Meet The Author

K. A. Cross presents...

Joanie Chevalier

About Joanie 

Joanie was born in the L.A. area and her family moved up and down the West Coast for most of her childhood, finally settling in Washington State when She was about 12. After living many years in Washington State, where it is gray for 350 days of the year (might be an exaggeration but it's close!), she finally decided she needed more vitamin D and made the decision to move to the San Francisco Bay area. She pays more taxes in California but she calls it the "Sun Tax," so it's okay! Since she didn't know anyone when she moved, she decided that she could write in (all) her spare time (besides working full-time). In addition to writing, she loves being out in her yard, planting rose bushes, and creating color in her flower beds. She also loves camping in her teardrop trailer in and around California, as well as all the surrounding states where she has found beautiful camping sites and National Parks. She's lucky that she has one fantastic boyfriend who loves traveling with her and she lives with her son, an awkward teenage boy/man who does laundry when he can't find anything clean to wear from his floor.

Want to know more?

In what kind of environment do you work best in?   

Since I work full-time, I have to be easy on myself as far as what conditions to expect in order to write.  If I needed the perfect environment, I wouldn’t get anything done.  I edit during the 40 minute commute to and from work and write notes on my phone or writing pad.  I can write during my lunch hour sitting outside in the sun on a waterfront bench (I am fortunate to be able to work in beautiful San Francisco), and when I get home I can sit out on my patio during warm weather or in my bed under the electric blanket during the cool months.  Lately I have the goal of watching t.v. less and writing more so I record my favorites so I can leave the t.v. off while writing for less distraction.  

What's your favourite thing about being a writer?   

I like bring pleasure to people.  When I read I want to get into the story and enjoy it, read it without any effort.  I want to do the same for my readers.  So my favorite thing about being a writer is thinking about the pleasure and escape I am offering. 

How did you come up with the idea for your latest book?  

While I was writing my book about online dating, I began wondering what would happen if a group of women turned dating into a more sinister adventure.  The added twist is more of a psychological aspect with stronger personalities leading the weaker ones into crimes (blackmail and murder) that they find themselves involuntarily involved with. 

Do you ever base your characters on people you know?   

Yes!  The best advice I’ve read about writing was to base your story’s characters on people you know and after I learned that tidbit the characters in my book came alive and it was easier to bring them out.  Most of the characters in Deadly Dating Games are based on family.  Don’t worry family, none of you are Traci, the evil manipulating personality in the book, ha.   

Do you ever wish that some of your characters were real? 

In some respects, the four main characters in Deadly Dating Games are all part of me, and several of the characters are real, with respect to who they are based on.  Judy, the bartender is my sister and Joe’s character, the tavern owner and ex-cop, is my boyfriend.  My brothers are part of the investigation team and even my mom Pattie, is a waitress in the book.  So to me, the characters are real! 

What do your family and friends think about your book/s?   

My mom is my number one fan; she has read my book at least four times!  Several of my siblings were my beta readers and they offered helpful suggestions before publishing.  Of course, I used outside beta readers too because I don’t always believe family when they tell me a story is good.  Family will always tell you your book is good! 

Do you plan out your books or do you just go with the flow?   

I basically go with the flow.  I start out with the basic storyline and then go where the characters take me.  In a short story I am currently working on, I am not sure how it will end, but I keep writing what I think the main character will say and/or do and it’s working out nicely. 

Who is your favourite author?  

I have many I love of course.  I absolutely love the humor in Carl Hiaasen’s books.  His stories are so funny.  I am a beta reader as well as an author and lately I have been coming across many new indie authors who have great stories to tell.  If they can keep me laughing or wondering who did it, then they have my attention. 

What’s your favourite genre?  

I love mystery, thrillers, romance-suspense, humor, historical fiction; I guess the list can go and on, ha. 

What’s next for you?   

I am working on another story, Patio Girl, which is a mixture of both fiction and non-fiction in the fact that it is based on some real personalities and their respective quirkiness.  There will be lots of laugher as well as a little bit of drama and I hope the story will touch readers in many ways.  (Visit my website http://joaniechevalier.wix.com/books for more information.) 

What advice would you give to someone just starting out?   

I would tell them to not worry so much and just write what they love/that story they’ve been thinking about for some time.  Also, be sure to write a story that they would want to read.  If it turns out that just their mom buys the book, so be it.  At least they’ve fulfilled their dream of producing a book!  Also I would advise to just go ahead and self-publish.  The important thing to remember is that you need to be sure that the last draft is a final as far as grammatical and formatting errors go.  Readers don’t appreciate sloppy work and there are more and more indie authors out there producing work that don’t seem to be edited or proofed; that is a disservice to their fellow authors, as well as the readers.  So, with all of that in mind, have confidence and just do it! 

If you wrote an autobiography about yourself what would you call it?   

The Impulsive Girl Who Made Many Mistakes-But Never Looked Back to Regret.  A Story of Living and Loving Life. 

What your guilty pleasure?   

I love waking up early on a Saturday morning, grabbing a cup of coffee and a muffin or toast (and a treat for my Chihuahua, Frankie (who may someday have his own stories!)) and then getting back into bed to read, write, watch a movie or even sleep for a few more hours.  I work full-time during the week and spend almost every weekend camping, working in my yard, doing chores, etc. so this coveted time is really my pleasure, my secret time to relax.  Oh, and of course, a glass of wine or port with my favorite port-filled dark chocolate is a real pleasure—not on a Saturday morning though, just wanted to clarify! 

What’s your favourite season and why?   

Springtime of course.  I love planting flowers and plants in my yard and watching them sprout and grow out of the earth.  Late spring when everything comes out in color is a portrait waiting to be painted. 

What would be your ideal holiday?   

My ideal vacation is to load up my teardrop trailer and camp in a beautiful spot in California, Montana, Colorado, or Utah (or any of the surrounding areas really!).  Preferably, at a campsite where most people don’t know about (or off-season) so it won’t be so crowded.  Then, after a meal of pearl onions, steak, baked beans and warm tortillas cooked on our table-top bbq, sit back and enjoy the twinkling stars and crackling fire with my boyfriend and my cute little doggie, Frankie.  Then my favorite part-there’s nothing better in the whole world than the delicious aroma of coffee and bacon in the outdoors on a crisp and cool morning! 

If you weren’t a writer what would your dream job be?   

My dream job and I hope a reality someday, would be to travel the U.S. in my own RV and be a camp host.  People are so interesting and have many wonderful stories and personalities and I would love to meet them, especially during such a happy time in their lives-there’s less of a chance of meeting someone grumpy during a camping vacation!  Working outdoors without a commute is my dream job and to be able to see all the beautiful national parks and scenery this country offers would be an added plus.

Sweet or sour?   

A little bit of both is fantastic! 

What three words best describe you?   

Impulsive, Compassionate, Hard-Working. 

What your fondest childhood memory?   

As far back as I can remember, my favorite person in the whole wide world was my grandfather “pop-pop.”  When I was very young, I stayed with my grandparents at their apartment in California, complete with an in-ground swimming pool (a luxury back then) and recall playing in the pool with my pop-pop, with him being patient as usual as he taught me to swim.  Later, trying to sleep in the mugginess of a summer night, I had a nagging mosquito buzzing around my head and I called for my nana and she rubbed my back until I fell asleep.  The obvious love and attention I received from both my grandparents that day stayed with me for a long time.  (And needless to say, the next morning I woke up with four to five mosquito bites on my face and I remember feeling proud that I wasn’t actually making the story up!) 

Would you prefer a quiet night in or a night on the town?   

Oh boy, I would have answered this question completely different even five years ago because I’ve always been the kind of person to seek out excitement and fun and new events to check out but I’ve matured and, oh what the hell Joanie, say it: a-g-e-d!  Once 10pm arrives, my body clock says “Goodnight, world!” 

If you could go back in time what one piece of advice would you give yourself?   

Relax, and not to worry so much about what people think about you, what you are doing or what decisions you have made.  You will always have people talking about you, whether good or bad. 

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?   

I left a nice job, friends and some of my family to move a few states away, from Washington State to California.  I took out my 401K for the moving/living expenses.  Luckily, I had already found a good position in San Francisco so I was set there but it was still a lonely and scary time for me.  I left Washington because I was tired of feeling gloomy under the ever-present cloud/grey cover of the Pacific Northwest and I thought California, San Francisco/East Bay area would be a perfect fit for me as far as weather-wise.  It was a crazy time but looking back, it was one of the best decisions of my life.  

Do you believe in fate?   

Yes, I do!  When I meet someone or something good happens I always say to myself, “If I wasn’t here at this precise time, I wouldn’t have met this person…this wouldn’t have happened if I would have left earlier” . . . etc.  It’s also true in what we do and when.  I almost never say “I wish I would have done this earlier in my life.”  Everything happens for a reason and it’s our fate as to when we do something. 

If you could be any animal in the world what would you be and why? 

I think I would be a spoiled-rotten little lap dog who is pampered all day and wears jeweled collars and cute little outfits.  Now that would be heavenly!

What was the last thing that made you cry?   

When my ex-husband (married 20 years) died at an early age of 55 I cried.  I realized then that this man was a person, other than my parents, who I’ve known for over 30 years.  Not many people are privileged to have a friend for 30 years and I was sad for myself and especially for my 17-year old son. 

If you could have any super power what would it be and why?   

I would all of a sudden have an acute insight and knowledge about how to cure cancer. 

If you only had one more day to live how would you spend it?  

With my loved ones. 

For many of us writing is not our full time job, what is yours?   

I work in a large international law firm and I am a litigation legal secretary. 

Deadly Dating Games

Most of the women in the newly formed book club were simply looking for friendship, a good read and maybe even a few dating tips. Greed snowballs into jealousy and hatred and several women realize too late they’ve been roped into crimes that force them to flee for their lives. 

Alyssa: Cougar-complete with short skirts, stiletto heels and an insatiable appetite 
Bess: Desperate-looking for love in all the wrong places 
Julianna: Girl-Next-Door-low self-confidence and bad judgment leads her astray 
Traci: Cunning-determined to get what she wants, no matter who gets in the way 
Aaron: Is he part of the crime circle or is he capable of saving the woman he loves? 

BLACKMAIL. MURDER. ROMANCE. 
Four women. Four personalities. Who will Overcome; Who will Survive? 

*** 
After being divorced for several years, Julianna decided to join a book club she found online so she could make new friends and read a good book or two. She was anxious and eager to get started with the first book chosen by the group, a dating book. It just so happened that a week after the book club formed, she began dating a man who contacted her via a dating site, and she found a new friend, Bess, at the book club so for Julianna, everything so far seemed to be working out harmoniously. Several weeks later, the leader of the book club, Traci, convinced the women of the group into filming their dates so that the group can “critique” them with the pretense that it will improve their dating skills. Innocent “critiquing” soon turned into filming a sex tryst in a seedy hotel and Julianna and Bess are unwilling participants, unable to get out from under Traci’s web of deceit and sinister plans. After successfully blackmailing the man unknowingly involved in that “date” with the assistance of the group’s sexy cougar, Alyssa, Traci generously hand delivers a portion of the money to Julianna and Bess. Generosity is not Traci’s motive, however, and the next time she orchestrates a “date critique,” a man unfortunately dies. Since Julianna and Bess are now involved in Traci’s crimes-blackmail and murder-they are afraid and too deep in the crime spree to go to the police. In the midst of all this, Julianna and her new boyfriend, Aaron, are hitting it off but it soon turns into suspicion, hurt and mistrust when Bess accidentally witnessed Aaron coming out of Traci’s house. Bess is determined to find some answers to this puzzle and to Traci’s motivations but her inquisitive mind leads her to a tragic end and soon even Julianna is fighting for her life as she tries to get out from under Traci and Alyssa’s evil plans.  

BLACKMAIL. MURDER. ROMANCE. 
Who will overcome; Who will survive? 

Buy it here: 

Amazon:  

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1503237958/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_uk-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738

Still want to know more?

You can find Joanie here:

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/joanielynnchevalier

Website:  http://joaniechevalier.wix.com/books 

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8103757.Joanie_Chevalier