Interview and a giveaway with Jodie Bailey!

We are thrilled to welcome suspense author Jodie Bailey! Comment to win a print or digital copy of her newest release...Christmas Double Cross!

Tell us a little about yourself and your newest book.

So this question always throws me for a loop. I’m a Jeep driving, beach loving, Carolina bred, Army wife who’s a mom, a writer, and a high school yearbook adviser (although my teaching heart lies in middle school literature). And I’m still looking for a hobby since writing is now my career. Who’d have thought? The latest book is Book 2 in the Texas Ranger Holiday series I was privileged to write with Elizabeth Goddard and Sharon Dunn. My part of the story involves Ranger Colt Blackthorn, who is protecting Danielle Segovia, a dead ringer for the sister of a ruthless cartel leader who is out for revenge. Colt believes he is responsible for his brother’s death years ago, so when Danielle’s brother is thrown into danger, Colt has to fight his own failings as well as rescue Danielle and her brother.



Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Colt is a Texas Ranger and a former soldier. He has a fierce protector streak that is born out of his past failings. Since his brother’s death years ago, he’s fought to keep others safe, particularly kids walking the gang line the way his brother did. He’s always kept his emotions locked up tight, but when he encounters Danielle and her brother, his whole world is tilted.



What are you working on at the moment?

I am SO EXCITED about this latest series I’m working on. It’s set in the fictional small town of Mountain Springs, North Carolina. Book one involves a female firefighter and a soldier who were once secretly married but are now divorced. They find themselves pushed back together when a killer comes after the spouses of the soldiers in his unit. These are some very intriguing characters to write, because she’s a grown child still dealing with an abusive parent, and he’s a soldier who needs to deal with childhood abandonment as well as a serious incident that nearly wiped out his team overseas. When this outside danger gets thrown at them, it blows everything in their lives wide open.



What is the hardest thing about writing?

Sitting still by myself. I can be very social. Too much time to myself and I’m trolling Facebook like my life depends on it, just to see what everyone else is up to. I’ve had to put an app on my computer that locks me out of the internet while I’m working. Sad, but true.



What is the easiest thing about writing?

Coming up with characters. I love getting to know them. They are so complex and there is so much backstory to them that never ends up on the page. It’s creating these people who have so many stories and hang ups and habits… Allen Arnold wrote an amazing blog post and prayer about what a privilege it is for writers to share in the work of creation with our Creator. That’s amazing!

Anything else you'd like to share.

If you’d like to visit, I’d love to see you at www.jodiebailey.com! You can sign up for the newsletter and get links to social media where I sometimes ask you for story input and give away prizes! Thanks for letting me hang out today! This was fun!