Guest Post with Author Gina L. Maxwell and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to RFTC author Gina L. Maxwell. Gina is celebrate the recent release of her book Seducing Cinderella (which was amazing!) and has stopped by to chat. Before I give the floor over to Gina, let's get to know a bit about her.

Growing up in small town Fort Atkinson, WI, Gina L. Maxwell, formerly Bisbee, could often be found onstage in the latest theatrical production, performing with her high school show choir, or holding office in her local FFA chapter. She dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps in the entertainment business, of enabling her audience to forget about life for a few hours as they enjoyed the stories she told through her love of singing, dancing, and acting. It wasn’t until her sophomore year in college when she realized she had no acting talent to speak of and her dream needed some adjusting. Another ten years would pass before she discovered a different means to accomplishing the same dream.

Within those ten years Gina married her high school sweetheart, had two beautiful children, and moved more times than she cared to count. In 2009 she started writing as a hobby while her kids were in school, and it quickly became an obsession she couldn’t stop, and then a dream to publish stories of love and passion for romance addicts just like her.

Three years later, her dream came true when she signed with Entangled Publishing for a total of seven books in two of their imprints.

Her Fighting for Love series with MMA heroes debuted July 20th, 2012 for the digital Brazen imprint with the first book, Seducing Cinderella, and reached #9 on Barnes & Noble’s best seller list in just seven days.

The first book in her paranormal romance trilogy, Desires of the Soul, is set to release both digitally and in mass trade paperback in Summer 2013 for the Entangled Select imprint.

When she’s not writing or wrangling plot bunnies, Gina keeps busy with her wonderful family and their ever-growing extra-curricular schedules. Thanks to their immense patience and support, she’s able to do The Thing She Was Meant To Do and live her dream of bringing a little romantic fantasy to the world, even if only in the pages of a good book.

Places to find Gina:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | 

How I Came Up with the Characters & Story of Seducing Cinderella

I’m a total and complete pantser. I have no formal training in fiction writing. I’ve taken the occasional workshop and read more articles than I can count, but I was never “trained technically” how to go about writing a book. I try to get a basic idea of the story in my head and then see what happens as I go along. I’m often surprised by what I learn as the characters open up to me.

The entire idea for writing about an MMA fighter came from a specific picture of male model Parker Hurley. I’m a huge fan of his, so I’ve probably seen close to every picture that has ever been taken of him, including THIS ONE. I write my stories based around the characters, specifically the hero, (some writers come up with the plot first) and that picture is what sparked the creation of what would become Reid Andrews.

I’ve been a huge fan of MMA for years, and I really enjoy watching the documentaries that highlight the different fighters. It’s so interesting to not only see how they train for their fights, but also get a glimpse into their personal lives: if they have families, how they spend their down time, other hobbies they might have. It shows the fans that the men aren’t only the hardcore fighters we see in the cage, and I wanted to write a story about a hero with that kind of dynamic.

After I figured out that Reid was injured and needed therapy to get back into fighting condition, I had to give him his match in a heroine. My editor and I had already decided that I would use the “older brother’s best friend” trope, so I knew they’d grown up together, but I needed something that would bring them together. What better way to do that than to make her his physical therapist?

I wanted her true identity to be a surprise to him, so I changed her name to something he wouldn’t recognize. To explain that, I gave her a short marriage to a jerk of a guy, which played nicely into her natural insecurities of her worth as a potential partner.

From that point on, the other details fell into place quite easily. The fact that she was in love with a colleague who didn’t notice her, Reid’s automatic protective instincts toward Lucie from their history when they were younger, his desire to help her coupled with his need for her help as well inspiring him to pitch a crazy idea that throws them together for weeks at a time. All of it just seemed to fit effortlessly like a preschool puzzle.

I’m so thrilled with how Seducing Cinderella is being received. I’m thankful I found that picture of Parker when I did and thankful for the inspiration he gave me as I created Reid’s character from what I knew of him, ultimately making a hero that’s been steaming up e-readers all over the world.

I still have three more books to write in the Fighting for Love series, and I can’t wait to learn the stories of each of the MMA heroes and watch their heroines knock them out faster than any opponent they’ve faced in the cage. I hope my readers are just as excited as I am.

Ciao, bellas!

He’ll teach her the art of seduction…for a price.

Mixed martial arts fighter Reid Andrews’s chance to reclaim his title as light heavyweight champ is shattered when he’s injured only months before the rematch. To make sure he’s healed in time, his trainer sends him to recuperate under a professional’s care—Reid’s best friend’s little sister, all grown up.

Disorganized and bookish Lucie Miller needs some professional help of her own. She’d do anything to catch the eye of a doctor she’s crushed on for years, so when Reid offers seduction lessons in exchange for 24/7 conditioning for the biggest fight of his career, Lucie jumps at the chance.

Soon Reid finds himself in the fight of his life…winning Lucie’s heart before she gives it to someone else.

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble |

Check out my review here.

1 lucky commenter will win a eBook copy of Seducing Cinderella

To Enter:

• Leave a meaningful comment for Gina. 
• Fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  

Good Luck =)

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