8/27/2013

JoAnna Grace visits us on her first Release Day


The gods work in mysterious ways…

Avery McClain is normal. Or so she thinks.
Until her life is shattered and she is rescued by a Thracian warrior. He takes her to the Haven, a realm of safety for the magical race of Olympians. There she discovers her life was meant for a higher calling as the mate of an Olympian Prince.

Her choice will change everything.

Ryse Castille has one job: convince Avery to step into her role as a Divine Grace. As with any mission, there are obstacles to overcome. Including the fact he is captivated by her. Of all the gifts the gods have given him, romance was not included. But Avery belongs to him and he will stop at nothing to protect her.

The enemy might be closer than they think.

Can Avery find the courage to embrace her destiny? Or will evil separate them for eternity?


I’m excited for y’all to get to know my friend JoAnna Grace. We met at the Dallas Area Romance Writers convention last fall. She’s sweet and snarky and has the prettiest business cards I’ve ever seen. 


From the time she started holding a crayon JoAnna began to create magical worlds. Her very first book was a series of pictures about a puppy princess. The story changed each time she told it, but there was always a happy ending! Her first written story was about girls who changed into tigers. Hmmm… some concepts must've stuck with her.

CLOVER: Tell us a little bit more about you.

Now my stories have become a bit more complex! And I’m glad to share them with you.


My tales are spun in my home in East Texas where I live with my husband, three kids, a couple dogs and a few fish. When I’m not hiding behind my computer screen you can find me camping, boating, and shopping. I’m active in ministry and hope to pass on the unconditional love given to me to others. Occasionally I get to sing and no one runs screaming, so I guess it’s not too bad!

Member of the East Texas, North Texas, FFP, & PRO chapters of RWA, Texas Association of Authors.



CLOVER: So JoAnna, how often do you get lost in a story?
JOANNA: When I started reading Nalini Singh's Psy-Changling Series I actually lost an entire week of my life. I don't remember eating or feeding the kids. I don't remember sleeping- I might not have! There was something so addicting about those books that I was completely enthralled. Who knows what all I messed up that week! I did the same with Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy. Totally checked out from reality.

CLOVER: I love it when a good book can do that to you. Family probably isn’t thrilled though. What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?
JOANNA: CELEBRATE! I don't care what it looks like, but it's done! There are so many great writers out there that have a fear of finishing the dang book. Because that means you now have to put it out there! That's a scary thought!!! So to cross that threshold is something to celebrate.

CLOVER: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you passed on to your children?
JOANNA: I love Christmas morning! It brings out the kid in me. And when I was a child my mother would get up and make beignets for breakfast. It's a Cajun donut- powdered sugar, cinnamon, yum, yum, yum! Now- because I can't cook a lick- my mom comes to my house and makes them for my kids. LOL! What can I say, I don't cook and I don't garden. My husband loves me anyway!

CLOVER: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
JOANNA: Steel Magnolias. Hands down. I love how this movie addresses heavy, heart wrenching topics with humor that still makes me hold my sides from laughter. I have a 97 yr old grandmother that is living with dementia. In her early stages she would accuse my 6'4, 300 lb step-father, Bill, of crawling through her windows and stealing her shoes. She even tried calling the police about it. I would just laugh it off because Bill couldn't get through her windows even if he tried. When Bill passed away Mom and I were talking about the fact that my grandmother was still alive and how shocked she was going to be when she reached the pearly gates and saw Bill. I told my mom I could hear the conversation. Grandma: What the hell are you doing here? Bill: I came to steal your shoes. My mom started crying and cackling at the same time. In that moment of sorrow we found laughter and somehow it made facing our sadness easier.

CLOVER: What is something that not a lot of people know about you?
JOANNA: Hmmm… I actually have a fear of new places. In the last couple of years I've had to get over it because of all the traveling I've done to various conferences. But at one point I would have mild panic attacks if I had to drive alone to somewhere that I've never been. Weird, I know. I decided I needed to get over this so I booked a week long trip to Seattle all by my lonesome. Nothing to make you face your fears like flying across the country alone! I still *hate* driving in city traffic, but I don't let it hinder me.

CLOVER: Good for you, Joanna! So what’s your favorite kid joke?
JOANNA: My kiddos are a non-stop running script of comedy. We are the jokes!

CLOVER’S GOTTA ASK:  What’s the best present you ever received?
JOANNA’S GOTTA ANSWER: LOL! I will be in deep trouble if I don't answer this correctly! This past April my hubby and I celebrated 10yrs of marriage. He picked me up in a limo, bought me Pandora, took me to a ritzy restaurant, imported the champagne we had on our first anniversary from Italy, and showered me with roses- my fav! Yes ladies, be jealous. He's all mine! LOL!

CLOVER: Wow. He sounds like a keeper! With that kind of guy around for inspiration, what are you working on next?
JOANNA: The first book of my Blake Pride Series, Pride Before the Fall, will be out around October

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JoAnna will be giving a lucky commenter an eBook copy of Divine Destiny so be sure to answer her question.

JOANNA: What books make you laugh? What books can change your mood for the better?


Please leave an email address for notification. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address. 

DON'T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and their prizes.  And join us tomorrow as Angie hosts Loreth Anne White  Clover 

19 comments:

  1. I love the princess bride movie and book. It always make me laugh. :) Also a big fan of Jen Cruisie.

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    1. Love stories you can read then watch! Thanks May!

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  2. Hello JoAnna, welcome to GLIAS and congratulations on your debut release!! How exciting for you.

    I'd love to know the answer to your question. My main read is romantic suspense. But when I need a guaranteed smile, I put in UNDERCOVER BLUES or RED. Two action-packed movies that always make me laugh.

    ~Angi

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    1. Hi Angie! Thanks! For me, Molly Harper gets me giggling until my side hurts. I will read anything she writes because she could make the phone book hilarious.
      Love RED! Too funny!

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  3. To put me in a better mood I always turn to Emerson,Amelia Peabody and Ramses (Elizabeth Peters), especially the early ones. What makes me laugh is subject to my mood so it varies.
    Love the story about your grandmother & step dad. Divine Destiny sounds like a book you can get lost in.

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  4. Congratulations to JoAnna on her first release day! One of my favorite books is Open Season by Linda Howard and it makes me laugh when the heroine, Daisy decides to make herself over.
    mce1011 AT aol DOT com

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  5. Nothing beats the HEA of a romance! I don't need to laugh to feel better; as long as it's not a dark romance with a lot of angst I'm guaranteed to feel better once I'm 'getting lost in the story'.

    thumbelinda03@yahoo.com

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  6. Hey JoAnna so glad to have you here today. I'll have to think about my answer and get back to you in a little bit. So many books to choose from.

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    1. I know just what you mean Clover! So many great books, so many great authors!
      Thanks for having me!

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  7. My technology is rebelling today! So hello to Ivy, Maureen and Linda! Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
    Ivy, I hope you get comletely turned around by Divine Destiny!
    Maureen, I'll have to read that! Thanks for the referal!
    Linda, I'm with you. Love HEAs or HFN (Happy for now) Let me know what you think about Divine Destiny's ending... dun, dun duh!
    Have a great day ladies, and go get lost in a story! (preferably mine! LOL)

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  8. any Abbi Glines book

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  9. bn100, she has a certain blue eyed cutie on her covers that is just adorable! Good choice!

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  10. What books make me laugh? Every one I've ever read has some little tidbit in it that makes me laugh. But, of course, some are better than others. Being a cat lover, for years I have enjoyed "The Cat Who" books by Lillian Jackson Braun. Next comes Dianne Mott Davidson's series about Goldy, the caterer. The recipes are great--even the ones I haven't tried, and she'd do anything for chocolate (who wouldn't?). I have even found joy in reading the Dexter series by Jeff Lindsay (I found them after seeing the TV show, but everybody knows the book is always different, and usually better). Of course, you know how much I love The Twilight Saga and all it has to offer. (Thanks for dedicating Devine Destiny, in part, to the OWG. As a Sister, I feel the pleasure just by knowing I am one of us.
    And, what books can change my mood for the better? Again, any book I read. I've been an avid reader since I learned in first grade and I won't stop until . . .. Hopefully, that day won't come for at least 30 or 40 years yet, maybe forever. My choice, always.
    I sometimes read because I'm bored. I'm never bored for long. Books always have so much to offer--new places to explore, things to experience (tastes, smells, feelings, and things to touch--all in my mind)--I've climbed mountains, hit the winning home run, made the last second touchdown, won Olympic medals, drowned as the Titanic went down--so many things I'll never do in real life, but I was there, and will be again.
    I can't wait to begin page one of Devine Destiny, and all the great books that come after that, by you and everyone else.
    Congrats, and Good Luck. Happy Writing. I'll be waiting . . ..
    Patty P. pposton97292@yahoo.com

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    1. Patty, you have a true reader's soul! I know all of my hosts here on GLIAS appreciate that! Thank you for joining us!

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  11. JoAnna, congrats on the release of your book! I already purchased my copy! I had fun reading your answers to Clover's questions. I love the story about your grandmother. It also was interesting to hear what books made you lose track of time.

    The last book I read that made me laugh is "Sneaking a Peek" novella by Eden Summers. But there are a lot of good books out there that have made me laugh over the years, that's just the most recent one that I can think of off the top of my head.

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    1. Cheril, isn't that the joy of books? You can always have a new favorite! There is always something new to fall in love with! Thanks for stopping by.

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  12. I would like to say another word of thanks to all of my guests and especially to Clover and the authors of GLIAS! You have made this a great release day!
    I can't wait to see who wins the drawing for a Free ebook of Divine Destiny!
    Lovingly,
    Jo

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  13. Commenter Linda is the winner for today's prize. Congrats and enjoy!

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  14. I love any book that as soon as you read the first page sometimes it can even be the front cover that transports you into another world where you wish you were a character within. A world where you never want to leave where a part of your life is spent in suspended imagination until the next book in the series is released
    A book where you meet the love of your life that touches you to the very core of your existence and you know you will love them forever.
    Alas I'm English so in my own world it would be a who done it? Clare in the living room with the book end. Lol so we loose ourselves in the world in books and a good thing too.
    Congratulations Joanna can't wait to loose myself in Divine Destiny Hugz

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