Joy Nash's The Crossing free giveaway!

1. Joy, welcome to Fierce Romance, and thanks so much for being here with us today! I love your IMMORTALS series. Can you tell our readers how you came up with the idea for the series?

The talented Jennifer Ashley came up with the overall concept for the original four books—Immortals warriors and the human witches that call them back to their roles as the Earths protectors--and pitched it as a series to Dorchester. Robin Popp and I were approached by our editors at Dorchester and invited to participate in the series.

2. Why did you decide to tell Demigod Manannán mac Lir (Mac)’s story this time?

Because Mac, a seven hundred year old Celtic/Sidhe demigod with an eternally young take on life, was such a fun character from Immortals: The Awakening. I received a lot of reader email asking Mac would get his own book. I was really glad to get the opportunity to write Mac’s story, and to create a heroine worthy of him. Artemis Black is a witch who’s both a worthy adversary and a worthy ally for an immortal demigod.

I’ve got an excerpt and a cool new book trailer on my website! I’d love for everyone to stop by and take a look J

3. What inspires you while you’re writing?

I get really wrapped up in my characters and their drama. I think all of us who love to read love that fantastic feeling when you’re in the middle of a good book and you don’t want it to end. When my writing is flowing, I get that fantastic feeling times a thousand. Of course, there are off days, too, but the great ones keep me writing.

4. When I asked you to read Heart of the Wolf for an endorsement, you hadn’t yet made USA Today National Best Selling author status, but then it was like only a week later, you were in that phenomenal group! I was so excited for you, but I can just imagine how you felt. How many books had you written before this happened? How did you learn of it? And what was your initial response?

Immortals: The Awakening was my third book with Dorchester. I’d had several small press releases before my first Dorchester mass market. We were all hoping that The Awakening would make the USA Today Top 150, since the two Immortals books preceding it had listed, and the whole series was getting a phenomenal reader response. The day the list came out, my editor got wind of it before it was officially posted and she called me. I was so excited! But it didn’t seem real until I saw it myself on the USA Today website.


5. For writers who are just starting out, or who have been working at this a while and might feel discouraged, what did you do to keep on submitting until you sold?

I got kind of obsessed. I have a somewhat obsessive, detail oriented personality, which I think is common among writers. When the rejections came, I pretty much tried to forget them as soon as possible, after I’d learned whatever I needed to from them. But it was the enjoyment I get from the act of writing itself that really kept me going. If I didn’t love it, I would have given up long before I got The Call. Another common trait of novelists I know is that they write first for themselves.

6. What genres have you written in? What makes this work different from all your others?
I’ve written historical fantasy (my Druids of Avalon series), futuristic fantasy (my novellas with New Concept Publishing), ‘otherworld’ fantasy (my Ellora’s Cave novel), and contemporary urban fantasy (Immortals), all with strong romantic and sensual themes. I have a contemporary romance coming out next year, A Little Light Magic, under a new pen name, Joy Rizza. The Immortals series was different for me mainly for the experience of working so closely with Jennifer and Robin on the series. Immortals: The Crossing was my first book with a hero who cracked jokes the whole way through the book. I love Mac’s sense of humor, but it was a challenge! I had to give him a bit of angst to provide some gravitas to the story, but Mac kept his wry sense of humor intact through some very dark places and events.

7. What is the next project you’re working on?
I turned in my novella in the Immortals: The Reckoning Anthology (March09) at the beginning of the summer. Right now I’m doing the final edits on A Little Light Magic, out in June 09 under the name Joy Rizza. After that, it’s back to the Druids of Avalon. The third book in the series, Silver Silence, will be out in Oct 09.

Does this series have an end? If so, have you got another series in mind?
I think the anthology Immortals: The Reckoning will be the end of the Immortals series, but I could be wrong about that. It’s all up to Dorchester. My Druids of Avalon series is open ended, so there will most likely be more books after Silver Silence. And then, there’s always the next series! As a reader, I love series, so I’m always thinking in terms of continuing stories and characters when I get a new idea.J

9. Can you tell us a little bit about your contest?

Yes! Immortals: The Crossing hits the bookshelves on September 30. But 50 lucky readers will win autographed copies on or before that date!During my 50 Days, 50 Books contest, 50 copies of The Crossing will be given away on 50 participating websites and blogs (including this one!), which means readers will have 50 online chances to win this hot new paranormal romance during the 50 days between August 12 and September 30. Each participating website has its own rules for entry, so readers should read each site’s rules carefully. The winners will be announced continually online as the prizes are awarded, here on my blog and on the participating sites. I’ll ship out the autographed books to the winners as soon as I receive them from the printers, around the middle of September.

Just comment on the Fierce Romance blog and you'll have a chance to win!

Thanks so much for sharing something of your work with us today, Joy! I look forward to your next books as well!

Terry Spear

Heart of the Wolf

The Vampire...In My Dreams (Available now!)http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599988372/ref=cm_cmu_up_thanks_hdr