Book Sniffers Anonymous: Interview & Giveaway with Rebecca Rogers Maher, author of Fault lines

Rebecca Rogers Maher lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and children.

For more information about Rebecca, check out her website.

You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome to Book Sniffers Anonymous. Thanks for stopping by to chat with us.

Thanks so much for having me!

In Fault Lines, the main character Sarah is a wedding coordinator. In the story there is a part that talks about how frantic brides get over detail and how in about 10 years it won't matter what the color of their bridesmaids dresses were. I'm curious, do you remember the color of your bridesmaids dresses?

Great question! I didn’t have bridesmaids because my husband and I eloped to Niagara Falls. I got married in a red dress and then we went over the falls in a barrel. Actually, only one part of that is true.

There's a touchy topic in Fault Lines between the incest and rape that happened to Sarah as a child. What made you write about such a dramatic situation?

I’m really moved by stories about real people who’ve recovered from traumatic things. I know a lot of great women who’ve been through tough times but come out the other side strong as hell, and I find their stories inspiring. I have no problem talking about topics like rape directly, because to me there’s nothing shameful about it. Women who are abused and then recover from it are beautiful. They deserve loving relationships that are intense and healing. They deserve happy endings. I’d say that’s what motivated me – the conviction that a real woman with a real-life problem like Sarah deserves a happy ending – maybe more than anybody.

How did you come up with the title Fault Lines?

Actually, the book was originally called Rocket Queen, after the infamous Guns ‘N Roses song. My publisher—Carina Press—suggested Fault Lines instead. I think it’s a great title because it suggests so much about the shifting and dangerous feelings under Sarah’s surface. It also ties in to the elemental theme of the other titles in my Recovery Trilogy – I’ll Become the Sea and Snowbound with a Stranger.

Is there a message in your novel that you would like readers to grasp?

Like all my novels, Fault Lines raises questions and doesn’t necessarily answer them, and that’s because I know my readers are smart people who don’t need everything spelled out for them. After reading Fault Lines, you’re left to think about why Sarah behaves the way she does, why Joe is attracted to her and chooses to stick with her, why his support and the support of Sarah’s friends matters so much, what it means to keep this kind of secret from your family, what kind of fallout happens as a result of sexual abuse – all these questions and more. It's a great novel for a book club!

As far as a single message, the big theme in all the Recovery Trilogy books is that it’s possible to recover from heartbreak if, with the right kind of support, we’re willing to face our pain and not run away from it. Real women deserve happy endings, and in my books, they fight for them and they get them.

Since we are called Book Sniffers Anonymous, I must ask... are you a book sniffer? Which do you prefer, new books or old? And why?

I love the smell of a brand new book. And I love the look of old books, even though I can’t smell them because the dust gives me an asthma attack and a rash. Cute, right? So I just admire them from afar!

One more tradition we do here, we always end our reviews with a favorite quote or part from the book. What would you say your favorite part or quote was from Fault Lines?

There’s a scene in Fault Lines where Sarah goes to the beach with her best friend (Jane from I’ll Become the Sea). I love the intimacy between Sarah and Jane here, the strength and depth of their friendship, and all the great, loving things Jane says to comfort and support Sarah. It was really lovely to write this scene.

Thanks again so much for inviting me to Book Sniffers Anonymous. It’s been great talking with you!

Rebecca has offered one lucky commenter the chance to win an e-copy of her new romance, Fault Lines. The giveaway is open internationally. For more chances to win, stop by the other tour stops (here).

Fault Lines
(Recovery Trilogy #3)
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: Sept. 24, 2012
Genre: Contemporary Romance

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Sarah Murphy plans other people's weddings. She's gorgeous and successful, but she also carries a dark secret.

At one of her events, she meets Joe Sullivan, a sexy photographer with a difficult past of his own. When he snaps a rare unguarded photograph of her and captures the real person hiding behind the facade, she feels exposed. To restore the upper hand, she tries to do what she always does: use sex to defuse the situation.

While Joe is eager to deepen his relationship with Sarah, he's aware of her emotional shield and the way she disconnects from her body. Seeing her at her most vulnerable doesn't scare him off, but he needs to know what she's hiding.

Sarah has a tough decision to make. Does she want to go on living a lonely, emotionally frozen life? Or can she finally risk revealing the truth and move forward with Joe?