Irene Hannon ~ Interview!

Irene is telling us about her new book, Fatal Judgment (Guardians of Justice series, book 1 -- January 2011), which is awesome! :)

Here is Irene's author bio:
Irene Hannon, who writes both romance and romantic suspense, is the author of more than thirty-five novels, including the bestselling Heroes of Quantico suspense series. A four-time RITA award finalist (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), she took home the golden statuette in 2003. Her books have also been honored with two Reviewers’ Choice awards from RT Book Reviews magazine, a Daphne du Maurier award and a HOLT medallion. A former corporate communications executive with a Fortune 500 company, Irene now writes full time.

Welcome, Irene! Tell us about your salvation experience.
If you mean this in an evangelical sense, as in born again, there is no one single event. I was raised Catholic. I’ve ALWAYS been a believer. I’ve always seen evidence of God’s grace and love in my life. And Jesus has always been my savior. For that reason, there has been no “ah-ha” moment in my life. Just a steady faith that has sustained me and grown through the years.

Are you:

A spontaneous writer or a scheduled writer?
You can’t be spontaneous if you’re a full-time writer with contracts to fulfill. That’s a luxury only the unpublished enjoy. I once read a quote from a famous writer about this. Someone asked him if he only wrote when he was inspired. He responded, “Absolutely. And I make sure I’m inspired every day at 8 a.m.” Enough said!

Stubborn, or compliant?
Ooh, this is getting personal! I’d say I can be both, depending on the situation. If I feel very strongly about something, I’ll dig in my heels. But you have to pick your battles, so I try to be compliant whenever possible. Or maybe the better word is agreeable. If a problem can be worked out without rancor, I’ll do my best to make that happen.

Organized or completely chaotic?
Extremely organized. I don’t think I could juggle all the balls I have in the air if I wasn’t.

How do you handle disasters/BIG problems? Do you have a funny or interesting story showcasing how you handle them?
Hmm. I wish I did have a funny story. Usually, disasters or big problems don’t hold a lot of humor for me. The best example I can think of in terms of how I handle those kind of situations happened several years. A former co-worker asked me to do a large communication/writing project for the organization where she worked. (My last corporate job was as a senior director of corporate communications for a Fortune 500 company.) I’d left that world behind, but she finally convinced me to take this on. This was in the midst of fulfilling a multiple book contract for one of my publishers AND while I was writing my first suspense series, the Heroes of Quantico, on spec. One week after I signed on for her four-month project, my father was diagnosed with a brain tumor—which led to surgery and many complications. I remember being at the hospital trying to conduct phone interviews for the corporate project in between doctor consultations, tests and helping my mom. Then, at night I’d write her project and my current novel until two or three in the morning. The next morning I’d get up and start all over again. This went on for weeks. But I got through it without missing a deadline. I guess what that says is that I’ll do whatever it takes to meet my obligations—no matter the toll it takes on me.

In your opinion, what is your best trait? What is your worst?
I’m fiercely loyal to those I love and will do anything for them. That’s probably my best trait. Worst? That would probably be a better question to ask my friends and family. I do know I have a tendency to become too absorbed in my work sometimes.

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I LOVE to perform in community musical theater productions. In fact, there are a couple of photos in the news section of my website that show me playing the leading role in a production of Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” last summer.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in your books?
Dee Henderson, probably. We both write romantic suspense, and our styles have some similarities. I would rate the romance in my books G or PG.

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I’m finishing up the last book in my Guardians of Justice series—and am talking with my publisher about more books when that wraps up. I’m also working on a new series for Harlequin Love Inspired. It’s called Starfish Bay and is set on the Northern California coast. Book 1, Seaside Reunion, will be out next January.

How can readers get in contact with you?
I have a contact page on my website that includes my e-mail address and my Twitter link. And I do respond personally to every e-mail I receive.

Book blurb:

Deputy Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action as a member of the U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group, including a recent stint in Iraq. But he’d much rather go back to that hotbed of trouble than deal with his next assignment: providing protection for federal judge Liz Michaels. His antipathy toward her is just as strong as it was five years ago, when her husband—his best friend—died in a possible suicide. But as Jake works to keep Liz safe, he discovers she’s not a cold-hearted workaholic wedded to nothing but her job, as he expected. Forced to reevaluate his opinion, he also finds himself grappling with a growing attraction. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes go up. Because now both her life—and his heart—are in danger.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?
True confession time—I don’t go to the movies much and have no idea who the current “hot” actors and actresses are. When I write my books, I never have a particular “model” in mind for my characters. They take on their own unique personalities. So I can’t help you on this one! I would say, though, that the cover designer for this book did a STELLAR job depicting my hero and heroine.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter or an excerpt of this book?
Yes. This link will take you directly to the excerpt on my website: http://www.irenehannon.com/fataljudgment.html.

Is there anything you would like to add, or tell your readers?
Please watch for Book 2, Deadly Pursuit, coming in September. I just saw the cover mock-up, and it’s fabulous! I’ll be posting it on my website as soon as it’s finalized.

Thanks for stopping by, Irene!