Jamie Denton

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Tracy Farnsworth

Tracy- When I was four, my parents made the move from Cupertino, California to Northern Vermont. You also moved from sunny California to North Dakota, do you miss the warmth, especially at winter, or do you enjoy the winter wonderland?

Jamie- Let's just say I love it when it snows so we can enjoy a white Christmas, but then I think it needs to melt and warm up a bit. Our winters seem to start right around Halloween and don't go away until after Easter, which makes for a very long season by anyone standards. Three weeks of 32 below zero is not uncommon during a North Dakota winter, nor are wind chills of 100 below zero. Strange as it may sound from a girl that spent her summers on the warm sandy beaches, the snow and cold have been a good trade off though. Where else can I keep my keys in my car so I remember where I put them? We have a satellite dish that gives us both the east and west coast channels, so when I do occasionally catch the L.A. news, it's always a reminder of why we relocated. While the L.A. news is filled with gangland shootings, high speed car chases and one murder after another, the highlights on our local news is a grain truck that overturned on Highway 83.

Small town life was an adjustment for this city girl. While we do think about moving somewhere that doesn't have winter for seven months out of the year, there's no question that it'd be to another small town. We enjoy the peace and quiet and relative safety of small town life. It's nice not to have to worry about locking your doors or setting the alarm system at night.

Still, there are so many things I do miss about Southern California. A ten-minute drive to the mall vs. an hour drive or three-hour drive. Name brands that I recognize at the grocery store, like Knutsen cottage cheese, Dryer's Cookie Dough Ice Cream, a wide variety of flavored creamers for my morning coffee, and the ingredients to make my own Mexican food. Oh, and fresh seafood. The closest we can get to seafood is Red Lobster and that's a three-hour drive in one direction. Good cottage cheese that's firm, not runny, is also a challenge to find. Fast food joints and restaurants in general. There's no running to Mickey D's for a burger because it's an hour away. And I really miss Carl's Jr., El Pollo Loco, Claim Jumper, Charlie Browns, Red Onion, Don Jose's, Bobby McGee's, Stuart Anderson's and anything that sells good Mexican or Italian food.

Tracy- Your sister-in-law, Terry, is credited with starting your writing career. What were some of the authors who hooked you into the world of romance?

Jamie- It would have to be Kathleen Woodiwiss's Ashes in the Wind and Rosemary Rodgers Wicked Loving Lies that hooked me. After that, I couldn't get my hands on enough romance novels, but back in the late 70's and early 80's there weren't all that many to choose from. My mother and I used to share a subscription to Harlequin Presents and waiting for the next shipment of books was agonizing. I cut my teeth on Carole Mortimer, Charlotte Lamb, Anne Mather and Charlotte Winspear. Then I discovered more historical romances and devoured anything by Johanna Lindsey and Jude Deveraux.

Today my reading tastes have changed and there's not much I won't read. In single title romance, anything by Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Linda Howard, JoAnn Ross, Dee Holmes, Julie Kenner, Catherine Anderson, Susan Anderson, Cherry Adair, Victoria Alexander, Ruth Wind, Teresa Medeiros, Lisa Gardener, and Kinley MacGregor is an auto buy for me. I also enjoy a good horror novel now and then and tend to stick with Dean Koontz and the occasional Stephen King. John Grisham's legal thrillers and anything Sydney Sheldon puts out is a must have. The list in series romance is filled with friends; Janelle Denison, Jill Shalvis, Carly Phillips, Vicki Lewis Thompson, Darlene Graham, Kathryn Shay, Jan Freed, Julie Elizabeth Leto, Holly Jacobs, Susan Floyd, Anna Adams, Alison Kent, Rogenna Brewer, Judith Arnold, Janice Kay Johnson, Day Leclaire, Brenda Novak, Debra Salonen, Leslie Kelly, and I know I'm forgetting someone.

Tracy- When or if you have down time, what hobbies do you enjoy? Which relaxes you the most? I know you are a gardener as I am, do you prefer one over the other (veggie, flower, herbs, etc.)?

Jamie- I have lots of hobbies that I enjoy and work real hard to make sure I take the time to enjoy them. Cross-stitching is probably my favorite thing to do, followed by crocheting and then sewing. I'm determined to learn how to machine quilt this year because I think they'd make fabulous gifts for my sons and grandchildren. Yes, I'm a grandmother, three times over so far, and I'm only 41! That's what you get for getting married so young <vbg>.

When it comes to gardening, my husband is the veggie gardener obsessed with getting the best tomatoes every year. I prefer puttering around in my flower gardens. I have a huge perennial garden that stretches the length of my house in the front and a smaller one in the center of my back yard. I love it when The Green House opens on Mother's Day because then I go load up on annuals for my planters on my patio and front porch, and of course I don't miss out on adding more perennials to both gardens.

Tracy- You have been an extremely prolific writer starting with your first book, THE SECRET CHILD in 1995, followed by FLIRTING WITH DANGER in 1998. Given the span of time it took for you to sell the second book, did you ever feel like you should give up, or did you have the inner sense that sticking it out would pay off?

Jamie- Remember The Dark Ages? That period in history where there was little of the arts? Well, that's what I call those days between the sale of the first and second book. They were emotionally trying times for me and there were days when I seriously considered the sale of the first book was a fluke, a cosmic wonder that could never be repeated. I learned a lot about myself and about writing during that three year no sale period, so regardless how difficult it was to go through at the time, it helped me grow and become a better writer.

I had received an offer to teach at the university during that period. It was a golden opportunity for me, but I remember having a fit of tears and crying on my husband's shoulder, telling him that the only reason the teaching door opened was because the writing one was being slammed in my face. In a rare moment of infinite wisdom, he told me that it was only going to close if I let it. As much as I hate admitting he was right, he spoke the truth. I knew then that I couldn't let it close.

My career partner, Janelle Denison was also very instrumental in keeping me out of the deep dark abyss. She said that if I quit, I'd never know if the next book was the one that would finally sell, and she too was right. The other piece of sterling advice I received was from my dear friend, JoAnn Ross. She pounded it into my head to stop trying to write what I thought the editors wanted and write what I wanted. In other words, write from the heart. A rejection letter from a Silhouette editor I was working with on a couple of projects also provided a bit of advice that was invaluable. She told me to stop holding back and not be afraid to just let go and let my characters be quirky and different.

Combine all that wonderful advice with my own drive and determination, and I knew I couldn't stop writing. I'm so glad I listened.

Tracy- Despite the current problems that you are having with your server, your site is fantastic! Being an avid cook, I am especially fond of "Just Desserts", a section that is full of tempting dessert recipes and more! Have you ever considered attempting a "culinary romance"? While there have been a few attempts, no one has managed to break into that market, yet culinary mysteries are hot items.

Jamie- Ugh! Let's not talk about hosting service problems, but thank you for the compliments on the site. My husband, completely self-taught, designed it for me. He also designed the SuperAuthors.com website as well as Brenda Novak' website.

As for a culinary romance, I can honestly say I've never given it much thought. I love to cook and I love to write, but I've never considered attempting to combine the two.

Tracy- Your upcoming September release, THE BIOLOGICAL BOND, must hold a place in your heart. You were adopted and raised by a loving family, and you also searched and were successful in finding your natural mother. Do you have any advice for others who may be searching for their natural family?

Jamie- I was so very fortunate. Not only did I find my birth mother, but I also reconnected with my two older natural sisters and discovered I had a younger, half sister. My adoptive mother used to tell me about the closeness I had with my middle sister, Stephanie, and once we met, it was a very strange meeting. It was like we were never separated. I was only 9 months old when I was giving up for adoption and way too young to remember her, but the bond was there and to this day, we're still very close.

Finding your birth parents does not always equate to a happy ending. Anyone searching for his or her birth family needs to be prepared for disappointment. A dear friend located his birth mother and when he met her, she told him she gave him up because she didn't want him and she still had no interest in seeing him. Not only was he rejected once, but twice. That's difficult for anyone to handle, but for an adopted child who's had to cope with abandonment issues their entire life, it's doubly hard.

Tracy- To my amazement, you have three books coming out this fall. You are an extremely busy lady! You also have a series planned for 2002. Care to tell readers what is coming out in the near future?

Jamie- The fun starts in September with The Biological Bond, my first book for Harlequin American Romance. October will see the release of my first Blaze, Sleeping with the Enemy, and in December Under the Covers, a Temptation "Heat" will be on the shelves. And in April 2002, Seduced by the Enemy, the sequel to my October Blaze will be available.

Also in 2002, Harlequin Temptation is publishing my very first trilogy, Some Like it Hot. I'm very excited about these books. It's my firehouse trilogy, the story of three brothers who all work for the same fire station in different capacities. First up is Too Hot to Handle with Cale Perry, the paramedic, and Maggie, a victim of amnesia who regains her memory, but it's the wrong memory. She thinks she's a hired assassin! Playing with Fire is up next with Drew the arson inspector and playboy of the brothers, until he falls hard for Emily, a cooking school instructor who doesn't know the first thing about cooking. And finally in Heat of Passion, Ben, the only real fireman of the brothers finds himself grounded because of an injury. Jana, an OSHA inspector who's making Ben's life difficult is determined to experience her first orgasm. She decides the sexy Ben will be the one to take her on an incredible journey.

In the not too distant future, I'll have a continuity book in one of Harlequin's continuity series and also a series for Temptation, R.S.V.P. that I'll be doing with Jill Shalvis and Leslie Kelly, which promises to be loads of fun with plenty of heat!

I want to thank you so much for your time! Between writing, conventions and fighting with servers <G>, I am amazed that you have time to respond to fans! It means a lot.

Thank you Tracy!  This has been loads of fun.

Jamie

(Click here for a review of The Biological Bond)

Jamie Denton's Books

THE SECRET CHILD (Harlequin Super Romance #663) October 1995

FLIRTING WITH DANGER (Harlequin Temptation "Blaze" # 708) November 1998

THE SEDUCTION OF SIDNEY (Harlequin Temptation "Blaze" #748) September 1999

VALENTINE FANTASY (Harlequin Temptation #767) January 2000

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT (Harlequin Rules series #793) August 2000

BREAKING THE RULES (Harlequin Rules Series #797) September 2000

MAKING MR. RIGHT/I WAXED MY LEGS FOR THIS? (Harlequin Duets #43) January 2001

THE BIOLOGICAL BOND (Harlequin American #892) September 2001