Interview: Denise Grover Swank of Chosen

Interview: Denise Grover Swank of Chosen

Today I have Denise Grover Swank with us as part of the Chosen blog tour hosted by Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours. Denise is the author of Chosen — the first book in her new and exciting Paranormal Romance series.

Denise is a single mom who lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri raising five of her six kids. (The oldest has gone off to live on his own.) She loves to embarrass her children whether it be spontaneous dance parties in the kitchen or making her teens’ friends think she’s funny/cool. *gasp* (Even if its in her own mind.) On rare occasions, she is known to post stories about her crazy life on her family blog There’s Always Room for One More.

She keeps her sanity by creating worlds to escape to and characters to hang out with.

Welcome Denise! Thank you so much for stopping by. To get us going, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi! Thanks for having me, Sarah! I’m a single mother to six kids. Only five live at home and the three youngest are internationally adopted from China and Vietnam. They keep my busy and our house is crazy but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Can you tell us a little bit about Chosen and what it’s about for those out there who haven’t heard of it yet?

At its purest level, Chosen is about mother trying to protect her son. Men have chased Emma and her five-year-old-son Jake for years, trying to take him from her. Jake can see the future. Emma will do anything to protect Jake, even when it means relying on someone she thinks is untrustworthy, a stranger named Will. Unknown to Emma, Will’s been hired by another group to bring Emma to them. And as Will makes his way to South Dakota to hand her over, he finds himself protecting Emma and Jake not because he’s been hired, but because he actually cares about them. Will’s emotions are already on edge, but he’s not prepared when Jake tells Will he’s the fulfillment of a centuries old prophesy and his job is to protect Emma from powerful enemies.

In Chosen, Emma’s son has the power to see the future. Could you tell us if we’ll be meeting any other characters with special powers like these? If so, what kinds of cool powers can we expect to see (if you can share, of course)?

In the beginning of Chosen, Emma is simply a mother trying to protect her son. He’s the one with special abilities. But as the book goes on, Emma is able to do things she couldn’t before. In the second book, Hunted, Emma explores this new side of her. And in the second book, she realizes she’s not alone.

If you were given the option to be able to look into the future, would you take it? Why or why not?

Wow. That’s tough. You know, I don’t think so. The best things in my life usually come by surprise. Why spoil that?

Chosen sounds like a really fast paced book being that they’re on the run throughout it. Can we expect to see lots of action in the book? What else can we expect to see (romance, humor, etc.)?

Yes, Chosen is a fast paced book. The biggest complaint I’ve heard so far is that it’s hard to put down. I’ll take that. LOL But it also has a lot of heart. Even with all of the chaos surrounding the characters, the story is ultimately about the relationships. There’s love– both maternal and romantic– and lots of sarcastic humor. I LOVE writing Will and Emma’s dialogue together.

Ohh, I love sarcastic humor in books. I don’t think enough writers appreciate the awesomeness that is sarcasm in a story.

What are you favorite kinds of scenes to write (romantic, humorous, action-packed, etc.) and why?

It’s funny that I write a lot of fast action scenes, but those are my least favorite to write. They often involve choreography of some kind. I’ve also been known to tweet or post on Facebook things like, “I hate when I lose track of my body count.” There’s little doubt that I’m on several government watch lists. LOL I think my absolute favorite are the humorous scenes, especially snarky, sarcastic dialogue. But I also like writing romantic scenes. There’s something special about capturing magical moments.

What kinds of things do you have planned for the series as a whole? Anything you can spill?

I’ve just gotten copy edits back on Hunted, the second book in the series. I hope to have it published by the end of November. I’m about halfway through the first draft of the final book, Sacrifice. Beta readers for Hunted have told me that I throw in lots of twists and turns they didn’t see coming. And they stalk me on Facebook and Twitter, reminding me that I need to quit goofing around and finish the third book. Hunted focuses on Emma and Will’s search for answers about her past with a frightening premonition of her future.

What writer, book, or series has been a big inspiration to you and your writing?

LOST was a huge inspiration to me. It inspired my story telling in Chosen and Hunted. Answer a mystery, present another.  Sarah Addison Allen is one of my favorite authors and her story telling was a big inspiration for my humorous southern mystery, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. She writes magical realism and the characters in her stories are sweet, southern women and the books have fantastical elements. I also love her writing.

Do you mean the tv show? I LOVED Lost! So glad to hear that one inspired you, I can definitely see why.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I like to watch TV, but usually only on Netflix or Hulu now. That’s my reward for completing word writing goals. I’ve blasted through five seasons of Doctor Who and four seasons of Torchwood. Now I’m looking for a new obsession. I also like to garden, read and play with my kids. They love our spontaneous dance parties. Well, the younger ones do. My fourteen year old daughter, not so much.

I’m with you on the Netflix. I haven’t gotten into Hulu yet. But that’s definitely a good reward for a job well done.

What are you reading right now and what book(s) have you had your eye on lately but haven’t gotten to read yet?

I just finished The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen. I’ve already mentioned that I love her. I’m getting ready to read Lost Dog by Bill Cameron. I’ve read several of his short stories and I’m excited to read his mystery series.

Thank you so much for stopping by Denise. It was a pleasure having you and your new series sounds fantastic!

For those of you wanting a synopsis of Chosen, here is the book description. Also click on the book cover to go to its Goodreads page.

Everything Emma Thompson owns fits in a suitcase she moves from one roach infested motel to another. She and Jake, her five year old son who can see the future, are running from the men intent on taking him. Emma will do anything to protect him even when it means accepting the help of a stranger named Will. Jake insists she needs Will, but Emma’s never needed help before. And even though she’s learned to trust her son, it doesn’t mean she trusts Will.

Mercenary Will Davenport lives in the moment. Hauling Emma to South Dakota should have been an easy job, but his employer neglected to tell him about Emma;s freaky son and the gunmen hot on her trail. Instinct tells him this job is trouble, but nothing can prepare him for Jake’s proclamation that Will is The Chosen One, who must protect Emma from the men hunting her power. A power she doesn’t know she has.

Will protects Emma and Jake on a cross-country chase from the men pursuing them, while struggling with memories from his past, his apprehension of Jake, and his growing attraction to Emma. Will’s overwhelming urge to protect Emma surprises him, especially since it has nothing to do with his paycheck and possibly everything to do with the tattoo Jake branded on his arm. Rich and powerful men are desperate to capture Emma, and Will must discover why before it’s too late.