Lee is the Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eight contemporary romances for Harlequin Love Inspired as well as twenty independently-published novels and novellas. She also recently contracted with Harlequin HQN to write three mainstream romance novels, the Safe Haven series, of which the first and second of these books, Low Country Hero and Low Country Dreams, are out now.  

When Lee is not writing, she’s probably cheering on her daughter at a gymnastics meet, teaching writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program, and probably not cleaning her house.

So listen in as Lee and I chat about her amazing Safe Haven romance series and how to use your creative writing side to make marketing fun and successful.

In this episode Lee and I discuss:

• Balancing the predictability of romance with keeping your readers in suspense.
• Popular fiction vs. literary fiction in MFA programs.
• Brainstorming techniques to help keep your story moving forward.
• What types of marketing you’ll have to do in indie vs. traditional publishing.
• How to build up your writing community, even if you’re an introvert.

Plus, Lee’s #1 tip for writers.

About Lee Tobin McClain

Lee Tobin McClain read Gone With The Wind in the third grade and has been an incurable romantic ever since. The Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of eight contemporary romances for Harlequin Love Inspired and twenty independently-published novels and novellas, she recently contracted with Harlequin HQN to write three mainstream romance novels, the Safe Haven series, coming in 2019. The first and second of these books, Low Country Hero and Low Country Dreams, are now available.  

When Lee is not writing, she’s probably cheering on her daughter at a gymnastics meet, mediating battles between her goofy goldendoodle puppy and her rescue cat, or teaching aspiring writers in Seton Hill University’s MFA program. She is probably not cleaning her house.

To connect with Lee check out her website at www.leetobinmcclain.com.

Safe Haven

Book 1: Low Country Hero

Welcome to Safe Haven, where love—and a second chance—is just around the corner…

Sunny, carefree days splashing in the ocean—it’s the life Anna George has always wanted for her five-year-old twins. And now that they’ve made it to Safe Haven, South Carolina, she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Not the abusive ex she’s just escaped and not the rugged contractor who caught her setting up house in the shuttered beachfront cabins he’s refurbishing. When he offers Anna and her daughters a place to stay in exchange for her help with renovations, she’s tempted. His gentle way with her girls makes her want to trust him, but she’s been wrong before…

A family is the last thing contractor and former military man Sean O’Dwyer wants right now. But when he discovers Anna and her girls, he recognizes kindred spirits. They’re survivors who’ve seen the worst of people, just like he has, and he’ll do anything he can to help them. As he and Anna spend their days bringing the cottages back to life and their nights sharing kisses in the warm bayou breezes, Sean must choose between the life he always wanted and the family he can’t live without.

Book 2: Low Country Dreams

Return to Safe Haven, where a new beginning with your first love is only a heartbeat away…

Yasmin Tanner has devoted her life to making other people’s dreams come true. But between running Safe Haven’s women’s center and caring for her brother, the long days—and lonely nights—are catching up with her…until Officer Liam O’Dwyer knocks on her door. She had good reasons for breaking Liam’s heart all those years ago, but that hasn’t made sharing their small town any easier. She’s missed him—that’s painfully clear to her now. But that’s not the only secret she’s keeping from him…

Ever since Yasmin left, Liam has kept his head down and his chin up. But when a woman from Yasmin’s women’s center goes missing, leaving her teenage son alone, it hits home for Liam. He’ll do whatever it takes to reunite this family…even work closely with the one woman he can’t forget. Yet as late summer days turn into cozy autumn nights rekindling the past, Liam suspects Yasmin is hiding something. And where her loyalties fall could mean the difference between lost love and a second chance at forever.

If you decide to check out the books in the Safe Haven series—Low Country Hero and Low Country Dreams—we hope you’ll do so via these Amazon affiliate links, where if you choose to purchase via the link DIY MFA gets a referral fee at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

Link to Episode 255

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The post Episode 255: Creative Writing and Marketing Combined — Interview with Lee Tobin McClain appeared first on DIY MFA.

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