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 That’s a luxury only the unpublished enjoy.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!

Fatal Judgment by Irene Hannon ~ 5 stars + Favorite!

Fatal Judgment

Irene Hannon

Guardians of Justice series #1

Revell Publishing

About the book:

U.S. Marshal Jake Taylor has seen plenty of action during his years in law enforcement. But he'd rather go back to Iraq than face his next assignment: protection detail for federal judge Liz Michaels. His feelings toward the coldhearted workaholic haven't warmed in the five years since she drove her husband--and Jake's best friend--to despair . . . and possible suicide.

As the danger mounts and Jake gets to know Liz better, he's forced to revise his opinion of her. And when it becomes clear that an unknown enemy may want her dead, the stakes are raised. Because now both her life--and his heart--are in danger.

My review:

Being an avid fan of the hit show, NCIS, I was leery about reading this book in case it didn’t measure up to my high standards. I’m happy to say that it did. And some!

The suspense was so well written that I couldn’t put the book down. I read it in one day, so I’m warning that you need to set aside time to read this. It is not a “by bits and pieces” read. You won’t want to be interrupted! The romance fit naturally into the book, and didn’t seem forced or boring. I loved all the characters!

I would say that this is an excellent romantic suspense, and I will definitely be checking into reading other books by this author!

Thanks to Revell for my free review copy of this book!

Irene Hannon ~ Interview + Giveaway!

**I have recently changed the rules for entering my giveaways and there are new ways to earn extra entries, so be sure to read that section at the bottom of this post. =)**

Today author Irene Hannon is telling us about her new book, In Harm's Way. She has offered an autographed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. She will also be stopping by throughout the week to answer your questions! So if you have anything you want to ask her, you can include it in your comment for entering the contest. If you are only leaving a question in the comment and not entering the giveaway please say so.

Welcome, Irene! Tell us a little about yourself.

Hmm…where to begin? I could tell you some of the fun stuff I’ve done—like attending the monkey dance in the moonlit jungle on Bali, or gliding over the Alaskan glaciers in a float plane at sunset, or winging down to the Caribbean for lunch on a cruise ship with the CEO and chairman of the board of a Fortune 500 company—but I’ll stick to the basics! I have a B.A. in psychology and a master’s in journalism. I worked for the aforementioned Fortune 500 company for 20+ years in corporate communications, writing fiction on the side. After rising to the executive ranks…and finding myself on call 24/7…I left the corporate world a few years ago to write full time—and never looked back. I’m also married to my very own romantic hero! Want to know more? Check out my website at http://www.irenehannon.com/.

How long have you been writing? How many books do you have published?
My first book was published in 1985, and book #33—In Harm’s Way—came out in April.

If you compared your writing style to any other Christian Fiction author, who would it be? Also, how would you rate the romance in you books?
I would compare the style of my romantic suspense books to Dee Henderson. The romance in my books is definitely G.

In your own words tell us a little about In Harm’s Way.
This is the third and final book in my bestselling Heroes of Quantico series. After writing Against All Odds, which featured a two-continent setting and a terrorist element, and An Eye For An Eye, which focused on a determined killer who shatters the hero and heroine’s unexpected reunion, I wanted to delve into something completely different with the final book in the series. So I have the heroine finding a tattered Raggedy Ann doll that gives her a strange feeling—strange enough to send her to the authorities, despite her fear they’ll ridicule her story. I wanted to intrigue readers with a story that appears to have paranormal elements—appears being the operative word. To say any more would ruin the story!

This series marked my suspense debut and has been incredibly well received. Although the heroes and heroines of previous books do make appearances in subsequent books, each book in any series I write stands alone as a complete story in itself. There are no hanging plot threads from book to book. So you don’t have to read them all, or in order. (Though reading them in order is more fun, because the stories occur chronologically and you can catch up with what’s happening in the lives of the previous heroes and heroines!)

And I’m thrilled to report that this book, along with the first two books in the series (Against All Odds and An Eye For An Eye), has made both the CBA and ECPA fiction bestseller lists!

Blurb:

FBI special agent Nick Bradley, has seen his share of kooks during his fifteen years with the Bureau, from the guy who insisted he’d been abducted by aliens to the woman who claimed God had told her to assist the FBI by acting as His intermediary on difficult cases. But Rachel Sutton is an enigma. She seems normal when she shows up at the FBI office in St. Louis—until she produces a tattered Raggedy Ann doll she found and tells him it gives her bad vibes. Nick dismisses her—only to stumble across a link between the doll and an abducted infant, setting in motion a chain of events that uncovers startling connections…and puts Rachel’s life on the line.

What made you want to write this story?
I was intrigued by some of the unusual concepts and phenomena in this book and wanted to explore them further. To say more would give the story away!

What research did you have to do for this book?
The research challenge was formidable for this entire series! I have no connections of any kind to the military, the FBI or law enforcement in any form. So in the course of writing these novels, I read books, scoured the Net and consulted police officers, FBI agents, physicians, academics and a host of experts in their fields. I also enrolled in our local Citizen Police Academy, which included a heart-pounding ride-along with a patrol officer. By the time I finished Against All Odds, the first book in the series, I had 75 single-spaced pages of research notes and reference citations for that book alone. That one was particularly challenging, since parts of the story take place in Afghanistan. But every book has unique research requirements, and since I’m a stickler for accuracy, I spend a good part of my work day fact-gathering.

Who would you pick to play the lead roles if this book was made into a movie?
Okay—confession time. I don’t watch TV or go to many movies. I’m too busy writing! In my limited free time, I’d rather read, garden, visit family, take a walk, try a new recipe…the list goes on. So I’ll have to pass on this question, since I’m pathetically ignorant about the current crop of Hollywood leading men and women!

What are you working on now or going to write next?
I am hard at work on my next suspense series, Guardians of Justice, which will debut in January with Fatal Judgment. This series features three siblings (two brothers and a sister), all of whom are involved in justice-related professions. The first book revolves around a federal judge and the U.S. marshal assigned to protect her after her life is threatened.

How can readers get in contact with you?
I love to hear from readers! Feel free to e-mail at ireneHannon at irenehannon.com. (Just change the “at” to @--no direct link because I’m trying to avoid spam!) And do visit my website, http://www.irenehannon.com/, for news on my books. I update it regularly.

What are you currently reading?
I just finished judging a stack of books for Romance Writers of America’s RITA award competition. That kept me busy for a month!

Tell us something surprising about yourself that readers may not know.
I love to perform in community musical theatre productions, and I’ve been blessed to play the leading roles in classic shows like “Brigadoon,” “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma,” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes,” to name a few.

If you could be any animal, which would you choose? Why?
I’ve never had this question before! Hmm…maybe a well-loved dog? They seem to lead a nice life!

FAVORITES:

Color?
I like color, period. I’m not big on orange or avocado, but otherwise I’m easy to please. I had a yellow room for a lot of years growing up, and I do like that color because it reminds me of sunshine.

Childhood memory?
I had a wonderful childhood. My mom was—and is—a master at making even ordinary days special. And no father could ever have been more supportive of his daughter’s dreams. So every day is a happy memory.

Era to write about?
All my books are set in modern day.

What is/was this book’s release date?
In Harm’s Way was released in April.

Do you have a link to a place to read the first chapter of this book?
Yes. Excerpts for all three Heroes of Quantico books are posted on my website. Here’s a link to the one for In Harm’s Way: http://www.irenehannon.com/excerpt-harm.htm.

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*USA residents only, please*

Okay readers, here is your chance to win an autographed copy of In Harm's Way!
TO ENTER:

*Leave a comment with your name and email address (so I can contact you if you win). The comment is mandatory. You will not be entered unless you leave a comment.

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+1 Become one of my followers OR subscribe to my blog by email.

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**You can earn a total of 4 entries if you do all of the above requirements. Make sure to tell me in your entry comment on this post which of the things you did to get extra entries.**

*The contest will run from today (May 17) until 6:00 CST on Thursday (May 20). I will announce the winner that night. The winner is always randomly drawn. I will contact the winner on Friday the 21st, and then that person will have one week to reply. If the winner doesn't reply within that time period, I will pick a new winner.

Good luck! Thanks for visiting.