Romance Weekly: #LoveWriteChat

Have you ever wondered where romance writers come up with their crazy, and oftentimes kinky, ideas? Well, you've come to the right place. This week's questions come from author Kate Robbins this week.

1. How much of yourself do you write into your characters? Or do you write characters completely opposite to you?

Ooh! Good question. I think it's a bit of both. Those who know me personally will immediately identify pieces of my life sprinkled throughout each of my stories. When it comes to Redemption For Liars, Maya skates because I did. Lily is sassy like I am (as is my daughter, and boy let me tell you, we're in trouble when she hits puberty). In Assassin, P.I., Angie sings and dances because I do all the time. Jack's mother has had a stroke, similar to my father's stroke.

But my characters can act in ways I never would. Maya possesses a strength I don't think I have within me. Angie is far more bold, more aggressive, and much more sure of herself. She has this spellbinding power over men that I've always envied. If I even tried half of what she does, my husband would no doubt die of laughter at my clumsy attempts at seduction.

When I write, the characters I create have so much more freedom on the page than in real life. Consequences be damned.

2. Has your writing helped you see events in your own life clearer?
Sure. Writing has always been my outlet, my way of coping with events I can't change. For the most part, poetry helps more than any other writing form. It's where I can be completely honest about my emotions. But when I think about it, even my stories have helped me in some small way. My characters tend to deal with a lot of loss. As a child of older parents, the past two years have been filled with the loss of loved ones: my mom, my uncle, my godfather, in addition to several deaths in our small community. Writing about characters who are dealt a crappy hand in life, and yet still manage to find the strength to overcome it all is very therapeutic to me. I can't hit the delete key to change my past like I can in my stories. But I can overcome my past, and become a stronger woman because of it.

Of course, when all else fails, and clarity isn't helping . . .

3. Have you written a character with more of your personal characteristics than any other? What are they?

I don't think there's any one character that exactly mirrors my personality traits. Perhaps Lucy, from my children's story (unpublished), My Fairy Rhyme Tail, comes closes to being me. She's sassy, passionate about her work, cares for her friends and family, but has absolutely no patience for slow moving people. Hmm. I suppose she possesses some of my worst character traits, but that's beside the point. 

Or, I guess Annie, from my short story, Wrong Turn Annie, would be another contender. Annie is perpetually lost, loves junk food, and is terrified of facing the world on her own. Oh wait. Again, those are my worst traits. 

Better yet, I'm currently plotting a new novel where the heroine reflects quite a bit of my life. Sophie will be bossy, work in the education field, horde food, and . . . .

Well, hell. I give up.

For those who found themselves here by way of Fiona Riplee's website, welcome. I hope you enjoyed your stay. Next up on your blog hop is Rhenna Morgan.