This month's Round Robin prompt asks: Do you have any character habits or favorite words that always crop up in your writing?
Why, yes, thanks for asking. I like to drink wine, which is why many of my heroines do also. But in the past, I've had times when I was a beer-drinker, and times when I preferred mixed drinks. Many of my characters also like to drink alcoholic beverages, some to excess, when stressed. But I've always enjoyed what I call "drunken coffee." What's in it, you may ask? Well, there's always coffee as the base. But then you add Baileys for the cream, Kahlua for the sweetness, and if you have it, Amaretto to make the favor fuller, more rounded. Add a splash of whipped cream, if you have it. Voila! Drunken Coffee.
In my Minnesota Romances, many of the characters enjoy drunken coffee. In the second book, Only One Man Will Do, Alexandra and Dmitri are having "pillow talk" after sex, while sharing a bubble bath. At one point she says something that makes him lean over to clink his coffee cup to hers, and she blows him a kiss, then asks him a question.
"Speaking of that, what's in this drunken coffee that's so good?"
"The recipe changes based on what I have available. This time there's Kahlua, Amaretto, and Baileys. I'm glad you like it."
"I like everything you make for me to eat or drink."
* * *
In the third book, Her Last Resort, Ivan owns the resort that Kelly has invited her mother to stay at with her. He likes to go behind the bar to make special drinks for special guests. At one point Kelly teases him, asking just how much actual coffee is in his drunken coffees. He just shrugs and smiles.
**********************************
Why, yes, thanks for asking. I like to drink wine, which is why many of my heroines do also. But in the past, I've had times when I was a beer-drinker, and times when I preferred mixed drinks. Many of my characters also like to drink alcoholic beverages, some to excess, when stressed. But I've always enjoyed what I call "drunken coffee." What's in it, you may ask? Well, there's always coffee as the base. But then you add Baileys for the cream, Kahlua for the sweetness, and if you have it, Amaretto to make the favor fuller, more rounded. Add a splash of whipped cream, if you have it. Voila! Drunken Coffee.
In my Minnesota Romances, many of the characters enjoy drunken coffee. In the second book, Only One Man Will Do, Alexandra and Dmitri are having "pillow talk" after sex, while sharing a bubble bath. At one point she says something that makes him lean over to clink his coffee cup to hers, and she blows him a kiss, then asks him a question.
"Speaking of that, what's in this drunken coffee that's so good?"
"The recipe changes based on what I have available. This time there's Kahlua, Amaretto, and Baileys. I'm glad you like it."
"I like everything you make for me to eat or drink."
* * *
In the third book, Her Last Resort, Ivan owns the resort that Kelly has invited her mother to stay at with her. He likes to go behind the bar to make special drinks for special guests. At one point Kelly teases him, asking just how much actual coffee is in his drunken coffees. He just shrugs and smiles.
**********************************
Another character habit I have is being good with children. Not only am I a certified teacher, but I raised four kids, and was a frequent volunteer in their schools, as well as a Girl Scout leader.
In Never Too Old for the Game of Love, the first of my Reyes Family Romances, Tegan is divorced, with custody of her two children. Her daughter is rapidly approaching adolescence, and as Tegan remarks to her bestie, "I was a handful back then. I'm sure she will be also." When she and her daughter have a fight, her daughter runs away from her school later that day. Everyone is searching for her, but the man who finds her is the one who has been falling in love with her mother, though he's not supposed to have met her kids yet. He met her daughter at his brother's house, where she was helping his niece to babysit.
Alexander finds her hiding in the lions' house at the local zoo.
She looked up at him and he realized he wasn't going to be angry with her; he couldn't be. She looked like a terrified child who had seen the foundations of her life crumble and she was left wondering how she could possibly trust anyone anymore. Her face was drawn and pale; her eyes were dark with tears, both shed and unshed, and the anguish in her face made his heart swell with love and a fierce desire to protect her...Alexander prayed for the wisdom to be able to explain things to her, and he took a deep breath while he held her close on his lap. He unconsciously began to rock, forward and backward. The movement seemed to soothe her and her sobs became less frequent.
In Love Therapy, the sixth Reyes Romance, Miguel has rekindled his love affair with Alicia, his first love from back in high school. But in the 10 years they've been separated, she had a daughter who is now almost 3. While he's wooing Alicia, he also falls in love with Julissa, her daughter. Seeing them together is part of why Alicia believes their love can really last this time.
***************
In Never Too Old for the Game of Love, the first of my Reyes Family Romances, Tegan is divorced, with custody of her two children. Her daughter is rapidly approaching adolescence, and as Tegan remarks to her bestie, "I was a handful back then. I'm sure she will be also." When she and her daughter have a fight, her daughter runs away from her school later that day. Everyone is searching for her, but the man who finds her is the one who has been falling in love with her mother, though he's not supposed to have met her kids yet. He met her daughter at his brother's house, where she was helping his niece to babysit.
Alexander finds her hiding in the lions' house at the local zoo.
She looked up at him and he realized he wasn't going to be angry with her; he couldn't be. She looked like a terrified child who had seen the foundations of her life crumble and she was left wondering how she could possibly trust anyone anymore. Her face was drawn and pale; her eyes were dark with tears, both shed and unshed, and the anguish in her face made his heart swell with love and a fierce desire to protect her...Alexander prayed for the wisdom to be able to explain things to her, and he took a deep breath while he held her close on his lap. He unconsciously began to rock, forward and backward. The movement seemed to soothe her and her sobs became less frequent.
In Love Therapy, the sixth Reyes Romance, Miguel has rekindled his love affair with Alicia, his first love from back in high school. But in the 10 years they've been separated, she had a daughter who is now almost 3. While he's wooing Alicia, he also falls in love with Julissa, her daughter. Seeing them together is part of why Alicia believes their love can really last this time.
***************
And in Worth the Wait, the second in my werewolf saga, one of the 4 romances in the book involves a widow with 3 children. She stalls in accepting that her wolf and Grant's wolf have already chosen each other as mates because she's afraid that her children, particularly her oldest, her 13-year-old son, will not accept a new man in her life. When their wolves take matter into their own paws and mate, Monique and Grant have no choice but to share the news with her children over breakfast.
Monique began introductions after she had a quick gulp of her coffee. "Grant, these are my children. James, you already know. Selma is my older daughter, she's ten."
The girl on her mother's right smiled at him.
"And Selena is the baby. She's eight."
"Oh, Mom! I'm not a baby anymore!"
"Moms always feel that way about their youngest." Grant smiled. "My youngest brother is twenty-five, and our mom still calls him her baby."
"Kids, this is Grant Knutsen. And we...uh...we have something to tell you."
Grant looked at her, and she nodded to him.
"Your mother and I were mated last night. Our wolves took it upon themselves to take the decision out of our hands because they thought we were taking too long."
James smirked with adolescent awareness.
The two girls looked expectantly at their mother.
"Does that mean we have to call him Daddy?" Selma asked.
"I don't remember having a daddy," Selena added. "I was only a baby when he was killed."
Grant spoke up. "I don't care what you call me. You can call me Grant if you want to. I hope to earn the right to be your father by proving that I'm willing to do the hard work of helping your mom raise you all."
Monique was watching James closely. He seemed preoccupied, stuffing his mouth with his pancakes.
"James, don't you have anything to say?"
He shrugged before swallowing. "What's there to say? If the deed is done, then it's done. I'm just glad you picked a good man. I like Grant. It's okay by me." Then he reapplied himself to polishing off the rest of his breakfast.
Monique sat back in her chair, shaking her head slowly. "That's it?"
********************
Conventional wisdom says to write what you know. I guess I know drinking alcoholic beverages, and relating to children.
To find out what other authors reveal in their books, hop to the other blogs on the list.
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2ow
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
Monique began introductions after she had a quick gulp of her coffee. "Grant, these are my children. James, you already know. Selma is my older daughter, she's ten."
The girl on her mother's right smiled at him.
"And Selena is the baby. She's eight."
"Oh, Mom! I'm not a baby anymore!"
"Moms always feel that way about their youngest." Grant smiled. "My youngest brother is twenty-five, and our mom still calls him her baby."
"Kids, this is Grant Knutsen. And we...uh...we have something to tell you."
Grant looked at her, and she nodded to him.
"Your mother and I were mated last night. Our wolves took it upon themselves to take the decision out of our hands because they thought we were taking too long."
James smirked with adolescent awareness.
The two girls looked expectantly at their mother.
"Does that mean we have to call him Daddy?" Selma asked.
"I don't remember having a daddy," Selena added. "I was only a baby when he was killed."
Grant spoke up. "I don't care what you call me. You can call me Grant if you want to. I hope to earn the right to be your father by proving that I'm willing to do the hard work of helping your mom raise you all."
Monique was watching James closely. He seemed preoccupied, stuffing his mouth with his pancakes.
"James, don't you have anything to say?"
He shrugged before swallowing. "What's there to say? If the deed is done, then it's done. I'm just glad you picked a good man. I like Grant. It's okay by me." Then he reapplied himself to polishing off the rest of his breakfast.
Monique sat back in her chair, shaking her head slowly. "That's it?"
********************
Conventional wisdom says to write what you know. I guess I know drinking alcoholic beverages, and relating to children.
To find out what other authors reveal in their books, hop to the other blogs on the list.
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2ow
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Rhobin Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com
