Wednesday, May 16, 2012

SPOTLIGHT: The Nurse’s Not-So-Secret Scandal by Wendy S Marcus


Today I'm excited to Welcome Harlequin Medical Author Wendy S Marcus to HarlequinJunkie....

Wendy Welcome and Thank You for blogging with us today and also for doing an awesome Giveaway!


Sara: Please tell us a little about you

Wendy: I’m a registered nurse, although I’m not practicing at present. I have three children a husband and a dog. I love red wine, social networking, and chocolate covered apples!

Sara:  What inspired you to write your first book? How long did it take you to publish your first book?


I started to write my first manuscript after I read a book I thought was truly awful and thought I could do better. What a long journey that set off! I wrote at night, after a full day of work followed by a full evening of carting around/feeding/nagging my children. I wrote for about two years (during which time I took a college class on writing fiction and studied dozens of books on the craft of writing) before my work got noticed during a Harlequin online pitch. Then I revised my story (which was my second completed manuscript) under the supervision of an editor for over six months before I finally sold.

                                               
Sara:  How did you choose the genre you write in?

Wendy: I write sexy contemporary romance because that’s what I like to read.

Sara:  Is your writing space messy, organized or somewhere in between?  

Wendy:  As I write this I am surrounded by clutter on my desk. But that’s mostly because I am barreling (like an out of control eighteen-wheeler on the downward slope of an icy mountain) toward a deadline. (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!)

Sara:  Which comes first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?


Wendy:Typically I start with a vague idea of what I want to write about then I explore who my characters will be.


Sara: How do you come up with the titles for your book?

Wendy:
Good or bad, I cannot take credit for my book titles. The editorial staff at Mills and Boon come up with all my titles. 

Sara:  What do you do when you are not writing?

Wendy: Honestly, for the past two years, it feels like all I do is write.  But that includes time I spend actually writing, promoting, social networking (my absolute favorite pastime) and on administrative stuff like updating my website/blog, responding to e-mails, and mailing out books. For a quick peek into my life, as I write this post, it is 1:05 a.m. on Monday, May 14th. (I am so late because I spent a huge chunk of my Mother’s Day working on my current manuscript – in between a delicious brunch, opening presents, and a fabulous BBQ dinner.) Also as I write this I am blogging at an Australian blog where it is already Monday afternoon.

Sara:  Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

Wendy: I loved my first manuscript, which I titled The Tides of Fate, but it would require a major re-write to make the writing strong enough and the story good enough for publication.
Buy at Amazon / B & N

Sara:  Tell us about your Newest release

Wendy: My most recent book is The Nurse’s Not-So-Secret Scandal which is out now in the UK, U.S., Australia/New Zealand, and France.


Sara:  What sparked the idea for your novel “The Nurse’s Not-So-Secret Scandal”?

Wendy: The television show Hoarders: Buried Alive. (It’s true, inspiration can come from just about anywhere.)

Sara:  What were the challenges you faced in bringing this book to life?

Wendy: Roxie is not your typical medical romance heroine. I worried about how readers would react to her brash nature and tainted past. And Fig is not a traditional medical romance hero yet I fell in love with him. In The Nurse’s Not-So-Secret Scandal, my medical elements didn’t all take place in a medical setting. I delved into psychological conditions in a real-life setting.

Sara:  What are your current projects? Can you share a little of your current work with us? Is this book part of a series?

Wendy:  This week I will be finishing up my fifth book which is tentatively scheduled to be released in the UK in January 2013 as a 2in1 duet with my fourth book. The two stories are linked by twin nurses. In the first story in the duet, the hero is a wounded war veteran. In the second story, the heroine is a nurse dealing with the ramifications of her decision to undergo bilateral prophylactic mastectomies. I am very excited with how each of them has turned out!

Here’s the back of the book blurb for The Nurse’s Not-So-Secret Scandal: 
AUS / NZ Cover


The shocking secrets of nurse Roxie Morano!

Between family nightmares and a series of lousy men, nurse Roxie Morano’s life is a disaster zone. But enigmatic (and gorgeous!) new colleague Ryan ‘Fig’ Figelstein is ignoring her hazard warnings – instead, he’s signaling his attraction! Now Roxie’s bulletproof heart is at risk for the very first time…but dare she dream Fig will stick around when he discovers all her secrets?

To read an excerpt from The Nurse’s Not-So-Secret Scandal, or to learn more about me and/or my books visit my website: http://wendysmarcus.com/



Thanks for stopping by!



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UK Cover
One lucky commenter will be chosen at random to win a copy of the 2in1 UK edition of The Nurse’s Not-So-Secret Scandal which includes a complete novel by Emily Forbes. 


Please enter your email in the Rafflecopter below and Post a comment telling us  "What’s your experience with medical romance? Have you ever read one?"






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25 comments:

  1. I haven't read many medical romances. The only one that I can remember is a reissue of an older Tess Gerritsen book. This is a genre that I'm going to check out.

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  2. Sara, it was a great interview! Wendy, thank you for sharing. I have to admit that I have no experience with medical romance. It's a very popular line in Italy, but I just never had a chance to try (although I'm very curious :)

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  3. Hi Leni!
    Medical romance has something for everyone with stories that range from sweet to sexy. I write on the sexy end of the spectrum. I'm so glad you plan to check out our books. I hope you enjoy them!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  4. Hi Natalija!
    The UK editions of the medical romance line are available on Amazon Italy. My first book, When One Night Isn't Enough or QUANDO UNA NOTTE NON E’ ABBASTANZA is out in Italy this month. And I absolutely LOVE the cover. My hottest one yet! If you have a few minutes, there's a copy on my blog or check out the link on my home page. WOW!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Hello my favorite author! I adored this book and the interview! Roxie kicked Butt and is an awesome heroine. Cant wait to read your new ones!

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  6. Hi
    I hadn't read any medical for a while though I used to, as a former E.N. some of them were a bit too much like going to work. But I love your writing style Wendy so that's pulling me back in. I'll be interested to see your duets. Both topics are ones I've attempted myself. I'm sure you'll do them so much better .
    Fi
    Occasionally Princess

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  7. Hey Jen!
    I know you are super busy lately. Thanks for stopping by to visit me! I am determined to wrie The End tonight. Which means editing/final read through tomorrow and The Marriage Bargain over the weekend!!!!!

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  8. Hi Fi!
    Occasionally Princess made me smile! I've made myself cry three times while writing the final chapter of this book. I hope it doesn't come off to sappy. I'll let my editor decide.

    Thanks so much for all your support!

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  9. And a big shout out to my hostess! Thank you for inviting me for an interview on your popular blog, Sara! The post looks fabulous!

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    Replies
    1. I have truly enjoyed reading all 3 books of your books! It's a pleasure having you here today.

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  10. How cool! I didn't know about medical romances and I'm very interested as I hope to be an RN within the next couple of years :)

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  11. Hi Wendy.... Hi Sara (fellow blogger)such a fun interview!

    I've read a lot, but not that much in medical romance. Not really sure why. Wendy's book sounds like my total kind of romance and it is on my TBR, and I'm sure I'll be getting to it very soon.

    *Hugs*
    Evie

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  12. Hi Andrea!
    How exciting! Nursing is a great profession with so many options. Best of luck to you!

    And welcome to the world of medical romance. As I told Leni, there is something for everyone in the medical romance line!

    Thank for stopping by!

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  13. Hi Evie! *waves frantically*
    Medical romance is one of the smaller lines of HQN, at least in the U.S. Our biggest readership is in France followed by the UK and Aus/NZ.(At least as far as I know.)

    Thank you for adding my book to your TBR pile. I hope you enjoy it.

    And thanks for stopping by!

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  14. Hi Wendy,
    Its new for me to read about medical harlequinn, im so interested about it.

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  15. Hi Cecilia!
    I'm thrilled to be introducing so many readers to medical romance! I hope you check out our stories and become a new fan of the line!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  16. Hi Wendy,

    I haven't read any medical romances:(

    i love all the cover book posted and the excerpt sounds great :)

    eli_y83@yahoo.com

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  17. It's been a while since I read any medical romance. I should start up again, with the new generation of writers.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  18. Hi Eli!
    It gets confusing with all the different covers for different countries, but all the book covers in this post are for one book! I'm glad you like them. And that you enjoyed the excerpt.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  19. Hi Marybelle!
    I agree! There are lots of new writers telling new stories with new voices over at Harlequin Mills and Boon Medical Romance. I hope you'll check us out!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  20. I'm currently reading my first medical romance right now, An Indiscretion. It's great so far! I love the issues that the hero and heroine have to deal with together and apart to end up with eachother in the end.

    Great interview! Thanks for the chance to enter the contest! :)

    Amanda

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  21. Hi Amanda!
    Lynne Marshall is a wonderful author. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to know you're enjoying her book. Welcome to medical romance! I hope you'll try out some of the Harlequin Mills and Boon medical romances available for sale. Lynne writes with us, too!

    Thanks for stopping by!

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