Ross, JoAnn (JoAnn Robb, JoAnn Robbins)

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Ross, JoAnn (JoAnn Robb, JoAnn Robbins)

PERSONAL:

Married.

ADDRESSES:

CAREER:

Writer. Worked various jobs over the years, including playing piano in coffeehouses, serving as a magician's assistant, and writing insurance policies.

MEMBER:

Romance Writers of America.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Romantic Times Online Career Achievement Awards in both category novels and contemporary single-title novels.

WRITINGS:

ROMANCE NOVELS

(As JoAnn Robbins) A Winning Season, Silhouette Desire (New York, NY), 1983.

Love Thy Neighbor, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1985.

Stormy Courtship, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1985.

Duskfire, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1985.

Risky Pleasure (companion to Duskfire), Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1985.

Without Precedent, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1986, bound with a novel by Isabel Sharpe and published as Windfall, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2003.

A Hero At Heart, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1986.

Bait and Switch, Harlequin Intrigue (New York, NY), 1986, Mira Books (New York, NY), 1996.

Hot on the Trail, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1987.

Worth Waiting For, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1988.

Spirit of Love (sequel to Worth Waiting For), Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1988.

In a Class by Himself, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1988.

Wilde 'n' Wonderful, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1988.

Eve's Choice, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1988.

Murphy's Law, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1989.

Secret Sins, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1990.

Tangled Hearts, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1991.

Tangled Lives (sequel to Tangled Hearts) Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1991.

Private Pleasures, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1992.

Dark Desires, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1992.

A Very Special Delivery (bound with Valentine Hearts and Flowers, Silent Sam's Salvation by Myrna Temte, and Romantic Notions by Roz Denny) Harlequin (New York, NY), 1992.

The Knight in Shining Armor, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1992.

Lovestorm, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1993.

Angel of Desire, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1994.

Scandals, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1994.

The Return of Caine O'Halloran, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1994, Harlequin (New York, NY), 2000.

Legacy of Lies, Mira Books (New York, NY), 1995.

I Do, I Do … For Now, Harlequin Love & Laughter (New York, NY), 1996.

It Happened One Week, Silhouette Yours Truly (New York, NY), 1996.

(Contributor) New Year's Resolution: Baby, Harlequin (New York, NY), 1996.

No Regrets, Mira Books (New York, NY), 1997.

1-800-HERO, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1998.

Hunk of the Month, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1998.

(Contributor) Temptation Blaze, Harlequin (New York, NY), 1998.

Mackenzie's Woman, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1999.

Homeplace ("Coldwater Cove" series), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 1999, bound with Far Harbor, 2005.

Far Harbor ("Coldwater Cove" series), Pocket Star Books (New York, NY), 2000, bound with Homeplace, 2005.

Confessions, Mira Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Southern Comforts, Mira Books (New York, NY), 2004.

(Contributor) Bayou Bad Boys, Kensington (New York, NY), 2005.

Blaze, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Impulse, Pocket Star Books (New York, NY), 2006.

(Contributor) Bad Boys Southern Style, Kensington (New York, NY), 2006.

No Safe Place, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2007.

"LUCKY PENNY" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Magic in the Night, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1986.

Playing For Keeps, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1987.

Tempting Fate, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1987.

"MONTACROIX ROYAL FAMILY" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Guarded Moments, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1990, published as The Bodyguard, 1995.

The Prince and the Showgirl, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1993.

The Outlaw, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1996.

"CASTLE MOUNTAIN" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Starcrossed Lovers, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1993.

Moonstruck Lovers, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1993.

Thirty Nights, Harlequin Blaze (New York, NY), 2001.

"KNIGHTS OF NEW ORLEANS" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Private Passions, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1995.

Roarke: The Adventurer, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1997.

Shayne: The Pretender, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1997.

Michael: The Defender, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1997.

"BACHELOR ARMS" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Never a Bride, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1995.

For Richer, For Poorer, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1995.

Three Grooms and a Wedding, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1995.

"MEN OF WHISKEY RIVER" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Ambushed, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1996.

Wanted!, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1996.

Untamed, Harlequin Temptation (New York, NY), 1996.

"CASTLELOUGH IRISH" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Fair Haven, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Legends Lake, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2001.

A Woman's Heart, Mira Books (New York, NY), 2002.

"CALLAHAN BROTHERS" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Blue Bayou (also see below), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

River Road (also see below), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Magnolia Moon (also see below), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

The Callahan Brothers (consists of Blue Bayou, River Road, and Magnolia Moon), Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

"STEWART SISTERS" SERIES; ROMANCE NOVELS

Out of the Mist, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Out of the Blue, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Out of the Storm, Pocket Books (New York, NY), 2004.

UNDER PSEUDONYM JOANN ROBB; ROMANCE NOVELS

Stardust and Diamonds, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1983.

Dreamlover, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1984.

Tender Betrayal (sequel to Dreamlover), NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1984.

Sterling Deceptions, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1984.

A Secure Arrangement, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1984.

Touch the Sun, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1984.

Wolfe's Prey, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1985.

A Dangerous Passion, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1985.

Promises to Keep, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1985.

High Stakes Affair, NAL Rapture Romance (New York, NY), 1986.

Contributor to the blog 2 B Read.

SIDELIGHTS:

Romance novelist JoAnn Ross began writing at an early age, but it was her second choice in her list of potential careers, right after playing center field for the New York Yankees. At the age of seven, she had planned to write only after retiring from baseball. However, a story she wrote for a second-grade assignment earned her a gold star, and that encouraged her to keep writing. She has since gone on to write more than ninety novels, and her work has been published in over twenty-five countries. She has won a number of awards, including the Romantic Times Online Career Achievement Award for both category novels and contemporary single-title novels. Ross attributes her love of storytelling to her grandfather McLaughlin, who was a "seanachie," or Irish teller of tales. When she was a child, he would tell her stories about castles, kings, great battles, and magic. In an interview on the Writing World Web site, Ross spoke of this oral tradition and remarked that "while he may not have directly influenced my writing, he did teach me the power of stories and the joy which can be found in the telling of them."

Ross has penned both stand-alone titles and numerous series, some of which center around shared settings or linked characters. Many of her books are suspense romances set in Louisiana. Among them are Private Passions, Roarke: The Adventurer, Shayne: The Pretender, and Michael: The Defender, the novels that make up the "Knights of New Orleans" series. In these fast-paced works, male protagonists aid women whose lives are in danger. In a Romantic Times Online review of Roarke, Cindy Whitesel remarked upon the author's lively style and "sparkling wit."

A suspense series that takes place in the Louisiana bayous, the "Callahan Brothers" books include Blue Bayou, River Road, and Magnolia Moon. The novels follow three brothers—one a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigator, another a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent, and the third a mayor. Mary K. Chelton, writing in Booklist, called Blue Bayou "a great one-sitting read." Of Magnolia Moon, Chelton remarked that the plot outcome leads to a satisfactory "conclusion not only to the book but also to Ross's sensual trilogy."

A versatile writer, Ross blends romance with mystery and fantasy, including the supernatural and time travel, in the popular "Men of Whiskey River" novels Ambushed, Wanted!, and Untamed. The "Castlelough Irish" series, which consists of Fair Haven, Legends Lake, and A Woman's Heart, draws on Ross's Irish heritage. In a review of A Woman's Heart, a Publishers Weekly contributor wrote that while there is a familiar quality to the novel, "Ross brings an immediacy to her narrative that makes this old story worthwhile."

When asked during a Writing World Web site interview what her greatest challenge is, Ross replied: "Trying to make each book better than the previous one. I'm not certain I always succeed, but the challenge is there every time I raise the bar. Also, it's often very difficult to take the glorious misty story that's shimmering out there in the ether and turn it into two-dimensional words on a page."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 1, 2002, Mary K. Chelton, review of Blue Bayou, p. 1312; September 1, 2002, Mary K. Chelton, review of River Road, p. 69; February 1, 2003, Mary K. Chelton, review of Magnolia Moon, p. 978; October 15, 2003, Mary K. Chelton, review of Out of the Mist, p. 397; March 1, 2004, Mary K. Chelton, review of Out of the Blue, p. 1145.

Library Journal, February 15, 2003, Kristin Ramsdell, review of Magnolia Moon, p. 122.

Publishers Weekly, April 27, 1990, Sybil Steinberg, review of Secret Sins, p. 55; March 23, 1992, review of Private Pleasures, p. 62; November 20, 1995, review of Confessions, p. 72; May 26, 1997, review of No Regrets, p. 83; June 8, 1998, review of A Woman's Heart, p. 58; February 15, 1999, review of Homeplace, p. 105; June 11, 2001, review of Legends Lake, p. 67; March 4, 2002, review of Blue Bayou, p. 63; August 26, 2002, review of River Road, p. 50; January 27, 2003, review of Magnolia Moon, p. 243; September 15, 2003, review of Out of the Mist, p. 50; February 9, 2004, review of Out of the Blue, p. 64; October 4, 2004, review of Out of the Storm, p. 75; June 20, 2005, review of Blaze, p. 64; January 15, 2007, review of No Safe Place, p. 37.