Honestly? I think most of us write in an effort to understand ourselves better. I LOVE to read, and I love the romance genre, but I got so tired of characters who were clueless about their own emotions. I'd just gone through two very significant losses, and I loved the idea of characters finding strength in one another. I also wanted to see two characters form a physical bond that could be sweet, playful, intense, or straight-up hot without cheapening those moments no matter what tone had been set. Once it began to take shape, I wanted to share real lessons that I've learned about healing and forgiveness, but it was also a huge part of my healing process as well.

2

Letting go. I would get stuck on something and eventually realize that I had to let go of my initial idea because it just wasn't going to work, no matter how right it seemed at first. Once I learned to scrap an entire chapter and come at things from a different angle, I became much more productive and creative.

So far, everything has been positive, aside from one reader who really didn't connect with the characters or the story itself and wanted to pick apart every detail. But that's to be expected, and I welcome all feedback both positive and negative because I learn from both. But so far, everyone who has finished it has loved it. Or so they tell me...

Caleb...hands down. I've had people who normally hate first person present tell me they love the alternating POV with Caleb and Lexi, especially with Caleb. It was so much fun to be inside his head. All of my characters somehow write themselves, and Caleb had me in tears laughing at times. I know that sounds strange, but I've never claimed to be normal. Caleb had me questioning my sanity on a regular basis, and I loved every minute of it.

Definitely a stand-alone.

6

Hero touches on some difficult topics, and it contains prominent themes of healing, inner strength, and bravery. Of course, I want to entertain. But I also want to teach and inspire. I would hope that Caleb's encouraging nature and Lexi's demonstrations of courage and selflessness stick with the reader after the story has ended.

7

Don't let others cause you to second-guess yourself. There will always be critics and those who think they know better, even about your own characters and the story you want to tell. But each one is a part of you and no one can know them better than you. It's okay to take advice, but ultimately you should write for yourself. If you begin to write just to please others, it loses all meaning and your writing will suffer.

Lexi and I have similar sense of humor. I'd like to think I have some of her strength. And while I haven't faced the same struggles, I can relate to her pain in a lot of ways and her desire to use it and give it purpose.

If you mean what part of Hero...again, Caleb. Unlike most leading men, he doesn't just show up and steamroll Lexi, taking over and destroying anyone who's ever hurt her. Although he's perfectly willing to step in when asked. He understands that she needs to do certain things for herself, and he's able to put his own ego aside to support her while she fights her own battles. Plus, he's a crazy romantic smartass who can go from playful to scary in a fraction of a second. Pretty sure he's the love of my life. Strange, I know. Then again, I have little people living in my head, so...

Yes. I've been toying with two different ideas. One is similar to Hero and one is based on my short story In Death that you can find here as well. I've ventured into paranormal romance for fun, and I tend to switch up when I get stuck. I've been on a bit of a hiatus, though.