Creepy, cozy, and cool books for fall reading
News and Interviews Icon side arrow

A Life in Books: Joanna Wylde

Posted by Goodreads on August 15, 2016
0 likes · 0 comments
Reaper's Fire
If nice guys really do finish last, the men of Joanna Wylde's Reapers MC series—powered by roaring Harleys and largely "unburdened" by legal restrictions—have nothing to worry about. They're not really nice, by any strict definition of the word, but they're fiercely loyal, passionate, and protective (if often to a wildly inconvenient fault). Wylde first introduced readers to her seductive take on bad boys in her 2013 motorcycle club romance, Reaper's Property. Since then, the Reapers have gotten themselves into all sorts of trouble, but each brother is slowly and steadily finding his match, the one woman he can't live without. Now, in Reaper's Fire, it's Gage's turn. Working undercover for the club, he falls hard for gorgeous gourmet chocolate maker Tinker Garrett. He knows she deserves a better man and that he should ignore their sizzling chemistry. But sometimes knowing what's right and doing what's right are two very different things….

Wylde shares the romance books that blew her away, inspired her love of bad boys, and made her want to time travel straight into a certain Scottish hunk's arms.

What's the first motorcycle club romance you ever read?
Title
The first MC book I read was Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley. I think what I love most about her writing is the way her heroines are very down-to-earth women. They tend to be imperfect people but also fun and incredibly loyal. I also appreciate the fact that her characters tend to range widely in age. There was another one of her books—Sweet Dreams—that had a heroine in her early forties, and she was starting over after a bad marriage. I'd never read a romance like it before, and it helped me realize that the old rules about what a romance should be didn't apply anymore.



If you could swap lives with the heroine of any romance book, which book would you choose?
Title
Honestly, I am blessed with a wonderful life and can't imagine swapping with any book character. Having said that, I'd love to travel back in time to the world of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander. My husband and I spent part of a summer tent camping through the Scottish Highlands, and we visited many of the locations in the book. Gabaldon's heroine, Claire, goes through so much pain that I don't think I'd ever want to be her, but I certainly wouldn't mind a night (or six) with Jamie Frasier….



What underrated book do you think all romance lovers should read?
Title
I think that everyone should read Painted Faces by L.H. Cosway. I resisted reading this book for a good six months after it came out because I simply couldn't see how such a strange setup (the hero is a cabaret singer who performs in drag) could be sexy or romantically fulfilling. My friends kept bugging me, though, and when I finally broke down and read it, I was blown away—who would've thought you could have a sexy alpha hero who wears a dress? Somehow she did it! It's possibly the most unusual romance I've ever read. Cosway is a very gifted writer.



The men of your sizzling Reapers MC series don't shy away from a little trouble and chaos. What book made you fall for a bad boy?
Title
That's a tough question to answer because I've been reading romance since middle school. That's a LOT of bad boys! Looking back, I think Linda Howard and Anne Stuart are the authors whose books first turned me on to bad boy heroes. If I had to pick one character, I'd say Black Niall from Son of the Morning by Linda Howard is one who still stands out the most after all these years.



What's the last romance book that blew you away?
Title
That's a very difficult question to answer because the romance books coming out right now are so fresh and exciting—I'm constantly finding new stories that push the boundaries of what romance can be. Ultimately I couldn't choose just one, so I decided to cheat and share two books that I think are beautifully written and different. The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith isn't a typical romance in any way, but somehow it really worked for me on both an emotional and an intellectual level. I can't even begin to explain it. Transcendence by Shay Savage is another brilliant book. Both of these authors have created stories that provide all the emotional satisfaction of a strong romance, but they also tell their stories in ways that never would've occurred to me as a writer. I find that challenging and exciting, both as a reader and as an author.



· 0 comments

Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-5 of 5 (5 new)

dateDown arrow    newest »

message 1: by DeeDee (new)
Aug 17, 2016 12:52PM

DeeDee I love all the Reaper and Silver Bastards books and agree with Joanna on the Kristen Ashkey and Diana Gabaldon stories. Haven't tried the other authors but will take a look at them now


message 2: by Reanell (new)
Aug 17, 2016 02:53PM

Reanell Tisdale Love this! So many good books listed!!


message 3: by Shelsea (new)
Aug 18, 2016 01:14PM

Shelsea I love Transcendence! It was definitely a different way to tell a love story. And of course, Kristen Ashley seems to hit the nail with every book I've read by her. I just finished reading Reaper's Fire and it did not disappoint. I love a good MC romance. And the Reaper's MC series is up there as some of my favorites of that genre. Can't wait for the next one!


message 4: by Gskm (new)
Aug 20, 2016 04:54AM

Gskm I really appreciate reading the books created by Ms Wylde. Ms. Ashley is a favorite too. I intend to check out the books mentioned here because I love a well written romance.


message 5: by Sarah (new)
Jul 17, 2018 09:46AM

Sarah Johnson I love your character development as well as your world building. As someone who grew up in the mountains, and in love with MC novels I can’t wait for your next book. When are we going to see more of the Silver Valley series?


back to top

A Life in Books
All News & Interviews