Today I’m pleased to be interviewing Mary Martinez. Hi Mary, welcome to FAR!

Thank you, glad to be here.

To start, will you please tell us a little bit about your book Peek-A-Boo due out this month from Champagne Books?

This is a book about a punk rock star who finds herself with a stalker. Someone is writing her notes and the band is getting ready to go on tour. Her name is Jenny McGregor, and the band’s name is Blade. Fan’s call her Blade though. She doesn’t have time for the notes or the stalker, so at first she ignores them hoping they will go away. When they don’t she finally contacts her mother who as an ‘in’ with the mayor, in hopes they can get it dealt with before they leave. Dan Janson is assigned to the case and given special leave approved by the mayor, to investigate and if necessary go on tour with the band. He is not thrilled, but takes the assignment. He thinks that Blade is a moral less little hussy into drugs, parties and rock and roll, not necessarily in that order.

However, as he gets to know Jenny he finds out he couldn’t have been further from the truth. Now it becomes personal that he finds ‘Runner’.

How many books have you published to date?

This will be my 2nd with two more coming out next year.

How long have you been writing?

As long as I can remember. Although when the children were young, I had no time so I waited. Now they are gone, I quit work to write. But as I do this interview, I have a grandbaby sitting on my lap. The typing fingers are keeping him entertained. So much for waiting until I could work without kids around.

I know from your website that you and your husband love to travel all over the Caribbean. Is there any place else that you would love to visit?

Up until a month ago, I would have said, Italy and France, but we just returned from there on the 27th of October. It was a once in a lifetime trip we have been planning for years. We were gone 24 days and had a great time. I have a journal full of ideas for new stories!

What is the one thing you've always wanted to do but never had the courage / opportunity to try?

I’m thinking hard on this one. I can’t think of anything, I’m the type of person that finds the opportunity to do something if I want to do it. I’ve traveled to almost all the places I’ve every wanted (debt up to my eyeballs to do it). I’ve ran marathons. I’ve had children. I quit my job and took a huge cut in pay to stay home to write, which means we’re broke all the time and now after our trip we’ll be even more broke for years to come. I’m a risk taker. I honestly can’t think of anything more at the moment.

If you weren't a writer, what would you be?

Skinny? I don’t know, I’ve tried a lot of different things and I always just wanted to write. Maybe an actress I always seem to have a knack for drama.

Could you tell readers a little bit about your current release, Diamond Affair?

MaryAnn Capshaw’s husband left her and her infant son alone to fend for themselves. She rebuilt her life with the help of her mother. She’s become a travel agent and does some traveling to write articles in one of their publications. Maryann has the opportunity to take her son, now five, with her on one of her assignments. It’s a new family cruise and while there, she meets Ian, an undercover Interpol Agent traveling as a lounge singer. He’s after the international jewel thieves that have been recently plaguing rich cruise lines, what he can’t figure out is why they are on a family cruise, until he finds out the Sundance Diamond is on board. When MaryAnn’s son Adam gets kidnapped she and Ian set off together to rescue him and in the process retrieve the stolen diamond.

Who has influenced you the most in terms of developing your personal writing?

Utah Chapter of Romance Writers. With their help and my critique partners who are also members, I’ve come a long way.

Almost every author at some point or another suffers from writer's block. Have you ever had that problem?

I’ve never really had a problem with it; I have more problems with interruptions and focus.

How much time do you spend doing research for a story?

I don’t really know, I do the research while I’m writing. When I don’t know something I research it then continue writing.

What can your fans look forward to in the next twelve months from you?

I have two books from Triskelion Publishing coming out. Mr. Romance will be released in August of 2007. It’s a murder mystery that follows a pattern of classic movies. Then I have Romance and Misconceptions, I do not have the release date at this time. It’s about identical twins and how one misconception of an overhead conversation changes the lives of six people, oh I mean seven I always forget about little Abbie.

Is there anything you would like to share with your fans today?

Yes, I’d like to thank them all. I hope that they enjoy my new book and I will be able to continue to provide them with enjoyable entertainment in the future. Without them and their support I wouldn’t be writing.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for us today Mary! Readers be sure to check out Mary’s website at http://www.marymartinez.com/

Interviewed by: Tammy