This month's Round Robin topic: How do you develop secondary characters? Do you have a favorite secondary character?
Since my Reyes Family Romances are my only books that are still available for now (see previous post), I'll talk about them.
Since my Reyes Family Romances are my only books that are still available for now (see previous post), I'll talk about them.
When I wrote my first novel, I had no plans on making it into a series. I just wanted to see if I could produce a romance story that readers would enjoy reading. Of course, I had to have sexy times, since my late mother used to drop-kick books across the room, yelling at the author, "All that build up and no sex? I'm never reading YOU again!" I fell in love with Alejandro, the hero, and rejoiced with Tegan, that she was getting a second chance at love, with a man worthy of her...who loved her kids also.
When I wrote, The End, I expected it was. Boy, was I wrong! Soon, Patti, Tegan's best friend, began to yell at me, asking me, "Where's my happily-ever after man?" Since she was also a divorced mother of two, but she had been abused by her ex, I knew that she'd need a different kind of man. But what kind? Then I saw a picture of a large, bald, bearded biker, and I knew I had her hero. J.T. proved to be everything that I wanted for her, and then some!
I also began to hear a whisper in my mind, from Juanita, a friend of the two pals from the books. She was the wife of Alejandro's brother Edgar, and the reason that Tegan met him in the first place. She asked me to let readers know that some marriages can be happy after many years, and that even a couple who has 7 kids, can still be quite passionate about each other! I agreed, and even fought an editor who wanted to leave their chapter out. I'm sure she thought I was nuts, as I wheedled, "But they only want a chapter, not a whole book. I have to leave it in!"
Then I thought I was done. But soon, the oldest daughter of Juanita and Edgar began to demand that I listen to her story...and write it. And her two brothers and another sister wanted me to bring their romances to life. I also have 2 unfinished Reyes Family Romances in my laptop, waiting for me to have the time to finish them.
And that's only the Reyes books! This has happened to me almost every time I write what I think will be a stand-alone book. What a busy place my head can be, with them all demanding their time.
As for my favorite secondary character? That would be Catalina Reyes. I put way more of myself into her than I should have, but I wanted to show that even women who were wild in their younger days, can have a HEA when they meet the right man. Of course, when one reviewer specifically said she didn't like Analysis of Love because she found the heroine to be brash and unlikable, I was a bit upset. But then, some people find me brash and unlikable also. To each their own!
To find out what other authors think about this topic, please visit the next one in line in our Round Robin:
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
I also began to hear a whisper in my mind, from Juanita, a friend of the two pals from the books. She was the wife of Alejandro's brother Edgar, and the reason that Tegan met him in the first place. She asked me to let readers know that some marriages can be happy after many years, and that even a couple who has 7 kids, can still be quite passionate about each other! I agreed, and even fought an editor who wanted to leave their chapter out. I'm sure she thought I was nuts, as I wheedled, "But they only want a chapter, not a whole book. I have to leave it in!"
Then I thought I was done. But soon, the oldest daughter of Juanita and Edgar began to demand that I listen to her story...and write it. And her two brothers and another sister wanted me to bring their romances to life. I also have 2 unfinished Reyes Family Romances in my laptop, waiting for me to have the time to finish them.
And that's only the Reyes books! This has happened to me almost every time I write what I think will be a stand-alone book. What a busy place my head can be, with them all demanding their time.
As for my favorite secondary character? That would be Catalina Reyes. I put way more of myself into her than I should have, but I wanted to show that even women who were wild in their younger days, can have a HEA when they meet the right man. Of course, when one reviewer specifically said she didn't like Analysis of Love because she found the heroine to be brash and unlikable, I was a bit upset. But then, some people find me brash and unlikable also. To each their own!
To find out what other authors think about this topic, please visit the next one in line in our Round Robin:
Beverley Bateman http://beverleybateman.blogspot.ca/
