Lynne Marshall and her Courting His Favorite Nurse!

BIG TIME ROMANCE WITH SMALL TOWN FEEL

            As a debut Harlequin Special Edition author, one of the most appealing aspects of the line is their description: Life, Love & Family – A woman in her world–living and loving the magic of creating a family and developing romantic relationships.
I see it as a contemporary romance series where the importance of family and friends is never forgotten.

            After writing eleven Medical Romances for Mills & Boon, and loving the medicine infused storylines over there, it felt a bit like working without a net to remove the hospital or clinic settings from my books.  In writing my first Special Edition proposal, a trilogy featuring a family of three siblings, two girls, and a brother, I left behind the medical setting and instead created a small town called Whispering Oaks.

            Hidden in the rolling brown hills fifty miles north of Los Angeles, is a small city called Whispering Oaks.  The bedroom community is known for its breezy nights, quiet days, clean air, competitive schools and family friendly atmosphere.  Even with the Pacific Ocean forty miles away, nearby flat and fertile farmland, and countless outdoor activities, many of the restless teens of Whispering Oaks go off to college and never return…until they must.

            Once I had my city – I created a family: Kieran and Beverly Grady set their roots down in Whispering Oaks thirty-two years ago.  Both teachers, they raised their three children with high expectations then sent them into the world as independent adults.  Now, a motorcycle accident has robbed them of their own independence.

The Return to Whispering Oaks trilogy, as proposed to Special Edition, follows Anne a RN, Lucas an Army Medic, and Lark a Medical School student, as their parents’ sudden trauma and subsequent special needs forces  each of them back home. One by one, each sibling must deal with their place in the family and their own private brokenness, and, of course, FALL IN LOVE!

            In this first book I tell Anne’s story – Courting His Favorite Nurse – Here’s the blurb:
           
Anne Grady knew better than anyone that love was complicated. When she’d left her hometown, she thought she was leaving her past heartbreak behind for good, as well. But practically the moment she returned to care for her injured parents, she stumbled headlong into their confidant—her first love, Jack Lightfoot.

Jack had been unable to deny his feelings for Annie when he was a teenager dating her best friend, and he certainly couldn’t muffle the spark twisting between them now—even if memories of the past kept threatening to push them apart. This time Jack wasn’t going to let history repeat itself—he was going to show Annie that the two of them were meant to be much more than best friends!

Buy Links:

Harlequin    Amazon       Amazon UK     B&N      Book Depository

Question for readers:
Do you enjoy family series and small town stories?  If so, what draws you to them?




Lynne Marshall writes contemporary and Medical Romance for Harlequin and The Wild Rose Press.  The first book in the Grady family trilogy, Courting His Favorite Nurse, is a March 2012 Harlequin Special Edition.  Also coming in March in e-book only is, An Indiscretion, a contemporary romance with strong medical elements, from The Wild Rose Press.



You can connect with Lynne Marshall on the Web:



Website                Facebook             RomanceWiki         Author Page




     

45 comments:

  1. Lynne, Whispering Oaks sounds like a lovely city that you created. I love learning about your process. It is so much fun reading how you created the family after the city.

    Small town stories make me feel like I'm right in the book with all the characters. Kinda like a cozy extended family. This is the third book that I saw today that I must buy. Thank you for sharing.

    Hey Riya! :-)

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  2. I like them, because after you read the first one it's like going back to visit a familiar place and people.

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  3. Sounds like a great series! I'm off to check it out! Thanks for the tip :)

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  4. Love small town stories! I like reading a series that's set in one place, where the characters interact across many books.

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  5. Hi Robyn!
    Thank you so much for reading the blog and commenting. I'm glad I've intrigued you with my back story into Whispering Oaks.

    I must say, I want to shout from the rooftops that I just received a 4.5 star review from Cataromance for Courting His Favorite Nurse.

    Couldn't be happier.

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  6. Hi Chey - I so agree with you about feeling like you're returning to a known, cozy place when reading series located in small towns.

    Branching out to new characters with each book is also very enjoyable. (both as a reader and writer!)

    Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.

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  7. Hi Jemi!

    I hope you like what you read when you check out Courting His Favorite Nurse.

    Needless to say, I got quite attached to the Grady clan. :)

    Thanks for commenting.

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  8. HI Deniz!
    Have I got a book for you! LOL.

    I also like returning characters in books. For instance, brother Lucas returns home about 2/3 of the way through this first book - book #2 is his story. His story is a girl next door set up, and the theme is "from friendship grows the truest love"

    :)

    Thanks so much for reading and commenting today.

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  9. Hi, Lynne, I love relationship stories and family sagas. Book one sounds fantastic. I know you're going to have amazing success with this series!

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  10. Hi Donnell!

    Thank you so much for your kind wishes for Courting His Favorite Nurse. So far the response has been great!

    I like small town sagas too, for the record. :)

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  11. Thank you for visiting my blog. Wish you were close enough to visit, that would be great.

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  12. Hi Lynne .. thanks for visiting my blog - and I imagine Whispering Oaks will be an interesting read .. I enjoy those stories linked around a local town - I can get the feel of things and characters .. cheers Hilary

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  13. Oh the joy of getting lost in a good book. There's nothing quite like it is there?

    Thank you for visiting me the other day.

    Wishing you a fantastic week!

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  14. Awh that sounds lovely. So romantic.

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  15. Sounds like a lovely read! Hm, I haven't actually read too many small-town-set books, probably because a lot of my genre is aimed at young urban females. I quite like the sense of cosiness such novels gives, though.

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  16. Hi Carole! You have a beautiful blog. Thanks so much for inviting me to guest. I really appreciate the chance to get the word out on my next book.

    We'll have to settle for sharing some cyber-tea (or coffee) whatever your preference. :)

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  17. Hi Hilary!
    Is this blog co-owned between you and Carole? Lovely idea.

    I'm with you about books linked around a town, though I must admit, the third book - the youngest sister's story - begins in Boston and travels home with her to Whispering Oaks. Please keep fingers crossed I'll get offered a contract for that book, too!

    Thank you for letting me guest.

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  18. Hi Cahterine and Madeleine - thanks for the kind wishes!

    Lynne

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  19. Hi Talli!
    This is my first "small town" book, too. I normally write big cities where big hospitals (fictitious) exist. I felt, for this new to me line - Special Edition - I would try this new approach, and it sold a couple of books for me and now I'm hooked on the small town, cozy (as you say) feel.

    Thanks for commenting!

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  20. first, I'm snickering that even though you left the medical romance behind, it's hard to get rid of us nurses. We follow you everywhere! LOL

    Second, I LOVE small town based stories.

    Did you develop the town first, the characters or the story idea? Inquiring minds want to know.

    Good luck! Looking forward to reading it.

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  21. Hi Cynthia!

    I'll never leave Medical Romance behind - have a book coming out in July for the Mills & Boon line of MedRo. :)

    The characters came to be first. Anne was the first to emerge through my invisible mind curtain. I saw Anne and Jack and some sort of history. Then I found the siblings. Where there are siblings, there must be parents, right? So along came Kieran and Beverly. Then, the family needed a hometown. Whispering Oaks.

    However, when I wrote the proposal, I needed to state the setting first, then go through each sibling and their story.

    Trilogy proposals are tough and take a whole lot of work.

    :)

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  22. Small towns have my heart, for sure, so this sounds perfect.

    Your blog couldn't be any more romantic--pink AND roses! Lovely.

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  23. Lynne,
    Congratulations! I loved this book and it's deserving of the awesome reviews! You put so much heart and soul into your characters! There's nothing better than a truly emotional satisfying read and always deliver!

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  24. Hi Clee McKenzie!
    I'm glad to know there are so many folks out there who have a soft spot for stories based in small towns.

    Yes - this blog really is pretty in pink isn't it?

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  25. That should read YOU always deliver! (That's what I get for not double checking my flying fingers!)

    Congrats again!

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  26. Dear Dee J - you are a peach, as always. And this book is extra good because you're my critique partner! Of course the finishing and best touches cames from my lovely editor at Harlequin Special Edition. :)

    And a little birdie has told me you have a wonderful book as of today! Danger Zone is an exciting Romantic Suspense from Carina Press. Congratulations.

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  27. I like the small town story because of community. There is the loving community, and the nosy community. Everyone knows everyone and you can't get away with much with the small town grapevine. Love that. : )

    Looking forward to the read.

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  28. Hi Robena!
    you're right about small town communities. There is a tendency to know a bit more of your neighbor's business than necessary. LOL. I guess there's a downside to everything.

    Being from the Los Angeles area - my idea of a small town might be very different from someone from a real small town. I loved the opportunity to create the setting exactly as I wanted.

    Great fun.

    Thanks for reading and commenting!

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  29. Hi Carole .. if it's your blog - that's great news ..

    Lynne - sorry it's not my blog - but Carole if she is Romance Reader - sometimes it's difficult to work out ..

    Cheers Hilary

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  30. Hi Hilary - well, now I'm confused, I admit. :)

    Anyway - I'm glad to be here.

    Oh, and I just got a great idea for a slogan for small town romance stories:
    Small town romance: where it's not the size of the town, but the size of the heart that matters.

    What do you think? Should I go with this Carol? Hilary? ladies?

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  31. I love when books don't discount the importance of family and friends!

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  32. Hi Friends! *waving*

    It's my place on the web! Sorry I have been MIA as though I'm a Romance Reader I'm also a Med Student!

    I extend a warm welcome to Lynne Marshall and to all my lovely friends who kept her company! Thank you all for coming!

    Riya (Back to Studies!)

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  33. Hi Peggy!
    I'm so with you on that count. Family and friends are what make the world tolerable! Getting to create that world, family, friends, plus a love story, is icing on the cake!

    Thanks so much for commenting today.

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  34. Hi Riya!
    Thank you so much for clearing up my confusion. :) That also explains why Robyn C. gave you a "hey" in her comment.

    My son-in-law is set to graduate from medical school in May, and I cannot imagine keeping up a blog while keeping up with studies.

    Go you!

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  35. In case you folks were wondering, those last two comments were from me, but somehow I got on my son's acct to respond instead of from my own google acct.

    I've enjoyed myself today - here's hoping I've convinced a few people to give small town settings with big hearted romance a try.

    All the best, and thanks for hosting me today, Riya -
    Lynne Marshall

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  36. I do like books (and movies) set in small towns. They just seem so cozy.

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  37. Hi Susan!

    I'm with you about stories set in small towns.

    Thanks for reading the blog and commenting!

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  38. Hi Lynne,

    Big Time Romance with Small Town Feel sounds wonderful! I remember your Medical Romances: The three connected and how I felt reading it and meeting other characters from previous books!

    The Boss and Nurse Albright
    The Heart Doctor and the Baby
    The Christmas Baby Bump

    All are set in the same place yet are atand alone stories.

    Congratulations on your staggering 4.5 stars from Cataromance!

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  39. Lynne, thanks for sharing your writing process with us. Congratulations on joining the Harlequin family.

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  40. Hi Romance book haven! You're so right. My first foray into a trilogy was the Santa Barbara series that you mentioned. I loved writing interlocking characters, and I hope other readers found the books as satisfying as you did!

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  41. Hi Sharon!
    I am thrilled to be a part of the North American Harlequin family, after being a part of the UK family for five years.

    This has been an opportunity of a lifetime!

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  42. I do enjoy small town stories. They have a cozy feel for me.

    This sounds like an awesome trilogy and I like the sound of the first book.

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  43. Hello Medeia!
    THank you so much for reading the blog and commenting. I'm glad you found the book blurb appealing. I hope you will give it a chance.

    There's nothing like home, and in small towns that does seem cozy and inviting. The family unit is very important!

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  44. I absolutely loved the name Whispering Oaks
    The premise is just delicious, must check it out. : )

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  45. I'm the same about the name. It sounds so original...

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