Maggie Marr + Beck

TITLE: BECK

WRITTEN BY: Maggie Marr

WANTED FOR: Romantic Suspense

DESCRIPTION: A Bad Boy Hollywood Hitman Novel

Natalie Warner can’t ignore the risk any longer. A star on the rise, her latest film is on track to be the biggest box office breaker of the summer but Natalie isn’t safe. Someone is after her. Could it be her angry addict father, or her mother who always wanted to be a star herself? What about her ex-boyfriend who just did time? The Studio refuses to ignore the threat and forces Natalie to take on a bodyguard, but that bodyguard comes in the shape of rugged, irresistible Beck Tatum, because whoever is after Natalie isn’t going to stop until someone makes them. 
 
A question, wrapped in a riddle, Beck Tatum doesn’t know what part of the government he worked for before he lost his memory or what exactly his mission was. He can remember that he loved and that he lost that woman as well as his memories on that final mission. Now with a second chance, he’s assigned to protect a high-value asset. Rich and entitled but yet kind and vulnerable, Natalie Warner isn’t the spoiled rich woman Beck expected. But falling for her would put her life on the line and Beck isn’t about to lose anything else.

Welcome to the Fresh Files, Maggie! Thanks for stopping by and sharing a few interesting tidbits about yourself and your writing because Readers and Writers want to know the 411! So let’s start off by talking about the story behind your story? Why did you write BECK?

M. This novel is like every  novel that I write, in that, the characters are in my brain and tell me their story. I liken this to the tarmac at LAX, when you see all the planes lined up and ready for take off–those are like my books/stories. The characters are in a row in my brain simply waiting for me, air traffic control, to point at them and say — your turn. Then it’s my job to *not* get in their way too much as these characters tell me their story. It’s a busy place up there in my brain all these characters waiting for their chance to tell me their story.

Do you have a writing routine or just go with the flow?

M. I *try* to have a routine but I also have a day job I love as well as children and a husband and sometimes all those things throw off my schedule–imagine! I prefer to write first thing each day. I feel as though I’ve really accomplished something with my day if I collect my words early in the day. My goal is 3000 words a day however I’ve noticed that I don’t usually get that many words in the first third of the book. My best guess is that the first third is when I’m building the foundation and that must be really solid to support the weight of the entire book so I go more slowly, even in my first draft.

I love books and television! What are some of the television shows that you watch or even the ones that are no longer playing on TV?

M. I LOVE television! I just started watching Divorce with Thomas Haden Church & Sarah Jessica Parker and I am liking this show. I also just started watching Insecure with Issa Rae who is funny and brilliant and amazing. I’m a big Game of Thrones fan as well as Modern Family, Blackish, and The Goldbergs.

Yes, love Sarah Jessica and Divorce is such an interesting show! Care to share a quick tip on plotting or characterization?

M. I love Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon. I read this book nearly every time I start a new book. The idea of external and internal goals and why a character can’t have what he or she wants helps me to have the insight I need to write my characters.

I use GMCs too! How do you feel about self-publishing–what were your top 3 steps to getting published.

M. I do self publish. My first two books, Hollywood Girls Club and Secrets of the Hollywood Girls Club went through Random House however I did get the rights back and now I’m exclusively indie pub. My books go through a process similar to New York with regards to editorial and marketing. My books receive 2 editorial passes as well as a final proof-read. My covers have cover designers. I also work with graphic designers to help come up with teasers for books that will be part of the marketing and promo campaign for each book. Next year we are starting a T-90 day release / launch schedule which means each book will get 90 days of promo work prior to release. I’m hoping this will help readers find my books when they are available.

Thank you for giving us a peek into your writing life, Maggie! Best of luck with BECK and The Hollywood Hitman series! Now, Readers, go and buy BECK!

Maggie Marr is the author of contemporary romance and women’s fiction. She writes smart, sexy, women and the men they love. She got her start in Hollywood pushing the mail cart at ICM, but quickly rose through the ranks to become a motion picture literary agent. As well as writing, she maintains a boutique legal practice dedicated to the needs of creatives & entrepreneurs. She is the current President of Los Angeles Romance Authors (LARA) and legal adviser to the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA). Maggie loves all things pop culture and when she isn’t taking care of her clients or writing she can be found reading, chasing kids, or exercising her rescue pup. Visit her website www.MaggieMarr.net.