AuthorView: Jo Davis

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In a nutshell, what's "Trial by Fire" about?

"Trial by Fire" is th e story of Lieutenant Howard "Six-Pack" Paxton, Station Five's 6' 6", 260 lb. bossy alpha with a mushy heart of gold. He's a confirmed bachelor who's lonely and tired of one-night stands, yet hesitant to commit. He meets in match in first grade teacher Kat McKenna, and sparks fly! Problem is, an arsonist/murderer is on the loose in Sugarland, Tennessee, and he has a score to settle with Howard.

What inspired "Trial by Fire?"

I wanted to write a big, hero-driven series about a team of men, giving each one his own story. I wanted them to be earthy, blue-collar guys any reader anywhere could relate to because they represent someone's father, brother, uncle, husband, boyfriend, etc.

I wanted to write a series fifteen other authors weren't already doing, so that crossed cops, FBI agents, and Navy SEALS off the list for me. Literally, I was sitting in my office one day pondering my dilemma, and it hit me like a bolt: "Firefighters! Why isn't anyone writing about these guys?" Lo and behold, my Station Five men walked right in and introduced themselves to me, and you know the rest.

Howard, the hero of "Trial by Fire," is so big, he muscled his way past the others and demanded his story be told first. Bossy man...

What do you like best about "Trial by Fire?"

Hands down, I'd have to say element I love most about "Trial by Fire" - the entire series, in fact-is the brotherhood at Station Five. These guys are each other's family away from home, and for some, it's the only one they have. They eat, sleep, argue, laugh, and put their lives on the line together...and they mourn together when one of their brothers is lost.

What connection if any do you think can be made between 9/11 and the rise in popularity of romance fiction?

If there's any connection, and I believe there might be to a certain extent, it's that people crave an escape from the stresses of their daily lives. Readers know that when they pick up a romance by their favorite author, they can delve into the lives of characters who are facing many of the same hardships and challenges they have themselves. They can identify on some level, and rest assured that the conflicts the characters in the story are facing will be resolved in an emotionally satisfying way.

I can't speak for everyone, but a happy-ever-after is good for my emotional well-being, especially in times unbelievable stress. Who on earth wants to read something that contains a depressing, unsatisfying conclusion? Isn't the world full of enough sadness?

How did the roles played by firefighters and police in 9/11 affect you and influence your Firefighters of Station Five series?

As with many people, that horrifying day really brought home to me that these brave Americans are the men and women on the front lines in our cities during any type of catastrophic event, whether natural or hostile. Police and firefighters are the men and women rushing headlong into danger while everyone else is rushing out, and they place their lives on the line selflessly. This is the measure of a true hero, and is the spirit that lives at the heart of the Firefighters of Station Five.

You've worked with dedicated firefighters and rescue personnel while writing your series. How do they feel about folks like themselves being turned into romance heroes and heroines?

These are the most humble group of men you'll ever meet. Their reactions have been varying degrees of amazement, embarrassment, and shy good humor about the whole thing! They've emphasized to me time and again that they're just doing the jobs they love, that's all. In truth they are the ones who amaze me.

Which firefighter of Station 5 are you most looking forward to giving his or her happily ever after (HEA)?

Without a doubt, I breathe for the day when I sit down at the computer to tell Captain Sean Tanner's story. This man has no reason to keep getting up every morning, but somehow manages to rise from bed every day. And I strongly suspect that if it wasn't for his "brothers", he wouldn't. I'm dying to give him a voice, but there's another Station Five story or two in the works first...

Give us a little tease that we won't be able to fully appreciate until, say, the third book in the Firefighters of Station 5 series? And, please, make it a good one!

Hmm, book 3 is "Hidden Fire," Julian's story...I'll say that his heroine is going to be a tough lady to win over and if he manages to do just that, he'll be related to someone on the Station Five team!

What's more, poor Jules, who isn't always the team favorite, carries around a dark, horrible secret that will explain so much to his "brothers" about how he became the man he is...and only a very special woman will be able to set him free.

You really seem to push the sensuality envelope in "Trial by Fire," with eroticism not usually seen in the "mass market" paperback. What is it about Six Pack's and Kat's love story that requires such exquisitely sexy love making?

My characters are always very sensual people, in touch with what makes them feel sexy and alive. And yes, loved. They push the boundaries and often add some cherries and sprinkles to the old vanilla waffle cone, but there is always a deep emotional connection motivating the hero and heroine.

As a writer, pushing the envelope is what excites me and makes me happy. (Er, if you think "Trial by Fire" and the firefighters push the sexual envelope-and they do for mass market romantic suspense-wait until "When Alex Was Bad" is released! NAL is going to put erotic suspense/thrillers on the map, and I, for one, couldn't be more overjoyed.)

What's up next for you?

2009 is going to be an exciting year for me. I have two more books in the Firefighter series coming: "Under Fire" (Zack Knight's story. Check out an exclusive excerpt here at myLifetime) in May and "Hidden Fire" (Julian Salvatore's story) in December.

In August 2009, my first erotic thriller, "When Alex Was Bad" will be released from NAL Heat. It's about a wife who grants her lonely husband seven indiscretions with any lover he chooses, provided he confesses to each one, and their bargain reveals a plot for murder.

Last week, we went public with the official announcement in Publisher's Weekly that film rights to "Alex" have been sold to Academy Award-winning producer Cathy Schulman (Best Picture Oscar for "Crash", 2006), President of Mandalay Pictures, in a major deal. Will the film go into production soon? Stay tuned...