FAQs

1) When is your next book out?
The next book is THE PROTECTOR, coming out 28 Dec. 2004.
2) What is your next book about?
This is the first of the Crossfire Trilogy, starring three SEALs from Standing and Ready team. The first one, THE PROTECTOR, is Jazz's story. He is Hawk McMillan (whom you met in INTO DANGER)'s best friend and team mate. When he is held by Interpol in Asia, mysterious stranger shows up to help him out of his predicament. Vivi Verreau has been ordered to work with Jazz's SEAL team. The working title for this book was "When The F* Are They Gonna Bomb The F* Bridge?", LOL, so I think you all can guess what the highlight of this story is! ;-)
3) What are you working on now?
The second of the Crossfire Trilogy is Hawk's story! It's called THE HUNTER, coming out July 2005. Hawk is on a lone mission and needs a guide. Voila! CIA contract agent Amber Hutchens at his service. *EG*
4) Hawk, Hawk, Hawk, more Hawk! And Jed! And T and Alex!
Well, you will get a lot of them in THE PROTECTOR and THE HUNTER. And a surprise for you in The Hunter. Promise! Nope, don't email me. NOT TELLING.

5) What is FACING FEAR about?
Avon bought a manuscript that I have titled Hard Lessons. The hero is Rick Harden, the brooding and moody Operations Chief of Task Force Two in Into Danger. This story is darker in tone and more of a psychological suspense, as opposed to Into Danger's more action-oriented one. Somehow, I just can't see Rick Harden bantering light-heartedly, ya know? He is my 'catcher,' the guy in the team who knows too much, the one with the injured knees from years of catching those fastballs from the pitcher. But the man has a hidden heart of gold, and I promise you all that his story of redemption will make you go 'ahhhh.'
6) Sure, big promise, Jenn, but what about the sex? Can he beat Stash (INTO DANGER) at that?
Heh, heh. Let's see. What Stash and Marlena did with pearls...Rick and his heroine will set new driving codes with seatbelts.

7) Ahem, seatbelts? Tell me more about the heroine!
Her name is Nikki and she is Asian. She is also a GEM operative. 'Nuff said, eh?
8)Can you tell me more about Harden's book?
Facing Fear is an apt name. Both the hero and heroine have certain fears in their past they have to overcome. This story isn't as action-oriented as Into Danger; it is more of a psychological suspense. The themes of betrayal (personal and national) and the fallen hero can't really be told in a fast-paced style. The big story arc deals with how the CIA/covert authorities function when it comes to internal investigations and cover-ups. I have this fascination with bureaucracy and paper trails, so this story starts with Harden, the bad-boy-turned-bureaucrat and follows his climb back up. Come on, you got to know by now there is a bad boy in that man!
9) Are you doing more about TIARA? You also mentioned that this is a real group? Real, as in REAL?
LOL, Yes! Real as in REAL. I know the acronym sounds made up but I really went through a bunch of research before deciding on TIARA because it was just the type of thing I like to play with! Here is a link for more explanation of TIARA and what it is in the Department of Justice: http://usmilitary.about.com/library/glossary/t/bldef06205.htm
Truth stranger than fiction, hmm?

10) More about Facing Fear, please. Why did you pick Rick 'Hard On' Harden as your second hero? He was the least expected of all the characters in Into Danger.
There you go, you've slipped uncontrollably to a Gennita Low truth ;-). I love the unexpected. Rick Harden jumped out at me and demanded to be redeemed, and I was quite helpless after he showed me his...umm...talents ;-). Actually, Rick isn't my 'second' hero. I have been writing this loose 'series' for a while, concentrating on covert operations and fast-paced action.

As for the heroine, Nikki, she is Asian. Remember in Into Danger, it was Rick's team investigating Marlena? Well, things are reversed now. It's Nikki's team investigating Rick. He is in such deep do-do. After all, he was second-in-command to the Big Bad who sold classified secrets.

Hard Lessons, as Rick's story was originally called, is the book of my heart. I wanted to write something different, something psychological and darker than my other books. Certainly not a book that I thought would sell quickly, to be honest, because of the hero himself. His character is too dark, almost Byronic anti-hero, in the beginning, and who wants to read about a bureaucrat/suit and tie? But Rick Harden had secrets, lots and lots of secrets, and THAT is pure temptation for a writer/woman like me ;-). I'm glad I took the risk and let him lead me...Rick and Nikki are a special pair.
11) So there are others you've written?
Yup.
12) Will you be posting more excerpts on your website?
There are excerpts hidden in the GEM page, one of them a deleted scene from TP.
13) Why did you choose such odd acronyms like TIARA and GEM? And STAR Force ?
I have to be honest. I can't take credit for my brilliant names (bwahaha). Blame it on Uncle Sam. TIARA is a real division. I kid you not. So is Task Force Two (but not in TIARA). STAR was my play on a team concept called SCARS. GEM is a secret I will not reveal, no no no, Top Secret. No one knows what it stands for ;-). There was also a government project called STARGATE. So you see, I'm not the clever witty guy here--Uncle Sam is. I just happened to like to play word games and connect groups together.
14) Will Alex and Tess get their book?
I don't know. I have it written, short-form, and would love to share their story with all of you. Timeline-wise, their story starts before Stash and Lena's and overlaps Harden's as well as the current book I've been planning (the one featuring Hawk's team). I have an arc that follows through in each book that started in a category romance I wrote four years ago. As you can tell, I am sitting on a pile of manuscripts/story ideas ;-). Sometimes it's good to be insane.

15) Tess and Alex? Please, please, please? If they aren't given their own, will they be in Facing Fear or any future books?
Yes, I will. As soon as I pick the right section! And I know some of you wanted to see the pictures of Hawk and Jazz that I sent out to a few readers/friends but I don't know whether that's okay to post on the website. They are hot pics, though! ;-)

16) Cam and Patty? Please, please, please? There is a rumor that Cam will die! It's not true, right?
Cam and Patty's story continues in Facing Fear. They are a fun couple, aren't they?

17) Tell us more about Hawk's team.
Black Cell is based loosely on the very, very covert and totally denied-to-have-existed Red Cell from the SEAL teams. I wanted my teams to have different color coded cells for different covert operations/different targeted areas of the world. Black Cell is the 'highest' level, meaning most dangerous and incommunicado. Well, what do you expect? Hawk runs one of the teams!

18) Will we ever see Stash and Lena again in one of your future books?
No idea. I never say no, because I don't know. They probably will make guest appearances but I really don't want past characters from other books to take over a story, UNLESS there is good reason ;-). You do remember Hawk and Stash kind of look alike, don't you? I have this suspicion...that one day...hmm...well, think of the possibilities!
19) Tell us more about the Commandos, the one with Alex Diamond, with the hint of some guy named Jed, that were mentioned in INTO DANGER.
Again, I based this on research. I used the SOG team model from the Vietnam War. SOG stands for Studies and Observations Group and was the most secret elite U.S. military unit. I wanted a covert team that was more up-to-date, so created a special team of nine commandos. Alex is #1. Jed is #9. The numbers are their roles, not their positions. #1 starts. #9 ends. You will learn more one day, I hope. Don't want to confuzzle all of you with Jennaverse, which can be scary to diagram. And yes, you will definitely read about them in Facing Fear.
20) Who is Jazz? I thought it was going to be Hawk's story and all of a sudden, it's Jazz. Why?
I have to tell Jazz's story before Hawk's because that's how Muse wants it. Jazz's story is about friendship, so you will see a lot of interaction between Jazz and his best friend, Hawk, as well as Jazz and his team. My main focus is on friendships-male and female bonding--and what they mean. At least, I think that's how the story is going...
21) Where is the first chapter of Jazz that you promised? I have been checking the site.
So sorry about that. I have been so busy running around in July. My webmistress promised me a page that I could just upload anything I want and take it off anytime I want. As soon as I get this special page, I will put up the first chapter of Jazz and let you all peek at him for a week or two, but it won't be there permanently until the book is done.
22) Do I have to read Into Danger first to get into Facing Fear? I hear it's a sequel.
No, you don't. I strive to write stand-alone books. They are connected, but you don't have to read them in any order. I have written my books within a five year arc and I jumped back and forth doing that, just to trick my brain from linear storytelling. That said, there is an ongoing arc zig-zagging through the books. My interest is in information dispersion and how each group, whether in paperpushing departments, CIA or army special forces are all interconnected. And not. And why not. And so forth ;-)
23) I'm excited about reading an Asian heroine! Tell me more about Nikki and why did you choose Asian? Do you go into her background or is she just Asian in the book?
I'm excited too! Nikki is very special to me. I didn't choose her, or any of my characters; they choose me. I was absolutely intrigued by her story and her Asian background plays a very important role in FACING FEAR. There are Chinese myths and cultural beliefs that will clue the reader in about the mystery surrounding Nikki. I hope you will find her interesting too.
Keep those questions coming! I'll do my best to make y'all happy. Email them to Jenn@gennita-low.com
Jenn@gennita-low.com