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Book CoverThe Billionaire Next Door is Jessica Bird’s newest Silhouette Special Edition. It is an august release, which means you can order if from eHarlequin right this second in print or ebook.

If you weren’t already aware Jessica Bird is the 2007 RITA winner for Best Short Contemporary Romance for her novel From the First

I think Sean O’Banyon first appeared in the Moorhouse series (FtF was the final book) and then there was a stand alone that tied into it, A Man in a Million, where I Sean was a major player. I thought the character was fab so I was very excited to see him get his own book. And once I was done with it emailed Jessica first thing… she was nice enough to answer a few questions for the blog.

qsmall.jpgI noticed Sean is was friends with Butch O’Neal. Is that something of an ‘in joke’ or will he play into the trilogy more later?

LOL that was an ‘in joke’. And a little shout out to BDB readers! Spike, the hero from my SSE A Man in a Million, is Zsadist’s distant, distant relative- something I knew all along. I can remember before I even sent the proposal in for Spike’s book looking across the table at my SSE editor and going, um, see there’s this one thing about Spike you should know. Fortunately, she was cool with it!

qsmall.jpgYou often say the ‘brotherhood’ write the books and you just tell what you see. With your SSE books and the new “The O’Banyon Brothers” do you feel you have more ‘control’ over the them or is just another movie. Minus the vamps *g*

No, I don’t have much control over any of the folks in my books. The Brothers are louder and more demanding, sure. But the other people in my SSEs are just as clear to me.

qsmall.jpgI like Sean. I really like Sean. In fact I would say this is one of my favorite Special Editions you have done. And of course he is very alpha. Very much alpha… and I was wondering do you think I will ever do a beta hero? Or have you done one and I missed it?

Um… probably not. Betas aren’t- wait, actually. That’s not true. I have written one. Well, my version of one. He’s part of anthology piece I’ve done which is coming out late next year.

qsmall.jpgLizzie was a great heroine and I LOVED the end of novel. I don’t think I have seen a heroine ask that of a hero before. Err… guess that isn’t much of a question *g*

LOL I love Lizzie and let me tell you, she did the right thing. If you consider the emotional ramifications of Sean’s background, and the fact that he’d never talked about what happened to anyone, you’d need him to get some help of the professional variety if you were going to be in a relationship with him. She was right to ask and he was strong to agree.

qsmall.jpgHow much of your past life in working in healthcare in Boston went into the setting of this? Was it something you drew on or just second nature in the back of your mind?

OMG totally something I drew upon! I told my editor I loved this book because I got to back home!

qsmall.jpgI recently ask Shannon McKenna about her heroines and the flack she has gotten from many a person about them being weak or weaker than her heroes. When we spoke in Dallas you said you had a much harder time writing the women. Do you feel you are improving and what are you doing to work on it?

If I’m getting better, it’s because I’m trying to balance the attention given to them a little more. Other than that, I’m not really changing the way I work- I still just follow the stories in my head.

qsmall.jpgThe most asked question I hear or see about Jessica Bird/JR Ward (other than omg they are the same person?) is ‘What is the deal with the glasses’. Care to answer?

My eyes are photophobic and have been for about the last seven or eight years- the result of too much time in front of the computer. Under florescent lights or in front of flashbulbs, my vision frizzes out. So either I wear them or I don’t see very well.

After I read the answers and saw a question or two over at Dear Author I asked two follow up questions and Jessica was kind enough to answer.

qsmall.jpgWill the anthology be by Jessica Bird or J.R. Ward? If it is Ward will it be apart of the Brotherhood? Or is it the start of the new series you are doing?

The anthology is J.R. Ward and vampire, but it doesn’t have any Brothers in it. The new series will start in 2009 with full length novels.

qsmall.jpgSince the news of Rhevenge being in hard cover, two questions are being asked, which I am not even sure you would have answers for: Will the first books be reissued in HC for those of us who are anal and like our books to match. And how many more books are going to be in the series after Rhev? Since I really doubt you know that can you at least tell us how many are contracted?

As far as I know the first books will not be reprinted as such right now- but who knows what the future will bring. At this point the Brotherhood is open ended. Originally there were ten books, but now with so many other folks appearing, I intend to keep on going for as long as folks will read! 🙂

**A Note I do not think Jessica Bird will have time to come by and answer any reader questions. But she will for sure be here in October to guest. So if you have questions about the SSE series or the brotherhood you are more than welcome to ask. And I will see about getting them worked into the October Q&A.**