I’m thrilled today to have historical romance author Beverley Kendall on the blog. Bev is a real powerhouse in the romance writing community. Not only does she write wonderful books, she’s the publisher of a fantastic on-line magazine and blog called The Season, which is one of the go-to places on the web for romance reviews and news.
I’m going to turn the blog over to Bev so she can tell us what’s going on in her world.
Like A Mother, An Author Shouldn’t Have Favourites
You always remember your first, right? Your first boyfriend, your first kiss, your first marriage (if you went on to have more than one), your first job and most importantly, your first child.
I have only one son so he is my first and only. No fear of jealousy between siblings here. No sense of guilt that I may—and I say may—gravitate more toward one child than the other.
No, what I have are the characters I create—my heroes. They are the ones who demand my attention exclusively for a good 3-5 months. I get to know them; their likes and dislikes, their foibles and strengths. They charm me and entertain me, and at times, they make my heart wrench and lift my soul. I’m captivated by them and feel a sense of loss when my time with them is over.
Luckily, when authors writes a series, they are able to revisit with much loved heroes of past books and flirt with upcoming heroes as we anticipate writing their own book.
My first book was SINFUL SURRENDER and James Rutherford was my hero; my first ever. For that reason alone, James will always hold a special place in my heart. But even as I wrote SINFUL SURRENDER my mind was on Alex Cartwright. I knew his story three years prior to writing his story, AN HEIR OF DECEPTION. I became even better acquainted with him in A TASTE OF DESIRE, especially when he was having fun tormenting my second hero, Thomas Armstrong.
But I knew Alex’s road to HEA would be littered with heartbreak and loss. I knew that Alex would—for a time—lose his wit, his dry sense of humour and a piece (tiny) of his humanity when he loses the love of his life. And because I knew the journey Alex was to take, he rose above the others in my affections.
I felt for Alex. I felt his loss. I felt his pain. I felt his anger and sense of betrayal and abandonment. Alex immediately became my favourite.
When AN HEIR OF DECEPTION, which I once hoped to publish with one of the New York publishers, was roundly rejected, I wasn’t deterred. I knew with 100% certainty that no matter what, I’d finish writing this book and it would be published. Of all the books I’d written thus far, Alex’s story above all needed to be told. In April I finished telling Alex’s story and let it loose on the romance reading public. Whew!
Now, I’m saying a sad farewell to my favourite hero, Alex Cartwright. Fortunately for me, I’m working on a connecting series, The Temptresses, so I’ll be visiting with him again even if it will only for a brief period.
What about you? Have you ever felt guilty about favouring someone over the other? Comment and enter to win a digital copy of AN HEIR OF DECEPTION. I’m giving away 2 copies.
Visit me at www.BeverleyKendall.com
Follow me on Twitter at @beverleykendall and @season4romance
Friend me on Facebook at authorbeverleykendall
Vanessa, here. Be sure to visit Bev’s website for blurbs and excerpts for all her lovely books, and don’t forget to drop by The Season, too!
