I’m so excited to have author Marina Adair join me here today for a little Q & A. Before I throw out the first question, here’s her official Bio.

Marina Adair is a #1 National best-selling author of romance novels and holds a Master of Fine arts in creative writing. Along with the St. Helena Vineyard series, she is also the author of the Sugar, Georgia series, the Heroes of St Helena series and the upcoming Destiny Bay series. She currently lives with her husband, daughter, and two neurotic cats in Northern California.

As a writer, Marina is devoted to giving her readers contemporary romance where the towns are small, the personalities large, and the romance explosive. She also loves to interact with readers and you can catch her on Twitter or visit her on Facebook.

Rich: Welcome, Marina! I must say I practically screamed when I heard your book Autumn in the Vineyard was being made into a Hallmark movie. I think that’s a dream for just about every author (including me), so please share how you felt when you got the news and your experience watching it all come together.

Marina: Thanks for having me here today, Rich. I was so excited when I heard the news I screamed too, then I cried. But I think the best part was going to the set in Canada and watching a day of filming. I was able to meet the cast, and Larry the Llama (who plays Mittens the alpaca in the movie).

I started my career as a screen writer, earning a Master of Fine Arts in screenwriting. When I switched to novels, I thought I was saying goodbye to seeing my work on the screen, so this has been a wonderful surprise. The most exciting part is that my characters and story will find a new audience, reach readers that I never would have been able to reach.

Rich: That’s funny, because I wanted to write screenplays too. Fortunately, my hot Spanish wife convinced me to publish novels instead. So glad I listened to her! 🙂 And I’m so glad you made the switch too and were able to find readers who are now gobbling up your books. Speaking of your romance novels…I love that the animals in your stories are fun secondary characters with lots of personality. Which animal is the most popular with your fans?

Marina: I would have to say, Mittens from AUTUMN IN THE VINEYARD, for sure. Mittens is an alpaca who was kicked out of his flock and attaches himself to the lady of his house, Frankie Baudouin.

Meeting up with Marina at a local bookstore.

Rich: Note to self: add alpaca to next romantic comedy. Let’s talk about your life when you’re not writing. What would be a perfect day for you?

Marina: A hike along the creek in my small town, or maybe a stroll in downtown Franklin, TN, tasting all of the hand crafted cocktails and exploring the shops.

Rich: That sounds wonderful. What do you like most about the stories you write? Is there always a message?

Marina: I love exploring the inner workings of large families and the different types of healthy love. I also write about strong women who go on a journey to discover their identity and inner strength. My favorite part of my stories are the older generation, the nosy old biddies.

Rich: I love them too! Tell me about your latest release.

Marina: LAST KISS OF SUMMER is a tender and witty romance between two unlikely lovers, who are both trying to overcome grief and personal loss, and find a place to call home. Luckily they arrive in Destiny Bay, where second chances and love blooms year round.

I love enemies to lovers stories almost as I love pie. So when my publisher and I talked about setting this new series in the Pacific Northwest on an orchard, all I could think of was hard cider and hot apple pie. So I came up with a hard cider brewer and a pie shop owner, who can’t stand each other, but also can’t keep their hands of each other.

Rich: Great. Now I’m craving hot apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s all your fault. What can we expect from you in the future?

Marina: This is the year of new series for me, with three new ones starting.

This summer I released the first book in my new Eastons series, CHASING I DO, where it takes the best man to catch a runaway bride! I am really excited about this band of brothers where, family comes first, business moves fast, and life is nothing more than a game of risk. They don’t mind breaking the rules or testing the limits, but when it comes to matters of the heart … they play for keeps.

I just typed THE END on book 2 in the Destiny Bay series, FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME, which is a friends to loves story between a former NHL god and the town’s tough girl. It releases April of 2017.

I also have a new series, Sequoia Lake, which follows a team of bad ass search and rescue men as they each find love in the rugged Sierra Nevada. Book 1, IT STARTED WITH A KISS, releases January 30, 2017.

Rich:  So much romance coming our way! Looking forward to it. Before you go, I also wanted to mention your St. Helena Vineyard’s Kindle World released today! Nineteen other authors from around the globe have written their own stories of love and happily ever after, set in the same quaint town of St. Helena.

You are one busy gal! Wishing you tons of success and happiness. Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂

Marina: Thanks for having me, Rich!!!