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Tea for Two |
Title Tea for Two
Genre short contemporary romance
Author Name Marilyn Baxter
Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG
Take one tea shop-owning divorcee, add a new-to-town attorney
and two meddling grandmothers and the result is a romantic brew that will make everyone's
dreams come true.
Interview with Marilyn Baxter
Why did you write this
book?
Ever since I experimented with hot tea with milk and sugar after
reading a Miss Marple mystery, I've been hooked on tea. Glance around my kitchen
and you'll find numerous types of tea and teapots and teacups and saucers. I love
to have afternoon tea and was able to do a fancy one at the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta last summer and at Fortnum & Mason (the Queen's
grocer) in London
last fall. So it just seemed natural that someday I'd write about a heroine who
owned a tea shop. The plot and characters took a few twists and turns before it
finally morphed into Tea for Two, but that's half the fun of writing – seeing just
how stubborn and obstinate your characters can be.
What is your favorite
genre to read?
Contemporary romance and romantic suspense
What is your favorite
character from fiction (not including your own characters)?
It's a tie between Milla Edge in Linda Howard's Cry No More and
Blair Mallory in Linda Howard's To Die For. Milla suffered a horrendous loss and
drew on strength she never knew she had, then turned her tragedy into a resource
to help others. I can relate, not to the same kind of loss, but to discovering inner
strength and using that to pay it forward. Blair? She came along when I needed to
laugh, and boy did she make me laugh. Most people don't take cheerleading seriously.
If they only knew… And thus begins Blair's story.
Do you enjoy films and/or
TV shows? Which are your favorites?
I am a crime drama junkie. My DVR is regularly set to record
shows like Law & Order: SVU, CSI, Bones, Castle, Rizolli & Isles, Major
Crimes and Elementary. I also adore Downton Abbey, and don't tell, but I'm a big
Survivor fan. All that scheming and making and breaking alliances – well, it makes
my life seem pretty darned normal. The last movies I saw were The Monuments Men,
Philomena and Academy Award winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom. Loved them
all. Also don't tell, but I'm eagerly awaiting the next X-Men film. Can you say
Hugh Jackman? ;-)
What are you working on
at the moment, and what are we likely to see from you in the coming months?
I'm in the midst of plotting a story set in Ireland , where I had the privilege to visit last
fall. I have a couple plots in mind. I'm fleshing out characters and trying to see
who talks loudest. On May 13 I will have a novella released by Boroughs Publishing
Group. It's called Better as a Memory and is a story about secret pregnancy, reunited
lovers, a matchmaking mother and of course, happily ever after.
Please tell us about your
latest book.
Tea for Two is part of Boroughs' Lunchbox Romance line. These
are stories between 6,000 and 12,000 words, and are designed to be read during your
lunch hour. The various titles already published in the line run the gamut from
contemporary to historical to paranormal. There's something for everyone. The package
may be small, but inside there's still a central love story and HEA.
Excerpt
Sam nudged Mollie's arm with his elbow
as they strolled down the sidewalk after dinner. "You know my grandmother is
going to have a field day with this. Us going out to dinner again. You're all she's
talked about for the past few days. Now I'm really suspicious she sent me to your
shop to try and set us up."
"Oh, I know she did. I figured
it out that afternoon when she invited me to tea and made a point to tell me you
were single. And my granny was in cahoots with her."
"I emphasized I was not her latest
matchmaking project. Apparently she wasn't listening." As they approached his
car, Sam pulled his keys from his pocket and thumbed the fob to unlock it.
"I should be mad. Somehow, though, I can't muster up a lot of anger since we
have this great business arrangement now. I can't believe I already have clients."
Mollie's heart sank. This was all
about him and his business? He hadn't really asked her out on a date, had he? She
was angry, and right now her anger wasn't directed at her grandmother or Sam's.
She was furious with herself for letting down her guard. For believing there might
be something more than a professional relationship between them, even though she'd
pretended not to want it. How many times had she seen the words Listen to your gut
in the multitude of self-help books she'd read in the wake of her split from Philip?
Buy This Book
Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tea-for-two-marilyn-baxter/1118425451?ean=2940045609685
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/402919
Author Bio
In 2001 Marilyn discovered romance novels quite by accident,
which led to a renewed interest in writing. She's had over forty stories published
in the confessions and romance magazines and taught a class in how to effectively
write for this genre. Her most recent release is Tea for Two, a Lunchbox Romance
from Boroughs Publishing Group, and it will be followed later
in 2014 by a novella entitled Better as a Memory.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America and her local RWA
chapter, Heart of Dixie Romance Writers. Her involvement on the local and national
level has combined to give her a great love of the romance genre and to develop
friendships that span the globe.
In addition to reading and writing, Marilyn loves to knit simple
things, cook in the crockpot and garden in a few pots on her patio. Her motto is
"Have passport, will travel," and last fall she added Ireland and Wales
to the list of 32 states and 21 foreign countries she has visited.
A native of North Carolina ,
she came to Huntsville , Alabama by way of Frankfurt , Germany .
She has lived here longer than anywhere else and calls it home. After raising two
great sons, she loves to dote on her two granddaughters. And somewhere amidst all
the above, she fits in a day job as an administrative assistant for a boutique law
firm.
Author Social Media
Website http://marilynbaxter.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/marilyn_baxter
Amazon Author Page http://www.amazon.com/Marilyn-Baxter/e/B00IJIGN9C
Great interview, Marilyn!! TEA FOR TWO was awesome and I can't wait to read BETTER AS A MEMORY.
ReplyDeleteLoved the comments about Blair Mallory in Linda Howard's To Die For -- I found her just when I needed to laugh, too.
Thanks for sharing this interview with us and congrats on the new novella.
Blessings ~
Kimberly Perry
High praise! Thank you for stopping by, Kimberly.
DeleteHi, Marilyn! Love you and no, I didn't know you are a big Survivor fan. Me, too!!!
ReplyDeleteFunny how we discover things in common. Would be interesting to create a chart to see who likes what among genre writers, wouldn't it?
DeleteThanks for commenting. I'm sorry I didn't get here yesterday. I live in that part of north Alabama that was slammed with tornadoes yesterday. I'm okay and have no damage but I spent a lot of time hunkered down in my bathroom yesterday with just a smart phone and my Kindle. We have round 2 headed our way this afternoon. :-(
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks, Kayelle, for having me!
Glad you are safe. I saw the news and wondered about all my friends in those areas. It stormed here overnight, but we made it through with just rain and wind. Atlanta is one of those places that gets weird weather all year. You never know what will happen.
DeleteHi Marilyn--
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to get to know you better through your interview. I'm a huge Survivor fan! It's my all-time favorite reality TV show and I never miss an episode. Congratulations on your release!
Best--Adele