Krystal Shannan Interviews - Jerrie Alexander - The Green-Eyed Doll - Give@way

Please help me welcome Jerrie Alexander to the blog today! I'm super excited to hear about her new release.

Krystal! Thank you for inviting me to hang out with you and your readers today. I appreciate the opportunity.

So glad to have you, Jerrie. Tell us a little about yourself. 

A student of  creative writing in her youth, Jerrie set aside her passion when life presented her with a John Wayne husband, and two wonderful children.  A career in logistics offered her the opportunity to travel to many beautiful locations in America, and she revisits them in her romantic suspense novels.  

But the characters went with her, talked to her, and insisted she share their dark, sexy stories with others.  She writes alpha males and kick-ass women who weave their way through death and fear to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other.  She likes to torture people, make them suffer, and if they’re strong enough, they live happily ever after. 

Jerrie lives in Texas, loves sunshine, children’s laughter, sugar (human and granulated), and researching for her heroes and heroines. 

Did you always want to be an author? What made you choose to write romance?

I discovered journalism back in high school, but the more I wrote, the more I wanted to embellish the story, which of course wasn't allowed. So I switched to creative writing. Life and work took me on a different path for a while, but writing was never far away. 

I'll share a secret with you. I still have the stories I turned in for grades. They moved with us from Texas, to California, Arkansas, Georgia and back to Texas. No one will ever see them but they are that important to me.

What is your favorite part of being a writer/author?

Entertaining people. Nothing pleases me more than taking them out of their everyday life and into a world of danger, love, and suspense. 

When a reader finishes one of my books, I hope they feel as if they personally knew the characters, that they loved the conflicts and romance. If that happens with every book, then I'll have achieved my goal!

Tell us a little about your book. What inspired you to write it?

Research! I was studying FBI profiler files on serial killers, looking at the different triggers or events that cause a person to snap. In the middle of a discussion on what I'd read and the direction I'd picked, my daughter named the book. 

BLURB:

Catherine McCoy is running from her past. She's been on the move for a year, hiding the secret and guilt in her heart. When she lands in small-town Texas and meets Sheriff Matt Ballard, he ignites a flame she thought lost forever.

Matt has scars of his own. He left the big city after an undercover operation went bad and his partner was killed. Now, as Matt hunts for a serial killer who paints his victims like porcelain dolls, Catherine becomes a safe haven for him. Two tortured souls finding comfort in each other's arms—until he uncovers her secret, and their bond of trust is broken.

When Catherine disappears, Matt races to find her, fearing the murderer has found his next green-eyed doll. But the killer has a surprise coming. Catherine will fight to the death before she'll be a victim. But will her determination be enough?

Here's a sneak peek at THE GREEN-EYED DOLL!

Catherine paced and argued with herself. Should she stay or go home? She’d told Matt he’d need a friend after the first woman went missing and now this. She couldn’t imagine the pressure he must be under. Her plan was to have a hot supper waiting for him. She’d basted and basted until the roast withered and fell apart. The once firm potatoes? Mush. The gravy was a light brown paste. 

Benedict Arnold stood and trotted to the back door before Catherine heard Matt’s pickup. The dog was glad to know Matt was home, too. She leaned back against the kitchen counter and waited.   

“Hey.” A lame greeting, but seeing him stunned her speechless.

 Dark circles and cold, weary, blue eyes marred his Michelangelo face. His black hair fell in disarray and looked like he’d raked his fingers through a number of times today. His chiseled jaw and chin were dark with a long day’s stubble. With a couple of long strides, he pinned her between him and the counter. He framed her face with his hands, closed his eyes, and lowered his forehead to hers. They stood in silence for a long time, unmoving, their bodies not touching. Fear for the missing woman radiated off him.

His anguish, more than she’d planned for, hit her hard. His dedication and concern, traits she admired, shook her conviction that no man could be trusted. His tenderness, something she’d never had, touched a long-neglected place in her soul. 

Do you plot and outline or do you just write?  Plotter or Pantser?

Plot? I can hear my critique partner if she reads this. She'll roll around on the floor laughing. She's worked diligently and demonstrated an amazing amount of patience to teach me to plot. I know how, just can't make myself. I do a full blown character profile on and the players before I start writing. I get to know them in depth, point them toward a disaster and let them take over. I guess you could call me a plotster.

Can you tell us about the process of getting your first book published?

Can you say rejection? They're not fun but for me it was part of the learning process. I didn't keep them, but I tried to learn from each one. I rewrote, tweaked, and rewrote some more until I got it right. 

What advice would you give new authors? What have you learned about the business?

First thing that came to mind was to never give up on your dream, but I have to add research. Know what you want to write. What makes you happy? I tried straight contemporary at first, but that genre wasn't a good fit for me. I love romantic suspense and things started to click when I swapped genres. 

This business is tough, and requires hard work. You have to keep writing, and writing, and writing!

SO TRUE! Don't ever let the stories stop :-)

Do you have another book in the works?

I do! THE LAST EXECUTION is waiting release. And HELL or HIGH WATER, the first book in the LOST and FOUND, Inc. series is waiting for a release date. They may have dates by this time.

My current work in process, His to Lose, is the second book in the series.

What do you like to do in your free time, besides read and write of course?

I love to hang out with family and friends. I paint a little and love to bake. There's usually a cake, or brownies, or pie in my kitchen. 

Where do you dream of going on vacation?

Anywhere the ocean is clear, the water is warm, and the snorkeling is stellar. Australia is a long flight but snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef would make the trip worth every minute.

Boxers or Briefs? Briefs

Cookies or cake? I have to choose? Okay...cake

Pizza or hamburger? Pizza

Beer, Wine, or mixed drink? If I can't have coffee, bring me a bloody mary. :)

(Hero/Heroine Character Questions)

What were your first impressions of each other?

Catherine McCoy: The last thing I need was to be pulled over by a nosey sheriff who I thought was going to give me a ticket for an illegal u-turn. I mean, really? No way could I spare that kind of money. Behind his aviator sunglasses was a gorgeous pair if blue eyes that apparently saw my predicament. He gave me a warning.

Sheriff Matt Ballard: First impression? Hmm...for a routine stop, I thought she was a bit too nervous. She damn near knocked me down with her car door. She broke my sunglasses and blinded me with her wildfire red hair and green eyes. 

What’s your favorite characteristic of each other?

Catherine: His honesty and truthfulness. He's dedicated to defend and protect those who can't protect themselves. 

Matt: She's the most determined, hardheaded woman I've met. She refuses help of any kind. It's frustrating sometimes, but I respect her desire to be self-sufficient. 

What are your plans for the near future? 

I hope to have, SOMEONE to WATCH OVER ME, a short story sold soon. And finishing HIS to LOSE is a priority. Plus we're celebrating the release of THE GREEN-EYED DOLL!

Jerrie will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn commenter at the end of each week, and a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn commenter from all comments during the tour, awarded at the end of the tour. Be sure to leave your name and email, remember no email = no entry.

Tour Stops

(She's also awarding a Barnes and Noble GC to one randomly drawn host...... so please leave me lots of great comments so I can win too!!!! Hugs!)

Be sure to visit Jerrie@

http://www.jerriealexander.com

http://www.twitter.com/jerriealexander

http://www.facebook.com/JerrieAlexanderAuthor

http://www.Goodreads.com/jerriealexander