I'm so excited to share with you my NEW series, Band of Sisters. The series centers on four women who met while enlisting in the Army over ten years ago. Each book is a stand alone and ends with a HEA. 
Ten Million Fireflies, the first book, is out now! I hope you enjoy the small town contemporary romance series. 

To get focused on my work, whether it be school, writing, chores, projects, etc., I first take the time (but not too much) to do those things that always distract me. I set a time limit (varies depending on the day) to scroll through Instagram, Facebook, check my email, and then I get to work. I'll also reward myself with breaks, especially when I'm writing.
​
After an hour or XXX number of words, I'll allow myself 15 minutes on social media. Or after I clean one room in the house (or a closet), I'll scroll through my feed. I'll create an assignment or an outline for a new unit I'll be teaching in school, then jump on social media.

​See a trend here? Time suck!!! What's your "time suck" and how do you manage it? ​

Whether you're an established author with an agent and a publishing house, or you're just starting out in your writing career, the writing and editing process is daunting. Not "can be" daunting. It IS. It may get easier in some ways, but in others it becomes more complex. There are a bazillion resources out there for writers, but that can be overwhelming as well. 

I love this course, Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-by-Step Plan to Making Your Novels Publishable, because it's "all" there. Super informative, lots of resources, and amazing worksheets. I totally recommend you check it out! You. Are. Welcome!!
 
Book Editing Blueprint: A Step-By-Step Plan To Making Your Novels Publishable is a self-paced online course for beginner and intermediate fiction and creative nonfiction writers.
 
Features list: The course contains 10 self-editing modules plus a bonus module on foiling the frustration. It includes:

• 28 video tutorials, most between 4-10 minutes
• 200 pages of transcripts
• 71-page workbook with worksheets and cheat sheets
• 25-page Book Editing Blueprint checklist

●      7 quizzes

Who is this course for?

• Beginner writers who have just finished, are working on, or are thinking about writing a fiction or creative nonfiction manuscript. For fiction, the course is appropriate for any genre other than picture books or books for young children. It would be appropriate for authors of short stories, middle grade novels, YA novels, novellas, or adult novels. Creative nonfiction is a manuscript about people and places (such as a memoir, essays, or biography) that can benefit from fiction techniques like description, emotion, and characterization. 
• Intermediate authors who have had a couple of books published, but their editors keep sending them back to the drawing board for multiple rounds of rewrites and the editing process still feels overwhelming. They want to turn in well-developed, polished manuscripts and get to a higher level.
• Authors who find hiring an editor too expensive and feel they might be skimping on the editing process due to cost.

●      Authors who don’t want a crazy-intensive course that will take months to get through and that they might give up on. They want a simpler way to get there.

MODULE BREAKDOWN
Welcome:

• Getting started tips
• Choose your own adventure
• Bonus lesson: How to apply creative techniques to your nonfiction book

 
Module 1: Characters
Module 2: Structure
Module 3: Point of View  
Module 4: Show, Don’t Tell  
Module 5: Dialogue
Module 6: Pacing
Module 7: Line Editing
Module 8: Copyediting
Module 9: Hiring an Editor  
Module 10: Putting It All Together
Bonus: Foiling the Frustration⁠—Motivation Strategies for Authors

It's incredibly bitter sweet to publish this book. I've been writing my Well Paired series for the past four years, and now it's come to an end. While each of the seven books in the series is a standalone, the minor characters in one book end up getting their own love story later on. And once that story is told, the couple pops back up in the rest of the series. 

If you're like me, you've fallen in love with Crystal Cove, the little coastal town in Maine, and all of the people in the small town. Carter, whose story is told in All of You, wasn't going to get his own book, but he won the hearts of readers and so he, too, finally finds his HEA.
Enjoy!
​Marianne xoxo

All of You
A Well Paired novel
Can a small-town guy who seems too good to be true win the heart of the cynical city girl?
 
Hailey Webster returns home to Maine after being away for more than a decade. Photographing the picture-perfect models wasn’t following her dreams, and her manipulating cheater boyfriend made her realize that. Completely unfazed by attractive pretty boys, Hailey struggles to keep the tempting blue-eyed charmer with a smile that makes her tingle in the right places at arm’s length. 

Carter Marshall isn’t one to fall fast and hard for a woman, but he’s instantly drawn in by Hailey’s iridescent eyes and quick wit. When he’s hired to redesign the website for a fancy resort, he finagles a way to have Hailey be the photographer on the project. It doesn’t take long for him to see the beauty of her soul and her broken, fragile heart. He wants to be the one to help her heal. When Hailey offers him one night, but Carter realizes he wants a heck of a lot more. 

He wants all of her, for all time.

Join my reader group and never miss a sale, contest, freebie, and new release. We also have a lot of fun playing games, sharing recipes, and getting to know each other. This month, many participated in a book swap. We'll be doing it again in August. Come on over and hang out with us! 
Ricecakes: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1255334934501071/

​You can also follow me on social media: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariannericeauthor/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marianne-rice
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Marianne-Rice/e/B00SICUIRM
Website: http://www.mariannerice.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannericeauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mariannericeaut
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13477232.Marianne_Rice

If you're in the same boat I'm in, you're spending more time at home these days (whether by choice or not). Some days I think, "I'm going to do this project today!" And then...I don't. I'm still working but it's not as time consuming. I've been using this extra time to work on my fitness goals, and it's going really well. (YAY!) But there's another life changing goal I'm working toward that many of you tackled decades ago.

I'm only four days into this but I hope to keep it up FOREVER. Yeah. That's a huge commitment. Like a marriage or something. ;-) Last week, one of the fabulous people I follow on Instagram posted about the act of making your bed every day. I'm not that person. Never have been...now I may be! She said  that if you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. 

Hmm. That's pretty cool. I had never thought of it that way before. And by accomplishing this task, it will give you a small sense of pride and encourage you to do another task, and another, and another...


FYI: This beautiful bed isn't mine, unfortunately. 


If you know me, you know I like taking on challenges. So, here's how it went down. I made my bed four days ago and my daughter walked by, did a one-eighty, and came into my room with a super-confused look on her face. "Is someone coming over?" For the record, the only time I ever make my bed is when we have company, which is kind of funny since company never comes upstairs to see my room. But they could, and then they'd know my room's a mess! 

I told her about this being a new goal and the sense of accomplishment I have at completing it just minutes into my day. I got the teenage eye roll and she left my room. It took my husband two days to notice the difference. His response, "It's a waste of time." Time, you say. Well, I timed how long it takes to make our king-size bed with seven pillows, one which always ends up on the floor on my husband's side. 

Twenty-eight seconds. Granted, that was on day one when I was super-excited for my new daily task. Now it takes about thirty-nine seconds. Still, even with my slowing time, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to fit it into my busy schedule that's sure to come back. 

And I have to say, I'm pretty darn proud of myself for making my bed FOUR DAYS IN A ROW! It sounds super-cheesy, but I'm actually pretty proud of myself for making my bed. Now, the pressure is on. The entire house (and now YOU) will know the moment I fail to stay true to my word and accomplish this quite simple first task of the day. 

Really, though, it's about routine. Whether it be exercise, drinking enough water, remembering to walk to the mailbox to get the mail (oops. How many days has it been???), routine is important. Spontaneity is awesome as well, but it's important to have some basic routines in your life, especially if you're working on goals. 

​And especially if you're quarantined at home. So, tell me. Do you make your bed every day?

It's here! Mia and Ryan's story is here!! You met Mia in At First Blush, the first book in my Well Paired series, and have seen her in every book since. Her spunk and sass have been super fun to write, but what man could actually get her to settle down? 
Welcome FBI agent Ryan Thorne. You met him in Lily and Ty's story, What Makes Us Stronger. When I wrote that book, I had no idea Thorne would have his own book, but many readers were mesmerized by his quiet demeanor and wanted to know his story...as did I.
Not one to let my readers down, I dove into the FBI agent's past and discovered his story. He definitely needed fiery Mia Parker to heal his wounds. I hope you love their story as much as I loved writing it. 

Excerpt:
  Love. How could she be in love when she barely knew the man? Two months was not long enough to fall so hard and make her insides feel like they had been ripped into a million pieces.
  Remembering how quickly her friends fell, maybe it was long enough. But they’d spent time with their husbands—their then love interests for days, weeks. They’d gone out on dates.
Heck, Lily even got Ty to go to the drive-in. He hated watching movies with people, but their first time out he went to a double-feature.
  Grace spent a lot of time at Brady’s house helping take care of his mother, and Ben flew across the country for Alexis. What had Ryan done for Mia? What had she done for him?
  They had just sex and then went on their merry way.
  She blinked away the tears and noticed the books on the shelf across from her. Okay, so Ryan sent her two small gifts. Two perfectly perfect gifts that meant more to her than flowers or jewelry.
  He may know her well, but she didn’t know him, which didn’t explain why she hurt so much. When her tears had dried, she dragged herself to another shower and went to bed. It didn’t matter that it was only seven-thirty.
  There was no point staying up when all she wanted to do was close her eyes and either forget she ever met Agent Ryan Thorne, or dream about him for the rest of her life.

​

I see these surveys on Facebook all the time and enjoy reading them about my friends, but rarely complete them myself. I'm in the middle of my NaNoWriMo challenge this month and figured, why the heck not complete a survey and write a blog post? It's procrastination at its best. Here are 24 questions for grown ups. 
1. What bill do you hate paying the most? 
My mortgage. It's the bill that NEVER ends!

2. When was the last time you had a romantic dinner? 
Last weekend was our first night out (weekend away) in over a year!

3. What do you really want to be?  
A full-time writer, but most importantly, I want to be happy. And what makes me happy is when my children are happy, successful, and fulfilled (such a cheesy mom answer, I know).

4. How many colleges have you attended? 
One. University of Maine in Orono.

5. Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
A. It was clean. B. It's three sizes too big C. It's a sweatshirt that is super comfy.

6. Thoughts on gas prices right now? 
I've stopped paying attention since the only places I go are places I HAVE to go to so stressing about gas is useless.

7. First thought when the alarm goes off in the morning?  
NOOOOO! And I hit snooze. Multiple times. 

8. Last thought you have before you go to bed at night? 
"When will this NyQuil kick in?"

9. Do you miss being a child? 
No. I was forced to grow up too fast, and I had more responsibilities than any child should ever have. Most of my memories are of taking care of my sisters, cooking for my family, doing chores, and not being happy. :(

10. What errand/chore do you despise the most? 
Dishes. I'll cook all day, but I hate the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen.

11. Up early or sleep in? 
SLEEEEEEEEPPPPP

12. Found love yet?
Twenty-six years together; twenty-one years married and we've yet to threaten to leave each other ;-) I'd say we're in it for the long-haul.

13.Favorite lunch meat? 
Roasted turkey. Not the slimy kind.

14. What do you get every time at Walmart?  
All of it. All. Of. It. 

15. Beach or Lake? 
Lake life is amazing.

16. Is marriage overrated?
No but it's not all rainbows and roses either. It's tough but it's also what you put into it.

17. Ever crashed a vehicle? 
No. Unfortunately my eighteen year-old has. 

18. Strangest place you've brushed your teeth?
Walking down the driveway to get the mail.

19. Somewhere you've never been but want to go?
Hawaii. Italy. Greece. Paris.

20. Do you have a go to person?
My sisters. :-)

21. Are you where you want to be in life?  
Well, currently I'm in my recliner wearing pjs, fuzzy socks, covered in a fleece blanket, a cup of tea by my side. Oh, in life. Ha! I'm in a good place but hoping to make some changes in a few years. 

22. Growing up what were your favorite cartoons?
Mighty Mouse

23. What do you think has changed about you since you’ve gotten older?
I'm not as carefree as I once was. Responsibilities and having children with medical issues will do that to you. I'm also less trusting than I used to be. People are not always as they seem.

24. Someone who you think will complete this.
Anyone who is procrastinating and has too many things to do.

I'm impressed that you've read this far! I'd love to read your responses. Feel free to comment below. 

I had the pleasure of spending this weekend with the most fabulous readers! The Fall in Love With New England Romance Reader Retreat is by far my favorite event to attend. Not only are the authors generous with their gifts and time, but the readers, they're AMAZING! I was blown away with their handmade and thoughtful gifts (totally unexpected!). This year it was held at the Holiday Inn in Nashua, NH. 

We kicked off the event with a "Charming Meet and Greet" where readers mingled with authors and were given charms to add to their bracelet. Of course, the charm I gave away was a cute little wine glass. Then I played a fun game of "Have and Have Not" with Susan Carlisle. Oh, these readers of ours are quite the adventurous types. There were many stories told and lots of laughs.

After dinner, the authors scurry to their rooms and prepare for the reader trick-or-treat fest. And maybe a sip of wine while traipsing down the hallway. And for those crazy party-goers, the night continued in the restaurant bar and a little sing-along with the band.

Somehow, we mustered up the energy to wake up early on Saturday for a light breakfast. I took part in a panel with Elsa Kurt and Kari Lemor where we talked about the writing process, publication, and promoting. I love the interest many readers have in writing. That's how all authors get started--by reading!

After many more workshops, we had a delightful luncheon, where I hosted a table and gave away this wine and fall inspired basket, followed by a huge book signing. Many participated in the pizza party and Yankee book swap. So much fun! It was exhausting and wonderful, and I can't wait to do it again. I thought the night was over around 9:00 but found Kym and Krystal from Created Purpose and crashed their ring making party.

It was another late night and I went to bed with so many amazing memories of my weekend. If you missed this year's, you definitely want to join us in 2020 where we try to one-up the spectacular event. I hope to see you there!