Favorite scenes:
1. The cruise ship scene in Groupie where Vanni stakes his claim at last. It was the first time we see him lose himself to what he really wanted, rather than put a bunch of other stuff (and people) in the way. He was also very GRR. And I like GRR.
2. The NYC hotel scene with Vanni and Andy in Rock Star. Like the scene above, Vanni is stripped down to his most vulnerable state. When he tells Andy, "It hurts," my heart shattered. I think that was where I truly fell in love with him.
3. Peyton's first "lesson" with Mateo in The Undisciplined Bride. It's the first time Peyton doesn't get her way, no matter how bitchy or whiny or manipulative she tried to be about it. In one simple scene, Mateo lays down the rules for their relationship. It was hot and funny all at the same time.
Favorite heroines:
1. Alice, from Comic Squad. She may only be twelve, but Alice is probably the strongest heroine I ever created. She was smart and fearless, and never backed down from doing what needed to be done. Reese, from Taste of Blood, runs a real close second.
2. Peyton from The Undisciplined Bride. Like anyone who read the book, I hated this chick from the get-go. She was a first-class, grade-A, number-1 BITCH ON WHEELS. She was selfish and entitled she didn't give a rat's ass who she hurt in her pursuit to always get her way. But as I got to know her better, I realized that under all that yucky stuff was strength and determination and truly a fearlessness to grab the world by the balls and never apologize for her flaws. In her world, being a bitch was the only way she was allowed to be powerful. She just needed to learn to channel these assets through better behavior. Enter Mateo. ;)
3. Andy from Groupie, of course. She was the first plus-size heroine I wrote who didn't apologize for her size. Despite all the ups and downs with Vanni, her self-esteem was never tied to a number on a scale. Her focus was always a little higher than that. Her identity came from who she was as a person, not some arbitrary dress size. Personally, I think that was what attracted both Vanni and Graham to her in the first place.
Favorite heroes:
Here's where it gets a little tricky. I've fallen in love with each and every one of my heroes at any given time while writing these books. I love the swagger of Vanni, the power of Mateo, and the goodness and steadfast loyalty of Jace and Jake.
In the end, however, I married my Graham... so ... make of that what you will. (I guess that makes me Maggie. I'm OK with that.)
Favorite supporting characters:
1. Lissette Goodreau from The Undisciplined Bride. When I outlined this book originally, she played a very minor part. She was meant to be this little mousy character always at the receiving end of Peyton's bad behavior. But Lissette had her own story to tell, and she let me know that right in the first chapter. Once I realized what she wanted - needed - to say, I was merely along for the ride. It was great fun and very rewarding to get to know this character and follow her journey. I'm honored she picked me to tell her story.
2. Jorge Navarro from Love Plus One, Mogul and Fierce. I can't even tell you how much I love this man. Not only did I shamelessly pattern his physical look after his partial namesake:
But he was the one character in all my books who could see and bring out the beauty in anyone. We all need a little Jorge in her ears, telling us how sexy and wonderful we are... but who can also tell us when we're being jealous shrews and to slow our role.
3. Twitch from Comic Squad. Steven told me when I outlined the story that the bad guy needed a henchman, and thus Twitch was born. He provided comic relief and - surprisingly - a lot of heart from a completely unexpected source.
Favorite Couple:
1. Peyton and Mateo, The Undisciplined Bride. When it comes to what I find sexy, power play is at the top of that list. I love the push/pull between two people who alternately yield and wield their sexual dominance. And these two Titans have that power in abundance. They were both confident and unapologetic in what they wanted, and that was a refreshing dynamic for me. And they both grew from the process, which was icing on their sexy, sexy cake.
2. Jordi and Jace, The Fierce Trilogy. When I introduced Jordi in Mogul, I anticipated that she'd be a fierce diva who didn't give a flying fig what the world thought about her. She knew she could SANG, y'all, and she was about to throw. it. down. When I sat down to write Fierce, though, I was in for a HUGE shock. Jordi was essentially me, with all the same insecurities tangled around her "never say die" nature. We had some things to work through. Fortunately for both of us, we had a steadfast companion at our side, filling our spirit with acceptance unlike anything we had ever experienced. Jace was almost TOO perfect. I never wanted to hurt him... EVER. This is not good for a writer/character relationship. So I gritted my teeth and put them through their paces, and they surprised me with an enduring love that was both sexy and sweet. He was her friend, he was her lover... he was her rock. And what did she give him in return? You'll have to read Epic and find out. ;)
3. Andy and Vanni, The Groupie Trilogy. To be completely honest with you, I didn't think that Vanni deserved Andy throughout the entire first book of the series. That is why there are two more. Vanni was a self-absorbed man-child who vaulted into the life of a celebrity, which meant he could get whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted it. And he made no bones, really, that was what he was going to do. Many people have expressed their displeasure regarding his "cheating," but the fact is - he never cheated. Not technically. He never promised to be faithful to Andy, and in fact told her right from the start that he couldn't make any promises beyond the moment. These same people get angry with Andy for not kicking him to the curb (which, btw, she does... repeatedly,) but in her mind, she was never gunning for the wedding ring. She simply fell in love with a man who didn't quite deserve her, and who of us hasn't made THAT mistake a time or two? Because Andy was the first real woman to tell him "no," she got under his skin until he had no choice but to turn into a guy that deserves her. By Mogul, that transformation is complete. I, for one, couldn't be prouder of the man he became. I squeal like a shameless fangirl every time he pops up in new stories.
Worst Villain:
1. Eddie Nix, The Fierce Trilogy. Most of the villains in Fierce were created to mimic the inner dialogue most women in our culture are trained to have from a very young age, and this was especially true with Eddie. He validated all those horrible things we tell ourselves about men (and the most horrible men tell us about themselves, i.e. Romeo Rose.) The hardest scene I ever wrote was in Fierce, when he was using Jordi for sex and berating her while he essentially forced himself on her. I've written rape scenes before, but this scene was so insidious that by the time I finished I literally threw my laptop across the bed and burst into tears. Essentially Jordi was complacent in her own abuse in this scene, and that resounded in many, MANY of my past mistakes. Eddie Nix is so hated among those who read the book, I have been begged to give him the most Epic comeuppance that I can, well, come up with. All I can tell you is Karma is a bitch. And so am I. *EG*
2. Talia, Groupie. Talia was probably THE most mentally unstable character I ever created, and I made the monumentally STOOPID decision to write her in the first person. That meant I had to get inside her head and witness the crazy first hand. I truly didn't like living in her head, so much so that when I do reread Groupie, I skip her chapters entirely. Once was enough. Actually more than enough. Let's be honest, she teetered on the edge of Too Much. The even scarier thing about Talia is that people like her do exist. She was inspired by a number of people I either had direct contact with OR knew others who did. Talia simply took things to the extreme. And that's a scary thing when you personally know and care about those who attract this level of crazy.
3. Mike, Dirty Little Secrets. When I wrote the screenplay that Dirty Little Secrets was adapted from, I was still relatively new to the process and resisted outlining my stories. I had a general direction where I wanted to go, but I let the details spring forth as they willed. As I brainstormed my idea with Steven, he told me that my beleaguered heroine needed a friend that she could talk to and bounce things off of. Since she was a drug addict/alcoholic, the most obvious choice would be he guy who owned the town's liquor store. From the minute I hit return to type his first lines of dialogue, I realized one irrefutable fact: Mike Beyer was a sleazeball. He was not Grace's friend; in fact he turned out to be her biggest tormenter. There were really no limits to his depravity, so much so that a fellow screenwriter suggested I tone some of it back, that it was too much. (Yeah... I kinda didn't.) (You have been warned.)
Favorite books:
1. Comic Squad. This book doesn't get a lot of attention because it's not in my more popular Romance genre, but it is my lovechild with my geek husband, Steven. As such, it includes the best of both of us. There's a lot of humor and heart with some absurdity and fun thrown in for good measure. It's a kids book, but it's not just written for kids. The theme of the story is finding the strength to be your own hero, and that's a lesson I need every day of my life. There's an underlying theme of family, which ended up being a tribute to my own mom.
2. My Immortal. This book is a very emotional love letter to the two most important men in my life, my first husband Dan, and my second husband, Steven. I really wanted to examine the idea of soul mates, and how that bond is never broken even in death. So naturally I wrote about reincarnated vampires.
3. Groupie. Not only is it my most popular book, it's an homage to my own past as a groupie, dating all the way back to seeing Davy Jones on TV for the first time when I was nine. But more than just the fantasy of landing a rock star, I really worked through some disillusionment I was personally experiencing at the time. So I anchored that sumbitch with some gritty realism. This is what happens when you write for revenge. I really wanted to throw back the veil of celebrity and examine the ugly parts. The driving theme for that series was, "Be careful what you want. You may get it." In the end, I was tremendously proud of the result. If you're looking for a mostly good bad boy, keep looking.
Biggest surprises:
1. Graham Baxter, Groupie. Just like Mike and Twitch before him, Graham was never in the original outline for Groupie. He was created in a moment, simply to give Andy someone to talk to. But the moment they met, their chemistry was undeniable. I kept wanting to go back and explore that connection more and more, until he forced an entire rewrite of my original ending for the first book in the series. Better still, he keeps popping up in several other books, this quiet pillar of strength who shines like a beacon guiding me home. (Not unlike the man he's patterned after.) Not bad for someone I didn't even know was going to show up!
2. Griffin Slade, Epic. By the time we get to book three of Jordi's journey, her life is pretty populated with people who love and support her. There's Jace of course, along with her best friend Corey. The entire Groupie Gang rallies behind her, Graham, Maggie, Vanni, Andy, Jorge, Iris and all the guys in Dreaming in Blue. They all tell her how wonderful she is and give her advice and support her and generally fill her head with positive reinforcement. This is useful because her enemies are likewise vocal, telling her how awful she is. From PING on down to Eddie, those who would hate Jordi don't mind telling her or the world that. Enter Griffin Slade. Griffin, unlike anyone else, doesn't feed Jordi's ego. He's actually quite dismissive, though he never says anything directly insulting or demeaning. In this void, Jordi must decide which camp he belongs in for herself. This depends almost entirely on her own self-esteem. Her relationship with Griffin works much like a mirror, reflecting back to her what she thinks about herself. Like many women, this causes the ultimate confusion as she bounces back and forth between does he or doesn't he? And guess what? Griffin didn't tell me much either. I got to learn who he was and how he felt along with Jordi. Is he a good guy? Is he an asshole? You'll just have to read Epic to find out.
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