Get into Bed with Joan Swan (Author Interview)

This interview with Joan Swan, author of Fever, is conducted by Lynn Reynolds.

Lynn Reynolds: Do you have an author that inspires you?  Why?

Joan Swan: I have many, many, many authors that inspire me and each for multiple reasons! Koontz, Crais and Sandra Brown inspire me with prose and craft. Brockmann inspires me with pacing and character development. Naughton and Ione inspire me with world building. Too many fabulous authors to name!

Lynn: In your bio you state that you give an inside look "...at the intricate world of forensics".  Is there something about that science that intrigues you?

Joan: Everything about science amazes me. The more I learn, the less I know. Especially concerning the advanced sciences of physics and the untested theories centering around space and time and matter and consciousness. The fact that humans only use 10% of their brain’s capacity floors me. I work in medicine at a teaching facility and the bizarre, surreal things I’ve seen happen with and to the human body astound me on a daily basis. I could go on and on, but circling back to writing…these aspects of science leave unlimited doors open to possibilities for premise and plot.

Lynn: Do you use your husband when you create your heroes?

Joan: Bwahahahahah--*sucking in air*--ahahahahahahaha--*more air*--hahahahahaha--*holding stomach*--ahahahahaha…

Kidding. He’s a keeper, an awesome guy! But just as I don’t use myself when I create my heroines, I don’t use my husband when I create my heroes. My characters have their own unique little quirky, crazy personas. J

Lynn: Since you live in California, what type of research did you do when writing Fever?  Especially when you were creating the hospital scene.

Joan: Actually…I lived the hospital scene. *shiver* For a year. **double shiver**

Well, okay…sans the actual abduction part. Details.

I’ve been a sonographer for twenty years and worked a year at a hospital with a huge prisoner clientele where I spent half my day surrounded by guards and inmates. The more I understand their routines and procedures, the more clearly I recognized how easily something could go wrong. I was left in dangerous situations that should have never been allowed to exist and it happened often enough to have me wondering… “What if…?”

Lynn: Out of all the professions there are out there for romance heroes, why did you choose a firefighter/EMT?

Joan: Because my critique partner told me to.

Um…no, seriously, she did.

Before Fever, I had been writing cop and FBI heroes and/or heroines. My critique partner, who was multi-published at that point, told me I should write about firemen—after all, I had a built in expert; my husband has been a fireman for 30 years. Which is exactly why I hadn’t written about firefighters – because what you know always seems dry. But she and I brainstormed ideas and we came up with a group of firefighters I could really get behind and love.

Lynn: What advice would you give for fledgling authors?

Joan: Learn your craft.

Read a lot.

Trust your gut.

Let your writing be authentically you.

Be patient. Quality takes time to cultivate.

There are no magic beans. (I swear! I’ve turned over every freaking rock out there!)

Learn to take and apply criticism from trusted sources of those equally or more experienced and successful.

Author Bio:  Joan Swan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist and writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist.  Her debut novel with Kensington Brava, FEVER, releases February 28, 2012.  Her second novel, BLAZE, follows in October, 2012.

In her day job, she works as a sonographer for one of the top ten medical facilities in the nation and lives on the California central coast in beautiful wine country with her husband and two daughters.

Book Blurb:  Release Date: 2/28

When Dr. Alyssa Foster is taken hostage by a prison inmate, she knows she's in deep trouble. Not just because Teague Creek is desperate for freedom, but because the moment his fingers brush against her skin, Alyssa feels a razor-sharp pang of need...

A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose. At least Teague doesn't, until his escape plan develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives, he can only give her lies, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever...

Buy: Fever

Giveaway:

• A print copy of Fever, US/Canada shipping. Last Day to enter: is February 28, 2012.
• All comments are eligible for tour grand prize of either a COLOR NOOK or KINDLE FIRE. Enter: http://joanswan.com/giveaways/blog-tour-ereader/

Buy link: Fever

My links:  Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Tagged as: Joan Swan, Lynn Reynolds

This post was written by...

Lynn Reynolds – who has written 65 posts on Love Romance Passion.

Lynn is what you might call an equal opportunity romance reviewer. She'll read just about anything as long as it sounds like a great read and is full of romance. She currently works at a library and likes best that she can read on the job! She's also getting to read some new authors that she's never read before. She has also recently been accepted by the "Library Journal" as a reviewer of romance!!!