All the answers…

 

So we had some questions put forth and it is my pleasure to be able to answer them. I’m always happy for anyone to get in touch with any queries that they have for me and if there are more after this then I am certainly willing to write another blog based on them. I can probably get hold of Rushe and Flick too if you have any questions for them 😉
But lets get cracking on today’s selection.

Question One
Who do you create first, the hero or heroine?

It largely depends on where inspiration comes from. Some novels begin with a character and others with scenarios. I don’t think it would be much of a surprise to learn that in the case of Explicit Instruction Rushe came to me first. The novel itself is actually about him, despite being from Flick’s point of view. Such a strong man with such clear characteristics was vivid from the outset. Everything else came from him, he dominates the piece.
But in other novels the heroine may come first, or even a secondary character. There have even been times when the couple came to me at the same time!

Question Two
Is it hard to come up with ideas/characteristics for non-typical romance Heroes (ie Rushe, Sloane)?

I have to be honest and say that non-typical heroes are actually my favourite kind. I don’t think it’s difficult to come up with the ideas for them and their traits but it can be more difficult to sell them to the reader. A lot of readers enjoy non-typical heroes, but there is still an expectation of how a hero should act towards his heroine. It’s extremely important for me that the respect remains intact between our couple, and as the writer it’s my job to ensure that the message of the relationship isn’t lost. Hence why consent is such an important factor for Rushe. Making that feature in his personality so prominent to the reader allowed me, the author, to communicate the maintained respect, despite the intense situation.

Question Three
Are any of your characters based on real people, or do they all come straight from your imagination?

Ah, I’ll have to be careful with this one! Yes, I have written characters based on real people.
Some of my characters share the odd trait here and there with people I know in real life, however the majority of my characters do come entirely from my imagination.
But, for those of you who have read The XY Factor you may remember Nick and Bella? They have their own novel, which is based before Sloan and Darcy’s. Their journey to happiness was bumpy too but an awful lot of fun. In their story there are two characters based on people in my life… I wonder if they’d recognise themselves…

I hope these answers have enlightened some of you. Please contact me with anymore questions you have, or head on over to Facebook and ask them there. Remember, if you don’t ask, you may never know!

Good luck on your adventures,

xSx