Guest post and giveaway from author Joan Swan

Thanks so much for having me on the blog today!

The paranormal has a way of sneaking up on you, doesn’t it?

I’ve been writing for ten years. Never during that time did I think I’d fit into a blog with Paranormal in the title. Yet here I am…as happy as a piece of popcorn swimming in butter and dusted with salt.

See, I’d spent the majority of those ten years writing straight romantic suspense. And when I dreamed up the concept for the Phoenix Rising series, it was an RS proposal. FEVER, book one, was written in its entirety as a straight RS.

So what happened? My typical answer is: the market. The RS genre had tanked and to sell the book and the series, I need to give it a new spin. My critique partner, Elisabeth Naughton, goddess of insight into the publishing industry and master of the Eternal Guardian series, suggested I add a paranormal element to the storyline.

She was right, as is generally the case. I rewrote FEVER, reconceptualized the Phoenix Rising series and guess what? It sold. BLAZE, book two, just released Tuesday and it has had a phenomenal welcome. Thank you fabulous readers!


But what really happened? Maybe fate. Maybe that unseen element of the paranormal sticking its hand into the gears and mucking with things. Because after I dipped my toes into those mesmerizing but unknown waters of paranormal writing…I was in love. There are two more books in the Phoenix Rising series still to come, RUSH and book 4 out in 2013.

I love the genre so much that I’ve proposed and written the first book of another paranormal series, which delves much further into the genre, exploring the worlds of witches and demons. Hopefully, that project, currently with my agent, will go out on submission to publishing houses soon.

The Phoenix Rising series is a more reality-based paranormal concept. Something I could relate to and really imagine happening. Something I could expand on and fuse with my deep love of suspense.

In the Phoenix Rising series, a mysterious explosion at a military warehouse injuries a team of seven hazmat firefighters, killing one. The contents of the building—extremely confidential and dangerous radioactive chemicals used by the Department of Defense in secret scientific experiments—have inflicted the team with various paranormal abilities. Abilities the government wants to study covertly. Abilities the team wants to understand and expose. With military advancement and national power at risk on one side and personal health and freedom at stake on the other, each group is fighting for precious stakes.

In the end, both the romantic suspense genre and the paranormal genre seem to fit me well. And it makes sense when I realize how I’ve been avid fan of a mixture of shows such as Paranormal State, Supernatural, Grimm, and American Horror Story right along with Criminal Minds, Law and Order, Cold Case and Dexter, for years. And…step into my time machine for an oldie but sooooo goodie….Quincy.

What are your favorite paranormal television series? Any oldies but goodies you miss?

Author Bio

Joan Swan is an award-winning author of sexy romantic suspense and occasionally throws in a paranormal twist or two for some extra spark. In her day job, Joan works as a sonographer at UCSF Medical Center. She lives on the central coast of California in beautiful wine country with her husband and two daughters.

Where you can find Joan online:
Website || Twitter || Twitter Giveaways  ||  Facebook || Goodread

Joan is giving away a copy of Blaze.  Open to U.S./Canada residents only, the winner will be chosen and emailed on October 6th.  Please read giveaway policy before entering.  Good luck!

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