Jay Crownover has a brand new series coming next spring, and we are very excited about what she has in store for Loveless, Texas.
Who’s excited for a brand new Jay Crownover series? We may have said goodbye to the Point in Respect just a month or two ago, but Jay always has something great up her sleeve, and her next series promises to be full of all the things we’ve come to love most about Jay Crownover books.
First, check out this cover.
It’s pretty freaking beautiful if I do say so myself, and definitely screams cowboy all over it.
And now for all the wonderful details about Loveless, Texas from the legend herself:
Readers of your books have certainly heard of Loveless before, as it’s Rowdy, Salem, and Poppy’s hometown. Fans of your Marked Men will surely want to know if this new series might include a glimpse or reference of a familiar character or two?
It’s possible, but I doubt it’ll be any of the characters they are expecting. I’ve been known to throw in a surprise cameo here and there without warning, so I guess readers will just have to visit Loveless to find out who pops up.
What is your favorite part of connecting your series in such an organic way?
When the new series, or story, is set in a familiar location, I think it reassures the reader that even if this book might not be the same as a previous one they loved, there will be something there they connect with. I hope connecting the books in some way assures readers it’s still a JAY book, regardless of the content, cover, or genre.
I like being able to slip in little Easter Eggs only my die-hard readership picks up on when I connect the series through location and characters. It’s super fun to get an email from someone so excited that they recognized that character in the background, or that scene, from another book.
What about Loveless made you eager to set a brand new series there?
I’ve been building the town of Loveless for years. It appears in The Marked Men series, The Saints of Denver series, The Getaway series, and in my standalone novel Recovered. I was always planning on eventually writing a whole series set in Loveless, I just needed the right set of characters who were as tough and interesting as the town itself. I was waiting for someone who felt like they had deep roots in Loveless… someone who really embodied what the town was like. Enter the Lawtons and their very difficult childhood and rocky road to romance.
Plus, over the last few years, I’ve spent a lot of time in and around Austin which I LOVE, and Loveless is set right outside of there. I feel like I can write accurately about an authentic small Texas town, now that Austin is my home away from home.
This series will focus on the Lawton siblings, can you tell us more about this family and why you had to tell their story?
They’re a tightknit group, protective of one another almost to a fault. Growing up in a small town it was pretty common knowledge that none of them had the best home life. So a big part of their story is proving to themselves— and the town— that they are better than the legacy they were left with.
I’ve wanted to tell Sheriff Case Lawton’s story since he appeared in Salvaged last year. He was a conflicted, angry man… so my favorite kind of hero to write about! He sort of brought the rest of his family with him, because that is how all the best series are born. He wasn’t just trying to straighten his town out, he was also trying to get his wild family on the right path. Case needed a purpose, and really the only thing he loved as much as his job was his brother and sister…not that they asked for, or particularly wanted, his help. It was one of those things where a character was larger than life even though they were only on the page for a few seconds. In this case, it was the whole Lawton family who demanded attention.
This is your first western themed book, can you tell us what inspired you to write about Texas and rugged, protective cowboys?
I’d argue the Getaway series has some very western themes aside from the romance and suspense! But I get where you’re coming from, these boys are all boots, buckles, and big cowboy hats. There is no denying they are cowboys…lol. They are from Central Texas after all.
Honestly, the men fit the landscape they live in. They’re rugged, tough, and very capable. They’re also a little wild, slightly reckless, and willing to put it all on the line for those they love. It comes from being the only ones they could rely on when they were growing up. So they might have a different aesthetic than some of my other heroes, definitely less metal and ink, but deep down they have all the wonderful things every Jay hero has. And I guess that’s ultimately why I wanted to write these books. I want to put my spin on every kind of hero imaginable… so, cowboys it is!
What can you tell us about Justified and/or Case and Aspen that will drive us crazy til next spring?
Case holds Aspen accountable for one of the worst things that’s ever happened in his life. He really considers her the enemy. She’s had a crush on him since high school, and she hates that he hates her. They go from ice cold to inferno hot, and neither is sure how to handle it. I love that he’s a little mean and that she’s prickly in order to protect herself.
Your diehard fans (basically anyone in the Crownover’s Crowd) are probably already searching for pre-order links for this new book, especially since we all said goodbye to the Point in Respect just weeks ago. How would you describe this new series for those that have been along with you from the beginning?
It’s a small-town romance, with larger than life characters (think alpha heroes and feisty heroines… so much sass), a whole lot of romance (and of course sexy-times), and some surprising twists and turns. If you’re familiar with my work at all, I tell my readers this series feels a lot like if the Saints of Denver series and the Getaway series had a book baby. Lots of fun family dynamics at play. And each half of the couple is coming at the main conflict in their story from different sides of the same coin.
This is VERY different than Respect and the land of the Point… which is kind of great. I mean I get to stretch my writer wings and tell all the stories. That’s why this is the best job ever.
Pre-order Justified now on Amazon, and make sure to add it to your Goodreads queue!
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