Q: How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
A: For over 30 years, I have been visiting Key
West in Florida with my husband (and daughters when they were younger). It is a
fun island with tons of bars with live music, T-shirt shops, art galleries and
excellent restaurants. We own a time-share for two weeks (one during Fantasy
Fest in October and one during Spring Break in March) at a resort called The
Banyan – because there are huge banyan trees out front. From there we can
basically walk or ride bikes anywhere on the island. Because I know the island
so well, I based Sunrise Island on it.
Q: What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book, Island
Detour?
A: This contemporary romance is set at an environmental school
in the Florida Keys where Sophie rides out her suspension as a Princeton Prep
School teacher. This fish out of water not only tackles her surroundings (after
many false starts), but manages to tame the handsome but arrogant marine
biologist who refuses to make her life easy.
Q: Do you edit as you draft or wait until
you are totally done?
A: I wait until I’m done.
My first draft is based on an in-depth outline that I create for every scene
and every chapter before I begin writing, so I know exactly what the story is
about and who the characters are.
Q: Describe your writing space/office!
A: I have an office with
a wrap-around desk which faces a window overlooking our back yard. To the left
is a file cabinet with a printer on top and to the right is a set of drawers
with pens, paper, stickie notes, paper clips, index cards and anything else I
could possibly need when I’m writing. The closet contains a myriad of books on
writing, such as “Building Better Plots,” “Creating Characters,” “Word
Painting,” “Goal, Motivation, and Conflict,” a dictionary, a Thesaurus, etc,
etc. There is also an elliptical in case I ever want to exercise, a TV to watch
in case I ever want to exercise, and a comfy oversized chair to read in. (I
generally pick the chair as opposed to the elliptical)
Q: What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
A: M&Ms (or anything
milk chocolate)
Q: What’s your favorite genre to read?
A: Contemporary Romance
Q: What’s a recent tv
show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
A: I loved the audio
book for “Daisy Jones and the Six” as well as the TV series (on Amazon Prime
Video)
Q: What do you do when you have free time?
A: I read.
Q: What are three words that describe your
Main Characters?
A: determined, resilient,
collaborative (Sophie)
controlling, guilt-ridden, stubborn (Max)
Q: What can readers expect from you next?
A: The wheels are
turning for the next book in this series (the Sunrise Island Series), which
will probably be Maddie’s story. I am also finishing the fourth and last book
in my Sworn Sisters Series called “Sworn to Collide.”
Island Detour
by Maria Imbalzano
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
Buy link: https://books2read.com/u/
Falsely
accused of wrongdoing at a Princeton Prep school, Sophie Kearns accepts a
temporary teaching position at an environmental school in the Florida Keys to
wait out her suspension. The time away is meant to be an anxiety-free escape,
but her clashes with the hot but arrogant marine biology teacher, Max Heaton,
are anything but tranquil.
Max
is determined to start an environmental research institute at the school, but
he suspects the gorgeous new Lit teacher, who lacks even the most basic outdoor
skills, is there to hinder that dream. Yet, something about her tames the
demons from his past, and he can no longer ignore the fire she’s lit inside
him.
Excerpt
Three:
Just because you have issues shouldn’t mean you can’t trust
anyone but yourself.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she knew
she’d gone too far. But he had started it. And frankly, she didn’t care if she
had struck a nerve.
His jaw clenched, an almost imperceptible movement. After a
few seconds he bowed his head and sighed. Then he turned his back to her,
picked up his rod, and cast the line into the ocean. No comeback. No smart
remark. A minor victory. Had she really gotten in the last word this time?
Unfortunately, she couldn’t let it go.
“Is that how you deal with conflict? You turn around and
ignore it?”
She was definitely pushing the envelope now, but he deserved
it. One didn’t just end an argument by turning away. He needed to stick with
it. Fight it out. Until the bitter end.
She watched him in profile, the brooding, detached fisherman
whose lips rarely inched into a smile, whose eyes rarely sparkled, and whose
cutting words were meant to slice—and hurt. Which they did.
Sophie looked over at Ben, who had remained quiet during
their little altercation. He held his finger to his lips as if to say enough.
She itched to continue but followed his unspoken suggestion.
He knew Max a lot better than she did. And sometimes, she just had to let
things settle down.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary
author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love
with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have
a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to
travel both abroad and in the states.
Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband--not far from her two
daughters and granddaughters. For more information about her books, please visit
her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her
newsletter.
Awards
Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3rd Place for Book of the Year), and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.
Social Media Links
Facebook –
https://www.facebook.com/mariaimbalzanoauthor
http://www.twitter.com/mariaimbalzano
@mariaimbalzano
Mariaimbalzano_author
Website Link
http://www.mariaimbalzano.com
Goodreads Author Page
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276749.Maria_Imbalzano
Book Bub Profile page
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maria-imbalzano
Amazon Author Page
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FG9RI5K
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5 comments:
We appreciate you hosting today.
Hi Dawn. Thanks for having me. I happen to be in Key West right now and “Island Detour” was at the local book shop “Books and Books”. The Florida Keys are definitely my happy place. To your readers, where is your favorite vacation destination?
Maria
This looks really good. Thanks for hosting this tour.
Hi Michael. Thank you for stopping by. Good luck with the raffle. Maria
I liked the excerpt.
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