Five Questions for . . . Marcia King-Gamble

Welcome to a new feature on Chew the Fat with Bettye. I'll be doing periodic (a nice way of saying 'an irregular basis') mini-interviews with authors who have new books just in or about to hit stores. (I'm going to be doing a lot of yawning in the New Year; the only way I'll be able to read all these wonderful-sounding novels is to cut back on my sleep.) First up is the talented (and wonderfully photogenic, I might add) Marcia King-Gamble, who created the Flamingo Beach series for Harlequin's Kimani Romance line. I've known Marcia for nearly ten years. She was the first of my fellow writers to reach out to me, even before our then-publisher, BET, scheduled us to do signings together at scattered Florida locations quite some time ago, and I will always treasure her friendship.

A little biographical info first:


"Marcia King-Gamble is a national best selling author who has written for Kensington, BET Books and St. Martin’s Press. She now writes for several Harlequin lines. This self-proclaimed world traveler has spent time in some of the more exotic parts of the world. She maintains the Far East, Venice and New Zealand are still favorite haunts. In her spare time Marcia enjoys kickboxing, step aerobics and body sculpting. She is passionate about animals, spicy foods and tearjerker movies. Marcia is also the editor of a monthly newsletter entitled Marcia’s Romantically Yours. Log onto her website and find out what she’s all about."


If you're not already familiar with Marcia's work, this will give you an opportunity to do so! So here we go . . . .


Bettye: Marcia, you just had a new book come out last month, November (Sex on Flamingo Beach, Kimani Romance), plus you have another new title coming out in January (Hook, Line, and Single, Kimani/Sepia), and a third in February (More Than A Woman, Kimani/Arabesque). This is great news for your readers, but it had to be a tremendous amount of work, since you and I both know these books don't write themselves! Do you think you can keep up this pace?






Marcia King-Gamble: Ah, this is one of the challenges of being a writer. These last few years I gave up having a life. For the most part I've always had a day job along with my writing career. When I decided to move to Seattle something had to give, and that something was a day job with benefits. I set certain financial goals, and to meet those goals it meant writing as many books as I possibly could. Word to the wise: Keep your day job. Sex on Flamingo Beach is my November 2007 release, and the fourth in the Flamingo Beach series. It's gotten great reviews and is published by Harlequin's Kimani line. I tackled the issues of an interracial relationship from an entirely different perspective.






Hook, Line and Single, a Sepia, also published by Harlequin - is my fourth mainstream effort, and my January 2008 release. The story is about a woman of a certain age and her ventures into the brave new world of cyber and speed dating.








And finally, More Than a Woman (an Arabesque release -published by Harlequin) should be out in February 2008, in time for Valentine's Day. It's set in the historic and beautiful city of St. Augustine, Florida. Be sure to pick up a copy of all three if you can. I'll have six books out in 2008. Whoosh!

Bettye: Six books! I am impressed, Marcia! I think the Flamingo Beach set-up is a wonderfully imaginative way to link a series of books, since the majority of them seem to revolve around families. I wasn't aware it's an interracial. I enjoy interracial romances, provided the conflict comes from something more than disapproving stares and rude remarks from bystanders. Your promise of a "different perspective" has me intrigued!

St. Augustine, the setting of your upcoming More Than a Woman, is a lovely city, close to my old stomping grounds of Jacksonville. But I must tell you I'm particularly really excited about Hook, Line and Single. As a woman of a certain age myself who sometimes feels a little lost with the rapidly evolving technology of today's world (although since I'm married I'm not looking for a date!), I'm tickled when books are published with older characters at the center. Those are all great titles, by the way!

Now for Question Two: Your other career is in the travel industry, and you've been all over the world. What would you say is your favorite spot?

Marcia King-Gamble: Having had the opportunity to travel with someone else picking up the tab has been a great experience. The wanderlust still remains in my veins today, and every penny of disposable still goes to travel. As for favorites, I'm still partial to places like Hong Kong, Venice and New Zealand, because I have such wonderful memories of the times spent there. Traveling to exotic parts of the world is the best finishing school there is.

Bettye: I agree. I love packing a bag and leaving town. And when someone else is picking up the tab, well, it doesn't get much better than that!

We're at the halfway point, #3 of 5 questions. Marcia, what's the last DVD you rented?

Marcia King-Gamble: This is an easy question. I don't rent DVDs. I gave up watching television when I began to write. And based on what I'm hearing, I haven't missed much. I do go to the movies, as it gets me out of the house. Of course, my favorites are all tearjerkers, similar to the books I like to read and write.

Bettye: Oh, yes. I agree that there's little on TV these days, and if this writer's strike goes on much longer we're liable to see things like Dancing with the Biggest Loser. I like tearjerkers myself. I stayed up past midnight one weekday last week to watch a series of 1930s movies (they called them "weepers" back then) with a top actress of the day, Irene Dunne. Lots of unwed-mother-sacrifices-all-for-her-child, cheating-spouse, illicit-affair storylines.

Okay, now for an intrusively personal question. Asparagus . . . love it or hate it?

Marcia King-Gamble: Asparagus? Love it when someone knows how to cook it. Hate it when it's a soggy mess with no gourmet trimmings.

Bettye: And now for my final question. Can you write with music playing?

Marcia King-Gamble: I can write with almost anything going on around me. I can write and talk to you. It's something a busy person learns to do. When you're eternally on tight deadlines there's no such thing as writer's block.

Bettye: Believe it or not, you've answered five questions. Would you like to say anything in closing to the folks reading this?

Marcia King-Gamble: I'd love to hear from you. Visit my websites: My home page, http://www.lovemarcia.com/, or my page on My Space, www.myspace.com/marciakinggamble. Sign up for my newsletter, Marcia's Romantically Yours. I'm working on book number twenty four right now.

Bettye: You keep writing. We'll be reading.

Many thanks to Marcia for taking time out to chat.