Welcome to CentreStage!

CentreStage showcases amazing authors from around the world. These authors might share with you their dreams and hopes, stories about their lives and books, their inspiration, or their writing journey. Today, it is my great pleasure to welcome the amazing Samantha March.

Sam and I ‘met’ in the blogosphere when I first released Sophie’s Turn and we’ve been keeping in touch via Facebook, Twitter and blogs ever since. I was delighted when Sam published her first novel, and I am even more delighted to have her here today talking about her… yes, you guessed it: second novel. That was quick work if I ever saw it!

Congratulations on publishing The Green Ticket, Sam! Here’s a little bit of the story about your journey from book 1 to book 2…

Congratulations again on releasing your second book! How did that feel?

Releasing my second book was a very big deal to me. When I would tell people I was an author, it seemed their first question was always, “How many books do you have out?” When I would (proudly) answer, “One”, their interest would seem to wane. We are all familiar with one-hit wonders, and I started to wonder myself if that is what people thought of me. So to have a second novel on the virtual shelves felt pretty amazing. Now when people ask the question, I (proudly) answer “Two – and I’m currently writing the third.”

Way to go, Sam! I love your style. Was it different to be working on book 2 than working on book 1?

I actually did feel some pressure to get The Green Ticket published that I didn’t feel the first time around with Destined to Fail. It was strange and a bit surreal to get people commenting on my website or sending me an email asking when my second book would come out. That is such wonderful motivation to keep on writing and to feel appreciated within the industry.

Hear, hear. That’s an awesome feeling. What’s on the cards going forward?

Of course I feel that pressure and even a bit more with my third book, which I am currently writing – about a whopping 10K words as I write this post! I worked hard on the plot and characters, and extra research had to go into this one as the setting is in Maine – a state I have not yet had the chance to visit. I’m having a blast writing it and it will be very different from my first two books, so I hope my followers enjoy it!

I’m sure they will. I know I look forward to it. Let’s backtrack a little though and introduce The Green Ticket!

The Green Ticket

College junior Alex Abrams scores her dream job at the ripe age of twenty – manager to a successful salon and spa. Thrilled to finally have a real adult job, Alex enthusiastically jumps into the world of schedules, conference calls, and getting a massage when interviewing prospective employees. What she doesn’t expect are the very grown-up issues that comes with a demanding boss. Kevin Dohlman quickly becomes Alex’s worse nightmare – covering up his affairs, dealing with his enormous ego, and trying to protect her female staff from him becomes a full-time job in its own right. Alex has also befriended Kevin’s wife and co-owner, Dani, and is trying to keep Kevin’s secrets hidden from her. The situation only worsens when Kevin starts paying Alex off to make sure she keeps her insider knowledge to herself.

While struggling to keep her wits and stay happy with her new grown-up job, Alex is juggling college courses, a new love interest, and keeping up with her close group of girlfriends. When her roommate and best friend Lila gets offered an opportunity to move to Los Angeles and sign with an agent, Alex realizes her life truly is changing, and everyone around her – including herself – is growing up. Knowing she is faced with some hard decisions ahead, Alex struggles with keeping her job at Blissful. But does she really want to throw away what she dreamed of as a career – or will the secret-keeping for Kevin become too much to handle? The Green Ticket is a story about morals versus money, and how one young woman navigates the shaky line between the two.

About Samantha March

Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. In 2011 she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and her debut novel Destined to Fail. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers.

You can find Sam on her author’s website, http://www.samanthamarch.com/, as well as Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads. The Green Ticket and Destined To Fail are available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

Morals versus money ~ an intriguing conundrum. Ladies, where do you stand on this?