t mean he is interested in me at all. Not enough to date.”
Sharon
patted her hand. “And you’ll never know unless you try. Nothing will turn a guy
off faster than a clear boundary like the friend zone,” she said with air
quotes.
“For
God’s sake, what do you want me to do…throw myself at the poor man?” She
laughed.
“Well,
not necessarily. But you could drop a suggestion or two.”
Valerie
groaned. “That might not work. Subtlety is rarely effective on men. You know
how we tend to drop hints to get people on the right track? Nah. Bad idea with
the male persuasion. It’s like banging your head against the wall. Pointless,
and you end up with a killer headache in the long run. Believe me, I tried it
enough with the guys I’ve dated.”
Ginger
shrugged moodily. “Even if I was willing to go for it, I’m not his type.”
“How do you know? Have you asked?”
Do any of them remind you of your friends? Friendship
is priceless. What would we do without it?
I think with all the craziness going on in the world,
everyone could use at least one true friend. ;)
About the Author
Marie
Lavender lives in the Midwest with her family and two cats. She has been
writing for a little over twenty-five years. She has more works in progress
than she can count on two hands. Since 2010, Marie has published 21 books in
the genres of historical romance, contemporary romance, romantic suspense,
paranormal romance, romantic comedy, dramatic fiction, fantasy, science
fiction, mystery/thriller, literary fiction and poetry. An avid blogger on the
side, she writes adult fiction, as well as occasional stories for children, and
has recently started some young adult fiction. She also contributed to several
anthologies. Though she has some standalone titles on the market, her current
published series are The Heiresses in Love Series, The Eternal Hearts Series,
The Magick Series, The Code of Endhivar Series, The Misfits Series and The
Blood at First Sight Series.
Links
Official
Website: http://marielavender.com/
http://marielavenderbooks.blogspot.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/marie.lavender.58
https://www.facebook.com/MarieAnnLavender
https://twitter.com/marielavender1
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/marie-lavender/27/187/10a
Amazon author page: http://bit.ly/MarieLavender
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
Universal Reading List links: https://books2read.com/rl/marielavendersbooks
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938764.Marie_Lavender
Universal Reading List links: https://books2read.com/rl/marielavendersbooks
Sign
up for Marie’s Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1g3wO13
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her on BookBub for new release updates: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marie-lavender
Fan mail
email: marielavender@writeme.com
I really like this book cover.
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