I’m very happy to be here on Delilah’s blog today.

Where Do Ideas Come From?

As a writer, I get this question a lot.   And it’s a hard one for me to answer, because I get my ideas come from my characters..

I start developing my characters first, then I play the what if and why game with myself and the characters.

For example: More Than One Night —I have the heroine out celebrating her thirty birthday with her girl friends.  Then I decided, what happens if I drop  the hero in at the same bar and my heroine’s rules are “No dating men.”  And then he asks her to dance, they flirt and by the end of the night they want nothing more than to spend the night together.

From there I went— What if:

The heroine leaves the next morning without saying good-bye. What would happen?

Would the hero track her down?  If he did, how would she react?  What happens after that?  Why is the hero interested in her?  How do her friends push her into acting out of character?

The first scene practically wrote itself and the book just flowed from there.

Another example is from my story in an anthology: Silver Screen Dom.

The original characters for this story, decided they needed their own longer story which left me wondering who the heck I was going to use.  A secondary character popped up his head—Michael.

That was all I knew, his name.  So I started delving into his character.

What if:

I go back to before Michael got this movie role?

What happened for him to get the role?

Does he have a leading lady in his life?

What is she like?

Answers flew at me faster than I could write, and the story was born.

As you can see, the what if and the why, play a big part in my ideas.   It helps me determine the conflicts, the motivation and the characters for the book.

I’ve heard it say ideas can be found anywhere, but for me I being by creating my characters, then putting them in a situation that is going to do nothing but cause them trouble.

Bartender Beth Grant has sworn off men after yet another failed relationship, but when a friend dares her to dance with a handsome stranger, she’s tempted by the fantasy.  Jake turns out to be dashing, charming and very rich, everything Beth avoids.  But she can’t resist, and one dance turns into an evening of exquisite passion.  Beth vows not to repeat a night like this, despite liking the mysterious Jake – a lot.

Successful business owner Jake Masters knows he’s met his dream girl the minute he lays eyes on Beth across the crowded dance floor.  But the next morning she disappears and all he has is her first name.  Jake vows to go to any length to get more than one night with Beth, and when he discovers she has a jaded past, he puts his heart and soul at risk to prove he’s the one.

Available at Amazon

Available at all other e-book retailers on Sept. 20th.

Michael Levin is a rising Hollywood start up for a career-making role.  The pressure is intense, but thankfully the leading lady in his life, Kelsey Pierce, knows just how to wield the whip and ease his tension.  However, when his potential co-star schemes to take Kelsey’s place in his off-screen life, Michael has to switch to Master mode, a role he’s more than comfortable with, and assume command.

Can Michael and Kelsey’s relationship withstand the strain, or will they survive the games and find long-lasting love?

Book will be available Sept. 24th at Amazon, your favorite e-retailer or at Sybarite Seductions.