Romance Writers Weekly - #lovechatwrite

If you like to read romance novels of all genres, 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 the same questions. Once you've read my blog, the link below will direct you to another. Tell your friends and feel free to ask questions or make comments.

There are only a few weeks left before our blog tour will be six months old. On July 29th, join us as we celebrate our first milestone, and give back some of the love. We have incredible prizes on offer, including a Kindle Fire and multiple romance libraries. Enter for free HERE!

If you've joined me from Dani Jace, welcome! Here are my answers:

How did you go about choosing the names for your characters?

Oh, god, names.

I remember when I was pregnant with our first child, I thought choosing a name would be fun and exciting. Instead it turned out to be one of the most stressful things ever! A boy name was easy – after my grandfather, my father and father-in-law – but the girl name? The ones I liked, my husband didn't – and vice versa. Plus, we have a rather unusual last name, so choosing one that fit it was even tougher. And hanging over the entire decision was the thought that this name was going to be stuck to this poor child. For. The. Rest. Of. Its. Life.

I feel the same way about my characters. The name has to fit, and that is completely and totally a gut reaction. I do seem to have a thing for the letter J, however. Heroine's 1 and 2 are June and Jemma, and Hero 4 is Justice. I have to admit, Justice is my all time favourite name for any of my characters. I was driving nine hours to a writer's conference, and in one of the small towns I passed through was the sign “Justice Motorcycles.” I knew immediately that Justice would be the first name of my next hero—and he would have to be an amazing man to live up to the name. So far, I think he is!

Where did the inspiration for your current book come from?

Well, you now know the inspiration for my current hero's name. The inspiration for his book came from the fact I wanted to write another book set in my hometown. MOUNTAIN FIRE is, CHEF D'AMOUR is not, Book 3 is bookended in the city, but I wanted Book 4 to be immersed in it. The story is a romance between an ex-hockey player turned university security guard and a big-city professor 'slumming' it for one year in the Great White North. And because it's set during the school year, that means the story is set during winter – the deepest, darkest, coldest time of the year. I love the challenge of showing how great my city is, no matter what the season.

What methods do you use to ensure you have no plot holes (journal, storyboard, outline, editor, etc.)?

I do use a spreadsheet to outline each book, but usually a quarter of the way in I have to start changing the spreadsheet to match the book. During the first draft, I do my best to keep the plot holes to a minimum, of course, but there's always a couple that sneak through. I hope to catch them on my first read-through – and I always ask my betareaders to keep their eyes open.

Now, I invited you to move on to the incomparable Sarah Hegger!

And come back tomorrow, when I'll be hosting another Romance Weely writer, J.J. Devine . She's celebrating the release of her new paranormal romance, so be sure to come by again for a chance to win prizes!