Irene Hannon Interview

Q: Let me start with asking you to tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: I think the official bio will run with this interview, but here’s what that doesn’t tell you: I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, I’ve been married to my own romantic hero for 25 years as of September, and I love desserts!

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A. I was born a writer. I’ve always believed writing, like any other talent, is a gift. But the first time I realized I might have the knack for storytelling was at age 10, when I was one of the honorees in a writing contest sponsored by a national children’s magazine.

Q: What do you write and why this genre?
A.I write both romantic suspense and contemporary romance/women’s fiction. I chose the romance genre because it allows me to highlight the tremendous power of love to transform lives. Plus, I love happy endings! My first published books were all contemporary romance, but the truth is the very first book I wrote (a novella) was a romantic suspense. Totally unpublishable at that early stage of my writing career, but romantic suspense was obviously my first love. I blame that on Nancy Drew!

Q: Do you base your characters on people you know or are they totally made up?
A: None of my characters are based on real people, but traits of many of the people I’ve met do show up in these characters.

Q: Would you tell us about your current book release Deceived?
A: Here’s the back cover copy: “For three years, Kate Marshall has been mourning the loss of her husband and four-year-old son in a boating accident. But when she spots a familiar-looking child on a mall escalator, she’s convinced it’s her son. With police skeptical of her story, she turns to private investigator Connor Sullivan for help. As the former Secret Service agent digs into the case, the boating ‘accident’ begins to look more and more suspicious. But if Kate’s son is alive, someone is intent on keeping him hidden—and may go to lethal lengths to protect a sinister secret.”
This is Book 3 in my Private Justice series, which focuses on three ex-law enforcement operatives who join forces to form a PI firm. Like all my series book, this can be read as a standalone novel.

The early reviews have been very gratifying. RT Book Reviews says it’s “an intriguing thrill ride from start to finish,” and Suspense Magazine calls it a “terrific read.”

Q: Where did the idea for this story come from?
A. I wish I knew! As with most of my books, the idea came from a tiny seed planted by something I read, or a conversation I overheard, or a situation I observed. I usually can’t pinpoint what triggered a story idea. Vanished, Book 1, in the series, is the exception to that rule. I can remember exactly when the idea for the novel—and the whole series—came to me. I was driving home from church in the dark, on a narrow road, and a bicyclist suddenly appeared in my headlights. I swerved…and that got me thinking. What if a woman was driving alone on a rainy night in the country, and a figure appeared in her headlights? What if she veered away, but knew she’d hit the person? What if she bumped her head, and a stranger stopped to help. What if she blacked out, then awakened to find no sign of the stranger or the person she’d hit? That handful of seconds with the bicyclist started it all!

Q: Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her.
A: There are three main characters in Deceived—and hero, heroine and villain—and several supporting characters. With all of my characters, I spend a lot of time developing their backstories before I begin writing. This is particularly important for the villain. In all my suspense novels, I include the villain’s POV. Creating a villain is an interesting challenge—I want a dimensional character, not just an evil person. Most of my villains are sympathetic in some way, with at least a few good qualities. But something in their past or in recent events has pushed them over a line. That’s the case in Deceived. As for the hero and heroine, I try to give them backstories that will produce lots of internal conflict; they’re usually working through something in their past that affects how they deal with each other in the current high-pressure situation.

Q: Would you share with us what you are working on now?
A. I’m reviewing the line edits for Book 1 in my Men of Valor series, Buried Secrets, which will be out in April. This series features three brothers with Special Forces backgrounds. I’ve also just turned in the manuscript for my next contemporary romance/women’s fiction novel, Hope Harbor, which will be out in late summer 2015. That book is set in a charming fictional town on the Oregon coast that I suspect holds many more stories!

Q: What are some ways that readers of your books can help you as an author?.
A. Posting reviews on amazon and other review sites is a tremendous help. Asking the local library to acquire my books for their collection is also appreciated. And word-of-mouth recommendations to family and friends are the best advertising an author can have.

Q: What one thing about writing do you wish other non-writers would understand?
A. That it’s a real job. I write full time—and I do mean full time. I’m at my desk first thing every morning, and I don’t shut down for the night until I have my page count for the day. Often that means I write into the evening. Many non-writers don’t realize that writing is really hard work; I’m not sitting here sipping a latte and doodling on the keyboard now and then when the mood strikes. I think bestselling author Jerry Jenkins said it best. “Writing is tough. When I’m done I’m as exhausted as if I’ve been digging a ditch all day.”

Q: Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
A. 1) In my spare time I love to sing and often perform in community musical theater productions. 2) In my corporate days I once flew to the Caribbean on the company plane with the chairman of the board for a lunch meeting on a cruise ship. 3) I love to hike, and have done so all over the world—Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai, the Pyrenees in Spain, and the Swiss Alps in the shadow of the Matterhorn, to name a few.

Q: Milk or dark chocolate? Coffee or tea?
A.Milk chocolate and tea (English breakfast).

Q: Favorite TV show or shows?
A.I don’t watch TV. I’d rather read!

Q: Where can readers find you on the internet?
A. www.irenehannon.com. I’m also on facebook and twitter.
Q: Anything else you’d like to tell or share with us?
A. I’d just like to say thank you to all the readers who have chosen to try my books and continue to come back for more. Because of you, I’m able to spend every day doing the work I love.