I've done a number of blog tours over the years, posting on different sites. Now I'm bringing them to you!
Originally published September 2, 2013 for Blackraven's Erotic Cafe
Thank you to Blackraven and Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe for having me back!
How does the inspiration come to you for the next book in this series?
Short answer? There are a bunch of alpha males and quirky females running around in my head jostling to get out :)
Longer answer, the series has a broad arc of three stories per villain, each bad guy more cunning and harder to beat. The final book as planned will be the boss villain against Kai Elias, the leader of the Iowa Alliance.
So then it’s a matter of fitting each hero/heroine into their best place in the arc. For example, one of my heroines had to be a doctor, to help reveal information on my vampires’ physiology. I also needed to establish the setting of the north woods cabin for a future story. So I created Synnove.
Then I had to pick a romantic interest. Since I love to crash opposites into each other, and Synnove is substance over style, that meant creating mega-style adman Ric. As a boy, Ric was turned by vampire villain Nosferatu, so I got to reveal some cool background about him and Elias.
The thing that sold Synnove for me is that her cousin is Twyla Tafel, whose story was started in The Bite of Silence. Twyla’s Happily Ever After was waiting for her in those north woods. Better yet, the event triggers Synnove’s HEA. When the pieces fit, I have the start of a story. When they resonate into something more, it’s worth writing.
I have to admit, though—it’s not all planning. Sometimes a character will simply leap out of my psyche and take over the pages. Logan and Twyla were both like that. And Aiden, deadly assassin and Ric’s sidekick, whom you’ll meet in Beauty Bites, grabbed Book 8.
When do you decide that it's time to close a series? What are the signs you look for?
I think it depends on the series. Some, like J.D. Robb’s Eve Dallas or Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe are open-ended. Some have a natural end, like a trilogy with three friends, each of whom finds their love. Some have a scripted end, where the last hero meets the biggest villain. Some jump the shark, where, in an effort to make the stakes larger or the twist unexpected, a story reaches outside itself for inspiration. It’s important to expand the story first, then bring in the shark :).
Did you think the series would go as long as it has?
In my head it always has J. I’ve had to learn better ways of creating new situations and increasing the stakes without jumping the shark. As many writers do, I have themes that resonate strongly for me, and those will show up again and again. But I feel very fortunate to have great editors, writers, readers and the whole community of people who love stories whose support and encouragement keeps my writing fresh.
