Romance Weekly: #LoveWriteChat

It's time for your weekly dose of Romance! If you've just arrived here by way of Gemma Brocato's website . . . Welcome. I hope you'll enjoy your stay and visit again soon. This week's questions come from my friend, Rebekah Ganiere, whose paranormal novel, Dead Awakenings, is taking Amazon by storm.

Who is your favorite character you've written and why?
Oh, dear. I don't think I can pick just one. As much as I love the heroes and heroines that I write, my favorite characters are by far the secondary characters. They get to say and do whatever they want, often without any repercussions. Max, from Redemption For Liars, is one such character. She's old, cranky, and speaks her mind, especially when dealing with her sister, Lou. Here's a little snippet of a conversation between the two sisters.

Max bellowed from the kitchen, “If you ask me, you’re better off without that sorry excuse for a man. Never did like the son of a bitch. It ain’t right for a husband to go gallivanting around and leave his wife and child alone for weeks on end.”

“Maxine,” Lou chided, appalled by her statement.

“Some things are better left unsaid, but I have to agree wholeheartedly with my crass sister.” 

Max interjected. “What she needs to do is get laid. One quick, good roll in the hay would make her forget all about that jackass." 

Lou slapped her hand down on the table. “Holy hell, Maxine. What has gotten into you today?” 

“It’s this job. It’s driving me crazy.” Max grabbed a skillet and slammed it down on the stove. “Or maybe it’s you. Not sure which, but when I decide, I’ll let you know.”

See? Wouldn't it be cool to not worry about filtering your words? Max is my hero!

Do you prefer to write your Hero or Heroine?
I'm not sure I really have a strong preference, but I do enjoy writing the hero's reaction to the heroine. Since I'm a girl, and thus am not privy to the inner thoughts of my man, I'm often left pondering what in the world goes on inside his head. What is he really thinking when he looks at me, raises his eyebrow, and cocks his head to the side? Is he plotting all the ways he'll ravish my body later, or is he simply wondering why in the hell I'm blocking his view of the t.v.?

Jack, my anti-hero from Assassin P.I. is fun to write because the entire story has a 1940's flair to it. Jack refers to women as dames or dolls and is the epitome of an old-fashioned gentleman. I love watching Angie get under his skin to reduce this big, strong man down to a pile of mush when confronted with the woman he loves. I can't help it. I'm a romantic at heart, and love living in a fantasy world of my own creation. I get to shape and mold my brooding heroes into whatever I want them to be. Yep. Definitely enjoy writing the hero.

What are the three things you can't write without?
Inspiration - I've discovered that my muse is incredibly lazy and fickle. She's often MIA and needs to be duct taped to a chair.

Or perhaps it's me who needs to be duct taped to the chair. Just don't tell my hubby I said that, or he'll be tempted to really do it.

Peace and quiet - I find it really tough to write when my hubby or kids are making noise. I probably should go ahead, bite the bullet, and buy those noise canceling headphones my husband suggested.

The perfect song piped into my ears - My current favorite songs come from the Sherlock, Series 3 soundtrack. 

Well, that's it for today! Next up on the Romance Weekly Blog hop is Jami Denise.  http://www.jamidenise.weebly.com/blog.html. 

See y'all on Thursday when Patricia Hudson reveals the cover of her new book.