Captive In The Game by Maria Piork
We have Maria Piork, Author.
Maria tell us a little bit about yourself --
My name is Maria Piork and I’m married and have two adult children and two canine friends. I was raised in Queens, NY, but moved out west in the mid 90’s and currently live in Gilbert, Arizona a suburb of Phoenix. By trade I’m a Technical Writer and have been doing it for several years, but Romance is where my heart is.
How did you decided to enter the world of writing?
Well, I’ve been told over the years that I inherited my love of writing from my grandmother, so I guess it was in my DNA all along. I’ll tell you though that getting where I am today has been a long journey, a journey that has transcended not only time, but also language barriers and continents, sort of (South America). See when I began writing I lived in Santiago, Chile and back then I wrote in Spanish. Shortly after arriving in the states however, I embraced the English language immediately. I remember spending an entire summer with my Spanish/English dictionary learning new words and writing them down for practice.
In my early days of writing I was dedicated mainly to poems, but as I got older I began tinkering with romance. The material got a warm welcome from family and friends and this encouraged me to keep writing.
What does your family think of your writing?
Well, I can honestly say that my immediate family, children and spouse have embraced my writing and have come to understand that this is where my passion lays. The rest of the family (parents, siblings, uncles, etc.) is supportive and have read several of my stories, but my family is sort of divided as it pertains to the spicy, racy content. My father and my son have told me that they love me for following my dream to be romance writer, but they have no intention of reading of my material and honestly I am okay with that.
Where do you get your ideas?
I draw inspiration from lots of different sources, most of them from everyday people I interact with, co-workers, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, etc. I have even found good writing material just listening to the news. Many a time I hear something in the media that catches my attention and I say to myself, “Hmmm, I got to write about that.”
Can you tell us a little about your book?
My latest published eBook is titled Snowed In and it is a Contemporary Romance short story.
The story revolves around a young woman named Nina Bates, a live-in Nanny and her employer Dexter McIver and the attraction the two have for each other. The conflict starts when pregnant nineteen-year-old Nina begins to develop feelings for Dexter a man who is seventeen years her senior. Nina and Dexter continue to platonic relationship throughout her pregnancy, but after Nina delivered her daughter Callie, things with Dexter began to change. By then Nina suspected that Dex cared for her as much as she cared for him. Conflict arises when Callie’s father comes into the picture threatening to drive a wedge between Nina and Dexter.
What is your writing process?
I’m structured, so outlining is my preference (4-Act Structure), but I have been known to have ‘Pantser’ tendencies. More times than not, I start out with a plot in mind and the story starts to develop from there. I then begin to breakdown different scenarios/plots until I discover one that is most appealing. About the characters, I actually plan out the protagonists well, but the supporting characters develop along the way.
What was the hardest part for you when working on your book?
The hardest part sometimes is working on the four-act structure which is the framework for my eBooks. As time consuming as the four-act can be is it an excellent tool for authors to utilize as it provides a roadmap for writing a book logically.
On the back end of writing is editing, of course but we won’t even touch that subject as we all know how painful editing can be.
What influenced or inspired you to write?
When I was eleven years old I discovered a box of Harlequin romances stashed in my grandmother’s closet. Consequently, that winter break I spent countless hours sitting in my living room couch devouring the books, I couldn’t get enough of them. It was then that my imagination was challenged. So I’d have to say that I was inspired by my grandmother in an indirect sort of way.
Was there a scene that you didn’t add or you removed in your finished work?
Yes, recently while working on the 2nd Edition of Snowed In I stripped three scenes totaling 1.5K+ words because my beta readers suggested I remove for better flow and cohesiveness.
Do you have a favorite character (from you're book)? Why?
Yes, Noah Nevins. Nevins is thirty-three years old, tall, rugged, loud-mouthed business man and he is one of the main characters in one of my recent anthologies, To Have and to Hold. I like Nevins because the in the story he is depicted as a confident, self-assured man yet when it comes to love Nevins acts just as insecure as the next guy.
Do you already know what to write next? Can you tell us?
Yes, my next eBook novella is labeled Captive in the Game (release date: 9/30/12). This story is a fictional tale about a young couple who have worked together for years and become casual lovers. After some on the job drama and divorce scandal with their respective partners the casual lovers realize that what they had all along was in fact much more than just a passing fling. The inspiration for this book came from actual events, so the book is loosely based on a real life story.
Where can we find more information about you and your books?
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble:
Kobo:
Do you have any last words?
Yes. Thank you so much Patricia for featuring me on your blog. I hope to return the favor in the very near future.
Maria it has been pleasure learning about you, your writing techniques and about your books. I look forward to reading Captive In The Game. I look forward to visiting your blog, thank you for the invite.
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