I’m super excited to welcome my Kensington Books/Lyrical Press sister, Joanne Wadsworth, back to my blog.  Joanne is burning up the bestseller charts with her with numerous releases. This is a girl who writes fantasy YA romances, romantic suspense and historical highlander tales with equal skill. She’s dropped by today to share one of her awesome releases, WITNESS PURSUIT.

Joanne, what attracts you most to your chosen genre?
I write within three fabulous genres: YA fantasy, contemporary, and historical Highlander. I simply adore YA fantasy because it’s fresh and fast-paced, and the dialogue is sassy and fun. Even within my historical books, I bring an element of this freshness across too. My heroines have all traveled back through time to the past, and they’re young and vivacious, as well as prepared to challenge their Highland heroes in every way. Within my contemporary line, I write about bodyguards, and that’s where I allow my love for mystery and suspense to take over.

I enjoy reading in all those genres. You’ve chosen some fantastic lines for spinning tales. Are you a draft writer or someone who invests a lot of time in editing and polishing as you write? Why does your method work best for you?
I plot around 50-80% of my storyline, and that allows me to write quite a clean and tidy first draft in about six weeks. The second draft is done in two to three weeks, and the third a week.  Two to three months from beginning to end, and I’m ready to submit.

It sounds like you have a great system in place! How about sharing some details on WITNESS PURSUIT.
WITNESS PURSUIT is the story of Lydia and Tyler, and is set on board a super-yacht traveling the South Pacific. Lydia is an eye witness on the run, a young woman who finds her path colliding with the bodyguard who once saved her life.

A year after Tyler was shot protecting Lydia, her handler decides to get her further from the killer’s reach by placing her on board Tyler’s super-yacht during his family’s vacation. Lydia though detests the thought of being close enough to endanger the one man who nearly died protecting her, except she has no choice. Her only consolation is that Tyler suffered memory loss from that time, and doesn’t recall her.

Tyler struggles as he feels an incomprehensible attraction to Lydia, along with an incredible drive to protect her. Theirs is an intense and all-consuming relationship, and they undertake a journey which is never quite as it seems. Twists and turns abound. It’s a real who-done-it.

It sounds amazing. How did you choose your setting?
I love using the countries within the South Pacific as my backdrops, and the moment I had the characters and plot sorted for Witness Pursuit, I knew I needed them onboard a super-yacht. Hello, a super-yacht. I loved that, and I immediately set them adrift from New Zealand toward the islands of Fiji.

Love that! Please share the first paragraph of your book.
“That is one massive super-yacht, and one I shouldn’t be on.” Lydia crossed her arms, eyeing the four levels of darkened glass and sleek white panels as the luxury ship sat proudly in its private berth at Auckland Marina’s gated wharf. And was that a— Shoot. Yes, it was. A huge kidney shaped pool glistened from the center of the one-hundred and fifty foot yacht. All the comforts one could desire, except not her. She shouldn’t even be here.

And now a look at what you enjoy reading: Name a book that had a profound effect on you and explain why.
Nalini Singh’s Kiss of Snow. It’s like the tenth book in her Psy-Changeling series, and the first I’d read of her work. After devouring it, I went out and got every other one. She writes urban fantasy and can world-build to the most amazing degree. Something I adore.

I’m familiar with her but haven’t read any of her books. Maybe I’ll start with that one too. 🙂 If someone gave you a working time machine tomorrow, where would you visit and why?
The Scottish Highlands since I write Highlander books. I’m completely intrigued by their rugged and beautiful land, the myths and legends, and abundance of castles. Teleport me now.

I’ll take a ticket too! And now for some quick questions. What’s your:

Favorite Season: Favorite season: Summer. Bring on the beach. (And luckily, it’s summer right now where I live Down Under.)

Favorite time of day: 8.30 AM. Yes, that specific. The kids have just caught the bus, and I’m like a bullet heading to my office to write.

Favorite musical group or singer: One Direction (UK boy-band). Because my fifteen-year-old daughter doesn’t let me play anything else in the house. 🙂

Favorite TV show: Usually all I see are the kids’ cartoon programs, from the kitchen, as I’m cooking.

Favorite animal: My Maltese/Chihuahua puppy. He’s the cutest, and like my fifth child. He lets me listen to whatever I like, and watch whatever I like. He might just be my favorite.

Thanks for your fun answers and for visiting today, Joanne! I’m so jealous you get to write all day once the kids catch the bus. And I’m right there with you on summer (currently looking forward to ours). Between One Direction, your boys, teen daughter, and your Maltese/Chichuahua, it sounds like the Wadsworth homestead is a fun place to hang out!

WITNESS PURSUIT BLURB:

One witness…one bodyguard…one life.

Twenty-one-year-old New Zealander Lydia Sands witnessed the hit-and-run of a powerful man’s son. Her bodyguard is shot when the killer returns to dispose of her and The Program puts her in hiding. A year later, the case remains unsolved and her handler needs to get her further from the killer’s reach. Lydia detests the thought of being close enough to endanger the man who nearly died protecting her, even if it’s aboard a super-yacht traveling the South Pacific.

Tyler Whitehall’s shooting stole weeks from his memory. Physically recovered, he oversees security for Whitehall Shipping. While on a family holiday, Tyler is suspicious of the woman accompanying them without notice or security clearance, as his nephew’s caregiver. Stronger than suspicion is his incomprehensible attraction to her, and his instinct to protect her.

Once sensitive information is leaked, Lydia undergoes re-identification to evade a killer and protect the man who’d die to save her. Her bodyguard has just begun his pursuit, and she may have underestimated his abilities.

CONTENT WARNING: Sexual content

A Lyrical Press Contemporary Romance

Buy WITNESS PURSUIT at:
Amazon Kindle / Amazon Paperback
B&N Nook & Paperback
iTunes
Kobo
Lyrical Press

Look for JOANNE WADSWORTH at:
AUTHOR WEBSITE & BLOG
AMAZON PAGE (For books)
BARNES & NOBLE PAGE (For books)
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE
TWITTER
GOODREADS

Book Trailer link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tq_RXMhHTdg

WITNESS PURSUIT EXCERPT:
Down the super-yacht’s hallway, Lydia walked toward Tyler then slowed as her gaze dropped to her case in his hands. “What am I going to do with you?” She shook her head, tut-tutting under her breath.

“You’d already packed.” He slid a hand around her waist and led her to his room. “I’m simply moving your belongings from one room to another, and I’ll show you exactly what you can do with me.” He closed his bedroom door and flicked the lock.

She set her hands on her hips. “Ah, is that to keep me in, or others out?”

“Both.” He dumped her bag beside his drawers and unzipped it. “What did Saria say?”

“We had a long talk, and she said yes. She’ll let me go through re-identification first, and follow as soon as she sits her finals. They’re in just a few weeks.” She stepped up to him. “Ben will place my application tomorrow, although he said it might take a few days for all the arrangements to be made. He told me to hold tight and wait.”

Gritting his teeth, he opened his bottom drawer and piled her clothing in. “He approved of it all, this fast?” He’d have words with Ben. She should be with him.

“Of course. It was his idea to start with.” She gripped his arm. “I never said I’d move in with you, and now you’re unpacking for me?”

“Lee.” He dragged her into his arms. “I want you here, no matter the length of time.” He lifted her and laid her on his bed. Stealthily, he moved in to lie over top.

“I know you do. Oh, do you feel that? The ship’s moving.” Cranking her head to the side, she peered out the windows where the lights of the resort flickered.

“We’re sailing to the far side of the island. There’s a quiet cove, and it’ll be the safest place for you.”

“I hadn’t forgotten.” She slid her hand down his chest and played her fingers over the ridges of his abs under his shirt. “As long as we’re all safe, I can deal with it, for a short while.”

He lowered his forehead to hers. “Since you insist on going through re-identification, I need to be able to track you once you go under. I’m giving you fair warning now.”

“Ah, excuse me. That sounds highly illegal. The whole point of re-identification is so no one can find me.”

“Yes, but I’m not a threat to you, and only you and I will know what I’ve done.”

“And what will that be? Ex-act-ly?”

“By track, I mean I’ll place under your skin a very small tagged chip. It’s like a GPS system, but it’ll have a direct signal to me.”

“And…” Her gaze narrowed.

He rubbed his cheek against hers. “I’ll be able to check in with you, no matter where you are in the world. We can hardly have an exclusive relationship without there being some form of relationship.”

“Sooo, you’re asking me to go against the rules of re-identification?” She gave him a look that said she wasn’t going to agree.

“You’re very stubborn, but I happen to be twice as bad. Whether you agree or not, I’m going ahead with it.”

No one would take her from him. Not ever again.

He’d make certain of it.

Author Bio: JOANNE WADSWORTH 

Where Romance Meets Fantasy and Adventure…

Reading romance books captivated Joanne Wadsworth as a teenager, particularly when she tucked herself into bed at night and continued to dream those stories as she slept. She’d visualize the direction, taking the hero and heroine on an adventure unparalleled to what she’d read. Today she is devoted to writing romance, bringing her imagination to life within the lines of young adult, contemporary, and historical Highlander.

Born in New Zealand, Joanne works both as a writer and a financial controller, all while keeping up with her four energetic children and dreamy husband.

Visit Joanne Wadsworth at http://www.joannewadsworth.com