An Interview with Joan Swan
The Reading Cafe is happy to have the wonderful Joan Swan as our guest today.
Joan has just released Blaze, her second book in her Phoenix Rising series. We did an early review of Blaze yesterday. Joan is here to talk to us about Blaze, and to tell us a bit about herself.
Let’s meet Joan.
Joan, we at the Reading Café would like to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions.
Joan: Really appreciate you having me!
TRC: Please tell us about yourself
Joan: Um, I’m kinda boring. 🙂 Just an average American girl. Born, raised, educated, living and working in California. Married over 22 years to a veteran firefighter. Two beautiful daughters, one in college, one in high school. Work as a sonographer at UCSF Medical Center and write the rest of the time. A few of my rare hobbies are swimming, walking, photography, horses, knitting, scrapbooking…
TRC: When and how did you first become interested in writing?
Joan: I started writing over a decade ago out of boredom and impatience. Before then, I’d been one of those voracious readers we authors love, and had finally devoured all the books I could find from my favorite authors. I did try branching out and found some new voices that I enjoyed, but more often, I found myself unwilling to settle. To keep myself distracted while I waited for one of my favorite authors to release something new, I started to play with the stories in my own head.
Once I started writing, I just kept writing. At first, it was just for fun. But before long I realized that writing allowed me to express myself in a way other creative outlets didn’t. That’s when I started taking my writing seriously and looked into the publishing process.
TRC: Was Fever your first book ever published? How did it feel to see your first book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble?
Click HERE for our review of FEVER
Joan: The publishing process is a very long process and we are exposed to the book at every stage. We see the cover many months before release. Then we get the cover jackets for promotion. Then the ARCs come. Then the actual book. THEN they’re on shelves. So by the time the book is actually available for purchase, I’ve seen the book so many times, read and revised and edited it so many times, that seeing it on the shelves is more relief than anything. 🙂
TRC: Your Phoenix Rising Series began with Fever. Can you please tell us the premise of the series, and how you came up with the idea?
Joan: A mysterious explosion at a military warehouse injures a team of seven hazmat firefighters, killing one. The contents of the building, chemicals used by the Department of Defense, have inflicted the team with various paranormal abilities. Abilities the government wants to study covertly. Abilities the team wants to understand and expose.
Each book in the series focuses on different member(s) of the team and their struggle with the aftermath of the explosion. And as the group delves deeper into the incident and uncover pieces of the puzzle, their personal issues are complicated by a powerful enemy trying to keep its secrets.
The idea for the series developed incrementally. FEVER was originally written as a straight romantic suspense, but because RS sales had slowed considerably in the market at that time, I added a paranormal element to the story, and it sold.
TRC: Blaze is the second book the Phoenix Rising series, which was released today. Can you give a brief description of this story.
Click HERE for our review of BLAZE
Joan: In FEVER we uncover the surface of a conspiracy, we see the strength of the enemy and discover who is being manipulated and why. We learn of the first member of the team adversely affected, his struggle to overcome and outsmart the bad guys and his discovery of love in the most unusual place during that process.
In BLAZE we peel back the next layer, and discover the extensive and bold moves this enemy will take to keep its secrets from exposure. My hero and heroine in BLAZE are members of the original firefighting team. In love and involved at the time of the explosion, the after affects tore them apart. In this book, they’re brought back together to face a formidable enemy who they discover has taken far more from them than ever realized.
TRC: How many books are planned for the Phoenix Rising series?
Joan: I’ve agreed to continue the series with Kensington through book 4. Book 3, RUSH, releases October 2013 and Book 4, untitled, releases April 2014. I can currently envision 7 full novels in the series and 2 novellas. Though, new and intriguing characters keep cropping up…so…
TRC: Intimate Enemies, which you recently released, is a different story. Can you tell us about the premise of this story, and is this a standalone book.
Click HERE for our review of INTIMATE ENEMIES
Joan: Yes, INTIMATE ENEMIES is a straight romantic suspense. The manuscript finalled in the RWA Golden Heart twice, but still needed to be rewritten to match up to my current writing abilities. The rewrite made the story deeper and the characters richer.
INTIMATE ENEMIES is the story of a woman whose family was killed in a mysterious yacht explosion off the coast of Mexico. When no cause is found, she takes on the investigation only to be hindered by a man she’d once believed she could trust. Even while the two grow close, physically and emotionally, they continue to pursue opposite goals and their individual secrets threaten to kill them both.
This is the first in a new series—the Covert Affairs series. So there will be many more tense undercover ops and sexy heroes and tough heroines to come in this series.
TRC: You like to write Romantic Suspense. But you mention that you like to dabble in Paranormal. Do you have any desire to write a paranormal series?
Joan: Actually, I do. I currently have a long paranormal proposal with my agent, the first of a new series and I hope to have good news about that series soon!
TRC: What are you working on now?
Joan: I’m finishing up Book 3 in the Phoenix Rising series, RUSH. This is Quaid and Jessica’s book, a heart-wrenching, action packed, twisting suspense novel. This book has a deep and moving emotional current running within, and I adore the characters and the changing landscape of the government conspiracy plot.
TRC: Who is your Muse?
Joan: No muse. I believe if you show up, the words will come.
TRC: You work at a busy Medical Center, which you say is intense and helps give you ideas. How do you manage to write, work, and take care of your family?
Joan: I don’t clean, cook, have any hobbies or get to the gym.
Just kidding…sort of.
If I were honest, I’d tell you I’m pretty imbalanced in comparison to your average person. Then again, I’m of the belief that one works hard for what one wants, that one reaps what one sows, and that great progress takes great sacrifice. I could also tell you I’m a little…neurotic…sometimes.
My daughters are older, 16 and 20, and I don’t have to take care of them in that draining toddler way anymore. But, honestly, their issues just change (and get bigger), the girls don’t get any easier to raise. 🙂
My husband is also a huge help. He is a career firefighter, and amazing at helping around the house and pitching in with the girls. Plus, he’s super easy going, so when I don’t get to the house or the laundry or the grocery shopping…he doesn’t fuss. (He could also be scared of me, but it sounds so much better the other way). But, um, I really don’t cook.
LIGHTNING ROUND:
FAVORITE FOOD: Fruit or chocolate…hard decision.
FAVORITE DESSERT: Fruit or chocolate…hard decision 🙂
MILK OR DARK CHOCOLATE: Milk…dark makes me pucker.
FAVORITE AUTHOR: I’m going to have to invoke my author’s 5th amendment here.
FAVORITE BOOK: And, yep, going to have to invoke my author’s 6th amendment here.
FAVORITE FICTIONAL CHARACTER (not your own): Dexter…you know, the cartoon Dexter? The child-chemist who saves the world and has the sister Didi. “Oooo, what does this button do?”
LAST MOVIE YOU SAW: In the Cold Light of Day
TRC: Thank you, Joan for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with Blaze. Keep us informed about your upcoming releases. We look forward to working with you again.
Joan: Thanks so much for having me!
If you would like to learn more about Joan, you can visit her at the following links:
Website: http://joanswan.com/
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:
Pinterest:
Joan has graciously offered to give a member of The Reading Café a chance to win a copy of Blaze.
1. You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.
2. If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.
3. Please post a comment and say Hi to Joan.
4. Giveaway open to U.S. & Canada Only
5. Contest runs from September 25th – 27th.
Joan Swan’s BLAZE Blog Tour Schedule
Tour runs from September 17 – October 6
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 –
Book Monster – http://bookmonsterreviews.blogspot.com/
Literal Addiction – http://www.literaladdiction.com/
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/
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