Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Sherri Hayes - Red Zone Interview




Sherri Hayes is the author of four novels: Hidden Threat, Slave (Finding Anna Book 1), Need (Finding Anna Book 2), Behind Closed Doors (A Daniels Brothers’ Novel), Red Zone (A Daniels Brothers’ Novel), and a short story, A Christmas Proposal.  She lives in central Ohio with her husband and three cats.  Her mother fostered her love for books at a young age by reading to her as a child.  Stories have been floating around in her head for as long as she can remember; however, she didn’t start writing them down until she turned thirty.  It has become a creative outlet that allows her to explore a wide range of emotions, while having fun taking her characters through all the twists and turns she can create.  When she’s not writing, she can usually be found helping her husband in his woodworking shop.
Thank you so much for stopping by and answering some questions for me. First of all, I have to tell you I loved your book dedication. My dad taught me the love of football as well. Red Zone is the first book by you I’ve read. Football, hot guy, how could you possibly go wrong? I have to go back and read Behind Closed Doors. I love the Daniels brothers. Where did the idea for them come from?
 
Thank you for having me, Kim. I’m glad to hear you fell in love with Gage and Rebecca as much as I did.
 
I hadn’t planned a series originally. When I sat down to write Behind Closed Doors, and began to piece together Chris’s backstory, his family took shape and I realized I had four very available brothers on my hands. I pitched the idea of writing a book for each brother to my publisher, and they loved it. By the time I finished writing Behind Closed Doors, I already knew who Gage’s lady was going to be, and I couldn’t wait to start writing their story.
 
You love professional football. Who’s your favorite team and player? And, are you one of those people who yells and screams at the TV screen?
 
Growing up, I was a huge Browns fan along with my dad. Back then, my favorite player was number twenty-one, Eric Metcalf. I used to love watching him as raced down the field dodging tackles.
 
While I still root for the Browns every chance I get, I’m more of an eclectic fan now. My husband is a forty-niners fan, so if they’re on, I usually will cheer for them. If not, it depends greatly on who is playing whom, and what’s at stake. And yes, I have been known to scream at the TV from time to time. (winks)
 
Describe Gage and Rebecca and explain what makes them work so well together.
 
Gage and Rebecca. In many ways, they are complete opposites. He is cocky and self-assured. He plays hard on the field, and likes to enjoy his down time preferably with female company. Gage is no stranger to one–night-stands, in fact, he prefers them. No attachments. No expectations.
 
Rebecca, however, is about as straight-laced as they come. She’s wanted to be an FBI agent since she was a teen, and takes her job very seriously. When it comes to relationships, Rebecca views them in much the same way she does her career. She knows what she wants in a man, and a professional football player who invades her space at every turn isn’t it.
 
It was fun bringing these two together. With as much as they are polar opposites in many respects, they also balance each other out. Gage’s lighthearted, fun side gives Rebecca permission to lighten up and let go a little. As for what she gives him…Gage is used to getting what he wants because of who he is. Rebecca doesn’t take his crap, and tells him like it is whether he wants to hear it or not. I guess you could say she’s his reality check.
 
Were there any challenges for you in writing Red Zone? Did the characters with their big personalities attempt to take over?
 
My characters always take over. LOL. I don’t write with an outline other than the basic one I have in my head, so I generally sit back and let the characters lead me where they want to go.
 
The biggest problem I had with Gage and Rebecca was that they didn’t want their story to end. I’d planned for the story to be around eighty thousand words, and it ended up being closer to ninety by the time it was all said and done. Along those same lines, they still couldn’t let go, and we’ve recently added an epilogue to Red Zone that will be part of the February 7th release.
 
As a reader, I loved the little twist at the end with Gage and Rebecca. If you can say, without giving away too much, what can we expect next from them?
 
All four brothers made an appearance in both Behind Closed Doors, and Red Zone. I anticipate that trend to hold, so you will most likely be seeing Gage, and probably Rebecca, throughout this series. Given what I have in store for Paul’s book, number three in the series, I suspect you’ll be seeing them again more than once in the next book.
 
I loved this book. So that puts you on the radar of authors I stalk and harass. Okay, so I’m trying not to do that so much. Trust me; you WON’T need to have the FBI looking into me. I know you would probably like to enjoy the release of Red Zone, just a little bit. But what can we expect next from you and when? And speaking of harassing….where can readers find you on social media?
 
Right now, I’m working on edits for book three in my Finding Anna Series, Truth. It’s a four book series about a young woman who was held captive as a slave, and the Dominant who rescues her. The first book is titled Slave. Need is the second book in the series. Unlike the Daniels Brothers books, you have to read these in order, or you will miss something. Truth is due out this summer.
 
I’ve also started writing the fourth book in Finding Anna (not yet titled). That book is expected to be out early 2014.
 
And since I know you’re probably wondering about Paul’s book…I’m hoping to have that one finished and out to readers summer 2014. 
 
 
Sherri, thank you so much again. I’m really looking forward to reading Behind Closed Doors and anything else about the Daniels brothers.
 
Thank you for having me on your blog, Kim. I hope you enjoy Chris and Elizabeth as much as you did Gage and Rebecca.


Click HERE to be taken to my review of Red Zone.

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