Interview w/ Julieanne Reeves + giveaway!

For two years, State Trooper Kayne Dobrescu has wanted only one thing: to understand why his wife inexplicably killed their children and then herself. Memories haunt his days and lay siege to his nights, leaving him questioning his reasons for living.

Jessica Hallstatt became a widow and single mother the night her firefighter husband died in a fiery explosion at an accident scene. While her husband may have died a hero, he left Jessica with deep emotional scars that haven't begun to heal.

When Kayne accepted a transfer to the mountain town of Payson, Arizona, he never expected to meet anyone like Jessica. From the moment he pulled her over for speeding, he was drawn in by her whiskey colored eyes and sassy dimple. But she and her children are a forever type package, and he's vowed never to give anyone the power to destroy him again. Yet fate has other ideas, throwing Kayne and Jessica together in a fight against an unknown enemy to save the life of a child—and hopefully one another.

Good morning Julieanne! Congratulations on your debut novel Razing Kaye! It was a wonderful read and kept me turning pages WAY into the night. Could you tell our followers a little about the book and what inspired you?

Thank you! Razing Kayne is the story of a State Trooper and a firefighter’s widow who are thrown together by fate to protect a child. Due to past experiences, neither wants a relationship, but it’s those experiences that bond and bind them together and give them the strength to persevere.  

Inspiration: It really was a combination of things. Razing Kayne is a conglomeration of ripped-from-the-headlines stories and personal experiences. The very first scene I wrote for this story ended up being my prologue.   

I wrote it after watching a news broadcast about a woman who’d killed her children and then herself. Of course the circumstances behind that real-life tragedy were nothing like what happens in Razing Kayne, but witnessing the devastation on that father’s face really struck a chord with me on a personal level. From there I pulled from my experiences as a former Police-Fire-911 Dispatcher and filled in the blanks.  

 Kayne and Jessica deal with some pretty difficult issues throughout the book. Was it hard for you to write some of the scenes?

Several of the scenes were difficult to write. I’ve found myself crying while writing or editing. Pathetic but true. Some of the scenes hit closer to home than others, and a few of those were deleted. Truthfully it was impossible not to become emotionally entrenched in their story. As a writer I feel I have to be able to get inside my characters heads and hearts to make them believable. I think I managed to do that with RK.   

From the readers side I'd definitely say you managed to make them very believable :) Did you have a favorite moment in the book?

Oh, gosh! There are so many favorites for various reasons: Gracie repentantly stealing food off Kayne’s plate, the snowball fight at the park, the scene after Kayne shows Jessica his drawings *wink*, and the dinner date are a few that come to mind. Other’s that I can’t talk about here without being major spoilers. Oh, and the very last couple pages before the Epilogue. 

Oh I loved the snowball fight. The drawings too. ::happy sigh:: So, did any of your real life experiences play a part in Razing Kayne?

Yes. I had a creative writing teacher that drilled into us that we should “write what you know, and do it from the heart.” That’s what I did with Razing Kayne. I took that police experience, dumped in some real life cases, and personal experiences. Essentially I threw them all in a blinder, hit puree, and out poured a chocolate malt… er, uh, a book. 

::snort:: Chocolate malt sounds really good right now. Did you do anything to celebrate finishing the book?

I actually didn’t celebrate until the night it officially released. A friend brought dinner and beverages and we celebrated at home with my kids, and of course regular check-ins with my posse (my online gal-pals who’ve been cheering me on and acting as my Street Team for quite a while now *waves*) 

What's been the biggest surprise you've had with stepping into the world of writing?

That I’m actually good at it. *laughs* I know that sounds kind of egotistical but it’s not intended that way. I wrote because there were all these thoughts inside my head just aching to get out, and then I set the story aside. It took almost two years before I got up the nerve to look into publishing it. Now, I wish I wouldn’t have waited so long. 

LOL That totally makes sense :) So, what keeps you busy when you're not writing?

My children.  I have two of the most amazing kids. My son “Werewolf” and my daughter “Puddleduck”.  Obviously those aren’t their real names but that’s how I refer to them on Facebook etc. They’re 7 ½ (Boy) - one mustn’t forget that half – and 9 (Girl) years old. They’re these incredible little humans and I’m so thankful every day that I was the lucky one to become their mother through adoption. 

Aww that's so awesome :) Alright we'll let you get back to those kids and writing but before you go... Just for fun...the Lightning Round...

• Sweet or sexy scenes? Combination. The sex scenes that are so heart-breakingly beautiful they bring you to tears.

• Cats or dogs? Horses! Okay, dogs.

• Oddest thing in your purse right now? I carry a backpack and it has the latest additions to my son’s rock collection.

• Favorite villain? My mind draws a big ole blank. I could give you a long list of real life monsters, but I don’t know that I’d call someone like Andrei Chikatelo a “favorite”. 

• high heels & fancy dresses or flip flops & comfy jeans? Flip flops, yoga-pants, a baggy t-shirt and a big ole hair clip. Though I’d LOVE to be able to wear Jessica’s red dress – from the date scene – just once. :)

• Favorite condiment? Salsa.

Thanks again for dropping by Julieanne! Can't wait to see what you come up with next :)

Thank you so much for having me. Nick of Time – Book 2 in my Walking A Thin Blue Line police series is scheduled for April 2, 2013. I’m about halfway done, so it might actually happen. *grin*

Julieanne Reeves is a third generation Arizonan with a background in Police-Fire-911 Communications. When she's not spending time spoiling her two wonderful children, she enjoys reading and writing steamy romantic suspense. Having had the privilege of working with some of the finest Law Enforcement Officers in the nation, it's little wonder her heroes carry a firearm and badge. Julieanne currently lives in the Phoenix-Metro area, but hopes to one day return to the mountain town that inspired her Walking A Thin Blue Line series.

Website   Twitter   Facebook   Goodreads

Julieanne's offering two fabulous giveaways today! Thanks Julieanne!

Fill out the rafflecopter and leave her some love to enter :) 

Then hop over to our review of Razing Kayne for extra entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway