An Interview, Giveaway, and New Release with Julie Ann Walker!

I have the extreme pleasure of welcoming a friend, mentor, and all around fabulous gal to my site today. In anticipation of Julie Ann Walker's new release Too Hard To Handle, she's answered a few questions, and, below is hosting a giveaway. Make sure you enter to win, and check out her new book! It's fan-friggen-tastic!

DC: Too Hard To Handle is a little different from the other books in the series, but it works. What was your thought process behind this?

JAW: It's funny, when I get questions regarding plotting or story design and structure, I feel like my expression becomes the quintessential deer-in-the-headlights.  Because the truth is, I don't plot or plan or scheme or design.  I simply get to know my characters really well -- we're talking ten page character outlines that delve into all aspects of their person from their appearance to their histories, motivations, the way they walk, the way they talk, their quirks, their pet peeves, their family connections, their occupations, so forth and so on.  And then I let them tell me the story.  So for Too Hard to Handle, I enjoyed going along for the ride as Dan "The Man" Currington and former Secret Service agent, Penni DePaul chased a CIA mole through the Andes mountains and the rough and tumble city of Cusco, Peru.  I loved watching them battle the traitor and their attraction for one another.  And I adored that they both had pasts that tried to pull them apart as much as push them together.  The struggle these two faced, both physically and emotionally, before reaching their happily-ever-after was very satisfying.        

DC: What made you go from being a mathematician to a romance author?

JAW: Ha!  Dumb luck!  I moved from Michigan to Chicago and had a tough time trying to wrap my head around teaching in an urban environment.  (I had previously taught advanced mathematics at rural or suburban schools, and really liked that small town teacher lifestyle.)  So when my husband, who's crazy supportive, told me to take some time off, I jumped at the chance.  And during that "time off" I decided to sit down and write a story on a lark.  It was a tale that had been in my head for a while.  After I finished writing that story, I entered it in a writing contest where, to my great surprise, it became a finalist.  From there I snagged an amazing agent who made a deal with an amazing publisher.  That story I wrote, the one that had been in my head for a while, was Hell on Wheels, the first book in my Black Knights Inc. series.  And the rest, as they say, is history.  So I sort of stumbled into the job of romance writer.  And, baby, I haven't looked back! 

DC: What do readers have to look forward to in the series?

JAW: So much!  Some of the characters who have become reader favorites, Ozzie, Angel, and Ace, have yet to find their happily-ever-afters and are certainly due.  There's an old villain from way back in the beginning of the series who will reappear and need to be dealt with.  There will be awesome motorcycle chases, and steamy sex scenes, and alpha men who finally meet their matches.  You know, all the good stuff.  *wink*  So, yeah, so much more fun to come!

DC: Out of all your heroes and heroines in the series, who is your favorite? Both male and female.

JAW: This is a total copout answer, but the truth is my favorite hero and heroine are always whoever I'm writing at the moment.  Like I said, I really get to know my characters.  And I find myself falling in love with them during the writing process.  Right now, I'm finishing the second novel in my Deep Six series called Devil and the Deep.  It stars Brando "Bran" Pallidino, a former Navy SEAL, and Madison "Maddy” Powers, a philanthropist.  Currently they are my absolute favorites!  *grins*

DC: Give me three things you'd take with you if the apocalypse was hitting tomorrow?

JAW: My husband, my handgun, and my multi-tool.  Obvi.  Ha!

Thanks so much for having me on today!  What a treat!

About the Book

Title: Too Hard To Handle

Author: Julie Ann Walker

Release Date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Genre: Romantic Suspense



Summary

"The Man" is back
Dan "The Man" Currington is back in fighting form with a mission that takes him four thousand miles south of BKI headquarters, high in the Andes Mountains of Peru. He's hot on the trail of a rogue CIA agent selling classified government secrets to the highest bidder, when Penni DePaul arrives on the scene. Suddenly the stakes are higher, and keeping Penni safe becomes Dan's number one priority.

And this time she's ready
A lot has changed since former Secret Service Agent Penni DePaul last saw Dan. Now a civilian, she's excited about what the future might hold. But before she can grab onto that future with both hands, she has to tie up some loose ends-namely, Dan Currington, the man she just can't forget. And a secret that's going to change both their lives-if they can stay alive, that is.

Buy Links


Amazon: http://amzn.to/1M9j6Mn

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1Q5vXyc

iBooks: http://apple.co/1RfS4En

IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1OUhLZ0

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Author Biography

Julie Ann Walker is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling Author of the Black Knights Inc. romantic suspense series. She is prone to spouting movie quotes and song lyrics. She'll never say no to sharing a glass of wine or going for a long walk. She prefers impromptu travel over the scheduled kind, and she takes her coffee with milk. You can find her on her bicycle along the lake shore in Chicago or blasting away at her keyboard, trying to wrangle her capricious imagination into submission. For more information, please visit www.julieannwalker.com or follow her on Facebook www.facebook.com/jawalkerauthor and/or Twitter @JAWalkerAuthor.

Social Networking Links

Website: http://julieannwalker.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jawalkerauthor 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JAWalkerAuthor 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5342916.Julie_Ann_Walker

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