Welcome to the blog tour for On the Rim of Love by Marie Astor!
About On The Rim Of Love - Goodreads, Amazon
Twenty-two-year-old Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking Jeffrey Preston for a year. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage to her a week after her college graduation, Maggie finds herself wondering if she wants to spend the rest of her life married to a workaholic TV show producer.
Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia she meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier.
Maggie’s attraction to Taylor is undeniable, but she is engaged to marry Jeffrey. Will Maggie have the courage to follow her heart?
Author Marie Astor has written a guest post on how to make readers fall in love with your characters.
How to make your readers fall in love with your characters?
How to make your readers fall in love with your characters? is a question that I bet every author wishes she / he had a definitive answer to, but unfortunately there is no one-size-fits-all formula, or, if there is, I have not found it. When I try to answer this question for myself, as I do every time I set out on creating characters for a new novel, I ask myself what makes me like a person? After all, characters are people – yes, fictional, but still people, and I hope that you will agree with me that such wonderful personages as Dorothea Brooke from Middlemarch, Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, and Scarlett O’Hara from Gone with the Wind - I’ll stop the list here for the sake of space - have become parts of our lives in ways just as important as those of real people. But back to the question – what makes one likeable?
Does a character have to be perfect?
Absolutely not! How many of us will admit to having friends who drive us crazy now and then, but we love them anyway? The same applies to fictional characters. For example, Scarlett O’Hara - Scarlett is scheming, conniving, jealous, and downright mean at times, and yet, we love her all the same because she is also strong-willed and tough, and she perseveres and stands tall in very difficult circumstances, making us root for her as readers.
Does a reader have to be able to relate to a character on some level?
Absolutely – regardless of where and when the story takes place, the reader should be able to identify with the character on some level. I think that Jane Austen’s novels are the perfect example – the setting may be in a different century, but we still find ourselves relating to Austen’s heroines as they struggle with their misfortunes and claim their victories. There are still men like Mr. Darcy walking around today, albeit clad in a different style of clothing.
Does a character have to be good-looking?
That depends. How does a heroine who is gorgeous, confident and eloquent sound? Boring. But if we had a heroine who is good-looking, but is struggling with insecurities stemming from her past we would want to find out more about her. . I believe that there should be a balance between physical appearance and character traits.
These are just a few of the guidelines that steered me true when I was writing the characters of Maggie Robin and Taylor Denton – the leading characters of my contemporary romance novel, On the Rim of Love. I hope that you will add On the Rim of Love to your Kindle shelf and join Maggie and Taylor on their journey.
Thanks for that awesome post. I may be swooning already!
Marie Astor is a die-hard romantic who wholeheartedly believes in true love, which is why she writes in the contemporary romance genre.
Marie is the author of contemporary romance novels, On the Rim of Love, Lucky Charm, and a short story collection, A Chance Encounter and Other Stories.
In addition to being a writer, Marie is an avid hiker, an excellent swimmer, a good skier, and a capable badminton player.
Currently, Marie is working on her next novel – stay tuned for details! If you would like to receive updates about book releases and events, please visit Marie’s website or visit Marie at her Facebook page.
There is also an awesome giveaway going on!
Open US/Canada. See full contest rules here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Be sure to check out all the stops on the tour. Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, February 13th - Riverina Romantics
Tuesday, February 14th - Snowdrop Dreams of Books
Wednesday, February 15th - My Reading Room
Thursday, February 16th - Books Like Breathing
Friday, February 17th - Obsession with Books
Monday, February 20th - Reviews By Molly
Tuesday, February 21st - Sweeping Me
Wednesday, February 22nd - A Casual Reader's Blog
Thursday, February 23rd - Better Read Than Dead
Friday, February 24th - I'm Just Sitting Here and Read
Monday, February 27th - Hesperia Loves Books
Tuesday, February 28th - A Tale of Many Reviews
Wednesday, February 29th - Library Mosaic
Thursday, March 1st - The Magic Attic
Friday, March 2nd - Ce-Ce's Garden Reviews
5 comments:
Favorite part of romance novels is the first kiss!
The inevitable moment where the unlucky lass must choose between 2 greats. Those are the best stories.
Hi and thank you for hosting me today at Casual Reader!
Cassandra, I completely agree - that's always the best part - both in fiction and in real life!
Mariah, these are my favorite stories too!
Marie
I love women who are strong and believe in the themselves. Of course a steamy kiss is nice. I already have this book on my wish list and can't wait to read.
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
Hi! great giveaway! i love the first kiss... so romantic! :D
im a new follower btw :)
if youd like to check out/follow my blog its at penelopeworldofbooks.blogspot.com
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