Interview and Giveaway with Beverly Jenkins

Welcome to Book of Secrets, Beverly!  Please tell us a little about your background.

I am the oldest of seven. I'm widowed and the mother of two. My first writing "gig" was as editor of my elementary school newspaper when i was in the 4th grade.

How would you describe yourself using five words only?

Writer. Grateful. Historian. Seeker. Open.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The writer has always been in me, but I considered myself a "real" writer when Avon published my first historical Night Song in 1994.

Please tell us a little about your latest release, NIGHT HAWK.

Night Hawk is my 25th book from Avon books. It's a western and features a character my readers have been eagerly awaiting for a decade. He's a gun toting, Bible quoting bounty hunter aka The Preacher. Our heroine is Maggie Freeman, a no nonsense - take no prisoner kind of woman. When she is falsely charged with murder, Preacher has to escort her to Denver to have her day in court. On the way, sparks fly and passion blooms.

What was your source of inspiration behind this book?

Mostly my legion of readers. :) Preacher appeared previously in my 1999 Avon release - The Taming of Jessi Rose, and was also a pivotal secondary character in Something Like Love, published by Avon in 2005.

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in your book/series? Were there challenges or obstacles you had to overcome?

Night Hawk can be looked at as a spin off of the other westerns I've written because many of the characters overlap in the stories. Most revolve around my small fictional town of Henry Adams KS and the Black Semionole outlaw family of Neil and Teresa July.

Who was your favorite character to write and why?

Favorite character had to be Maggie because in spite of all the lemons life threw at her, she made lemonade out of it and kept her head and spirit high.

Which character was the most challenging to write and why?

Preacher - so challenging because not only does he have many names, but he had a multi layered personality as well.

What was one of the most interesting things you learned in researching your book?

I try and incorporate little known American history in each of my historicals and I always learn something interesting. In Night Hawk, a friend of Preacher's is Chinese. The history of her family in America was fascinating and eye openining. Also fascinating was the role women played in the formation of the state of Wyoming. They were allowed to vote decades before women in the rest of the nation.

What is your writing process like?

I write at night. It was the only time I could carve out when my children were growing up.

How do you create your characters' names?

I'm a big football fan so many of my names are lifted from the backs of players jerseys. :) For my historical names, the Bible is a good source as are the list of freedman names on various history based websites.

Do you find it difficult to write in different genres? Is there one you prefer?

For whatever reason, going between genres isn't difficult. I rank historicals as my first love and the romantic suspense a close second.

Who is your target audience? Have you been able to crossover into other audiences too?

My target audience is anyone who loves a good story. I get quite a bit of crossover because in addition to the historicals, I write contemporary romance, mainstream women's fiction, romantic suspense, and have written for the YA historical market, too.

What was the last amazing book you read?

Last amazing book is the second book in the Magic Bites series by Ilona Andrews. I'm a huge fantasy fan and the Magic Bite world rocks.

What has surprised you most since becoming a published author?

Most surprising is that readers love my stories and have done so for seventeen years. Blows me away.

Find Beverly on the web: http://www.beverlyjenkins.net/  

Night Hawk 
By Beverly Jenkins
ISBN: 006203264X

Paperback; 384 pages

eBook: yes

Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: 10/25/2011

Outlaw. Preacher. Night Hawk. He’s had many names, but he can’t escape the past.

Since Ian Vance’s beloved wife was murdered years ago, the hardened bounty hunter knows he’ll never feel love or tenderness again, so he’s made it his mission to ensure others get their justice. But when he’s charged with delivering a sharp-eyed beauty to the law, Ian can’t help but feel he may still have something left to lose.

Orphaned at twelve, Maggie Freeman has always found her way out of trouble. But now there’s a vigilante mob at her back who would like nothing more than to see her hang for a crime she didn’t commit. Maggie may have to accept help for the first time in her life...even if it’s from the one man standing between her and freedom.

As the past closes in, the sassy prisoner and toughened lawman may just find a passion between them that could bring blinding happiness...if they’ll let it.

Giveaway Details:

Beverly is giving away one copy of NIGHT HAWK to a reader in the US and one in Canada!  To enter the giveaway,

• Leave a comment on this post.
• Include your e-mail address.
• Important: Let me know if you are in the US or Canada!

Contest closes on 11/8/2011 @ 11:59 pm CST.  The two winners will be notified by e-mail, and they will have 48 hours to respond.  Good luck!