Margaret Marr: The Blessing of Community

This past week I attended a Romance writer's conference and as I often am, when surrounded by Romance writers, I was blown away by the intelligence, kindness, generosity and professionalism of my peers. I don't know why I'm ever surprised that the writers in my genre possess these qualities. I've been a published author since 2008 and a Romance author since 2009 and I know without doubt that the writer's of Romance are creative authors and savvy business people nearly always leading the way with regards to changes in the publishing industry. 

I think what I am always struck with is the sense of community among Romance writers. A group that is willing to share business information as well as discuss plot. These discussions take place whether you're a newbie with your first book or a veteran with a decade of experience and fifteen books published...I was a bit shocked to discover that I'd somehow, over the past two years, slid from newbie to veteran with the publication of The Glamour Series and my ongoing Eligible Billionaires Series. I tilted my head a bit when referenced by a younger author as being 'more established'.  

What I took away from the conference wasn't just new information on craft, marketing, business, or advertising. No, my biggest take-away was my reconfirmed sense of community. That while I may sit alone at my computer screen for hours, days, and weeks hammering away words that the imaginary people in my head tell me, that I while I work alone, I am not alone. There are too many of my friends and fellow authors out there working too and within three keystrokes away (thank you social media!) that I can check in with. This deepening sense of friendship and knowledge that I am entrenched in a caring and vibrant community is a blessing. A blessing for which I am (often) overwhelmed with gratitude. I simply can't overemphasize what an amazing group of authors the Romance community is and how wonderful it is to be a part of this group. 

Happy Reading!

xo Maggie

PS A little shout out that Hard Glamour http://amzn.to/1QjMzbe book 1 in The Glamour Series is FREE for a limited time!

And, Broken Glamour http://amzn.to/24973ay book 2 in The Glamour Series is only .99 for a VERY limited time!

Maggie Marr is an author & attorney. She got her start in Hollywood pushing the mail cart where she became a motion picture literary agent. She now splits her time between her legal practice dedicated to entrepreneurs & creatives, and writing. She writes smart, sexy, men and the women that love them. She is the author of The Hollywood Girls Club Series, TheEligible Billionaires Series, TheGlamour Series, and The Powder Springs Series. You can find her on maggiemarr.net,  Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.  

Maggie Marr: 5 Goals for 2016

Happy New Year! I know we're a couple weeks in but the glitter & glow of New Years still hovers about me. I don't really 'do' resolutions anymore. After 46 trips around the sun I've discovered that resolutions, for me, only stick until about February 11. Instead, the last couple of years I've made goals for myself that are both personal and professional and I've found that these goals really do help me to stay focused throughout the year.

5. Write More Books!

I mean, I am a writer so of course this is my goal. Last year I published 6 books and this year I am trying to get at least 6 perhaps 7 books into the hands of my readers. I am at my best as a human when I am writing so I know from experience that when I am deep in a story, I actually do better with all the other wonderful things in my life like my family and my community.

4. Say Yes to Adventure!

These don't have to be grand 'I'm traveling around the world' adventures this can be as small as going to the second-hand store around the corner that I've been meaning to check out for the last two years. I am an introvert by nature and I like to write alone so, if not for the kids and their activities I could go weeks, perhaps, months, without leaving the house (except for food...I'll always leave for food!) I am carving out time each week to do something exciting and fun even if it's trying the funky new coffee shop at the end of my street. 

3. Move My Body!

I started this last year and I've found this works for me. I have failed miserably with the whole resolution thing of; Run a 5 k, or kick box 3x's a week. Instead I've committed to move my body each and every day. Whether this is a walk, yoga, riding a bike....who knows but with the sedentary lifestyle of writing I know that I need to do this to stay physically and mentally healthy. 

2. Connect With Readers!

I've been working hard to build a newsletter list so that I can directly email my readers. I want to continue building that list. I like to host giveaways of gift cards, and books, and swag. So, to that end, I am giving away a Maggie Marr starter library for anyone who joins my newsletter list. These are two of my best-selling books for free! Go to maggiemarr.net to get your books!

1. Embrace Joy!

I have so much to be grateful for. My life is filled with a myriad of blessings, unfortunately I know I take these wonderful gifts that make up my world for granted. This year I am starting every day listing 5 things that I am grateful for and embracing the inherent joy that comes with that list. Also trying to live in the moment and feel the joy that comes through from embracing even the simple things like a hot shower, a safe place to live, a hot cup of coffee. I have so many things to be grateful for and the gratitude fills me with joy.

What are some of your goals for 2016? Leave a comment below and I will let random.org pick a winner and send you one of my ebooks. Thank you for stopping by!

Happy Reading!

xoMaggie

Maggie Marr is an author & attorney. She got her start in Hollywood pushing the mail cart where she became a motion picture literary agent. She now splits her time between her legal practice dedicated to entrepreneurs & creatives, and writing. She writes smart, sexy, men and the women that love them. She is the author of The Hollywood Girls Club Series, The Eligible Billionaires Series, The Glamour Series  and The Powder Springs Series. You can find her on maggiemarr.net, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. 

Maggie Marr: A Billionaire to Love

I love writing billionaires. Ryan Murphy in Last Call For Love was my fourth billionaire, but he won't be my last. Each time I sit down to write one of my billionaires in The Eligible Billionaires Series, I am blessed with a fabulous character. 

First there was Cole Jackson in Can't Buy Me Love.  What a guy! A true Alpha with a bad-boy love 'em and leave 'em attitude. Whip smart with a wicked sense of humor and a wonderfully slow hand. He'd truly met his match in Meg Parson, his former executive assistant. She was just as smart and just as determined. By the end Cole was begging for Meg to stay.

Next was Tristan Rhodes in One Night for Love. A tortured soul who purchased companies and dismantled them piece by painful piece with no regard for the people that worked at the company. Prim Baxter, (Meg Parson's best friend and former b-school classmate) was having none of Tristan's bull! She'd built Metro Media from the ground up, alongside the now distraught and former Metro Media owner Ryan Murphy. Prim spent every ounce of her time and energy trying to prove to Tristan that he should keep Metro Media as a whole company. All the while fighting her outrageous attraction for Tristan. Did I mention they'd hooked up at Mesquale a Tahitian resort while wearing party masks and didn't know who the other was until after Tristan had purchased Metro Media. H-O-T!

Nick North in A Christmas Billionaire is one of my favorites!  Oooo, I love him. So strong. So cold. So...so...unattainable. His heart was destroyed when the woman he loved ditched him on Christmas Eve many years before. Guess whose baaaack!! Yes, it's Noel Klaus, the love of Nick's life. She is making his Christmas Season a living hell with her community activism that prohibits him from knocking down a retirement home in which Noel's grandmother lives, so that he can build a mall. Nick and Noel heat up those long cold Chicago nights!

  

Ryan Murphy....oh poor poor GORGEOUS Ryan Murphy in Last Call for Love. He lost his fiance in a horrible car crash. His heart broken he sold Metro Media and purchased Mesquale (the Tahitian resort where Tristan and Prim hooked up!) and fled California so he wouldn't be reminded of his lost love. For 9 months he's worked in secret scoping out every flaw of Mesquale. Now he's working as a bartender when he meets Charla Duval. What a match! She can't stand rich people! And she thinks Ryan is a bartender when they fall in love...guess what...he's not...he's a billionaire!  So fun. So much sex. So much love. 

Next up is Trevor Brice, the heir apparent to the Upside Burger company. He fled to Mesquale to see if he could hack it without his family's money. A tortured writer, he doesn't want to run his parents company. While working at Mesquale he's fallen madly in love with Poppy Martin, a server at Mesquale and Charla Duval's former roommate. But Poppy will never, ever, no matter what give her heart to any man! She's suffered too much pain, too much loss, she will forever be Running From Love. 

 Finally there is Justin Travati. A powerful, hard, strong, wicked billionaire. He was born into money and then acquired his own. He will never settle down.  There was one woman...a long time ago...that for a split second he might have considered having a relationship with, but Aubrey Hayes made the decision to return to Kansas to run her family farm. So why is Aubrey emailing him now? And why is he flying (private of course) to Hudson, Kansas to determine if what Aubrey is telling him, is for real. 

So those are my fabulous billionaires. There will be more...of course. How could I ever turn my back on these amazing, powerful men and the smart, sexy, women who choose to love them? 

Maggie Marr is an author and an attorney. The Eligible Billionaires Series is one of her favorite series to write but she also enjoys writing the best-selling Hollywood Girls Club Series, The Glamour Series (Hard Glamour, and The Powder Springs Series. When she's not writing or reading she can be found exercising her rescue pup or hanging out with her family.  Maggie lives and works in Los Angeles. You can follow Maggie and her billionaires on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.