Plotting a Story is a Dream

One of the most common questions I’m asked as an author is where do I get my inspiration from for my Regency historical romances  How do I come up with book after book?

Usually a character will pop into my head, and it’s most often the hero. I begin to understand

who he is, how his upbringing shaped his outlook on life and love, and what his inner fears and goals are. What makes him get out of bed everyday? What does he want out of life?

Once I have him firmly in my head, I look for a heroine. What type of woman will challenge my hero and make him face and conquer his fears? Then I have to understand her background. Why won’t the heroine automatically be impressed by him? What is the conflict that keeps them apart and let’s the tension build.

Then I love thinking up ways where are hero and heroine meet and then designing a plot that brings them together. I do like suspense in my historical romances and I usually have a villain or two as well.

If the book is part of a series I usually plot out the series by developing each hero first.

Plotting out a story or series is the fun part of writing. I can plot stories forever. Maybe I should offer to plot out stories for others to write!

This month sees the release of INVITATION TO PASSION, book#3 in my Invitation To series on 29^th July 2014. 

Consummate rake, Lord Richard Craven, has his heartbroken when the woman he loves is forced into an arranged marriage to a violent brute. To make matters worse, circumstances force him to marry Lady Madeline Knight—a woman he views more like a sister-only for fate to play the cruelest of tricks. Shortly after his wedding his former lover is widowed, and Richard learns she could be pregnant with his child.

Madeline Knight thought she was doing the right thing when she saved Richard Craven from his lover's irate husband. Now her silly schoolgirl crush has left her married to a man who's in love with another woman. Consumed with guilt over trapping Richard, she tries her best to be the perfect wife and win his heart. Failure is not an option. For if she fails she loses everything, she loves him too much not to set him free…

While Richard and Madeline confront the reality of their marriage, Madeline’s life comes under threat. A family enemy is set on revenge. Will Richard learn the truth of his heart, and what is truly precious to him, before the unknown enemy destroys their world?

I’m having a pre-order release party where you can win a pair of KAGI Designer Pink Drop Earrings valued at $149NZ.

B&N

iBooks

Kobo

Amazon – no pre-order, available 29 July

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