Victoria Questions
I've had some question about my newest release, VICTORIA'S GOT A SECRET and I thought I'd go ahead and answer them here.
Q: Is is really a true story?
A: Yes and no. It's reality-based. Basically, the couple answered these long questionnaires about who they are, their pasts and their relationship. Jennifer and Paul (their real names) filled them out separately and actually highlighted different points except on one question near the end where they were each asked to set out the major turning points of their romantic relationship. They listed the same points. I took those points and built a plot around them. The dialogue is all me. Many situations are made up, especially because Paul and Jennifer's romance spans 20 years and there was a long period of time when they each lived with other people and didn't see each other. I had to make sure the book didn't read that way. People are made up, though a few are real. So, it's exactly what the name implies – based on real people, their lives and their relationship, but fictionalized.
Q: Victoria Sinclair and Naked News?
A: I didn't know anything about Naked News before I was asked to write this book. I googled Naked News and Victoria Sinclair and got part of the story. Then I read the questionnaire Jennifer, the real woman behind the Victoria persona, filled out and I was hooked. She's smart, flawed, interesting, sexy and deeply in love with her husband. Her story is about overcoming and finding herself, about growing and figuring out both who she is and what she needs. The story is really relatable. She is the perfect romance heroine.
Q: Is the book about Victoria Sinclair or Jennifer?
A: Both. The book is about how Victoria became Victoria (it's a pseudonym and the book is the first time she publicly links her real name to her pseudonym) and about how she met and fell in love with her husband.
Q: Is Paul a typical romance hero?
A: Yes. God, yes. I don't think he sees himself that way, but I sure did. Paul had a rough history. His younger years were not easy. He had to work for everything he's gotten. He's handsome and smart and dedicated to his wife. He loves the outdoors and works with his hands. He's pure romance hero in my book – imperfect but rock solid and decent.
Q: Was writing a reality-based romance harder/different/easier than writing "regular" romances?
A: It was different. You'd think having all this information would make it easier to write. For me it didn't. I usually start a book knowing the people and the first scene. I then build and learn from there. The characters evolve over time, and as I revise I get to know them until I think about them all the time. Since major parts of the plot were set for me by real life, I couldn't build a story like I usually do. I had to write an outline and do a lot more pre-plotting. I worried I was disconnected from the characters since I didn't create them in my mind. To combat this I read those questionnaires over and over. I looked through personal photos Jennifer sent to me. And I spent a lot of time on goggle studying the public Victoria and figuring out how to separate that out from the real Jennifer.
Q: Was it weird to write romantic scenes about real people?
A: Honestly, this is what I worried about before I started writing. I thought I'd feel weird writing about these most intimate moments about real people. It was a huge surprise but writing these scenes didn't bother me at all. I think part of that is due to the couple. Paul and Jennifer were very honest about the private part of their lives and clearly have a rich romantic life. They told me it was fine to be detailed and talk about the sexual side of their relationship. Thanks to their openness, it was never an issue. Also, this book is not as graphic/detailed as my other single title romances. Most of the sex scenes go right to the edge and then stop. The book is sensual and there's a lot of sexual tension and some descriptions but not enough to make me – or you as the reader – feel strange about reading it. I hope.
If you have anything else, let me know…and then go buy 50 copies of the book. 
