Drea Braddock's Blog, page 2

From Vague Villain to my Fav Hero

When I first started drafting "Like a Good Neighbor" I needed someone to set off the drama between Norah and Ka‘eo. I wasn't too concerned with the character, he just needed to be an obnoxious bro--someone inconsiderate to throw loud parties and frustrate K on behalf of the Hammonds' and their young keiki. Insert Jay. Or, I think he had a terrible name, like Chaz. King Bro. He was that way for the first 25% of the first draft. But I got to that scene, you know the one, where Ka‘eo calls him out. Of course, that was not in the original plan. Chaz/Jay was never supposed to be anything but the jerk roommate. But, as a character, Ka‘eo kept showing me he was perceptive and had this hidden depth people missed out on because he's so fun. I knew that he wouldn't accept the surface impression that Chaz/Jay was simply an asshole. I started seeing how K had put on the alpha guy persona to intimidate Chaz/Jay on their first meeting and suddenly all of the dialogue, about "front seeing front" started flowing. It didn't make sense in context, but I just knew that Chaz/Jay was wearing this party guy persona like a costume and Ka‘eo could see that there was something deeper there. I made myself a note to fix the first part and kept going.

The more I added him into the group, becoming friends, wishing for more in his own life, the more I wanted to dig into him as a character. What would make a young guy pretend to be this shallow, no-attachments kind of a person? What had happened in his past to make being that guy the best option?

I couldn't let go of the idea that there was more to him. And I needed to flesh his story out. The first thing to go was his name. Sorry if this is someone you love, but Chaz absolutely cannot be the hero of a romance. Not one I'm writing anyway! In that one little change, I quickly had an idea for what his family life was like, what made him make the choices he did and, most importantly, what kind of woman would be his match.

Let me tell you, Jameson Dunne is my favorite male love interest yet! He is loyal, steadfast, very family-oriented, and patient. He falls for Wren pretty quickly but this is a slow-burn romance. He values their friendship and wants to do everything he can to support and protect her, even if that means they're nothing more than friends.

I can't even imagine the stories with my original outline anymore! Thank goodness Chaz took a hike and Jameson took his place! I cannot wait for you to fall for him, hopefully as hard as I did. Jameson and Wren's story comes out February 13th but you can preorder now!

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(this character art hair is not accurate but it is next to impossible to get curls on Art Breeder!)

Small Packages

This summer I read a completely forgettable joke or comment about a guy with a small penis and immediately, without prompting, the idea for a love story where the hero is afraid to reveal that he's less-than-well-endowed popped into my head and wouldn't leave. It started as a joke, I swear. I mean, how funny is a holiday micropenis romance called "Small Packages"??

Except the more I thought about it, the more I knew I HAD to write it. I started to wonder, how would an otherwise sweet, smart, caring guy compensate if he was afraid of rejection because of his size? And what kind of woman would fall for him? Enter Bex and Matthew. I felt positive that the only way my hero could avoid being the butt of a million jokes was by spending his dating life focusing solely on the lady. And maybe our heroine wouldn't notice, right away, because she has her own reasons to be confused by social situations.

In the end, I completely fell in love with both Matthew and Bex and I really hope you do too!

Small Packages has:

a nerdy, sweet Filipino scientist hero ASD naval officer heroine multicultural romance set in Hawaii more of Everett Dawes from the ONO series O‘ahu through Halloween, Thanksgiving, and a little Christmas super steamy

Buy it now in paperback or ebook!

"Like a Good Wife" Playlist

As is my habit, when I write I pick music that helps me vibe in a particular scene or reminds me of the characters, then I play them to death! It's not unheard of for me to listen to one song on repeat for hours. I find it soothing and it helps me concentrate. It has to be the right song though. The wrong song will distract me or pull me out of the moment.

Brooke Waggoner's "To Love" played a HUGE part in the writing of Ames' story. I listened to it on repeat, it became their song, it even became part of their first Christmas. I found it at the end of a youtube rabbit trails and was surprised to find, when I looked her up, that she lives in Nashville and teaches at Lipscomb University where I went and met my husband! Talk about a small world. I'm currently talking with her, hammering out the details, to get the rights to share the lyrics in the story -- that's how important it is to me! Fingers crossed everything works out before publication. I'd hate to have to vaguely refer to the song instead of giving the actual words.

If you have access and want to listen to my personal playlist on Amazon Music, you can find it here. You can also look up the playlists on the playlist tab here, on my website, and listen to the songs however you choose.

Cover Reveal!

Are you as excited about Ames' story as I am?! Probably not, because I am FREAKING OUT to get to share him with you! Sweet, funny, Southern gentleman Ames, trying his best but not always hitting the mark. Here's what you can look forward to when it comes to Ames Cabot and his Hawaiian happily ever after:

marriage of convenience multicultural relationship an anxious, artistic heroine hot as a Tennessee summer sexy times more Norah & Ka‘eo, the Hammonds, and the roommates lots of real life Hawai‘i

"Like a Good Neighbor" Inspo

One question I get asked a lot is, "Where do you get your ideas?" I'll admit, inspiration can come from the most random places!

For example, "Like a Good Neighbor" grew from my real life neighborhood. We live off of a dead-end street and our driveway branches from that road. There are a lot of other houses, though, that branch off from a communal driveway and are set behind other houses, not visible from the road or tucked up on the hill. About a year ago, the house next door to us was bought from an Air Force family from Michigan. They're awesome! Our kids get along and we've shared meals on holidays, walking up their long driveway with food and staying late talking.

On one such visit, we got to talking about the house nestled behind theirs. It's occupied by a group of young guys, likely junior officers. They have growly muscle cars, rumbling motorcycles, and apparently like to party. Their house lines up on the corner by the kids' bedrooms and our neighbors were complaining about how frustrating it can be trying to get their kids to bed on the weekends when these guys are partying it up. We were eating pie, the kids were running around their house (it's at least double the size of ours and NICE) and all I could think about was 'what if someone went over to complain about the noise and inadvertently meet their match?' The story idea went through A LOT of changes before it got to its final version, but that little seed became "Like a Good Neighbor."

Have you read it yet? (You can get it here.) If so, have you considered leaving a review? I'd be so super grateful if you would!

Right now I'm waiting impatiently to get Ames' book back from beta readers before it's ready for editing! In the meantime, I've been re-reading and tweaking Jameson's book and working on a fun holiday novella set in the ONO world that I'm hoping to release in November!

In Defense of Reading Romance and Romance IRL

While most people, at one point or another, may long for a little romance in their life, it can get a bad rap. The romance genre is generally looked down upon, especially by anyone who reads "litfic." If a dreary, depressing book has even the slightest whiff of sex in it, people go crazy and start recommending books that are like that. Do you know what they never recommend though? Actual romance novels. As a genre, we're over here focusing on building relationships, forging community, and creating spaces where women get as much respect and attention as men. But we're still scoffed at. I've found though, if a reader gets connected with the right book, you'll fall in love the way you will with any good story. Because that's what it's all about, right? A good story.

Romance stories tend to focus on the beginning. The meet-cute, the misunderstandings, the electricity at the first touch, the longing, the foundation to the happily ever after. Because of that, our stories can be labeled as wish fulfillment, fantasy, the equivalent of literary trash, or even the highly-inaccurate and super ick "mommy porn." Maybe that's true. Maybe, for a lot of women, being pursued, being seen for who you are and still wanted, having your needs put above everyone else's, being given permission to love and experience life and bang without restraint or judgement is a total fantasy. But it shouldn't be. Let me say that again: IT SHOULDN'T BE.

I recently read a thread from Reddit that talked about this idea so perfectly I shared it in my facebook group and on instagram. In it the author (user/catsandquilts) says "Women who read romance novels just want to read about men loving women the way women are expected to love everyone else -- with a nurturing and protective form of unswerving loyalty." I mean, how true is that?! The true fantasy is being in a relationship where your partner is not only willing but actively doing the emotional heavy lifting. It doesn't even matter when they do it badly! It's the trying, putting in the time and work to show that you're invested, that you value her, that you want more for her than she's allowed herself to believe she deserves. So when it comes to romance, the sex part is AWESOME, but it's not the fantasy. And when it comes to supporting, marketing, and even just talking about this genre, who isn't going to be invested? Men who feel uncomfortable or emasculated by the mere suggestion that they should be doing more. It can feel like anything in a romance novel is as much fantasy as dragons and the fae.

With the beginnings of love stories being so emphasized, it can be sad comparing your own middle. Like, where are my grand gestures? Where's my "I'm dying without you" sentiment? Years into your story, romance looks different. But I would argue that it's no less magical or meaningful. Because who you are in year 18 of a marriage is completely different from who you were at year 1. Real live romance takes a certain degree of fluidity. You can't be tied down to your idea of what is needed of you and what you need from your partner. If you are, things get stagnant, you both end up frustrated, and no one ends up feeling valued or desired.

Last week I had a painful but necessary reminder of this. I've been feeling emotionally needy lately. My husband walked in the door from work and I hugged him. He just stood there, not really hugging me back so I kept hugging, needing more. He commented, "this is a long hug. Why do you need such a long hug?" So I asked, "Why don't you?" I was mostly joking but his response was a punch to the gut (and no, he wasn't being mean, just honest). He told me that he used to be really huggy -- his hugs when we were friends in college were often the best part of my day -- but wasn't any more. He explained that it felt weird being huggy with other people after we got married, and then I stopped being affectionate so he stopped too. As he pointed out, he didn't know at the time there were chemical imbalances, depression, and childhood trauma causing that. He wasn't blaming me. He just pointed out that after years of no affection, it was going to take a bit to get used to it again. But you know what's amazing? He was willing to explain that all to me and is willing to try. He's right, there were years when hugging didn't happen and I didn't want anyone to touch me. And suddenly, with the right medications, I don't feel that way any more. He has to get used to a wife that wants to be held, wants to cuddle before going to sleep, and is suddenly feeling sad because there isn't enough casual affection in my life. He could get annoyed and throw it back in my face that I'm the reason we are where we are. He could tell me "tough shit" and leave us at the level of affection we've been at for a while. But Real Life Romance? He smiles, rolling his eyes at me, and opens his arms for obnoxiously long hugs and cuddles until he has to push me away because it's too hot. Because having a partner who is willing to do the emotional heavy lifting isn't a fantasy. And writing stories about such things isn't trash.

Cover Reveal!

It's finally here!

The completed cover for "Like a Good Neighbor" is live and I could not be happier with it!

If you follow me on facebook, you may have seen that a friend of a friend offered his photo for me to use. Unfortunately, the quality of the photo was too low for the resolution required so I couldn't use it. I had THE HARDEST time finding a stock photo with an actual Pacific Islander! I actually went as far as editing an image to try to make it work before my husband went on an Instagram search and told me I should just ask a guy he found.

So, I slid into a Samoan fitness dude's DM's, asked if he'd consider being on the cover of my book, and he agreed!

I wanted to share this on my author's page and promote the book, but my facebook account was hacked and I'm currently locked out. I apologize if you've tried to get in touch! You can always contact me here, through instagram or by email. Hopefully they'll get it cleared up soon. It's all very frustrating!

"Like a Good Neighbor" will be released on 9/14/21!

If you're a Kindle Unlimited reader, it will be available there, on that date!

If you pre-order the ebook, it's only $4.99! After release day, the price goes up.

And as soon as final edits are completed, I'll be submitting it for paperback formatting, so that will be an option as well!

Solo Adventures

Last week I went on a solo adventure to San Francisco! It was the first time I've left the Hawaiian islands since we moved here almost 7 years ago! I was supposed to take this same trip in March of 2020, to see Hamilton, but the show was the week after everything shut down. I'm so grateful that I was able to reschedule everything and try again, 18 months later!

It was quite a whirlwind trip! I took a red-eye from Honolulu to Seattle (because I was cashing in a voucher, I was limited in what I could choose and there were no direct flights) where I got no sleep at all. At 3:30 am my time, I made my way to my next gate, ate some breakfast, and waited for my 2 hour flight to San Francisco. It definitely gave me some story ideas!

The trip was mainly to see Hamilton, and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I know, I know, most people who wanted to have already seen it, but it has never been anywhere near me so this was my first opportunity. I cannot even describe how incredible it was to be in a theater, especially seeing this show!

The rest of my quick trip I ate good food, walked A TON (10 miles in 2 days), wandered book stores, and worked. The peace of my stuffy hotel room was a nice environment to do a lot of writing and editing.

Hands down, the weirdest thing about my trip was the compliments. For whatever reason, my vibe hits way differently in San Francisco! Not at all in a poor pity me way, just being totally honest, I don't tend to get noticed like that. People often forget that we've met! Or maybe I give off a strong "leave me alone" vibe. I don't know. Legit, the only time in my life a guy blatantly flirted with me and asked for my phone number, he later called and asked if I thought my sister would be interested in him. Ha ha ha! So it was beyond weird that all I heard while out walking was "hey beautiful" and "where you headed pretty lady" and "looking good!" So. Weird. I had a lady pull up to a red light and yell out her window that my tattoos were beautiful and she loved my whole look. Two older ladies, separately, stopped me walking in Fillmore, to tell me how much they loved my outfit. I was feeling the love!

On the writing front, I'm in the home stretch! I have a sexy cover I can't wait to share and my book is with my fav editor for a final polish! It's so close I can taste it! I hope you guys are as excited as I am about Norah and Ka‘eo's story!

Inspiration collages

When I'm beginning a story, I always do a few specific things. The first is mapping out my characters. If you know me at all in real life, you've probably heard (ad nauseam, sorry) that I'm obsessed with the enneagram! I find it fascinating and freeing. More than any other personality test type thing, I love that the enneagram isn't an "excuse" to be a certain way. It's all about what motivates your decisions and interactions with others. You can be unhealthy or healthy, mentally, but those motivations stay the same.

If you're into the enneagram too and are curious, I'm a SOLID type 4. 4w5 to be exact with a social subtype. Learning about the realities of being a textbook introvert and then finding the enneagram helped me to finally accept who I am as ok. If you're also an introvert, a naturally quiet person, an observer, or shy, you've probably experienced some of the same things I did. I heard so many times that I was "backward," that I needed to come out of my shell and try harder, that I should smile more and so on. I internalized that who I was, at my core, was wrong and I spent most of my life trying desperately to be someone else, anyone else, that people might like. It was exhausting. And miserable. So, all that to say, I will forever LOVE the enneagram for giving me permission to be who God created me to be, unapologetically.

Because of that love and my personal experiences, I always use the enneagram when I'm creating my characters. I think about what characteristics I want them to have, what drives them. I also like to consider how they'll interact with their love interest. What will push their buttons? How can they help each other to grow? Sometimes these things are obvious from the get-go and sometimes I have to think about it for a while.

With the characters in "Like a Good Neighbor," I knew immediately that the naval officer would be a classic type 3--driven, ambitious, and very focused--and the love interest would be their opposite, a type 7--adventurous, fun, optimistic and spontaneous. I wanted that struggle in their dynamic.

Fun fact: originally, "Like a Good Neighbor" was going to be a male lead and a female local neighbor! My husband, when I was telling him about my idea, said it would be more interesting if the officer was a woman and I love the addition of her power to their dynamic. He flipped the gender and my heroine, Norah Pierson, was born!

If you've read my prequel novella, ",One Night in Waikiki," you've already met Norah. Norah Pierson is a Naval Surface Warfare Officer, serving on a ship based out of Pearl Harbor. She's over 6' tall and very athletic. I imagined her looking like the top right photo, except she has an edgy pixie cut that falls within Navy grooming regulations. I love a strong, bad ass heroine!

Norah meets her match in her neighbor, Ka‘eo Maheloha. And they do not get off on the right foot! Ka‘eo is a 6'5" wall of native Hawaiian muscle with a broad nose, charming smile and long, curly hair. He's a photographer, a property manager, and doesn't have a lot of patience for people who are inconsiderate to anyone he's claimed as ‘ohana.

Together, Norah and Ka‘eo are combustible! Their combined passion could be amazing, if they can ever see eye to eye.

I hope that their story, with so much of what makes real Hawai‘i magic, is the perfect introduction to this series. I love them so much and am counting down the days until I can share their journey with you!

Location, location, location!

When I'm writing about home, I like to use real locations of places I love!

It makes the story come alive for me and it's fun to share home with you guys! Plus, for readers that I know in real life, it can be like a cool little easter egg. Just like my prequel novella, "One Night in Waikiki," my newest full length book, "Like a Good Neighbor" is set on the Island of O‘ahu. This time though, most of the action takes place on the windward side, right here in our hometown of Kaneohe! In fact, the neighborhood where Norah lives is based on mine and her story grew from a real life situation!

The house next to ours was bought last year by an Air Force family with 4 small kids. They're awesome! Our kids play together, we shared Thankgiving and New Years with them, we will be so bummed when they go to their next duty station!

This special, secret spot plays a very important role in Norah's story! I can't wait for you to get your hands on "Like a Good Neighbor" to see what I'm talking about! Even better, not only is it important in this story, but it pops up again when we see Norah and Ka‘eo in book 2 of the series!

I've even hopped on the swing myself!

There's also a HUGE, pivotal scene that takes places here, at the Makapu‘u tide pools. Let's just say things get steamy...

Ka‘eo is a photographer. He and Norah have crazy chemistry. And they live in one of the most beautiful places on the planet! As soon as I started this book I knew there was going to be a sexy photo shoot.

It's not hyperbole when I tell you I CANNOT WAIT for you to read this one!