What I Love About Blaze

If you’ve been reading my Blazes for any length of time—say, at least a year—you may have already guessed that I have a hard time settling down with any one style of story. I’ve written a Blaze time travel, several dark cop dramas, a Sex in the City style series set in South Beach, a Wrong Bed, and a couple of pseudo-pirates on the prowl. In March, I’ll add a cursed sports agent and a psychic investigator to the mix. Some of my stories have been more along the lines of a sexy romp while others have been angsty explorations of sensuality. There’s a chance my rampant story explorations have made it tougher for readers to know what to expect from a Joanne Rock read. But I’ve gotta say—I love that I can do so many different things in Blaze.

Where else can readers find such huge diversity in plot lines? From strong suspense plots to the occasional ghost or vampire, Blaze charts a huge amount of story terrain in six books a month. With a wide range of recurring miniseries like Forbidden Fantasies, the Wrong Bed, Extreme and Blush, the line makes it easy for fans to find the type of Blaze that most appeals to them. This summer, the series charts all new territory in a traditionally contemporary line when Blaze introduces its first historical—Hope Tarr’s Bound and Determined. I’m hoping readers are excited about seeing a Blaze style premise played out in a historical setting as I am.

Because, quite honestly, writing for Blaze is a writer’s dream from a creative perspective. With the only dictate being a red-hot premise, the sky’s the limit on plot development. I have the freedom to listen to my Muse and follow where she dictates.

Take for instance GETTING LUCKY, my March release. I wanted to write a story set in the Thousand Islands ever since I read a book about Boldt Castle. The setting is remote and romantic, the kind of backdrop you’d see in an old Gothic novel. Furthermore, I hoped to use some of those Gothic elements to enrich the story. But what would work in a Blaze?

Enter my blue blood sports agent who is losing his career and his assets at an alarming rate. He retreats to the family place where he grew up to meet with a psychic investigator in the hope she can remove whatever curse is hanging over his head. And before I knew it, spooky things were happening left and right while my couple discovered the unlucky hero definitely hadn’t lost his mojo in the bedroom. I had so much fun with this story. And it could only happen in a Blaze.

Here’s an excerpt I hope you’ll enjoy. And even if my March Blaze isn’t up your alley, I hope you’ll check out the rest of the month’s offering. I’ll bet you’ll find something fabulous…