About Joanne
Three-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock turned a passion for writing into a career when imaginary characters kept her awake at night, demanding she tell their stories. The author of over forty romances in a variety of subgenres, she enjoys writing medieval historicals and sexy contemporaries along with the occasional romantic suspense. Joanne traces her passion for all things medieval to an early brush with John Keats' poem "The Eve of St. Agnes" and a rapt fascination with the Pre-Raphaelites' depiction of medieval themes. As a writer, she enjoys supplementing her more research-intensive trips to the Middle Ages with faster-paced contemporary stories sparked by the characters she meets in real life. The move back and forth between very different story styles keeps her Muse singing happily. A former Golden Heart recipient, Joanne has won numerous awards for her stories. Her work has been reprinted in twenty-four countries and translated into nineteen languages.
For more about Joanne, visit her page on Romance Wiki.
Stats at a Glance
- Sun sign: Perfectionist Virgo
- Number of Pets: 1 cat
Duchess in my office - Number of Siblings: 2
- What I've Been Doing Lately: I'm headed to Orlando, FL with 2,000 other romance authors for the Romance Writers of America annual conference. I'll be rooming with my long time critique partner, Catherine Mann, giving a workshop and meeting with many folks I've met over the years in this business. Visit my Facebook page for updates on what I'm up to all month!
- Interests: Wine tasting (affordable vino only), journal-keeping, traveling, astrology, world religions, pscyhology, social history, mystic traditions, Pre-Raphaelite art, the Romance poets, the work of H.D., all things medieval, studies about creativity, personality profiling
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Most Recent Read: The Creative Process, edited by Brewster Ghiselin
Q & A With Joanne
What made you want to be a writer?
I've always enjoyed reading and after spending some time at a variety of jobs, I decided I really wanted to explore my love of books. That led to a Masters degree in English and my decision to write a book of my own. One book led to another and another… it's a great career for someone who enjoys reading and the independence of the job allows me to work from home, which is a great plus.
Any tips for writers who are just starting out?
Please do visit my articles page, especially Getting Started with Your Writing. I've also started a blog at my MySpace page called "Setting the Story Free" where I'm compiling ideas for new writers. It's full of practical, straight forward advice you can put to work for your manuscript. My most recent article is about running your writing career, but I'm planning a new article on critique groups very soon.
Do you have a critique group?
I work with a critique partner instead of a group, but she's awesome and we've been together since I was working on book #3 and just had kid #2. Catherine Mann is the award-winning, bestselling suspense author who has helped me stay on track and enthused about writing through twenty-some manuscripts, almost all of the bazillion rejections and she was the person who convinced me to enter my books in the Golden Heart (the highest award for unpublished authors in the romance genre) after my first book had been panned by judges the first time out. Lo and behold, thanks to Cathy's advice, I finalled in the GH my next time and won the award in 2000. I could credit her with a zillion ways she's helped me, but suffice it to say, I'm very grateful for her influence on my work and am even more grateful to have such a fantastic friend. Learn more about our approach to critiquing here.
What are you working on right now?
I am working on a Harlequin Historical "Undone" that will be a prequel to my full length HQ Historical release, In the Laird's Bed. The Undone will be out in December and In the Laird's Bed is a January 2011 release.
Contact Joanne
Connect with Joanne on Facebook and MySpace or shoot her an email at jrock008@gmail.com.