THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
THE HOTEL BARON Series
Get a behind-the-scenes
all-access pass to Mary Oldham's The Hotel Baron Series!
Synopis:
I decided to write a series about a family who owns very high-end hotels throughout the world so they could have fun settings and rich characters.
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or
was that decided before the story began?
Tragedy to Love - Office Romance - Surprise Baby
Definitely with A Summer Affair I knew ahead of time. Always, I know it will have a happy ending.
Are you more character or plot driven?
I hate to say this, but I like to see my characters change from the beginning. So, I’d have to say the Hero who never wants another child because his wife and child were killed, suddenly has another child and must find it within himself to love again.
With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind? Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?
I model them loosely on people I know, so I remember that person, which makes it easy.
I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own. Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?
Yes, they wake me in the night and talk to me. “That scene isn’t right, this is how it went down.”
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
Probably the best traits of every man I know. The bad men are based off of bad dates or relationships I’ve had.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
People tell me they see me in my characters. I believe all of my characters have a bit of me in them.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
Yes, I’m rewriting the third book in this series. Writing the heroine Maria has been hard because she is from Italy and dark haired. (A Roman Affair). I’m a blonde American, but we all have our commonality if we dig deep enough. I have to feel some connection with my heroine.
What is your favorite book in the series?
A Summer Affair. It was my first Golden Heart finalist with the Romance Writers of America, and it is an emotional journey that I think a lot of women can relate to. When I read it, which I’ve read it maybe forty times, I cry for the heroine at one point and must keep reading to see the hero make it all better.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
Laura in A Summer Affair is extremely self-sufficient. I love Leslie in The Silver Linings Wedding Dress Auction because she never gives up on love.
Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
Laura and Adam in A Summer Affair because they are so damaged in the beginning but find love again in each other. You feel their pain, then their joy.
How do you get inside these character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?
With The Silver Linings Wedding Dress Auction, I rewrote the ending five times because my hero and heroine kept poking me and saying, “You can do better than that. Go bigger.”
Someone who told me that she didn’t cry reading books, cried at their HEA.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
When Adam reunites with Laura after a break. It makes me want to cry with happiness. Here he is!
Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?
The 3rd one that I’m writing right now (A Roman Affair) is the hardest, because I didn’t have a hook I liked for the hero. After three days, it finally came to me, and I’ve been much happier.
Connect w/ Mary:
Email: maryoldham@comcast.net
Website: www.maryoldham.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/weddingdresssketchesmaryoldham
Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3pJWywF
GoodReads:
https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Oldham/e/B09D4NCH4J
BookBub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/mary-oldham
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/maryoldhamauthor/
Twitter: coming soon
Newsletter Sign-Up:
maryoldham@comcast.net
Check out my interview with Mary Oldham!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/01/interview-with-mary-oldham.html#more
Check out my reviews on the following books written by Mary Oldham!
THE SILVER LININGS WEDDING DRESS AUCTION
A PARIS AFFAIR (The Hotel Barons - Book One)
A SUMMER AFFAIR (The Hotel Barons - Book Two)
A Paris Affair
From Paris to Portland their journey is heartfelt as the search for true love knows no bounds.
Daisy has never known the unconditional love of a traditional family. It’s not that she doesn’t believe in happily-ever-after, she’s just not so sure she’ll ever find it. But that’s the least of her concerns right now—if Daisy doesn’t land a job she’ll have much more to deal with than just finding work. Fortunately, the stars are aligned, she lands her dream job and quite possibly her dream man too…except he’s her boss. And she’s totally against office romance for reasons only her mother knows.
But she just can’t seem to keep away—
Alex doesn’t believe in love at first sight. He doesn’t tolerate employee fraternization of any sort. When they first met, he found her to be delightful and definitely someone he could imagine a future with—but then he’d hired her, she was his subordinate, and she was strictly off limits.
At least that’s what he’s been telling himself…over and over and over and over.
A Summer Affair
What starts as mutual comfort through shared attraction and a passionate summer affair to forget the past lead to a future happily ever after?
Adam:
When a drunk driver kills his wife and young son, he's not sure he can overcome the loss. His cousin encourages him to recuperate on the west coast, far away from New York and his memories. Adam heads to Tranquility - a beautiful seaside estate belonging to one of his cousin's friends. The perfect place to heal, if only he could be so lucky.
Laura:
Fresh out of a divorce from her cheating husband. As a schoolteacher, she now has the Summer to find herself again and figure out her next steps. Her best friend invites her to Tranquility to forget and to get back in shape and lose some of the baby weight she'd gained without the benefit of actually having a baby. Unfortunately, on her drive to Tranquility, a flat tire puts her on the side of the road. That's when her knight in shining armor rescues her.
As fate would have it, Adam and Laura spend time together taking their minds off of their losses, if only this Summer Affair could last forever...or can it...
No comments:
Post a Comment