Spotlight on Joanne Rock © By Catherine Mann Joanne Rock danced for days when she received her first sale call from Harlequin Temptation. She positively tangoed when she sold two Blazes and another Temptation only six weeks later! To cap off her Cinderella year, Joanne recently added a Golden Heart win to her impressive list of contest credits. Joanne had been writing for five years when she got The Call from Harlequin Temptation editor Brenda Chin. Five years wasn't nearly enough to prepare her for the thrill of selling a book, according to Joanne. "I squealed for hours afterward, and burst into spontaneous giggles for days. The news that I'd achieved such a long-term dream was tremendously fulfilling." The dream began in graduate school while she earned her Master's in English. "Sure Chaucer was fun," Joanne claims, "but once my homework was complete, I gravitated to books by Elizabeth Lowell and Teresa Medeiros." A former college teacher, public relations coordinator and copy writer, Joanne decided to follow her dream of penning a romance novel when she became a stay-at-home mom to her three boys. Prior to publication, Joanne launched her dream in a stunning sweep through the contest circuit. Her contest savvy led directly to a contract when she entered the Harlequin sponsored Blaze contest that tallied over six hundred entries. LEARNING CURVES, previously titled HOT FOR TEACHER, tied for second place and received an editor request. Joanne's work winged its way to Canada with an impressive resume of contest endorsements. A seven-time contest winner, Joanne capped off an exciting year with her second Golden Heart finalist nod, and ultimately a Short Contemporary win. No doubt, former marketing maven Joanne has combined her advertising skills and writing talents in capturing just what the Temptation/Blaze lines are seeking. For writers targeting Temptation or Blaze, Joanne suggests a close analysis of the lines, reviews the lines garner, and back cover blurbs on the eHarlequin website. "The tone of Temptation has been changing over the last few years to result in a sexier, edgier read. The hook seems to be a big factor in what sets books apart, as does a fast-paced style." Joanne's first book, LEARNING CURVES, hits the shelves as a Temptation "Heat" in January 2002. Here's a sneak peek: Sociology scholar Madeline Watson can't wait to undertake the study of human mating rituals for her dissertation. Too bad the university thinks upstanding Madeline has spent too much time in the ivory tower to undertake such an earthy subject. Now she needs to shed her good girl image in a hurry, and she knows just the man to help her. Mechanic-turned-business mogul Cal Turner might teach part time at the university, but he's definitely not ready to provide the proper Miss Watson with the kind of lessons she's looking for. Her tortoise shell glasses and impeccable manners have always given her an untouchable cache- and given him the hots for her! Besides, despite his long-standing reputation as a rebel, Cal is ready to turn his life around now that guardianship of his younger sister is on the line. But once Maddy decides to turn herself into the town bombshell and bad girl extraordinaire, Cal has no choice but put out the fire in her wake. Will he be able to bring her to her senses, or will he get caught up in the blaze along with her? LEARNING CURVES is in the production stage now, and Joanne expects her galleys this month. Meanwhile, she's working on new projects for Temptation and Blaze, including February's Blaze release: SILK, LACE, AND VIDEOTAPE. Readers can look forward to many years of enchanting reads from this prolific Harlequin rising star! Joanne invites you to visit her at her website www.joannerock.com, or via the Temptress website at www.Temptationauthors.com. LEARNING CURVES, Temptation "Heat"1/02 SILK, LACE, AND VIDEOTAPE, Blaze, 2/02 IN HOT PURSUIT, Blaze, 7/02 TALL, DARK & DARING, Temptation "Heat," Fall 02 Article first appeared in NOLA News, North Louisiana Story Tellers and Authors of Romance, July 2001 |