We want to give a warm welcome to new author Julie Ann Walker. She writes this fabulous new series about a group of former black ops guys who also build some really sweet bikes, and well a whole bunch of other good things, but we’ll let Julie tell you about them!
TBRG: Thank you Julie for being here today!
JAW: Thank you so much for having me. It’s a pleasure. Truly!
TBRG: Who has been the biggest influence on your writing?
JAW: I decided to write romantic suspense after reading a lot of Sandra Brown. Then, of course, there’s Suzanne Brockmann, Cindy Gerard, and Tara Janzen. You know, all the greats. LOL!
TBRG: What is the one thing your readers would be the most surprised to know about you?
JAW: Probably that I grew up in Oklahoma, riding horses, tipping cows, and fishing on Sunday afternoons. I think my series comes across as exceedingly gritty and urban, so to find out I’m a born and bred country girl might be a surprise. Yee-haw, ya’ll! <–See?
TBRG: Where is the one place you have always wanted to go, a place on your bucket list?
JAW: My husband and I like to think of ourselves as amateur adventurists, so we try – try being the operative word – to travel a lot. Next up? We’re thinking Chile for New Year’s. Empanadas anyone?
TBRG: What was the first romance book that you read?
JAW: It was one of those old Harlequin category romances. You know the ones I’m talking about? With the really bad 60’s covers? I stole it from my mother. I think I was eleven. Much too young to be reading it, I’m sure. But. I. Was. Hooked! 🙂
TBRG: Who are some of your go to authors, and what are you reading right now?
JAW: I never pass up John Grisham, Stephen King, or Sandra Brown. And right now I’m reading an urban fantasy by Amanda Carlson. It’s called FULL BLOODED, and it is awesome! Werewolves and vampires like you’ve never seen! Not to mention a bunch of other grisly ghouls.
TBRG: If you weren’t writing and keeping us in books (thanks for that by the way), what would you be doing?
JAW: Well, if I couldn’t write fiction, I think I’d like to be a travel writer. I mean, to have someone PAY me to sit in cafes in Paris, go on safari in Kenya, and climb Machu Picchu to snap a quick photo? How cool would that be?
TBRG: What is your guilty pleasure?
JAW: Food. Rich food. Creamy food. Fattening food. Oh, and I like mayonnaise. Yes, that would be the sound of my ass expanding.
TBRG: Who is on your playlist when you are writing?
JAW: Depends on the book. Right now, I’m finishing Richard “Rock” Babineaux’s story. He’s a ragin’ Cajun, so I’ve been listening to Beausoleil, Doug Kershaw, and Jo-El Sonneir.
TBRG: Where do your ideas/characters come from?
JAW: From real life! There’s a little bit of everyone I know in my books. We all have quirks and foibles and things that make us unique. I’m an observer of humanity – all writers are – and I like to incorporate peoples’ idiosyncrasies into my books. The things I love about folks, and the things folks seem to like about my characters, is that they’re fun and flawed and, above all else, individuals.
TBRG: Are you a planner or a fly by the seat author?
JAW: Truthfully, I’m a little of both, leaning more toward fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants.
TBRG: How did you come up with Black Knights Inc Series?
JAW: I volunteer at the USO, so I knew I had to write about soldier boys… oh, so honorable and courageous and sexy in uniform! LOL! And I’ve always had a thing for a leather-wearing, bad-boy motorcyclist. Which made me think, hmm, is there a way to combine the two? Black Knights Inc., baby!
TBRG: Tell us about the series?
JAW: Think Sons of Anarchy meets 007 and you’ve got the gist. I like to say they’re grease-monkey motorcycle mechanics by day, Uncle Sam’s last resort by night. 😉
TBRG: Tell us about Frank the hero of In Rides Trouble.
JAW: He’s the boss, which means he has a lot of responsibility. And he’s older than the rest of the crew, which means he tends to be a little grumpy. But under that tough, taciturn exterior is a heart as big and bold as a V-twin engine.
TBRG: Tell us about Becky, his heroine.
JAW: She audacious and irreverent, the polar-opposite of Frank. She’s the artistic and mechanically-inclined genius behind the exotic motorcycle designs that provide the cover for the Black Knights. And she loves pushing Frank’s buttons.
TBRG: Using 5 adjectives describe Frank.
JAW: Tough, Brave, Valiant, Potty-mouthed, Muscle-bound
TBRG: Using 5 adjectives describe Becky
JAW: Feisty, Funny, Daring, Dauntless, Tomboy
TBRG: The next book in the series Rev it Up comes out next month, what do you want us to know about it
JAW: It picks up right where In Rides Trouble leaves off. So if you were left wondering what the deal was between Snake and Shell, Rev It Up has the answer!
TBRG: What are you working on now?
JAW: I just finished the fourth book in the series. Rock’s book. It’s set in the steamy jungles of Costa Rica, he’s been listed as a rogue operator, and the only person who can help him clear his name is Vanessa, the Knights’ communications specialist. Bullets fly, hearts pound, engines rev… you know… all that BKI yumminess!
TBRG: Once again we want to thank Julie Ann for coming on and sharing this hot new series with us. I think of her books as a cross between Tara Janzen, Cindy Gerard and Maya Banks so if you like them you will love her.
Rebel with a Cause
Becky “Rebel” Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up at her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys-she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them.
Man with a Mission
Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank’s way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Yet it’s just his rotten luck when she ends up in a hostage situation at sea. Come hell or high water, he will get her back-whether she says she needs him or not.
Thank you for having me on today, Book Reading Gals. It’s been a blast!