Love in Suspense: 6 authors on the appeal of MMA heroes
When it comes to gritty, suspenseful, sexy-as-hell fearless bad boys, there's nothing like jumping into the metaphorical ring with an MMA novel. We love the guys who seem tough as nails on the exterior, but somehow have the capacity to love deeply and fiercely. We've devoured all kinds of stories in this category, and today, I'm thrilled to interview six bestselling powerhouses who get it right: Lori Foster, Kendall Ryan, Katy Evans, J.B. Salsbury, L.P. Dover and Gina L. Maxwell. We discuss what it is about this category that makes it so appealing, how they jump into the right mind-set, what's coming up next and more.
Q: When preparing to write your fighter novel, did you visit with or collaborate with any fighters for research?
Kendall: Absolutely! That was the best part. I visited a local MMA gym in Minneapolis, where a friend of mine knew the manager. I begged her to come with me, because I was so nervous to go. The manager, Andy, was really nice and pulled us into a small conference room with one of the up-and-coming fighters, nicknamed Diva. We peppered him with questions about his training schedule, diet, what the adrenaline rush is like just before a fight, and even, awkwardly about if he believes in abstaining from sex before a fight. He thought that was just a myth. I left the gym with a great respect for this sport, and a deeper understanding, which helped me as I wrote.
Katy: Thanks so much for having me over today, with such a great group of authors, too! As for research, a lot of the research I did for Real was done gradually, through the years, due to my obsession with sports and wellbeing — what athletes eat, think, how they train. My passion for that very intense and admirable lifestyle really comes across in Real, I think!
J.B.: Absolutely. I have a contact here in town who's a mixed martial artist and owns an MMA Training facility. His insight has been invaluable because he gives me the kind of information that can't be found via Google search. He's been able to shed light on motives, interpersonal relationships between fighters, as well as the obstacles that a fighter deals with, but isn't always proud to talk about.
Q: The fighter world is very seductive and secretive, kind of like "what happens in Fight Club stays in Fight Club." What do you find so alluring about this scene?
Lori: It's not really that secretive anymore. MMA fighters, especially those in Bellator and the UFC, are often highlighted in interviews, articles, videos and of course, during pre- and post-fight chats. I've always been fascinated with the intelligence of the most successful fighters, their backgrounds, and the ability to compete at such a high level.
Kendall: The sheer, raw masculinity. The strength, power and vulnerability of putting yourself in that ring.
Katy: I absolutely love the rawness of the fighting world. We live in a world that's so much more polished than it used to be, our survival in many cases based on our intellect rather than our brawn — as it used to be in older times. I love that the fighting world puts us back in touch with that more primal side of life. More action than thought. More guts than intellect — even though the best fighters are geniuses who have remarkable fighting strategies — there's still something absolutely visceral, raw, instinctive and primitive in fighting that strips off any veneer and down to the core of man beneath.
J.B.: What I find most alluring about the world of mixed martial arts is the honor and respect instilled through these ancient forms of fighting. It's easy to assume after watching an MMA fight that the men inside the octagon are primitive, violent brutes, but Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and Karate command honesty, respect, modesty and self-control. What's so interesting is that these qualities don't always transfer to the fighter's life outside of the octagon, but inside it's law. It adds a unique layer to the character that I really enjoy writing, the honest and respectful brute.
L.P.: Basically, I like the fact that you can make it as dirty and gritty as you want. In my Gloves Off series, I love having my fighters fight in underground battles. There are no rules. In some matches, they fight to the death using the most brutal tactics possible. It's not for the faint of heart and that's what I like about my fighters. They're strong, alpha warriors that fight for the women they love. Winning in the underground gives them a power above all else in the fighting world. That power and greed drives a lot of them to do unspeakable things.
Gina: I don't know how secretive it is (unless you're talking about underground fighting), but I think it's seductive as hell. For me, the attraction is the fighters themselves. Men who are 110% dedicated to punishing their bodies and minds on a daily basis to get stronger, faster and better than their opponents. They don't quit when things get hard, they push harder. Also, let's not forget what these guys look like. Cut, vascular and sporting bruises and cuts that they wear like badges of their worth, telling the world they're not afraid of a little pain to get what they want in life. That's just hot. Now place two of them inside a cage (which, in my opinion, adds a rough sexiness all its own to have them in a cage) and watch them fight like modern-day gladiators to become the victor, and that's my idea of heaven.
Q: Is it difficult to make this hard fighter sweet and swoony and then back to brutal and hard?
Katy: I think brutal and hard make the sweet and swoony so much sweeter and swoonier! Melting a man who is so brutal and primitive is so difficult, which is why it is so rewarding when "we" or our heroines do! :)
J.B.: Not at all. That's one of the most exhilarating things to write. A brutal and unbreakable fighter will always have a sweet and swoony soft spot for the right girl. There's definitely a line I try to adhere to that is making the hero still sound like a man while exposing his tender side, but the dichotomy of a rough and tough alpha male who can be brought to his knees for the right girl is what I love most about writing them.
I ask myself with every hero I write: What happened to this guy that would make him enjoy kicking the crap out of someone for a living?
It's in understanding the "why" that I'm able to identify his soft spots. An abusive father would give him compassion for someone who's been abused, or an overcritical mother would give a woman who accepts him and his flaws the ability to break down his walls. It's those subtle nuances of the hero that are absolutely thrilling to discover while writing.
Gina: Not at all. Fighters are the ultimate alphas. Not only do they have the alpha attitude, which any hero can have — even an elementary teacher can be sweet by day and alpha by night — but they have an alpha lifestyle. It's literally their job to train how to kick ass in every discipline possible. (The only heroes I can think of that are even more badass than fighters are military/special ops, for obvious reasons.) However, I think the beauty of an alpha hero is watching a tough-as-nails man get metaphorically gut-punched by a special woman who then inspires him to say and do the sweetest of things that are normally completely out of character (no pun intended). That's why of all my heroes so far, Aiden in Fighting for Irish is my favorite. He's a brawler from the south side of Boston — a total dude's dude and Alpha with a capital A — who has no idea how to say charming or flowery things girls like to hear. And yet when it comes to the heroine, he turns into the sweetest, gentlest man ever. He's still not good with words, but he's really good at communicating in other ways. ;)
Q: The world of romantic suspense is rather large. What direction would you like to see it move in?
Kendall: I love to see new, fresh concepts, and read about storylines I haven't seen before, which is very hard to do nowadays.
Katy: I am an avid reader of romantic suspense and hopefully a writer of RS in the future. (I love trying new things!) I definitely think there's a trend for the really gritty romantic suspense, the push-all-the-buttons, edge-of-your-seat, complete mind-blowing suspense. I also think it's getting sexier, which makes me super happy because I love love love the sexy times amidst all that danger. :)
L.P.: Romantic suspense is my favorite genre to read and write. I'd like to see it move to a topic that no one has written. I love the sexy billionaires, fighters, rockers, motorcycle riders, etc. But I think it would be interesting to see it turn to some other kind of male and female lead, someone who's a normal everyday person who isn't glamorized by the money he or she makes. I have some ideas and I would tell you my thoughts, but it's kind of a secret.
Q: What do you find most difficult about the writing process?
Lori: The ending! Readers who follow me on Facebook and Twitter have probably seen me lament the ending on every single book. Especially that "last elusive line." So difficult! It's not that I mind saying goodbye. Usually by the time I'm at the end of a book, I'm already anxious to start the next. But trying to wrap up everything in a satisfactory way, and with a bit of punch, challenges me every time.
Kendall: Capturing emotion on the page. I don't want a reader to just see the words. I want her to FEEL a million things as she reads. It's a hard bar to live up to.
J.B.: The beginning. It always takes me about 10 chapters before I hit my stride, and it takes an entire rough draft of the book for me to really get to know my characters. When I start back in on rewrites, those first few chapters almost always need complete revisions. "She would never say that" and "There's no way he'd respond to her in that way." It's such a cool feeling to get in sync with the characters, but of course, then it's also harder to let them go.
Gina: Starting a book is hardest for me. Ending it is the second hardest. So I guess you could say I have a harder time writing the first and third acts. The second act where all the fun and action takes place is the easiest for me. Also, staying focused for any length of time is realllllly hard. I have ADD like whoa, because SHINY THINGS! *headdesk*
Q: Can you give us any hints to what your future work looks like?
Lori: After Holding Strong in April, I'll have Stack Hannigan's story, Tough Love, in August, and then Armie Jacobson's story, Dirty Fighting, in April 2016. I'm writing Armie's story now. He's *loads* of fun.
I'm not sure if I'll continue with MMA, or venture off somewhere else. I pretty much go wherever my muse takes me. But I do have some interest in Leese, Justice, Miles and Brand, all secondary characters from the current Ultimate series of MMA fighters. So ... we'll see!
Kendall: After Reckless Love releases tomorrow (March 17), my next novel is a BDSM romance called The Gentleman Mentor. It's quite different than anything I've written, and I'm really proud of it. It's about a woman who hires a Dom to help train her for a man she's secretly in love with.
Katy: I'm working on my Manwhore series book No. 2, Manwhore +1, out July 7, and I can't wait to share it!! Thanks so much for having me over today, I really enjoyed spending time with you all. :)
J.B.: Oh, I'm so excited about the books I have lined up. Right now I'm working on the sixth Fighting Series book that will resolve the issue of one of the young fighters we left in the last book with a broken heart. Once I finish that up I'll be taking a one-book break from The Fighting Series to work on a stand-alone I've been playing with for the last few months.
Inspiration struck and when it did, it hit hard. This will be completely different from anything I've ever written. No fighters this time. The story will revolve around a mountain recluse. He's quiet and kind, but has a dark side that no one will see coming. I'm positively giddy to get working on it. After that, I do have a couple more books slotted for the Fighting Series, and then who knows where the next brainstorm will take me? Wherever it is, I'm looking forward to the journey.
L.P.: That's easy ... lots of sexy, sports romance novels. I might have to throw in some paranormal and maybe a time travel romance in there, too. But right now, my passion is on my hunky sports players. I have my fighters, football players, baseball players and other seductively hot men that I can't wait to finish their stories. I don't like sticking to just one genre to write. With that being said, before my time is up in this world, I want to explore all avenues and have fun with them.
Gina: I actually can't say very much right now because I have several things in negotiation, but I can say that I'm extremely excited about my upcoming projects. I'll have the chance to branch out from the fighter world (I'm not leaving it, just exploring new things) to introduce my readers to several new types of alpha heroes I'm adding to the Maxwell stable. However, I can say that I still have two books left to round out the Fighting for Love series, one of which is book No. 4, Sweet Victory, that will be out later this year.
EXCERPTS
Stop by Vilma's Book Blog to get exclusive looks at Holding Strong by Lori Foster and Reckless Love by Kendall Ryan, both of which are not out until later in March. Plus, read excerpts from Real by Katy Evans, Fighting for Flight by J.B. Salsbury, Tyler's Undoing by L.P. Dover and Fighting for Irish by Gina L. Maxwell! Read the excerpts here.
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Vilma Gonzalez is a blogger, reader, marketer, wife and mom. She has an insatiable appetite for happily ever afters and a deep love of the written word. You can find more about her and read full book reviews at Vilma's Book Blog. Please e-mail Vilma at loveinsuspense@gmail.com about content related to this column. Due to the volume of mail, e-mails may not be answered personally, but all will be read.