WELCOME BACK TO THE BLOG JOAN!!!
Meet Joan:
Joan Swan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist and writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. Her debut novel with Kensington Brava, FEVER, released February 28, 2012. Her second novel, BLAZE, follows in October, 2012.
In her day job, she works as a sonographer for one of the top ten medical facilities in the nation and lives on the California central coast in beautiful wine country with her husband and two daughters.
Connect with Joan: Author Site | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Goodreads

My Phoenix Rising series is based on a hazmat firefighting team that was in the wrong place at the wrong time and suffered severe injuries when a military warehouse exploded, exposing the team to secret chemicals that should never have existed. These chemicals instill paranormal abilities within the team members, and while they heal and move on in their own way—some staying with the fire service, some not—firefighting is one of those jobs that never really leaves them. Once a firefighter, always a firefighter.
Even in real life, firefighters are heralded as heroes. Fiction only raises them up another notch. So what is it about firefighters that make them such desirable heroes? I think it’s the 4 Ss: strong, smart, sensitive and sexy.
Strong:
From climbing flight after flight of stairs with a hundred pounds of gear to hiking miles of forested terrain in triple digit heat, a firefighter’s job is extremely physically demanding. They need to be able to not only lift twenty foot ladders, but throw them—vertically. Common duties include carrying
unconscious victims as dead weight, dragging miles of hose, controlling a hose spray jetting out at 150psi, repelling from multi-story buildings…
I could go on, but I think they’re sounding pretty darn strong already.
Smart:
From the way these guys act when they don’t have a hard-on for fire, you’d swear they ranked below the IQ of their TV remote. I mean, they’re such GUYS! They say stupid guy things, make stupid guy
noises, play stupid guy practical jokes.
But with firefighting, Darwin’s law prevails: survival of the fittest—in this case, fittest of mind, not just body. Firefighters need to understand the physics of fire. They need a deep working knowledge of weather, machinery, building construction, tools, vehicles, emergency medicine, psychology…
You get the point.
Sensitive
I think this is one of the main differences between firefighters and cops. Firefighters need to be sensitive. Cops need to be tough.
Firefighters come in and care for the injured or sick and often deal with the family as well, which takes patience and compassion and serious people skills. They need to be persuasive but understanding, commanding yet considerate. Charm is a huge benefit to firefighters dealing with the public and they pick up on that quick (see Smart above.)
Most firefighters are great with kids—because, honestly, they’re just big kids themselves. All fire departments are a huge part of the community and are invited to every function where you will find them handing out candy, stickers, balloons and rides on the fire engine to the kids. Firefighters can often be found inside classrooms giving demonstrations or guiding a tour of 30 kids through the firehouse.
Sexy
If Strong, Smart and Sensitive aren’t enough to = Sexy… consider:
These guys:
- Cook
- Clean
- Do Laundry
- Are polite
- Workout everyday
- Know how to fix almost anything
- Appreciate strong women
- And…look awesome in uniform
FEVER:
GENRE: Romantic SuspenseWhere To Buy: Amazon(pb) | Kindle | B&N(pb) | Nook | Book Depository
LENGTH: 352 pages
PUBLISHER: Kensington Brava (February 28,2012)
Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish…
But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with a ripped body, a determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.
A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose…
Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.
Book Extras: Read an Excerpt
Other Book in Series:

- Leave a comment for Joan answering her question: What do you think, are firefighters good heroes? What do you love most in a hero? Who is one of your most recent favorite heroes and why?
- Fill out the rafflecopter form. You must leave a comment. All other entries are optional.
- All comments are eligible for tour grand prize of either a COLOR NOOK or KINDLE FIRE. Enter
A huge thank you to Joan for sharing some firemen with us as well as donating the giveaway book for her tour.
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Firefighters are definitely sexy heros! I think I love the hero's sensitivity and understanding the most. Most recent hero that I love? That would be Kristen Callilhan's Firelight book. It's based on Beauty and The beast....
ReplyDeleteHi May,
DeleteFirelight looks good. In my experience, Firemen, whether heroes or in reality, have more sensitivity and understanding than most EMS/LE workers. Of course, that relates to their duties and also so the duties they *don't* have to perform as well.
I love firefighters as heros. They run into buring buildings when others are running out. They put other lives in front of there own. Kinda reminds me of Bryan Adams song Never Let Go. That alone is sexy and the most recent hero I've read about would be Sherieff Sawyer in Jill Shalvis' Head Over Heels.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Amy. And I think Sheriff Sawyer is sexy just from his name and title :)
DeleteSuch an easy question - YES! they don't make good heroes, They are heroes. Not only are they smart, and strong but when it comes down to it they are selfless. There aren't many people that would run into fire to save someone they don't even know.
ReplyDeleteSince I just finished FEVER, Teague and Mitch rate right up there as favs at the moment :).
vsloboda(at)gmail(dot)com
:) So thrilled you enjoyed FEVER Victoria!
DeleteI really enjoyed this book and I can not wait for the next one!!!
ReplyDeleterjs4444us at yahoo dot com
Awesome Becky Jean!! So glad!!
DeleteMy most recent favorite hero is Bones from the Night Huntress series. I love how gaga he is over Cat.
ReplyDelete~Krista
Aww, I love it when a hero is gaga over the heroine. That's just...melty!!
DeleteOf course firefighters are good heroes, I think it has to do with risking their lives to save people that makes them such good heroes. Two of the best traits in a hero are honor and compassion, there's something to be said about someone who will do the right thing, no matter what popular opinion is.
ReplyDeleteNow my favorite hero of all time has to be Colonel Brandon from Sense and Sensibility. He is one of the most honorable and compassionate characters I've ever met. His compassion and desire to make Marianne happy is something that sticks in my mind.
adria.rose(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hi Adria,
DeleteI love those characteristics! So essential in a hero!
I think firefighters make great heros. My recent favorite hero is Murdoch Wroth from Untouchable by Kresley Cole.
ReplyDeleteHey Natasha,
DeleteI haven't read that one yet. Will have to put it on the list!
I think firefighters make good heroes. I like their protectiveness. I like Zsadist from BDB because he's caring.
ReplyDeleteI definitely like protectiveness in a hero, BN100! I haven't read Zsadist yet!
DeleteFirefighters definitely make great heroes, along with any other service provider- police, paramedics, etc. They save people's lives, have compassion, and are selfless. I like Bones from the Night Huntress series.
ReplyDeletee.balinski(at)att(dot)net
Hi Joanne,
DeleteAgreed!! I will have to look up this Bones!
I will add another S to your list of what makes firefighters sexy: SELFLESS. Who else is going to run into a burning building to rescue someone? Or rescue kittens or puppies? And I might even add another S: SOOTY. When they have that hardworking smudge of smokey soot on their faces, it's hot (pun intended)!
ReplyDeleteOh, Catherine, you're so right on target! The selfless is a give, but the SOOTY! I'm adding that one to the list! You're right, it's HOT!!
DeleteAny man in uniform is a hero except prison uniform of course. Right Now I just finished reading the new Nora Roberts book, The Witness and I have to say Brooks, a chief of police is my hero. I loved the way he finessed his way into Abigail's life...
ReplyDeleteGod I love uniforms. I wish I knew what made them so sexy! I'd bottle it!
DeleteAnd I'm going now to see if The Witness is in audio. I need a new book for my trip to work this weekend.
Of course fire fighters are heroes! And many of them are just too hot as well. I saw the Southern Florida Firefighters calendar recently and wow, unfortunately not many (if any) of the firefighters I know look like that. But that might not be such a bad thing as I might become a firebug just to keep them coming by LOL.
ReplyDeleteLOLOL, I've considered arson for income purposes (OT is seriously amazing, though my DH has promoted out of that category...dammmit!) but I'm liking your idea too. :)
DeleteHonestly, I worked for the NYPD (as a civilian) for years and have seen and heard a lot about both PD and FD (I still have friends in both departments), but I am, unfortunately, a bit jaded by some of it. However, I appreciate what they do when they have to rise to the occasion and there have been plenty of times when they've definitely been heroic and put their lives on the line to help others.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite heroes in books in the recent past have been the Argonauts in Elisabeth Naughton's Eternal Guardians series (I know she's your CP, but that's not why I'm saying it!).
LOL, Cheryl. Elisabeth's books are truly awesome. I am jealous of her work on a regular basis :).
DeleteWhoever performs his job to service the community while putting his life in danger is a hero. I have already read Fever and after a few weeks the male protagonist Teague still longers in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the best compliments on the book I could ever get, Mina!! Thank you!! So glad you enjoyed!
DeleteFirefighters are excellent heroes. I love their compassion as well as their strength. That is their inner and outer strength. I don't have a recent hero, but I like their selflessness. They ask for nothing other than to have respect for what they do.
ReplyDeleteWell said Christine!
DeleteI just got this book and am excited to read it soon.
ReplyDeleteThat's great Maria! Hope you love it!
Deletefirefighters are great heroes muscles, courage and caring they are too hot
ReplyDeleteDo I think firefighters are great heroes? Well considering my dad and his brothers and his dad were firefighters, they are heroes in my book. Now I do have to say that I never really saw any hot firefighters when I was around the firehouse.
ReplyDeleteWhat do I think, are firefighters good heroes? They are one the best!! I love our firefighters.
ReplyDeleteWhat do I love most in a hero? I love the confident attitude. I love "I will protect you at all cost" personality that comes with it.
Who is one of your most recent favorite heroes and why? My most recent favorites are from Leia Shaw. I am currently reading the Destiny series she has out. I am loving the wolves and vampires. I love the alpha, dominance and the all out possessiveness.
Mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com