The Examiner welcomes back Joanna Wayne, author of wonderful romantic suspense. Hi, Joanna.
Are you a native born Texan or, if not, what brought you to our great state?
I am not from Texas. I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, not too far from the Texas border. Years later I married and moved to New Orleans. I moved to Texas one year before Katrina hit (good timing) primarily to be close to my children and grandkids but also because my husband and I love the Lake Conroe area. Unfortunately, my son was transferred to Chicago about six months after we moved here. So he took his beautiful family and left. Fortunately, my daughter is still in the Houston area. I do love living in the Lone Star State.
Once you’ve lived in Texas, part of the heart always will, which is reflected in your writing. How many books did you write before selling your first one, and how did you deal with rejection?
I wrote one complete book. I shopped it around and received some really encouraging rejection letters. I must admit that did little to soften the blow. But I believed I could write and was determined not to give up. I didn't have an agent at the time.
Do you have an agent now and has it made it easier to sell your work?
I pitched the second book to an agent at an RWA conference. She encouraged me to finish the book and to target it for the Harlequin Intrigue line, which I did. She sold the book and I was on my way. I absolutely love working for Intrigue. I think having an agent for that book helped since I knew so little about the market. I no longer have an agent for my category books but have acquired one as I'm interested in looking into some other writing projects along with my Intrigues.
You have had a great career with Intrigue, and no doubt your future projects will be as successful. Please tell us about your latest book.
My latest book is COWBOY DELIRIUM. It is basically a grand finale for two separate series, and I believe it is the first time that's been done in Harlequin Intrigue. I had just completed two very popular series, Four Brothers of Colts Run Cross and Special Ops, Texas. The first series had grown to five books, but I was still getting lots of requests for a story for the younger sister, Jaime Collingsworth. And since the Special Ops, Texas series was also very popular, I decided to have the two series collide in an over-the-top adventure where Jaime Collingsworth was paired with a Special Ops hero. I included all the brothers from Colts Run Cross as well as some of the previous Special Ops heroes, and it made for a dynamite, action-packed thriller. The hero is a double agent, working to stop a major attack against lawmen along the Texas/Mexico border by a powerful drug cartel. The story couldn't be more timely. And even though it is tied to two separate series, it can stand alone.
That is a unique idea—blending two series—and the timing couldn’t be better, considering the things going on along the Texas/Mexico border these days. Would you like to give us a small scene from the story?
Of course, I would.
“Surely you can’t be cruel enough to send me away without so much as a nightcap?”
Jaime Collingsworth found that difficult to believe herself. A full moon, a gorgeous, fascinating man who was hot for her, and she was going to dismiss with him a kiss at her door. But duty called-and had left two messages.
“We’ve been out late every night this week,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he said, slipping his arm across the back of the car seat to massage her shoulder. “But I have this serious problem. I simply can’t get enough of you.”
“Slow down, tiger. No need to rush the romance. And I absolutely have to get up in time tomorrow to make it to Jack’s Bluff for Sunday brunch. I haven’t been to the ranch in four weeks, and my mother is on my case big time.”
Actually Jaime missed her mother as well. Her family was huge and could be overwhelming, but still, she was looking forward to visiting with all of them, especially her young nieces and nephews. Her new Houston townhouse was great, but Jack’s Bluff Ranch was home.
“You could take me with you,” Buerto said. “I’d love to meet your family, especially that cantankerous grandpa you keep talking about.”
“So you keep saying, but I hate those first meet-the-family occasions. They are far too stressful.”
“You sound as if you’ve had a lot of them.”
“Not so many.” But enough that she hated to go through the ordeal when she didn’t have to. “It could be fun, though,” she teased. “You’d be sized up more thoroughly than a new bull being introduced to the herd.”
“Four protective cowboy brothers checking me out and one of them an armed law enforcement officer,” Buerto said. “Why does that not amuse me the way it does you?”
“They all have guns,” Jaime said. “But it’s my mother you’d really have to worry about.”
Buerto waited for the gate to her townhouse complex to open and then drove inside. He slowed as they passed the sparkling fountain, English gardens and finally the privacy border of thick shrubbery.
He stopped in front of her three-story townhouse. “I’ll assure your mother that my intentions are honorable.”
“It won’t help. She knows mine never are.”
That wasn’t exactly true, but it was close. Jaime liked guys. She just never fell in love, at least not the way her sister Becky and her brothers had.
For her, men were more like a new pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes or a Roberto Cavalli gown with her. They were intoxicatingly seductive when first acquired, but lost their glamour and excitement when the newness wore off.
There was an outside chance it could be different with Buerto-which was reason enough not to throw him to the wolves this early in the relationship.
She shifted in her seat, letting the short skirt of her sky-blue dress slide up to mid thigh for Buerto’s benefit as she reached for the door handle.
He leaned across the seat and kissed her before sliding out his side of the car to walk her to the door.
Once up the short walk, he slipped his arms around her and pulled her close. His advance was interrupted by a black sedan that skidded to a stop behind his silver Porsche.
The doors flew open and three men jumped out. One of the men was short and slightly balding. Another was tall with a crooked scar that ran from his right temple to the center of his cheek. The third was a certified hunk, hard bodied, clean shaven, cocky swagger. And holding a gun.
Panic ripped through her. She and Buerto were about to be robbed. She scanned the area. No one was in sight and she knew her closest neighbor was out of town.
Two of the men went for Buerto, shoving him backward and pinning his arms against the front wall of her house.
Jaime tore her handbag from her shoulder and threw it into the driveway. “Take the money. Please. Just take it and go.”
The hunky guy wrapped an arm around her and started dragging her to the car. “We’re taking you with us. Better if you don’t put up a fight.”
“Take your hands off her,” Berto yelled.
The effort to save her bought him a punch in the face. The shorter assailant shoved him to the pavement and kicked him in the stomach grabbing Jaime’s purse and keys.
Then he put a gun to Buerto’s head. “If you go to the cops, your girlfriend’s as good as dead. Tell that to her family. We’ll be in touch.”
The man who held her lifted her and threw her into the back seat of the car. She got in one swift knee to the crotch that narrowly missed its target.
The taller guy was waiting for her in the car. He reached over and she felt a sharp prick in her forearm. A needle.
“Handle her, Rio,” the needle wielder barked as he backed from the car.
The hunky thug slid in beside her.
Not about to give in without a fight, she sank her teeth into his shoulder and bit down as hard as she could. He barely winced, but he quickly closed his hand over her mouth and gripped it so firmly she couldn’t even part her lips.
Her vision had begun to blur-no doubt from whatever was in that syringe-but she caught a glimpse of Buerto as they sped away. He was groveling on the ground in obvious pain. He hadn’t died trying to defend her. At least there was that.
The man beside her looked her in the eye and the intensity of his gaze seemed to crawl inside her. He put his mouth to her ear. “Trust me, and you’ll get out of this alive.”
She’d sooner trust a viper. Her eyes grew heavy and her head begin to spin. This could not be happening to her.
Except that it was.
Wonderful excerpt—action-paced. And Jaime sounds like a worthy heroine for one of your books. How did you come up with her personality?
The heroine was actually introduced in 24 KARAT AMMUNITION, the first book in the Four Brothers of Colts Run Cross Series. She is independent, sassy, and extremely sexy. I had to find a man who could be a worthy match for her. The cocky, brave, former SEAL, Rio Hernandez was definitely up to the task.
What is the most striking feature of your hero?
His bravery and his dedication to his job, both of which are put to the supreme test when he falls for Jaime and knows he has to protect her at all costs.
Does your villain have any redeeming characteristics?
No. He is evil to the core and committed to the terrorist act with which he is involved.
A committed villain is one of the toughest to beat. Out of all the characters you’ve created, which one would you most like to know in real life?
That is an impossible question to answer. I always fall in love with my heroes. But I'd love to meet any of my former SEAL heroes. It was so easy to make them heroic and sexy because they have truly walked the walk.
Like so many of our real-life military men and women—heroes all. So, Joanna, what is your latest writing news?
I am starting a new five-book Intrigue series, The Sons of Troy Ledger. It is the story of a rancher who went to prison for killing his wife seventeen years ago. He had five young sons at the time. In the five books, he will reconnect with each of them as they star in their own romantic suspense. And all the while, he will be searching for the real killer of his beloved Helene. The first book in the series, COWBOY SWAGGER, will be released in September.
Also I'll be one of teachers at the Master Class at the annual beach retreat sponsored by the Low Country chapter of RWA in October. It is held in a beautiful mansion on the beach just outside Charleston. It is the perfect setting. If you're looking for an intense week of writing instruction and practice, you should consider attending. You can find more information at www.lowcountryrwa.com
That does sound great. In the meantime, where can readers find you on the internet?
www.joannawayne.com Please stop by and enter my contest. A new winner of a Joanna Wayne novel is randomly chosen each month. And I have a blog at www.eharlequin.com.
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