Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?
I believe in romance and love stories with happy endings.
Where did your love of books/storytelling/reading/writing/etc. come from?
From writing stories to entertain my classmates in junior high school.
How long have you been writing?
Since I was 13. First got published 21 years ago.
What kind(s) of writing do you do?
Romance and women fiction
What cultural value do you see in writing/reading/storytelling/etc.?
My characters are Black Americans so I share Black love to other cultures.
What do you think most characterizes your writing?
Stories of true love
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Exploring the world of psychic investigators who assist law enforcement and accepting it is real in a lot cases.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Reuniting with characters I had written about in the past. Namely the heroine’s parents’ story was written 15 years ago.
Who are some of your favorite authors that you feel were influential in your work? What impact have they had on your writing?
Nora Roberts and Linda Howard. From them I got my love of writing connecting books about families.
What did you find most useful in learning to write? What was least useful or most destructive? To write.
Most useful is my ability to type. I graduated from high school typing close to 80 wmp. It helped when I made the transition from writing long-hand to typing my manuscript. What I find least useful at times is spellcheck.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?
I’m a full-time writer. Doesn’t affect my writing since writing relaxes me.
What are some day jobs that you have held? If any of them impacted your writing, share an example.
I worked in management for a major insurance company. Didn’t impact my writing. I found a lot of the skills I learned in the business world transferrable to my business of writing full-time. Such as time management and customer service.
What do you like to read in your free time?
Historical romances.
What projects are you working on at the present?
Currently, I am working on a hero who belongs to the first family I’ve written about in four years.
What do your plans for future projects include?
Making another movie from one of my books and moving forward to writing my 125th novel.
WOW! 125? You rock!
Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
I dictate into recording app on phone while driving.
Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?
Nora Roberts, Linda Howard, Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood.
How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
I take pride in naming my hero and heroine. The name doesn’t have to be unique but I have to get the feel of it fitting the character. I mostly use baby names books.
What do you want your tombstone to say?
She finally gets to Rest in Peace.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Reading people’s minds
If you were a superhero, what would your name be? What costume would you wear?
Super Woman. A Super Woman outfit with her lasso.
Title: Seized by Seduction
Author: Brenda Jackson
Genre: Contemporary romantic suspense
Series: Protectors, #2
Imprint: HQN
On-sale date: April 25, 2017
From the moment his eyes meet hers across the crime-scene tape, ex-con turned bodyguard Quasar Patterson knows he has to see the mysterious Dr. Randi Fuller again. She’s a renowned psychic investigator who can foresee danger for others, but not for herself. That makes Quasar doubly determined to watch over her—the closer, the better—as she’s drawn into a dangerous gang rivalry.
Both her psychic gift and their blinding chemistry tell Randi that she and Quasar are fated to be entwined. Even as they surrender to the heat between them, there’s no guarantee of a happily-ever-after now that an enemy has her in his sights. And claiming a future will take more than Quasar’s strength and skill. If he can’t risk the heart he’s always held in check, they’ll both lose for good…
Brenda Jackson is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over 100 novels and novellas, including two that have been turned into films—One Special Moment and Truly Everlasting. Brenda is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award and an NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Literary Fiction for her book, A Silken Thread. Jackson is an advocate for diversity in romance and was the first African American author to make both the USA TODAY and New York Times bestseller lists in series/category romance genre.
