Today we have Marie Patrick! She’s here to answer a few questions alongside the release of The Marshal & Mrs. Morgan, book two in the Matchmaker Mischief series!

Welcome! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you into writing?

Thank you so much for this opportunity! Let’s see. You want to know a little bit about me. Well, for the record, I’m a New Jersey native who traded in her snow shovel for sunscreen and moved to Arizona. I love it here. There’s a beauty to the desert you don’t see anywhere else. I will admit I’m not fond of the heat though and I am currently hibernating in the air conditioning. I am married (and have been for a very long time…forty-five years coming up here soon) and we have a son, who is my joy, as is his lovely wife, whom I just adore. I am the proud fur-parent to two huge German Shepherds whom I admit to spoiling rotten (as well they should be). I’m still working at the day job (which I love) but retirement is calling my name—only two years six months to go! Whooo-hoooo!  As for the writing part, I’ve always been a big reader. Books are (and have always been) a means of escape, of adventure, of living beyond myself and I love that! My fondest (and earliest) memory is sitting with my grandmother in her rocking chair and listening to her read those Little Golden Books to me. It wasn’t long before I was reading them to her. The love of words, of stories, naturally progressed to writing my own stories. I have learned, over the years, that I need to write those stories, need to get the words out of my head and onto paper, and if I can make someone else happy with that, I’m happy, too!

Are there any books that have really influenced you as a writer?

My first romance (that I scoped out and saved up my babysitting money for) was Jennifer Wilde’s Love’s Tender Fury.  I admit to falling in love with the romance genre with my first taste of it. There have been many other books and authors since then that have influenced me. I’m a huge fan of Victoria Alexander, Nora Roberts, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Jody Thomas, Lexi Post, Jennifer Ashley, Lisa Kleypas, and so many others. There isn’t enough room to list them all. And, of course, I have to mention Stephen King and his many books, especially “On Writing”. My copy is now dog-eared, highlighted with multiple colors, and every margin has my handwritten notes.

What do you enjoy most about writing historical romance?

Don’t think I’m crazy, but I love the research part of writing historical romance. So many things to learn—little tidbits I never would have known if I hadn’t researched them. I’ve read true life accounts of what life was like when the west was being explored and settled. Those families who traveled thousands of miles in the harshest of conditions earned my respect and my gratitude.

What inspired this book/series in particular?

Believe it or not, I wanted to write a historical western rom-com, something with humor and heart…and the opposite of a mail-order bride story. What’s more opposite of a mail-order bride than a mail-order husband? I then added in a meddling family, particularly Lucy Hart, our mischievous matchmaker. Newly married and happy, Lucy wants everyone else to be happy, too. Cue the reluctant ‘bride to be’ in The Maverick & Miss Miller meeting her potential husband and voila! After The Maverick & Miss Miller had their happily ever after, I needed (or maybe I just wanted) to continue with a meddling matchmaker causing mischief. In The Marshal & Mrs. Morgan, it’s Tresia Morgan who really isn’t interested in being matched…until she is asked, poked, and prodded by our lovable matchmaker, into taking care of the new marshal’s daughter. Tresia meets the handsome marshal, and it’s love at first sight…for his adorable little girl, Avery. Love for the marshal comes a little later, but it does come. I’m currently working on the third book in the series, with ideas for several more stories.

Can you tell us a little bit about the setting of this book, Serenity, New Mexico?

Serenity, New Mexico is a complete figment of my imagination, but it’s a place I would like to live. Not far from Santa Fe, it’s small enough for comfort (and outrageous gossip) but big enough to support a host of charming (and not so charming) characters. The people of Serenity are generally kind and open and genuinely care about each other. What a great place to call home.

Can you tell us about your writing space? Where do you do most of your writing?

I have a small office in my home and a desktop computer. I’ve gotten into the habit of waking at 4:30 in the morning (pretty much every morning—even weekends!) and writing at my desk for about an hour or so before I have to report for the day job. The dogs are usually in here with me, sleeping on the futon behind me or under my feet, which is a really small space for those big dogs to fit in. There’s something comforting about hearing them snore or feeling their fur beneath my feet. Now, just because my computer is in my office doesn’t mean I don’t have numerous notebooks all over the house…because you never know when something will strike…a scene, some dialogue…and I need to write it down before I forget.

What helps you when you have writer’s block?

What helps with writer’s block? Three things for me actually. I will jump ahead in whatever I’m working on in the hope that block will work itself out, then go back to where I lost my way. I call myself a puzzler because I do this a lot. And it does generally help. Sometimes, I’ve actually put that story away and worked on a different one. I have plenty to choose from. There are currently fifteen unfinished manuscripts in my computer right now. If those things don’t work, I’ll do something physical. Wash the dishes. Scrub the floor on my hands and knees. Polish the furniture. Brush the dogs (they’re shepherds…they are master shedders). It’s amazing how doing something so mundane, but necessary, is enough to get those creative juices flowing. Works like a charm.

What are some things you are really enjoying right now? Books, TV, foods, etc.?

Of course, there are always books to read (and just not enough time), but I’m also a huge movie buff. Comedy. Romance. Westerns. Thrillers. Action Adventure. Slapstick humor. Even horror. I love old black and white films, too. It really doesn’t matter who the actor or actress is (though I do admit to having some favorites who I love to watch), if the movie is made well and keeps me entertained, I’m happy. We recently got rid of cable and got Netflix instead. Yeah, I know, I shouldn’t have, but well, I did. It’s been a blessing and a curse at the same time. So many movies, so many shows that I never watched before. We are currently watching The Resident. I’m on Season One, Episode Four. My husband has finished the series and is coming back around to see what he missed (he’s retired so he can do that).

Thank you so much for having me. This has been fun (and a little harder than I thought it would be)! Happy reading!

Want to know more about The Marshal & Mrs. Morgan?

Devlin Goodrich needed a change—a new life, a new town, a new job—and hopefully, the chance to leave behind the haunting memories of his wife’s death and the blame placed upon him by her mother. Accepting the position of Marshal in the little town of Serenity, New Mexico, far from his mother-in-law, might just fit the bill for him and his young daughter.

Tresia Morgan has a plan. She wants to take back Sullivan’s Emporium, the family store, from her cousin so when Serenity’s matchmaker offers Tresia the job of taking care of the new Marshal’s daughter in order earn the money needed to put her plan in motion, how can she say no, especially after meeting the captivating pair?

Despite his heartache, Devlin is not immune to Tresia’s kindness nor how wonderfully she cares for his daughter, as well as him. But when he’s forced to shoot another killer, his notoriety triples, putting Avery and Tresia in danger. Now he fears coming to Serenity may have been the worst mistake of his life.

Meet Marie Patrick:

Marie Patrick has always had a love affair with words and books but it wasn’t until a trip to Arizona, where she now makes her home with her husband, that she became inspired to write about the sometimes desolate, yet beautiful west. Her inspiration doesn’t just come from the Wild West though. It comes from history itself. She is fascinated with pirates and men in uniform and lawmen with shiny badges. When not writing or researching her favorite topics, she can usually be found curled up with a good book. Marie loves to hear from her readers. Drop her a note at Akamariep@aol.com or visit her website at www.mariepatrick.com.