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Three Winners will receive
Print Copies of The Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel Series Books 1-3,
THE
FIREMAN WHO LOVED ME, HOT FOR FIREMAN
and SEX AND THE SINGLE FIREMAN
Daring . . . Sexy . . . Irresistible . . .
They're the Bachelor Firemen of San Gabriel
When fireman Fred Breen rescues a bachelorette party after a construction crane collapses onto their limo, the media labels him the "Bachelor Hero." But all Fred can think about is the petite brunette with the sexy mane of dark curls who bolted away from him faster than a wildfire after he carried her to safety. And when he discovers she's none other than Rachel Kessler, the daughter of a tech billionaire, the girl whose kidnapping riveted the nation, he intends to learn every intimate detail about this intriguing woman who sets his pulse on fire.
Rachel can't deny the lean-muscled firefighter is smokin' hot. But after having one too many drinks at the bar where she first meets him, Rachel knows she's made a fool of herself. Yet when he rescues her from the limo, she feels safe for the first time since she was held for ransom as a child. Then her overprotective father insists Fred be her bodyguard—and his close presence kindles a burning desire that only he can extinguish.
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A Tasty Read: Hi Jennifer and welcome to A Tasty Read Book Reviews. Let’s sit down with a Cup of Tea and chat for a moment about The Night Belongs to Fireman, the final book in your Bachelor Firemen series.
Jennifer Bernard: Thank you so much for having me! How did you know I’m a tea junkie?
ATR: This is a series that seems like it could keep going for a while. Why did you decide to wind it up? Any chance you’ll be revisiting San Gabriel and the firemen in the future?
Jen: I’m not necessarily ending the series, because as you say, there’s certainly plenty of room for more books. But after 6 novels and 3 novellas, I felt I should explore some different worlds before I forget how to write about people who don’t wear turnouts. Right now I’m completely in love with my minor league baseball team, the Kilby Catfish, so the firemen are getting a break for the time being. But I can absolutely see writing more fireman stories in the future.
ATR: Most all the firefighters seemed to love to cook - and Fred, hero of The Night Belongs to Fireman - was the driving force behind the charity cookbook the Bachelor Firemen put together. Do you have a favorite recipe you’d like to share?
Jen: You know, it’s ironic that Fred put together the charity cookbook because he has the worst cooking skills in the entire firehouse! I guess it shows what a big heart he has. Since firehouses love baked goods, I’ll offer up a recipe for “Fireman’s Cookies.”
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 1/2 cups oats
1 pound butter (4 sticks)
1 large package chocolate chips
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup nuts (any type)
2 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
5 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla.
Add dry ingredients except oats to creamed mixture. Mix well.
Stir in oats, chocolate and nuts.
Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake until delicious!
ATR: The Night Belongs to Fireman’s heroine Rachel is a pet therapist and heads a wildlife shelter. What kind of pets do you have? Have you ever taken one to a pet therapist?
Jen: Unlike Rachel, I’m more of a cat person than a dog person. My beloved cat Otis died just before I moved to Alaska and met my now-husband, who is allergic. So one of the sad things in my life is that we can’t have a cat. But my cat was pretty well-adjusted other than his fear of citrus fruit and brooms. We were able to manage those issues without therapy. Rachel mostly works on helping pet owners understand their pets’ needs and what their four-legged loved ones are trying to convey with their behavior. In a way, it’s pet owner therapy.
ATR: Who’s your favorite Bachelor Fireman?
Jen: That’s easy! My favorite Bachelor Fireman would combine the Zen leadership of Captain Brody, the lightheartedness of Ryan Blake, the cooking and parenting skills of Chief Roman, the sexy edginess of Psycho, the gigantic heart of Vader, and the exceptional regular-guy heroism of Fred. Did I sidestep that question okay?
ATR: From the very first book, Ella Joy, the reporter we all love to hate has had a presence in your books. Will she ever have her own story and an HEA?
Jen: Well … interesting thought! She would have to learn some major life lessons in humility and compassion before I let her have an HEA. How about this for a storyline: an armed intruder storms the TV studio and holds the crew hostage. For once, she has to use to her brain (she’s actually a good investigator) for something other than getting the story at any cost. She has to channel her inner warrior to fight for other people rather than her career. And the hero is the hostage negotiator whom she never sees until the end; their entire relationship develops over the phone during this standoff. So she’s not trying to manipulate him, and she falls for his strength and brains, with no clue about his appearance. What do you think?
ATR: I saw that you’ll be writing about a baseball team in Texas next. Could you tell us a bit more about it? I’m guessing there might be some cowboy pitchers or catchers?
Jen: Absolutely! Any excuse to include a cowboy. I’m working on my Kilby Catfish series now, and I admit I’m head over heels over this team. They’re hilarious and edgy and altogether yummy. The first book is called ALL OF ME, and it stars a hotshot pitcher, Caleb Hart, who had a mortifying meltdown in a brief Major League stint. How he’s back in the minors trying to get his act together because his entire family is depending on him. Falling for the mayor’s sexy assistant is probably the worst thing for his career, but when he finds out she’s the target of a nasty vendetta by her ex-boyfriend, his protective side wins out.
ATR: You live in Alaska, which is a favorite setting for romance authors - perhaps because of the legendary male to female ratio. Do you plan to set any future books there?
Jen: I’m sure that I will set a book in Alaska at some point. I still feel “new” to Alaska even though I’ve lived here seven years. I want to make sure I know it well before I write an Alaskan story, because I’ll get so much heat if I mess it up. The other thing is that writing is such an escape for me, and I’m not sure I want to write about cold and snow when I’m dealing with it in real life.
ATR: Growing up, who were some of your favorite authors?
Jen: I love this question, because I was an obsessive reader growing up. Louisa May Alcott, C.S. Lewis, Flannery O’Connor, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Victoria Holt, Edith Wharton, Shakespeare (yes, I really did read Shakespeare for pleasure, I was a weird kid), Georgette Heyer, Jane Austen, Colette, Mary Renault, I could go on and on. I was the classic bookworm kid who always had my nose in a book.
ATR: What advice would you give aspiring novelists?
Jen: Read a lot, write a lot. That’s really it. There are a million paths to becoming a novelist, but all of them pass through “reading” and “writing.”
ATR: It seems a writer’s life doesn’t stop at creating stories for readers anymore, but incorporates a lot of time on social media. Do you find it hard to juggle the two? Or is it inspirational for you as a writer to have fan feedback easily accessible?
Jen: Yes and yes. This is a great question. It can be hard to juggle the two, especially when I’m under deadline or have a lot of other things happening in my life. Or when I don’t have good Internet. On the other hand, the satisfaction of connecting with readers and other authors online is incredible. I have a reader group that I adore. I’ve gotten in the habit of soliciting their help with names of places and people in my books, and they always have great ideas. And they always make me smile. I can’t imagine being a writer back in the days before social media. It must have been so lonely!
ATR: Thank you again for stopping by and I can't wait for all the readers to grab a hold of THE NIGHT BELONGS TO FIREMAN!
1 comment:
Great interview! I love the new cover the best! Love that Paul Marron!
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