Introducing a Very Special author

I get the priviledge of reading some books in advance, and one of my favorites is just now hitting the shelves: Exposure by Dee Davis. It's the third in the Last Chance, Inc trilogy, but it's definitely a standalone romantic suspense, so you don't have to worry about reading out of order.

From the back cover:

British special agent Nigel Ferris has devoted his life to working covert operations, and avoiding relationships. Until he’s called upon to help foil an International terrorist plot, and comes face to face with the one woman who ever came close to scaling his emotional walls.

Photojournalist Melissa Pope knows that the intelligence she’s been gathering is invaluable – so much so that someone’s willing to kill to her for it. But the man assigned by Last Chance to protect her is another kind of threat altogether…

Drawn into the heart of a dangerous game of International intrigue Melissa and Nigel are soon fighting for their lives… and for the chance to explore the long-denied passion that still burns between them.

I had the chance to ask Dee some questions, and here's what she said:

Kathleen: Last chance, Inc is such a cool concept for a law-enforcement organization. Where did you get the idea to merge the politics with the law?

Dee: My degree is actually in Political Science (a Masters in Public Administration) so I think I just tend automatically to think in governmental terms.

Kathleen: What's the best piece of advice you can give a new writer?

Dee: Write something everyday. Remember that getting published takes commitment and hard work. Treat writing as a career. Listen to your heart. Learn everything you can about the business. Join a writers' association. Believe in yourself. Be open to criticism. Write what you love. Remember that dreams can come true.

Kathleen: I know you just came back from vacation. Read any cool books you'd like to recommend?

Dee: Yes. Finally read The Devil Wears Prada. Great book. Can see why it was a best seller. Also read Michael Crichton’s newest State of Fear. Definitely haunts you afterwards! And I read Brilliant, set in England about a woman who is a jewel thief. Very good. Was really nice to have the chance to just read.

Kathleen: Out of beginning, middle, and ends, which part of the book is easiest for you, and which is hardest? Or is it completely random for you?

Dee: It varies with the book of course, but I’d say honestly the middle is always the hardest for me. Trying to figure out exactly how to get where I’m going and to make certain I provide the right amount of information for the reader along the way.

Kathleen: If you could pick any career besides writing, what would you be?

Dee: I’d love to be an actress, or maybe own a winery. And I’ve always wanted to work in the White House.

Kathleen: (Trust me when I say that if Dee ran the White House, there'd be no national deficit, the war in Iraq would be over, the victims of katrina would all have homes, and she'd STILL be writing great stories. George Bush or Bill Clinton have NOTHING on Dee Davis.) You have such a great drive, what do you use for motivation, or do you need no encouragement to sit down at the computer and start working?

Dee: I think it’s that good old work ethic thing. I feel an obligation to my readers, to my editor, to my family, and to myself. That really helps get me in the chair working. Also I think story telling is a compelling thing. You can’t stop yourself.

Kathleen: Tell us what we can expect next from you?

Dee: My next romantic suspense EYE OF THE STORM will be out next June. It’s about a woman with a past that comes back to threaten her and the people she loves. I also have a totally different kind of book coming out early in 2007. A MATCH MADE ON MADISON is about a matchmaker in New York city and a bet she makes with a colleague that has the potential to impact her life in ways she can’t even imagine.