Romance Weekly

Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn't you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all... About our writing of course! Every week we'll answer questions and after you've enjoyed the blog on this site we'll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions in the comment box."

Welcome to my tiny slice of Romance Weekly. Here are my responses to this week's jackpot questions:

What’s your ideal: alpha or beta and why?

Beta, but not wimpy. Why? Because I like men who are thoughtful, intelligent, and sensitive, as well as strong. My heroes might resist the relationship for their own misguided (albeit noble) reasons, but once they relent, they are equal partners with the heroine. I can't stand domineering, controlling men. I could never fall in love with one or expect any heroine of mine to do the same. He might be a diamond in the rough who needs a bit of sprucing up or a wild shade who needs taming or a tortured soul in need of saving, but the only bullies in my books are the villains..

Do you have a male buddy or mate you use for confirmation or inspiration when crafting your heroes?

I have a husband, but he doesn't take an active role in character development or serve as a model for my heroes.   I tend to use tarot cards, astrological signs, and the enneagram to craft my characters. Linda Goodman's Sun Signs describes the attributes of the men of each sign in a good bit of detail. In the case of my Knights of Avalon series (to be launched in 2015 by Lyrical/Kensington), I'm using the four knights of the tarot as the basis for the namesake hero. The Knight of Wands is a fiery Leo; the Knight of Cups is an emotional water sign; the Knight of Pentacles is a stubborn Taurus whose entrenched in more ways than one; the Knight of Swords will be an air sign who uses brains rather than brawn to win the day. Knowing the corresponding zodiacal signs of each card, I read Linda Goodman's descriptions until I find the one that resonates with the hero and story I have in mind. I then might use the enneagram to discover his deeper drivers.

What does any hero have to do to win your heart?

Be noble in his intentions, however misguided they may be, and care about more than himself and his personal agenda. I try to give my characters a world view and values I admire. I try to broaden the horizons of readers a little while telling them a story. Stories were invented to teach us things. I strive to keep that allegorical element operating in mine, but as invisibly as possible. I try not to preach, but there's definitely underlying perspective and themes if readers bother to look for them.


Thanks for stopping by. Your next stop in the circle is the blog of the lovely and talented Sarah Hegger, whose fabulous debut novel, The Bride Gift, is reviewed below. Take a moment to read the review if you would before popping over to Sarah's blog: http://sarahhegger.wordpress.com