Author inspirations: Stephen Amell, 'Vampire Diaries,' 'Outlander'
Today's featured authors — Lavinia Kent, HEA contributor and author of Bound by Bliss; Mira Lynn Kelly, author of Touch & Go; and Maeve Greyson, author of My Highland Lover — share three of the things that inspired their recent releases.
Lavinia Kent, author of Bound by Bliss
Three things that inspired my new release:
• My previous book, Mastering the Marquess. It seems like a cop-out to say this, but Bound by Bliss flowed naturally from Mastering the Marquess. Lady Bliss is the younger sister of the hero of Mastering the Marquess and a minor character in it. As I was writing Mastering the Marquess, Bliss' character formed in my mind and I new what I wanted her story to be.
• A teacup in the Lavinia pattern by Royal Worcester. I received this cup when I was a teenager from one of my grandmother's friends. It had been part of her wedding china and when she heard my name she sent me a cup. It's hard to explain the direct thought pattern, but it made me think about names and this led to the creation of Lady Bliss Danser, daughter of the Duke of Mirth.
• Stephen Amell. I probably don't need to say more, but after I created the character of Bliss I needed a hero to go with her. Bliss is seen by the world as carefree and scandalous, but has a very deep soul. Lord Duldon is considered staid and strict. I needed to find inspiration for a hero who could appear strict and strong, but whose smile revealed a deep sense of joy and humor. Amell is my favorite for that right now. When he is playing the Arrow he can be quite intimidating and then when he plays Oliver Queen (or when you see his real-life videos) he has a fabulous sense of fun.
About Bound by Bliss:
In Lavinia Kent's luscious, erotic historical romance, a free spirit learns her true desires from a master of the heart, of the body—and of the sweetest discipline.
Lady Bliss Danser, daughter of the Duke of Mirth, is a scandal waiting to erupt. Which is why her highly conventional brother wants to saddle her with Stephan Perth, Earl of Duldon, the only man he thinks will marry her. Worse, Stephan keeps threatening to punish her, to teach her just how a woman should behave. His words may cause Bliss to tingle in the strangest places, but that doesn't mean she likes the man himself.
Stephan has secretly desired Bliss for years, but he knows how close he is to losing his beloved. Careful not to rile her impetuous heart, he promises only to aid Bliss in her search for another fiancé. And if she's determined to understand the male body first, he's happy to comply in that regard as well. However, she must follow his rules or face the consequences. Slowly he takes Bliss to the darker, steamier side of his world . . . where she realizes that Stephan is everything she's ever wanted.
Find out more at www.laviniakent.com.
Mira Lynn Kelly, author of Touch & Go
Three things that inspired my new release:
• My real-life friends-to-lovers HEA. That's right, I married my best friend and by the time we walked down the aisle there wasn't a doubt in my mind I was making the best decision of my life. Rewind a few years though and WHEW!!! Let's just say I can completely relate to the aching-heart vs. freaking-head tug of war when it comes to risking the most important relationship in your life. Eep! Scary times, but 15 years of marriage and four kiddies later … so worth it! So yes, I love forcing my people down that petrifying road of risk and then giving them a taste of my very own HEA :-)
• Music. There were two songs playing pretty regularly on the radio when I was brainstorming this book — and they were just so perfect, my head automatically spun into "Ideas Mode" every time they came on.
First, Love Somebody by Maroon 5. (See the lyrics here.) Come on … it's like Adam was writing Love Somebody just for me. Er … I mean for my characters. But if he wanted to write for me *blushes, looking away all coy* I'd be totally down with that. LOVE HIM!!!
And, Sleeping With a Friend by Neon Trees. (See the lyrics here.) Yep, those lyrics about sum it up, lol!
• The Vampire Diaries on the CW. Seriously, this show with all the wanting something you really know better than to want. With the sizzle and pop of sexual tension. And then finally, when you get that taste of what you've been telling yourself you can't have and the world basically going up in flames around you … *Sigh*
I get ideas when I watch this show. Mostly about me and Ian Somerhalder … but also just about what fuels wanting like that and why certain scenes get to me in ways I don't forget. So yes, Vampire Diaries, too :-)
About Touch & Go:
Vivacious and successful, Ava Meyers is living her dream life, except for one thing: Ever since childhood, she's been in love with her best friend . . . and she's never admitted it. Back then, Sam Farrow was a damaged young man with a tough past. Now he's supremely confident, super-sexy, and totally untouchable—until the night when Sam pretends to be Ava's boyfriend to save her from some unwanted attention. In a moment of weakness, Ava finds out that a life-long friendship is no match for the blistering sexual chemistry between them.
After years of denying his own feelings, Sam realizes one amazing night with Ava isn't enough to chase away all the pent-up fantasies. So he proposes they spend a few weeks driving each other wild, exhausting their every desire, and then return to their perfect platonic relationship like nothing ever happened. But Sam's plan has one fatal flaw: the part where they give each other up. Because the more they let go of their inhibitions, the more they're tempted to never go back.
Find out more at www.miralynkelly.com.
Maeve Greyson, author of My Highland Lover
Three things that helped inspire my new release:
• Outlander. Imagine that, right? I fell in love with Jamie Fraser when Diana Gabaldon first introduced him. And yes, I'm addicted to the Starz series, too. However, when I first read (and re-read) the books, I got so stressed out worrying about Claire being trapped in the past, that I knew I needed my heroine to have the ability to travel across time anytime she wished. And that's how Trulie and her family of time-runners came to be.
• I want superpowers. I'm totally serious. But since reality won't cooperate and grant my wish, Trulie possesses a few of the abilities I'd like to have. She can heal, see auras, read minds and even plant ideas if necessary. See why I want superpowers? I'd never have to ask Hubby to take out the trash again.
• As Phoebe Buffay from Friends once said, "Everybody has a lobster." I'm a firm believer in meant-to-be's. My husband asked me to marry him on our second date. Well — he didn't really ask. He said, "You need to marry me." I agreed because I knew from the moment we met that he was the one for me. Three months later, we married and now we've been together for over 35 years. Gray and Trulie are meant-to-be and they know it the instant they touch.
About My Highland Lover:
As the proprietor of a homeopathic store in rural Kentucky, Trulie Sinclair knows that her neighbors think she's strange—but they have no idea how strange she really is. Trulie was born in Scotland in the thirteenth century to a line of time-traveling Highlanders. When Trulie's grandmother convinces her to return to their homeland, Trulie jumps back in time, right onto the powerful chest of Gray MacKenna. Just as his steely good looks send ripples through her body, their fierce attraction will send ripples through the ages.
After his parents are murdered, Gray is consumed by thoughts of revenge. As the new chieftain of the MacKenna clan, he has reason to believe that there's a traitor in his midst, and nothing—not even the bonny lass who suddenly drops from the sky—can distract him from his single-minded pursuit of the culprit. But when Gray learns that this sassy beauty possesses gifts beyond the sparkle in her eye, he allows his gaze, and his heart, to linger. While he hunts for the murderer, Gray finds in Trulie a precious companion—and a timeless love.
Find out more at www.maevegreyson.com.