Spotlight On...Rachel Brimble

Please help me in welcoming Rachel Brimble to the keyboard today! Welcome, Rachel. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am married with two daughters who are twelve and ten so my house is like hormone central at the moment, lol! My calming influence comes in the form of my Black Lab, Max who is about the most chilled out dog in the world. I live in a small market town near the City of Bath in the UK.

I have been writing seriously for about six years and have five novels published, the sixth, Paying The Piper (due out September 19th) is why I am here to talk your little ears off today!

Tell us about Paying The Piper and where we can find it.

This is a contemporary romance set in the UK – the premise is darker and grittier than I have written before but I absolutely love this book! Jimmy Betts is one of my all time favorite heroes. Here’s the blurb and buy link:

Nightclub manager Grace Butler is on a mission to buy the pub where her mother's ashes are scattered but the owner wants to sell to anyone but her. And that owner happens to be her father...who has a secret she will do anything to discover.

Social worker and all around good guy Jimmy Betts needs funds to buy a house for three special kids before their care home closes. Time is running out and he's desperate for cash. He agrees to a one-time 'job' for bad-man Karl Butler. But in a sudden turn of events, Jimmy finds himself employed by Karl's beautiful, funny and incredibly sexy daughter, Grace.

Their lives couldn't be more different, yet one thread binds them: they're both trying to escape the bonds of their fathers. Maybe the only way they'll be free is by being together, instead of alone.

Available now at Lyrical Press


Sounds fantastic! What is the hardest scene you had to write in this book?

Ooh, tough question! I’m not really sure. I always struggle when I get to the halfway point of any novel I am writing, so it was probably a scene around there. I truly enjoyed writing this book and knew pretty much where I wanted to go with it and what I wanted to say so it’s wasn’t as hard as the one I just finished!


How did you start writing?

One word at a time – I’ve always wanted to write but had no idea if I actually could. When my youngest daughter started school, I knew it was now or never moment for me. I started with short stories for a while and then moved onto novels and never looked back. Writing is a massive part of who I am now.


Which comes first, plot or characters?

I usually get a character talking to me…telling me their problem or goal and then I know I’ve got another book brewing!


What is it about the romance genre that appeals to you?

The Happy Ever After! We are all looking for that special someone to share our lives with, both men and women. Every film, play or book usually has some relationship problem running through it somewhere, even if it’s the subplot. People want romance and love – always.


When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I held my first novel, Searching For Sophie, in my hands – it was one of the most euphoric days of my life so far.



What are three things you wish you’d known before you began your writing career?

1. How hard it can be to keep going
2. The nerves never end – from waiting for an acceptance, to waiting for reviews, to waiting for the book your working on to take on a life of its own
3. That it is okay to write a ‘crappy’ first draft – that’s what editing is for!

What’s next for you?

I am currently working on a sexy contemporary romance, set again in the UK about a sassy heroine who runs a lingerie and sex shop…and needs to move her business premises next door to a single father of twin girls. There’s going to be fireworks!


Sounds like it! Where can we find you on the web?

http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.com/
http://rachelbrimble.com/
www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble


Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?

What would you like to see more from your favorite authors? Interviews? Blog posts? Book excerpts?