Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello! I like to describe myself as a hard-working romance author living and loving life in Providence, RI as well as at mt tiny seaside summer cottage on Rhode Island’s gorgeous Narragansett Bay.
Besides being an author, I am a fairly decent jazz guitarist and songwriter (while I was attending college at Emerson, I dated a guy who was studying at Boston’s Berklee College of Music and he showed me a thing or two — about the guitar, I mean! — and I was hooked.)
Well, within a few years — you know, those mid-20s years when you haven’t yet figured your life out — I was learning standards, songwriting, and even did a few club and coffee shop gigs in and around Boston. It was fun for a while but such a hard life (and I wasn’t even doing it a lot!) so I eventually dropped it and, shortly thereafter, headed back to Little Rhody where I grew up and settled in Providence.
Then, in very quick succession: love, marriage, divorce, love, marriage, happiness, and indulging fully in my lifelong passion of writing … primarily about passion, actually. I would say my day is pretty well divided between writing at home and writing / observing life at nearby coffee shops and tea houses.
And I still play my guitar … but nowadays just for me; I will often unwind after a day at the computer with my husband (“My own personal Prince Charming”), my utterly adorable Maltese (“My four-legged Prince Charming”), my battle-worn Gibson guitar, and an hour of blues licks or some such thing — goes great with a cup of (of course) Irish breakfast tea … by this time of day, probably my fifth or sixth.
I’m still working out the exact proportions that I would like each facet of my life to have … sort of my own pie-chart, I guess you could say. Always tweaking that thing. But though I my not have figured out the “perfect” balance of work/fun/relationships/deep stuff yet, I am quite happy with all of it.
And I am very happy with my writing! This is definitely why I was put on this planet and I am quite certain that I will be in it for the long haul. I hope that you will take some of that journey with me!
I’ve written two romance novels thus far: PERHAPS ANOTHER TIME and MY PACE OR YOURS. The latter is the first in my new YESTERYEAR series.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is MY PACE OR YOURS. It was inspired almost completely by my Dad, who was a lifelong mega-genius carpenter and a painstaking perfectionist to boot. He was directly responsible for the story’s hero, Sean Campbell, to come into being … although Sean definitely has his own quirks! The other characters and the story were inspired by my having spent untold hours strolling the heady East Side of Providence, RI, with its unique blend of Brown University types, history, art, wealth, and more coffeehouses per acre than anywhere this side of Seattle.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I sure do! Acting out scenes, complete with gestures … and, um, enlisting my husband’s help in making sure I describe various kissing, caressing, and other romantic practices accurately!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anything Lavyrle Spencer wrote, especially “Hummingbird” and “Years.” Also, Nora Roberts’ early works.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just begun plotting, outlining, and building characters for book #2 in the Yesteryear series. Title to be announced, as I seldom title work before it is complete and I have a more accurate perception of it.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Seriously, it would be to work any and ALL avenues! Facebook, blogs, listing sites galore, paid ads, and Amazon’s own offerings.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Don’t labor and worry over details or perfection! Just write … write garbage if necessary. You can always fix it later. Relax, breathe, write. Get in the groove by moving those fingers, no matter what the result. Then polish it till the cows come home!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life. Think of it. Dream of it. Live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of the body be full of that idea. Leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
– Swami Vivekananda
What are you reading now?
Nothing at present as I am too caught up in my new project to afford the time!
What’s next for you as a writer?
To improve and grow and explore and make mistakes and fix them and try again and enjoy the ride … as I’ve always done.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Years” Lavyrle Spencer
“The Diary of Anne Frank.”
Some Maya Angelou
Author Websites and Profiles
Maggie Maloney Website
Maggie Maloney Amazon Profile
Maggie Maloney’s Social Media Links