Interview with Author Adrienne Giordano and Giveaway

Today I am happy to welcome author Adrienne Giordano to RFTC. Adrienne is celebrating the release of her newest book Opposing Forces and has stopped by to answer a few questions. Please give Adrienne a very warm welcome.

Adrienne Giordano writes romantic suspense and mystery.  She is a Jersey girl at heart, but now lives in the Midwest with her workaholic husband, sports obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten Terrorist (Terrier). She is a co-founder of Romance University blog and Lady Jane's Salon-Naperville, a reading series dedicated to romantic fiction. For more information on Adrienne's books please visit www.AdrienneGiordano.com.

Places to find Adrienne:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Dangerous Darlings Street Team | 

First off, can you tell us a bit about you?
I’m a born and bred Jersey girl now living in the Midwest. I’ve been published since 2010 and I currently have the Private Protectors (romantic suspense) series out. Opposing Forces is the sixth release in that series. When I’m not writing, I’m hanging out with my hubby, baseball obsessed son and Buddy the Wheaten “Terrorist” Terrier. That dog is cute as can be, but he’s a handful. Still, when he curls up on Momma’s lap (he’s fifty pounds) his sins are instantly forgiven.

Did you always want to be a writer?
I was in high school when I decided I’d write a book someday. Recently, my mom shared with me some of my early “work” from the fifth grade. I guess even then I had imaginary people talking to me.

What kind of writer are you? Panster or Plotter?
I’m a hybrid. I used to be a pure pantser and then I wrote a book that was 135,000 words and was told it needed to be 90,000. Yowzer! That cured me of pantsing an entire book. =) Over the past few years, I’ve become a plot structure fiend and like to figure out the book’s major turning points before I begin writing. I also do a lot of prep work (character interviewers, scene charts, etc.) before I start chapter one. That being said, I tend to pants a little as I’m writing. I figure as long as I know where the story needs to go, the pantsing usually works out okay. For my next book, I’m trying Scrivener. I think I’ll like it but there’s a huge learning curve.

Where do your ideas come from?
Everywhere. The newspaper is chock full of great story ideas. I usually flip through the first few sections of the paper and save any articles that catch my eye. When I’m ready to start a new story, I pull out my “treasure box” of articles and go through it. Sometimes though, particularly for my Private Protectors series, something will intrigue me about a secondary character and I decide that person needs a book. I wrote A Just Deception because I wondered why Monk (secondary character in Man Law) wore a do-rag. Peter “Monk” Jessup got a book simply because I wanted to explore how a guy from a blue blood family came to wearing do-rags and driving his mother crazy.

A la Twitter style, can you describe your book (or series) in 140 characters or less.
You can guard your heart, but there’s no protection from true love.

What are some of your favorite kinds of stories to read?
Romantic suspense, thrillers, contemporary romance. I also like non-fiction. Mostly true crime and biographies. Right now I’m reading a book by a retired FBI agent who went undercover as a mob guy. Very interesting. It’s called Making Jack Falcone.

Do you have a favorite book and if so what is it?
I have a ton of favorite books! Currently I’m addicted to Laura Griffin’s Tracers series. Great fun! Another of my favorites is Flashpoint by Suzanne Brockmann (Oh, that Jimmy Nash…).

What are the scenes that are the hardest for you to write?
The ones where I have to completely tear down my hero or heroine so they can grow emotionally and come back stronger. There’s a scene in Man Law that was so emotionally draining I had to take a few days off afterward. It was tough stuff and I still hate that I did it, but when I look back on it, I know it was a pivotal growth point for Vic Andrews. He needed to suffer a paralyzing loss in order to recognize how important loved ones are. I took a ton of heat from readers for that twist, but it was worth it to know that I’d impacted people on such an emotional level.

If you could have dinner with any three authors, who would you choose and why?
Oh, I love this question. I’d choose Cherry Adair because she is hilarious and I think the two of us could get into a lot of trouble together. The last two I would pick are my pals Tracey Devlyn and Kelsey Browning. The three of us have navigated this publishing journey together and have shared the ups, the downs, (the sideways!) and anything else that’s come our way. They’re my critique partners and my go-to girls on everything and anything publishing related. So, yeah, I always want to share a meal with them.

Last question, are you working on anything right now?
I’m always working on something. I think the key to surviving in publishing is to always have something going. Right now I’m working on a new single title and the second book of a Harlequin Intrigue duet. The hero in the first of the Intrigue books is a prosecutor in Chicago and the heroine in the second book is his defense lawyer sister. They’ve been a ton of fun to write because I got to explore all sorts of family dynamics.


I loved question nine so I’m stealing it. Readers, which author would you have dinner with and why? I’m insanely curious to see the responses.

Jackson Lynx always has a plan. He wouldn’t be Vice President at Taylor Security if he wasn’t steady, smart and reliable. But as capable as he is, he’s not perfect. Approaching the one-year anniversary of kicking his prescription-drug habit, the last thing Lynx needs is temptation. Celibacy is part of his recovery plan. But then Jillian Murdoch asks for his help…

Jillian loves her job—managing pharmaceutical distribution—and she’s suspicious when an unscheduled delivery shows up late on a Friday night. Then someone breaks into her home and, terrified, she asks Lynx to install a security system. Grateful for his help, she’s wary of her attraction to him… She recognizes the Serenity Prayer on his mirror and can’t get involved with an addict.

But when they uncover dangerous secrets they’ll have to trust one another. Their lives, and their hearts, depend on it.

Purchase: | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes |

Check out the Private Protector series:

Click for info.

**Special Giveaway**

Would you like the latest information on Adrienne’s books? Get the Adrienne Giordano app and keep up with the action. Download the app before June 30 and be entered into a drawing to win a Private Protectors gift bag containing a print copy of Man Law (only 15 of those babies in existence!), a set of bullet earrings, a bracelet and a Keeper Kase. Instructions on how to enter the drawing can be found on the app’s announcements page.

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs: 

• Everyone that leaves a comment and fills out the Rafflecopter form will win themselves a an eBook copy of Risking Trust. 

To Enter: 

• Please answer the question: Which author would you have dinner with and why?
• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway