Blog Tour Interview with Marie Astor and Review

Tasty Readers, we are in for a treat today!  Marie Astor, Author of the Contemporary Single Title, On the Rim of Love is making a stop at A Tasty Read on her Goddess Fish Blog Tour.  We are talking new releases and sexy, ski-buffs!

A Tasty Read: Marie....So excited to have you pop in today to chat with us!

Marie Astor: Hi Lisa, thank you very much for inviting me to A Tasty Read. I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to talk about my latest contemporary romance, On the Rim of Love.

A Tasty Read: Your books both have a running theme of Fate/Chance.  That Maggie meets Taylor before getting married to Jeffrey, or that Jeremy gets caught with his book agent in Lucky Charm.  Are you a big believer in Fate/Chance?

Marie: Lisa, what a terrific question – I love that you noticed this running theme about my books! The answer is – yes, absolutely! I believe that the power of chance plays a very big role in our lives. Every decision we make – even something as minor as deciding to walk instead of driving to the office in the morning – opens a unpredictable possibilities. How many people out there would agree that had they not gone to a friend’s birthday party or stopped by for a drink after work, they would have never met their wife / husband?

Here is an anecdote from my personal experience that made me believe in the power of chance once and for all… A few years ago I was taking a bus home from work. The bus was about to leave when, at the last minute, a woman jumped in. I was very surprised when she addressed me by name. Slowly, a recollection formed in my mind – the woman’s name was Anne and we had gone to high school together. It turned out that my former classmate was working a few blocks away from the place where I worked and we started taking the bus home together several times a week.

Several months later I got a call from my friend, Glenn, who told me that he had just broken up with his girlfriend, and I instantly thought of Anne who too had recently gotten out of relationship. Since then, the two had gotten married and now have two kids - if Anne had not made that bus, she would have never met her current husband. And for all the skeptics out there – this story is one hundred percent true – the only detail I changed was the names.

A Tasty Read: Where did you come up with the idea for On the Rim of Love?  

Marie: Two winters ago I visited Banff, British Columbia. I have always thought that there is something very special about the atmosphere of ski towns, and I was charmed by Banff’s quaint streets and the fascinating people who walked them. An idea for a contemporary romance became to form in my mind: big city girl meets a big-mountain skier who is rooted in his small hometown. By the end of my ten-day stay at Banff, I had jotted down a rough outline and notes on the main characters: Maggie and Taylor, as well as Taylor’s best friends: Shawn and Hannah. The hardest part was over: all that remained for me to do was to sit down and write Maggie’s and Taylor’s story.

 
A Tasty Read: Have you ever used friends/families love lives for a storyline?

Marie: I have never used specific events for a storyline, but I draw on my personal experiences as well as events that I’ve witnessed as inspiration for my novels.

When I was starting to write Lucky Charm, I was thinking of a storyline about two friends helping each other through the mine-ridden world of relationships. Next thing I knew, the characters of Annabel and her poacher boyfriend, Jeremy, popped into mind, and then Annabel’s best friend, Lilly, joined the cast.

When I was writing On the Rim of Love, the setting became the inspiration for the storyline. The minute I saw the towering cliffs of British Columbia, the characters of Taylor and Maggie jumped to life, and then the rest followed.

Have I ever known anyone exactly like Annabel and Jeremy or Maggie and Taylor? No, but I’ve met people who remind me of them. My characters, as well my storylines are a mix of my imagination and experiences.

A Tasty Read: Can you tell us a little bit about what you are currently working on?

Marie: I am currently in the finishing stages of my next contemporary romance (I have not decided on the final title yet!): it is a story about overcoming one’s inhibitions, finding true love, and learning to tango. I am excited to say that the initial release date of March 2012 has been moved up to early February 2012. Please visit my website: www.marieastor.com  and join my distribution list if you’d like to receive updates on book releases and events.

 

A Tasty Read: Thank you again Marie for hanging out today!!  Wish you all the best with you next project and I look forward to reading them in the future!!

Marie: Lisa, thank you so much for inviting me to A Tasty Read – it was a pleasure being your guest!

More about Marie:

Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre. Marie is the author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories. Stop by Marie’s website: www.marieastor.com to sign up for book releases and events. Marie can also be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection and Twitter: @marieastor.

Books by Marie Astor:

 On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love.

http://www.amazon.com/Rim-Love-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322449445&sr=8-1

 Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Charm-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005BZL3L4/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

 A Chance Encounter and Other Stories – a short story collection about love and everyday life.

http://www.amazon.com/Chance-Encounter-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

On the Rim of Love
Marie Astor
Released Oct 7th, 2011
Ebook
Source: Goddess Fish Promotions




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.

Firstly, I will say that I enjoyed the sparkling chemistry between Taylor and Maggie, the butterflies, the glances across the room, the spark when they finally touch.  Those are always my favorite parts of the romance, the "sexual tension" as some may call it.

“Taylor, look. Isn’t he beautiful?” Maggie pointed at the regal bird that was circling in vast, sweeping loops, oblivious to their presence.

Taylor looked up. “He does look magnificent.”

“Doesn’t he look free, as though nothing could ever touch him?” Maggie murmured wistfully.

“You think that eagle doesn’t have anything to worry about?” Taylor looked at her with his piercing green eyes. “He’s probably circling there like that because he is searching for food.”

As if in testament to Taylor’s words, the eagle surged downward in a swift, sharp dive and soared back up several moments later, clasping his catch in his claws, beating his wings hastily as he made his way into the sky.

“I guess you’re right,” Maggie conceded, her voice ringing with disappointment. “It’s just that for a moment he seemed so free up there.”

“I know what you mean, but birds are anything but free,” said Taylor, “try hunting for food all the time, not knowing when you are going to eat next, being cold, watching out for predators. Humans, on the other hand, are free.” Taylor paused, looking at Maggie intently. “We can do anything we want – the sky is the limit and there’s no one here to stop us.”

“You really believe that?” asked Maggie.

“Of course I believe it. Don’t you?”

“I’d like to,” said Maggie quietly, and then, meeting Taylor’s gaze, added more assertively, “After today anything seems possible.”

Other than the overall Romance aspect of the book, I didn't find myself falling "IN LOVE" with either of the main characters.  I didn't get any of the usual tightening in my chest, I didn't shed a tear over the "misunderstanding" between the couple, and I didn't finish the book with a huge smile on my face. 

Don't get me wrong, I love a HEA, and I was happy that things worked out between the pair, but I wasn't "dying" to see how things would turn out, as I am when reading a book that sucks me in and won't let go.  On the Rim of Love, had a GREAT plot, and it had a GREAT Villain, who by the way, I wanted to punch in the face, but it was just "OK" in my book. 

I would recommend it for anyone who loves to read a Romance where "FATE" really plays a huge part in the Hero and Heroine coming together, and for $2.99 you can't go wrong! 

Even though I received a copy for the Blog Tour, I still purchased a copy for my Kindle and I think I will pick up her previous release, Lucky Charm also.  You never know, second book could be "a charm"!

Blog Tour Giveaway:  (US/Canada ONLY)

Marie is awarding two prizes to randomly drawn commenters during her tour:

A Sterling Silver Plum Quartz necklace and earring set, and a Sterling Silver Aventurine necklace that were custom designed for the tour!

So Follow the rest of the Tour and leave a comment on each day in order to be entered in the Giveaway!

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/11/virtual-book-tour-on-rim-of-love-by.html