1. Tell us 5 things about yourself that readers may not know about you.

 First, thank you so much for having me today at Book Lovin’ Mamas!  It’s great to be here.

Let’s see…I ran a marathon last November. (Well, “ran” is a strong word. More like crawled.)
 I love mint chocolate chip ice cream. I recently learned to shoot a rifle and it turns out I’m pretty good at it. I’m married to a comedy writer/producer, and he makes me laugh every day. And I have a tiny peanut-shaped birthmark on the inside of my right thigh. (Even my best friends don’t know that!)

 2. If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be? 

Intense, compassionate, and funny.

3. Tell us a little about your book "Fault Lines" and why readers should check it out. 

I typically write stories about real women with actual, true-to-life problems, and Fault Lines – the final installment of my Recovery Trilogy – definitely fits that category. Sarah Murphy is a successful wedding planner who’s completely shut down emotionally. She’s also a rape survivor, and because of that trauma, she’s never been able to let a man anywhere near her heart.

Readers might remember Sarah as the best friend from my first book, I’ll Become the Sea. She was only supposed to be a supporting character, but I felt there was a story underneath her ballsy surface, and she wouldn’t let me rest until I wrote it. In Fault Lines, Sarah learns to let down her guard and accept the love of a kind-hearted, sexy man. I think readers will be moved by her courage and vulnerability, and root for her to find the happy ending she really deserves.

 4. What's a typical writing day like for you? (Do you have a routine you follow, or do you listen to music, etc.) 

I get my kids ready for school and then I climb into bed in my pajamas and write like crazy until it’s time to pick them up. I go through long stretches where various other responsibilities keep me from writing, so when I’m lucky enough to have the time, I just go for it.

5. What was the hardest scene to write in "Fault Lines"? 

I have this thing about mothers and daughters. The nature of that relationship really fascinates and moves me. All the scenes in Fault Lines with Sarah’s mother were challenging because I cried the entire time I was writing them. It’s tough to see the screen when the tears are flying! But those are some of my favorite scenes, too, because they’re so powerful.

6. If you could to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? 

I’d love to go to Ireland, mainly so I could listen to people talk to me all day in that sexy accent. All those rolling green fields look pretty rad, too.

7. When your not writing, what are your hobbies or favorite things to do? 

This summer, my kids and I started doing Family Play Time, where we set aside an hour each day to play games or do arts and crafts together. That sort of thing really makes me happy – spending concentrated time with the people I love. I also read a lot, and run occasionally. And every so often I’ll watch an entire TV series in one long sleepless stretch. The most recent is The Wire, which is just as amazing as everyone says. I don’t know who I love more, Bubbles or Omar.

8. Who are some of your favorite authors? 

My favorite romance author is Lisa Kleypas. Her characters are so detailed and real, and she writes with such great emotion and depth. Outside of romance, I love Junot Diaz and Margaret Atwood.

9. What is next for Rebecca Rogers Maher? 

I’m working on a longer (for me) contemporary romance set in Cape Cod about an agoraphobic woman and a carpenter who hates everybody. What I like best about it is how much the hero and heroine despise each other. I love those kinds of stories! There’s a lot of electricity, which makes it super-fun to write.

10. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

I want to say thank you for being such smart and interesting people! I raise questions in my books that I don’t necessarily answer. I don’t spell everything out, because I know my readers are smart enough to asnwer questions for themselves. I like to get people talking, to leave the book asking themselves why a character behaved in a certain way or what her story means.

My books are very, very realistic. They’re about heroines like the women I know – real women who have real problems, who work hard and make mistakes, but who deserve their happy endings, like all of us real women do. I want to thank my readers for going on these journeys with me, and for all their support and intelligence. I’m grateful for it!

One of my favorite places to hear from readers is on Facebook so I invite everyone to join me there. Stop on by!

And thank you again so much to Book Lovin’ Mamas for having me here today!