Monday, October 1, 2012

Giveaway and Interview with Joan Swan and her newest book Blaze

 
Happy Monday my Naughty Nibblers!  Today I have a new victim for my Rack.  She has a smashingly HOT series to tell us all about, and you have the chance to win a print copy!! But first, let us see what we can torture out of her!!  To the Rack!!
 
 
Hello and Welcome to The Rack!  I’m so happy to have you here visiting and sharing your newest work.  Don’t mind the noise from the prison… err guests, they get noisy during their…treatments..lol. 
 
*casting sidelong looks right…left…*
*cataloguing tae-kwon-doe moves in my mind* (knew the kids lessons would pay off)
 
Let me clear a spot so you can have a seat. 
 
Seat? *eye the ... thing … carved like a … was that a dragon?*
 
Would you like some refreshments before you get started?
 
Screwdriver. *eye the…um…maybe it was gargoyle…again* Make it a double.
 
So I have to ask…Why paranormal romance ?
 
*considering a quick death would be a good route* Because it sells.
 
I mean, initially, because it sells.  But once I started writing it, I fell in love.
 
**screwdriver kicks in**
 
See, this is how it happened.  *Settle on the…yes, definitely a gargoyle…and rather comfy* I originally wrote FEVER as a straight romantic suspense right at the time the RS market tanked. My critique partner suggested I add a paranormal element as paranormal romance was very popular at that time. Of course, that required rewriting the entire manuscript, but I liked where that idea took the story and the potential it gave the concept as a series, so I did it. And it sold.  
 
But while I was writing FEVER and conceptualizing BLAZE and the rest of the series, I fell in love with paranormal romance.
 
Tell us a little bit about your book.
 
In Twitter terms:
Endowed with paranormal powers from chemical exposure, ex-lovers are reunited to defeat the powerful enemy that originally tore them apart.
BLAZE is book 2 in the Phoenix Rising series. The story follows a HAZMAT firefighting team in the aftermath of a military warehouse explosion where they were exposed to mystery chemicals that gave them paranormal powers as they try to expose the conspiracy keeping the truth of the incident buried.
A super fun book to write and, I’ve been told, to read!  Hot firefighter hero, sharp, sassy, smart-ass heroine, seemingly invincible enemy, action, action and more action, lots of steam in the bedroom…
What first sparked the series idea?
 
The series developed out of the idea for book 1, FEVER. And FEVER, the story of an unusually gifted prisoner who has been wrongly convicted and escapes by taking the wrong woman hostage, came from my work with prisoners in my day job.
 
What is the key element in your character creation?
 
The characters are all members of a HAZMAT firefighting team, so my characterization was built around a strong sense of brotherhood, honor, loyalty and family.  That creates a sense of cohesion with the group that deepens their friendship and raises the stakes if anything were to happen to any one of the team.

Who is the character that in your opinion everyone is going to fall in love with?
 
I’ve already been told by readers that it’s Mitch. 
 
Mitch Foster is my heroine’s brother and a secondary character throughout the series.  He’s an attorney who fights for the unjustly accused and frees innocents from the grips of the powerful and manipulative.  Mitch is a shadowy guy—in a good way.  He’s powerful because of contacts he’s made through his career.  The people he’s helped—people of the military and political variety—are eager to repay the favor whenever he needs something or finds himself in a scrape.
He has a cutting, sarcastic wit, a deep love of all things baseball, and an unequalled cunning for outmaneuvering the enemy.  He’s a chameleon who can be the slickest, high class attorney or the rebel  in camouflage, wielding an M14 like a pro.
I have to ask, what are the hardest scenes for you to write?
 
Transition scenes.  Weird, right? They should be easy. But they’re not! Nothing interesting is happening. No action, no drama, nothing noteworthy. **snooze** My challenge is getting those transition scenes to sing…or cut them out altogether.
 
How would you rate the sex scenes throughout the series?
 
FEVER is maybe a 3 out of 5, BLAZE a 4 out of 5. And I would probably say that’s about where they’ll stay between 3 and 4 out of 5.
 
Are there any of these in your books?  (Hands Gab one of the toy boxes on the right which is filled with sex toys, whips, body creams, lotions, lubs…and whatever else you can imagine J)
 
Um…*looks around*…maaaaaaaaaaybe….
 
Do you see yourself writing anymore stories in this series or a spin-off?

I could easily envision 7 books in the series. Mitch, Seth, Kai and Cash all definitely need a book and new and fabulously complex characters keep popping up in each book that make me think…hmmm, he’d be a good hero.
Whether these books come under the Phoenix Rising series or whether I create a new, spin off series to accommodate them, I’m not sure yet.
Are any of your characters reflective of you?
 
I imagine it would be impossible NOT to have them reflective of myself since I’m writing them, but overall, no, they really are their own unique individuals.

Tell us about some up and coming books.
 
I’m just finishing up with book 3 in the series, RUSH and will jump into book 4, which hasn’t been named yet. 
I’m also writing a self-published series, Covert Affairs. Book one, INTIMATE ENEMIES, is out and doing quite well. I can’t wait to start on book two in that series.
And I’ve conceptualized a new paranormal series and written a long proposal on the first book, which is with my agent and will hopefully be sold soon! 
Will any of your characters from this series cameo in other future books?
 
Oh, I have no doubt…I just won’t know about it until they walk on screen.
 
Where can we find you for future updates?
I’m so happy you have made this a stop.  Would you like a tour of the..err…levels?  J I can introduce you to the “guests”, if you just hand me that box back.
 
*Grips gargoyle’s wings* Oh…no, I think not. I left water boiling on the stove at home. Must get back.
 
 Let’s get you suited up:  *fingers turn white on gargoyle’s wings* Suited what?
Wine, mixed drink, or straight up?  Margarita or Lemon Drop … YUM!
 
Leather straps or chains?  Er…for…what?
 
Cat-o-nine, braided leather, or chain length whip?  I’m afraid to ask what a Cat-o-nine is and I can’t bring myself to google it.
 
Collar and Leash or Ordornment? Um…Ordornment?
 
Leather studded bodysuit or corset top?  Okay, this is a little easier…corset top.
 
Fishnets or garterbelt?  Phew…safer ground…garterbelt.
 
Lace up boots or high heels? Depends on the occasion and the outfit.
 
Ball gag, manacles, or blindfold?  *gulp* Blindfold
 
The rack or the whipping post?  Did I mention I have water boiling on the stove at home?
 
Candle wax or clamps?  I’m…not sure what to say to that.
 
Blonde, red-head, or Brunette?  He is my personal favorite, but I have a thing for dark haired tattooed demonsJ.  And the nipple piercings just add that little bit of kink.  The humans are kept on the upper levels even though I’m slowly weeding them out.  They just can’t seem to handle our….services.  And of course, the further down you go the more of the paranormal comes to light.  So …what’s your posion?   We also have a new level of shapeshifters that can take on ANY form you want……it’s actually quite amusing if you want to switch during….you get the picture!!!
 
Uh, huh. Yes, definitely! I totally understand! Amusing!
Okay, *turning for the exit* gotta go now! It’s been a slice!  Thanks for…um…showing me around!
 
LOL...While Marcus goes to fetch Joan back, let's take a look at her book:
 
FEVER
Book 1
 
 Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish…
But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with a ripped body, a determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.
A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose…
Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.
Purchase Links:
Add to your Goodreads Shelf
BLAZE
Book 2
The hotter they come, the harder they fall…
With a man like him, every mission becomes personal…
Ever since FBI agent Keira O’Shay started tracking a young boy named Mateo, she’s felt a connection even her empathic abilities can’t explain. Sheneeds to save Mateo from the cult leader holding him hostage. Nothing can interfere with that—not even the reappearance of Luke Ransom, the hot-as-hell fire captain she’s regretted walking out on for three long years.
Losing Keira left Luke vulnerable—in every way. When they were together, the powers each possesses were mysteriously enhanced. But it’s the sexy, surprising woman beneath the tough exterior that Luke’s really missed. Even if she betrayed him utterly. And even if agreeing to help her uncover a government conspiracy means watching his life and his heart go up in flames again…
Purchase Links:
Add to your Goodreads Shelf
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 
I was never a star English student or a Literature buff, but I’ve always had a creative soul and an active imagination. Writing was a natural culmination of those two talents.
Sexy romantic suspense is my genre of choice, and, occasionally, I like to dabble in the lighter side of paranormal as well.  I write the Phoenix Rising Series, FEVER, BLAZE, and two more books coming in 2013, for Kensington and the Covert Affairs Series, INTIMATE ENEMIES, independently.
A triple RWA Golden Heart finalist, I am a lover of craft and closet-hoarder of writing craft how-to books. I’m a recovering OCD perfectionist…bet you can just imagine how well that’s going.
In my day job, I work as a sonographer at UCSF Medical Center, rated one of the top ten best medical centers in the nation – a location with an intensity that makes me slightly—okay majorly—insane. This seems to work well with my inner writer. Access to abundant character material—and I’m not only talking about my patients—is a fringe benefit.
I’m married to my own personal hero, a veteran firefighter, we have two beautiful daughters and are blessed to live in the heart of wine country on the gorgeous Central Coast of California.
To keep up with my latest news & releases please visit me online:
You can follow the tour along:
September 17 - Grave Tells - http://gravetells.com/
September 18 - Book Reader Addicts - http://bookreaderaddictsgiveaways.blogspot.com/
September 19 - Pearl's World of Romance - http://pearlsworldofromance.wordpress.com/
September 20 - Under The Covers - http://underthecoversbookblog.blogspot.ca
September 21 - Reading Between The Wines - http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/
September 22 - Riverina Romantics  - http://riverinaromantics.blogspot.com/
September 23 - Reading on The Wild Side - http://readingonthewildside.blogspot.com/
September 24 - United By Books - http://unitedbybooks.blogspot.com/
September 25 - My Keeper Shelf - http://mykeepershelf.blogspot.com/
September 25 -  The Reading Café  - http://thereadingcafe.com/
September 26 - Ramblings From This Chick - http://ramblingsfromthischick.blogspot.com/
September 27 - I Smell Sheep - http://www.ismellsheep.com/
September 28 - Paranormal Haven - http://www.paranormalhaven.com/
September 29 - Just Romantic Suspense - http://www.justromanticsuspense.com/
September 30 - Just Romantic Suspense - http://www.justromanticsuspense.com/
October 1 - Close Encounters With The Night Kind - http://closeencounterswiththenightkind.blogspot.com/
October 2 - Book Monster Reviews / Literal Addiction -
October 3 - Books-n-Kisses - http://www.books-n-kisses.com/
October 4 - Readers Confession - http://www.readersconfession.com/
October 5 - Book Lovin' Mamas - http://booklovinmamas.blogspot.com//
October 6 - Cocktails & Books - http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/
Marcus was able to catch up with Joan and bring her back....actually in one piece.  I need to unwrap her and check for bite marks.....

48 comments:

miki said...

drink of choice: tea ^^ i love it ( several kind too)

thank you a lot for this giveaway

Emily said...

If we're talking alcoholic beverages, margarita with extra salt all the way

Filia Oktarina said...

I don't drink alcohol, so i choose
Ice coffe with whiped cream....mmm. yummy!!

Andrea said...

I only drink about 3 things, coffee, water (preferably sparkling mineral), and wine. I love them all!

Cherry said...

I like white russian :)

Cherry Mischievous

CMD said...

If we're talking alcoholic (albeit I don't drink much), it's either a sex on the beach or a properly-made caipirinha. Okay, a rum swizzle made in Bermuda is pretty good too. Otherwise, water all the way! :)

Unknown said...

I don't drink alcohol so I would have to say (southern) sweet tea and coffee

Kaylyn D said...

I like a chilled shot of Patron! Yummy!! Blaze sounds like such a great book!

magic5905 said...

Coke and water.
magic5905 at embarqmail dot com

Unknown said...

My drinks of choice are usually pop or water. From time to time i do drink a glass of wine or a beer or i'll drink hot coco or apple cider on cool nights.

Anna (herding cats-burning soup) said...

OMG the clamps or candle wax? That was excellent. The kitten next to me gave me such a funny look when I busted out laughing.

Drink of choice...the blue mountain dew (raspberry ginseng). I can't have it in the house or I'll drink ALL of it.

JeanMP said...

Rum and coke for an alcoholic drink
Coffee otherwise.
Really enjoyed the interview!
skpetal at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

Drink of choice? If we're talking alcoholic then my favorite would be a Jolly Rancher... tastes just like the candy. Non-alcoholic I'm a tea girl. I've got like 20 different flavors of it in my kitchen. lol

Unknown said...

Depends on my mood and the time of day. I love my coffee in the morning, but if it is a weekend and I am not going any where I like to add a little Rumchata to it. Yummy!
mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com

Jessica said...

Congrats for the release. I enjoy finding new authors. Thanks for the giveaway

Jessica said...

My drink of choice;
non-alcoholic - coke zero
alcoholic - melon ball or cranberry & vodka(depends on my mood)

Unknown said...

Definitely a margarita.

kesummer69 a gmail dot com

Linda said...

Coffee, red wine or lemonade, depending on how drunk i can be LOL
An ice cold beer is yummy, too, on a hot day/afternoon.

best wishes, Linda xo

sherry fundin said...

Margarita. Thanks for the giveaway.

Booklover Sue said...

Drink of choice: raspberry flavored water! Both of these are on my wishlist and I can't wait to read them! I love series because who get to reconnect with previous characters because when you read a book the characters become part of your life in a small way and you want to know what is going on in there life every so often!

susanmplatt AT hotmail DOT com

Anonymous said...

I really don't drink alcohol so my drink of choice is tea. I love all kinds of tea hot and cold but I drink cold green tea by the gallon.

nurmawati djuhawan said...

i love coffee and iced tea :)

Unknown said...

I don't drink alcohol often so I usually stick to tea. I love cold fresh sun tea on a hot day or hot tea with honey when it starts getting cooler.

Joanne said...

Sweet tea, strawberry lemonade, or a margarita.
Thanks for the giveaway.

e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

vadeluna07 said...

I'm pregnant right now so I can't drink alcoholic beverages, but when I can I usually enjoy some X-Rated with some Sprite. Yes, they actually have a liquor named X-Rated. ;)

divavixenqueen said...

Tea or hot chocolate.

Texas Book Lover said...

My drink of choice is sweet tea!

Thanks so much!

Victoria said...

Mine is a good Malbec. Thank you.

Joan Swan said...

Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm, you're all making me THIRSTY!!

I love my blended margarita (medori, melon, lime), lemon drop, cosmo...and of course the traditional diet coke.

:) Thanks for coming by everyone!!

In Julie's Opinion said...

Tanqueray and tonic!! And for nonalcoholic, coffee - all day long!

Amy Denim said...

I'm a big fan of the Jack and Ginger - tastes nice and has such a fun name. But Autumn is upon us and I just had a Hot Cocoa with Baileys last night, and Mmm, mmm. Was it ever tasty!
Loved this interview, so much fun!

bas1chs said...

Gotta have my tea everyday! Or at least a Long Island Iced Tea :)

Cathy V said...

Coffee or vodka! :)
kitcat76(at)hotmail(dot)com

Holly said...

Sweet Tea and if I'm feeling a little rowdy then Moscato =)
holly(dot)collins1(at)yahoo(dot)com

Patti F said...

Love sangria! Thanks for the great giveaway. :)

*yadkny* said...

passion fruit shaken iced tea from Starbucks:)

catslady said...

Either a black russian or cabernet savignon or freshly ground black coffee.

Rachel V said...

A pepsi or a margarita.

Raonaid Luckwell said...

My drink of choice is tame.. Dr. Pepper.

Raonaid at gmail dot com

June M. said...

My drink of choice is very tame, either Ale-8 (a local citrus/ginger soft drink) or ice water. Very boring but I can't drink alcohol much because I have to take blood thinners and alcohol messes with the level :( Back when I did not have to take them (for a few of my adult years) I loved Tequila--either Tequila Sunrise, Strawberry Margaritas, or just straight Tequila. Man, I miss Tequila, lol.

SdyLion said...

Grey Goose cosmopolitan. Delicious! Love them. I would love to win one of these books from this author. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com

Unknown said...

Coke is my favorite drink.

NoraA said...

My alcoholic drink of choice is a White Russian.

Love the flavor.

Anne R said...

drink of choice..starbucks caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso

Unknown said...

frappucino ^^
thanks for the chance :)

sunshine_pinkystar(at)yahoo(dot)com

JoAnna said...

Drink of choice... Sweet tea and flavored vodka or Pepsi and cherry vodka

Unknown said...

Coffe, hot chocolate, and milk. :D

angie lilly said...

I don't drink alcoholic drinks but love me some virgin pina coladas! I also love chai tea latte!!!

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