Family Tree Maker, Organizing Characters

As I wait for Sugar Rush to get back from the editor, I am moving forward with my next book. Instead of one for my Sensual Romance Series, I'm expanding my Coulson Series. This time I am stepping back in time – introducing the readers to Randall Coulson, grandfather of Garret and Russell, and founder of Coulson. I will also be bringing back a younger version of Harrison Sr.

To help me keep track of all the players, I’ve been utilizing my genealogical software program,   Family Tree Maker.

My ultimate plan is to write at least two new books in the Coulson series that take place before Lessons.  

The Females from the Sensual Romance Series

In my last post I discussed the men of the Sensual Romance Series. I think it is only fair to give the women the same attention.

I used my own job experiences when creating several of my female protagonists. Kit Landon, from After Sundown, once managed her parent’s restaurant. I once managed my parent’s restaurant. She is an old fashioned girl, who just wants to be a stay-at-home mother, and raise her young daughter. Unfortunately, her husband was tragically murdered, and she is forced to find some way to support her daughter and herself. 

Ella from While Snowbound is an author, like me. While Kit from After Sundown is focused on her daughter, Ella is focused on her writing career, and enjoys spending time alone. Ella’s special needs Aussie was patterned after our Aussie, Lady, who like Ella’s dog Sam, needs help to get in the car, and rarely barks.

I borrowed my daughter’s career for Sugar Rush's Lexi. The character Lexi has recently graduated, earning a graphic design degree. Our daughter Elizabeth is a freelance graphic designer, and the one responsible for my beautiful book covers.

As for Lexi’s hot fudge recipe used in Sugar Rush – that was borrowed from my father. But enough for now. Sugar Rush hasn’t been released yet.

Photo: Our Aussie, Lady, who I patterned Sam after.

Three Very Different Men

I’ve two published books in my Sensual Romance Series. The third, Sugar Rush is currently with the editor, and should be released shortly.

While each story is a standalone romance, with sexual tension and happy endings, my male leads are vastly different from story to story, as are my female protagonists.

After Sundown has received four and five star reviews over on Amazon, but one reviewer particularly hated my male character and gave the book a one star. According to that reviewer, my character was practically a rapist, an over the top alpha male with anger issues, and the reviewer admitted to not finishing the book.

To be honest, the reviewer makes some valid points. Cole Taylor did behave like a jerk in the first part of the story. And while I will argue he is not a rapist, he did cross the line – something he fully acknowledged. But people – and characters – are not perfect. They come flawed. I like my characters to evolve on the pages. Had the reader stuck around, she (or he) would have witnessed Cole’s growth.

In While Snowbound, my hot rocker, Brady Gates, might be a little self-absorbed, but he definitely isn’t a rapist. After all, I have him tossing a sexy nude woman from his bed on page one of the story. An obsessed fan had crawled into his bed uninvited. Had it been Cole’s bed, she probably would not have been kicked out. At least, not until Cole met Kit Landon. After Cole met Kit, he didn’t want any other woman.

Brady’s journey was not about learning to appreciate and respect women – as was Cole’s. Brady’s journey was about rediscovering himself.

In my third (soon to be released) book, Sugar Rush, in the Sensual Romance Series, Jeff Barnett is a sincerely nice guy. I have a feeling the reviewer that hated Cole Taylor, would like Jeff. Jeff’s real problem is that he is put in an uncomfortable situation by his employer – when he is forced to spy on the employer’s granddaughter.

Three very different men.

Overnight Celebrity

In my last post I mentioned that my character, Ella from While Snowbound shared some of my interests. Like me, she is a writer – an author – a self-publisher – an Indi.

Like me, she earns a decent income from her writing – yet she is not rich, not like some of my writer friends.

But what happens to an author who becomes an overnight celebrity? What happens if one day your income explodes because your books have made it to the top of the charts? In researching my character, I asked one of my online author friends – Colleen Hoover – how her life changed when she became an overnight success. I appreciated her candid answers, and it helped me with my story.

Ella and Sam, from WHILE SNOWBOUND...well, it could be them!

Writers often put a bit of themselves into their characters. I know I did with Ella, from While Snowbound. Although her personality is nothing like mine (at least I don’t think so), she possesses some of my interests and disinterests.

When I was a teenager, I never plastered posters of famous rockers on my bedroom walls. I might be able to match a song with a group, but don’t ask me to pick them out of a lineup, I would probably fail – even when I was a teenager.

I’ve never been star struck – it isn’t in my nature nor is it in Ella’s. Mention some famous male rock star, and chances are I won’t have a clue who he is. Ella is the same way.

This particular quirk is important for my character, because it would have been an entirely different story had she swooned over the sexy celebrity when she found herself trapped with him during the blizzard.

She also has a dog like mine - an Australian Shepherd named Sam.