AccessRomance interviews author Gail Barrett.

AR: Your debut novel, WHERE HE BELONGS, is out this month. What can you tell us about this book?

Gail: WHERE HE BELONGS is about a man who returns to his hometown and must come to grips with his past. When Wade Winslow arrives in Millstown, he plans to say good-bye to his dying father and then leave. The last thing he’ll do is linger in the place that rejected him as a child. But he can’t abandon Erin McCuen (his former lover) who desperately needs his help. So he stays, rescues Erin and some troubled teens, saves the town from a forest fire -- and in the process, reconciles with his past. What makes Wade endearing is that he’s a true hero -- a man who can’t help but do the right thing, even at his own expense.

AR: Your next book, FACING THE FIRE, comes out in April and also features a smokejumper hero. Will there be any more installments in this series after that? What made you decide to write about smokejumpers?

Gail: When I first started planning WHERE HE BELONGS, I was trying to figure out what kind of work would appeal to my hero, Wade Winslow. I knew that he was a very physical man who thrived on change and even gravitated toward danger. The more I learned about smokejumping, the more convinced I became that it was exactly what he would do.

I did a lot of research about smokejumpers while I was writing WHERE HE BELONGS – I read books, watched videos, talked to smokejumpers and even visited one of their bases – and really became immersed in their world. That’s when I decided to write a more action-oriented book where I could really show what smokejumpers do. That book was FACING THE FIRE. And although I’m not working on another smokejumper book right now, I do plan to write another one soon because I admire their courage and commitment to their job.

AR: WHERE HE BELONGS is a Silhouette Special Edition while the next one will be an Intimate Moments release. Does the switch reflect any differences in the type of story?

Gail: Yes, definitely. WHERE HE BELONGS is very much a Special Edition. It is set in a small town and focuses on Wade’s struggle to overcome his past and find his place in the community. His core conflict, his inability to put down roots, reflects that issue. FACING THE FIRE has a lot more action – it begins with the hero leaping from an airplane and battling a fire. He gets injured saving one of his smokejumping “bros” and has to journey out of the forest with his ex-wife while the raging fire pursues them. That story could only be an Intimate Moments because of the drama and intensity. So although both stories feature smokejumpers, they are very different types of books.

AR: Tell us a bit about your path to publication and what it was like to receive The Call.

Gail: I decided to get serious about my life-long dream to write when my two boys were in elementary school. After writing a couple of pretty dreadful mystery novels, I tried to write a romance. I entered that story in a contest and it won. I was thrilled and convinced that I’d soon get published (and wasn’t I wrong!). For years after that I continued writing stories that did well in contests but it wasn’t until my sixth full book that I finally figured out how to craft a book that would sell. I sold WHERE HE BELONGS to an editor who had seen it in two contests (one of which was the Golden Heart).

Receiving “The Call” was surreal. I felt strangely detached, as if it weren’t really happening to me. I’m sure I sounded very cool and nonchalant when I told the editor that I would be happy to consider her offer and get back to her the next day, but as soon as I hung up I nearly passed out. I just walked around the house shaking and in a daze for hours. I couldn’t concentrate on anything. Then I shot off emails to everyone I’d ever met.

Surprisingly enough, selling my second book was even more emotional because it made me realize that I was actually having a career. I got that call (from my agent) on my cell phone while I was teaching a high school Spanish class. I stood there and freaked out in front of my students, who looked mystified about why I was going berserk. I couldn’t teach after that. I just zoned out. Fortunately, it was a good class and the students just chatted quietly and ignored me until the bell rang.

AR: You have a pretty adventurous past, including living in Spain for four years. Do you still travel a lot? What kind of influence, if any, do these experiences have on your writing?

Gail: I don’t consider myself very adventurous but I do enjoy seeing new places. I guess that’s pretty normal in my family. My parents have traveled all over the world; my brother was in the Navy for a time and one of my sisters became a flight attendant. Of course, I married a Coast Guard officer, so that also contributed to my travels. Lately I’ve been traveling to Spain every year. I’d like to continue doing that and also make a trip to Ireland someday.

I think that living in different places has had a profound effect on my writing, particularly in the themes that appeal to me, such as the search to belong or put down roots. Living in other countries has shaped who I am, and knowing another language has given me many opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise had. It has also made me more flexible and sensitive to other cultures.

AR: After returning to the U.S., you began teaching Spanish. Do you still teach or do you write full time now?

Gail: Just this fall I cut back my teaching from full time at a Catholic high school to part time at our local community college. This gives me more time to write during the day (when I am more alert) and I still get to use my Spanish and be around people. So far it is working out great.

AR: Who are some of your favorite authors?

Gail: Oh, that’s tough because I read so many different things. On my “keeper” shelf I have historical romances by Amanda Quick, Elizabeth Lowell, Kathleen Woodiwiss (she was my first introduction to romance novels) and Diane Perkins. On the contemporary side, I have Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich, Jennifer Crusie, Roxanne St. Clair, Susan Donovan and Cherry Adair. My mystery collection includes Roderic Jeffries’ detective Alvarez series (set in Mallorca, Spain), the Susan Conant dog mysteries and the Barbara Michaels mystery/paranormals. In series romance, I’ve saved all of Judith Duncan’s books, plus many other authors. And then, of course, I have the classics such as Cervantes, Dostoevsky, etc.

AR: Finally, what do you do in your spare time?

Gail: I walk a lot with my husband and lift weights. I used to do long-distance running until injuries stopped me, but I still like to stay physically active. And I often indulge in the afternoon siesta – my favorite pastime next to reading!

AR: Thanks for chatting with us, and congratulations on your brand new debut!

Gail: Thank you for asking me! It was a real pleasure!!