How an old house and a good cup of tea inspired Tempting Mr. Weatherstone
The week Five Golden Rings came out, my fellow authors and I went on a blog tour. My stop on the tour was at United by Books. In case you missed it, here it is:
Can you start off by telling us a bit about Tempting Mr. Weatherstone?
Ethan Weatherstone’s world revolves around order and routine. He doubts Penelope Rutledge possesses an ounce of sensibility. When she isn’t stirring cream into his marmalade, she’s taunting him with her plans to travel to the continent, unchaperoned. Clearly, his duty is to save her from herself. However, somewhere along the way, he discovers that the greatest danger to Penelope might not be her harebrained scheme after all. Instead, it’s lurking within him. He wonders, not for the first time, what it would be like to abandon his rigid sense of control and give in to the temptation of her lips.
As an interviewer, I often wonder about what makes each writer tick. Can you share your inspiration for Tempting Mr. Weatherstone?
I intended to write a kidnapping-gone-wrong story. Penelope was the perfect character to make this happen. However, that all changed the moment I put Ethan on the page. The way he saw his world, changed my mind about the story. I love surprises like that.
Does the hero usually inspire the story?
Not all the time. However, how the hero reacts to the heroine, and vice versa, is the driving force behind each story. Even though Penelope was the first character that popped into my head for this story, Ethan’s controlled demeanor dictated how the story unfolded. He’s such a control freak. :)
What is something about Ethan that never made it into the book?
Ethan wasn’t always a control freak. When he was young, he was just as mischievous as any boy. Unfortunately, that all changed when his father died tragically, stumbling off a cliff. Ethan believes that if he hadn’t been too ill for their usual walk through the woods, then his father never would have taken that path by the sea. Holding onto that blame, he spends his life focusing on order and routine to ensure that nothing bad will happen again.
In your opinion, what makes a hero or heroine?
I could list off dozens of characteristics, but for me it boils down to flaws. I love a character with quirks, a past he/she can’t escape, a healthy dose of self-loathing—even if they aren’t aware of it. Most often, their internal struggles make me love them.
Do you have any hobbies that inspire your writing?
Everything inspires me. When I bake, the scent of bread or scones inspires a breakfast scene. The sound of the wind howling through the unseen cracks in my centenarian house inspires a barren hearth and chattering teeth. When I take a walk through the park, I usually have my camera with me. I’m always looking for new ways to see the world, and find myself wondering what my characters might think, too. I also find a great deal of inspiration in a steaming cup of tea, and even more at the bottom of it. :)
Can you start off by telling us a bit about Tempting Mr. Weatherstone?
Ethan Weatherstone’s world revolves around order and routine. He doubts Penelope Rutledge possesses an ounce of sensibility. When she isn’t stirring cream into his marmalade, she’s taunting him with her plans to travel to the continent, unchaperoned. Clearly, his duty is to save her from herself. However, somewhere along the way, he discovers that the greatest danger to Penelope might not be her harebrained scheme after all. Instead, it’s lurking within him. He wonders, not for the first time, what it would be like to abandon his rigid sense of control and give in to the temptation of her lips.
As an interviewer, I often wonder about what makes each writer tick. Can you share your inspiration for Tempting Mr. Weatherstone?
I intended to write a kidnapping-gone-wrong story. Penelope was the perfect character to make this happen. However, that all changed the moment I put Ethan on the page. The way he saw his world, changed my mind about the story. I love surprises like that.
Does the hero usually inspire the story?
Not all the time. However, how the hero reacts to the heroine, and vice versa, is the driving force behind each story. Even though Penelope was the first character that popped into my head for this story, Ethan’s controlled demeanor dictated how the story unfolded. He’s such a control freak. :)
What is something about Ethan that never made it into the book?
Ethan wasn’t always a control freak. When he was young, he was just as mischievous as any boy. Unfortunately, that all changed when his father died tragically, stumbling off a cliff. Ethan believes that if he hadn’t been too ill for their usual walk through the woods, then his father never would have taken that path by the sea. Holding onto that blame, he spends his life focusing on order and routine to ensure that nothing bad will happen again.
In your opinion, what makes a hero or heroine?
I could list off dozens of characteristics, but for me it boils down to flaws. I love a character with quirks, a past he/she can’t escape, a healthy dose of self-loathing—even if they aren’t aware of it. Most often, their internal struggles make me love them.
Do you have any hobbies that inspire your writing?
Everything inspires me. When I bake, the scent of bread or scones inspires a breakfast scene. The sound of the wind howling through the unseen cracks in my centenarian house inspires a barren hearth and chattering teeth. When I take a walk through the park, I usually have my camera with me. I’m always looking for new ways to see the world, and find myself wondering what my characters might think, too. I also find a great deal of inspiration in a steaming cup of tea, and even more at the bottom of it. :)
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