Interview with Joya Fields

Welcome to Tuesday here on the Warrior Princess Romance Writer Blog.  Today I am thrilled to have Joya Fields with me.

     Joya Fields has had over 100 stories and articles published in local and national magazines and her debut novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE, a romantic suspense, will release January, 2012 from The Wild Rose Press. Her first novella, LOVE DELIVERED, a contemporary romance, releases December 21, 2011.

     Over the years, Joya has taught arts and crafts, worked in public relations, owned a daycare center, helped her children raise prize-winning 4-H livestock, competed in three marathons, and even spent a year as a Baltimore Colts cheerleader. Joya loves spending time with her high school sweetheart/husband of over twenty years, two very supportive children, and a pug who follows her everywhere. 

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

My favorite thing about being a writer is that I get to learn new stuff every single day. I’ve been on police ride-alongs, traveled to burial grounds in search of ghosts, and I’m hoping to be able to sit with a disc jockey during her night-time show in the coming weeks to learn about being a radio DJ. I have to agree.  Getting to do these great things are some of my favorite reasons for writing.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

This is such a great question, because I realized early on in my writing career that I write the same theme over and over again. What I’d like my readers to grasp after reading one of my stories is that bad things happen in life. It’s a part of living. But we are strong enough to get through them, and when life gets tough, if the right person comes along, we can be happy again. That’s the message I find myself writing over and over again. No matter how bad things seem, I really believe love can get you through it and I hope my readers gain a little strength from that message.

How long have you been a writer? 

I’ve been writing professionally for eight years now. I started out writing non-fiction articles for a local parenting magazine. I still write for them occasionally, and that job taught me a lot about working with editors. Editors can make a story sooo much stronger. After a year or so, I added short story writing to my daily time at the computer, and I’ve had many short stories published. All the while, I plugged away at novel writing. LOVE DELIVERED, which releases on December 21^st, is my first short story to be published at The Wild Rose Press, and BENEATH THE SURFACE, my debut novel, releases on January 18^th.

Are any of your characters based on real people or events?

Well, please don’t tell my brother-in-law, because he’d be hugely embarrassed, but the hero in LOVE DELIVERED does a lot of the things my brother-in-law does in real life. He’s the type of person who quietly steps in to help people, is generous to a fault, and never expects recognition. He’s in the dedication of the book, but since he doesn’t read romance, I think my secret is safe. The small town depicted in the book, especially the July 4^th parade scene, is very similar to our July 4^th family celebration. And of course, my heroes are always modeled after my husband, whose sense of humor and caring nature shines through every good guy I write.

What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?

One thing from my past that people usually find entertaining is that I used to be a professional cheerleader. While in college, I secretly tried out for the local NFL team’s squad. I say secretly, because I didn’t think I had a shot of making it. Imagine my surprise when I heard my number called and became a Baltimore Colts cheerleader! Unfortunately, I only got to cheer for them for one year because the team left town, but that was one fabulous and fun year.

 Joya's books are arriving soon.  Check them out!

 LOVE DELIVERED, my short story, releases on December 21, 2011 and BENEATH THE SURFACE, a romantic suspense novel, will release January 18, 2011 through The Wild Rose Press. I’m currently having a blast working on a ghost story trilogy.

For more information on Joya Fields please use the following links. 

1. Website: www.joyafields.com
2. Blog: http://joyafieldswriting.blogspot.com/
3. Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JoyaFields
4. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1053320407

Here's a little bit about LOVE DELIVERED

Bianca McClain has worked for years to achieve her dream job in New York City. After her grandmother passes away, she finds herself returning to the small town she grew up in to ready her house for sale. The slow, friendly pace of the town and its citizens, especially Pete the mailman, appeal to her—but there’s no way she’s giving up everything she’s accomplished in New York.

Born and raised in Centreville, MD, Pete Schaeffer loves his small town mail carrier job and can’t imagine leaving for any reason—or anyone—so he's dumbfounded by his intense attraction to Bianca, a woman with a fast-paced life in the big city.

Pete and Bianca soon find themselves lost in each other’s arms. When the summer ends, they will have big decisions to make. Will the small-town guy and big-city girl find common ground and lasting love, or will their differences drive them apart?

Purchase LOVE DELIVERED at these locations.

The Wild Rose Press: 

Amazon: