Q&A with Bella Andre
Posted by Goodreads on November 15, 2016
Have you met the Sullivans? Bella Andre's beloved fictional family is full of irresistible bad boys and smart, sassy women.
Readers first met the Sullivans in The Look of Love, a sweet and sexy contemporary romance featuring the San Francisco branch of the genetically blessed clan. Since then, Andre has been busy fleshing out the rest of the family tree, following the brothers, sisters, and cousins as they find love across the country.
Her new book, Since I Fell for You, takes the action to New York City. Suzanne Sullivan has a trio of overly protective brothers and a high-risk job as a digital security specialist, so romance is the last thing on her mind. It should also be the last thing on her bodyguard's mind. Determined to keep things professional, they agree to ignore the heat growing between them. Easier said than done? They're about to find out.
Andre answered your questions about finding meaningful escape in romance books, saying good-bye to the Sullivan family (spoiler alert: not going to happen!), and falling in love at first sight.
A.J.: I bet every author puts a little of themselves into their characters. What trait of yours can we see in Suzanne Sullivan and Roman Huson in Since I Fell for You?
Bella Andre: You're right that we can't help but put ourselves into our characters. Suzanne Sullivan was such a fun heroine to write. As a digital security specialist who loves computers and software programming, she considers herself to be a bit of a nerd. Just like her, I was always the kid at school who was sneaking extra reading time anywhere and any way I could. As for Roman Huson, being a bodyguard is a perfect job for him because he is very protective. As the mother of two kids, I know exactly how he feels. I would do anything for my family!
Charmaine: Do you believe in love at first sight?
BA: I absolutely believe in love at first sight! I also believe that relationships deepen and strengthen over time as love grows even richer.
Laura: With Since I Fell for You, did you have the full story in your mind when you started writing it? Or did you make some of it up as you went along?
BA: I have written 16 books about the Sullivan family, and every story develops differently. With some of the books, I have a really good idea of the story that I want to tell. With others, I end up figuring it out as I go along. With each and every book, however, I'm surprised (in a good way!) at some point by something the hero or heroine does or says. I knew quite a bit about Since I Fell for You before I began writing it, in large part because I was so excited about writing a computer genius heroine and a bodyguard hero that I had been thinking about them for a long time! I've never written a couple quite like them before, so I had the best time in the world telling their love story.
Tina: I love being able to read a good book to escape my life! What would you say to those who criticize HEA (happily ever after) books for not portraying "real" life? I've had people tell me they don't understand why I read HEA romances because there are no men like that around…and because hardly anyone ever gets to live happily ever after.
BA: I love reading for escape, too! One of my favorite things about romances is that they are about finding hope and happiness—regardless of the obstacles. I've gotten so many notes from readers who are going through something difficult in their life, and they want to let me know that my books are the first thing that made them smile in a very long time. Nothing makes me happier than to know that something I've created has made someone feel better. That's the magic of romance. All of which is my way of saying that I pay no attention whatsoever to anyone who wants to put down romance!
Ashley J.: If you could have any author write the story of your life, who would you choose? What would the title be?
BA: I'm a huge fan of Elizabeth Gilbert. She's such an honest and captivating writer. It would be an honor if she wrote the story of my life. As for a title, a good one would be Love Beautifully.
Becca: Hey, Bella! I'm curious about your relationship to your characters. Which pair was the most fun to write about?
BA: Honestly, I love all of my heroes and heroines and find it really difficult to pick favorites. In my series about The Sullivans, I write a lot of big family scenes where we get to spend some time with each of the members of the family (and their kids and pets, too). Each couple is special to me for different reasons. Take Suzanne and Roman in Since I Fell for You—on the surface they seem completely different. She lives in her head, but he's intensely physical. It turns out that they are the perfect fit and share so much common ground. I had the most wonderful time writing their love story, and I can't wait for you to read it.
Sandi: What was the most romantic meal you ever ate?
BA: The most romantic meal I ever ate was one cooked by my husband on Valentine's Day. It might not have been a culinary masterpiece, but it was made with so much love. Which is what matters most.
Jeane: I am always curious about an author's writing process. Do you need to lock yourself in a room to finish a book? Or can you write wherever you are? Since you live in California, perhaps you have a nice glass of wine in your hand just to free your imagination a little?
BA: I'm always curious about how other authors write, too. What I've learned is that everyone has a different process. I used to need to write in a certain place at a certain time of the day on a certain computer. But once I had kids, I quickly learned how to write any place at anytime on anything. I can write on a plane, a train, or in a waiting room. I can write in bed, in a park, or on the beach. I can write on a computer, in a notebook, or using a dictation program. Of course, a glass of wine never hurts, especially because I live in the California wine country!
Christine: If a movie producer approached you and offered to turn any of your books into a movie, which one would you choose—and why?
BA: It would be absolutely amazing to have my books turned into movies and TV shows! I have several different series for producers to choose from.
The Sullivans series is an emotional, fun, and sexy contemporary romance series about a close-knit family who all support each other through thick and thin, no matter what. I have written 16 books so far about the Sullivans and plan to keep writing about them forever.
Another sexy contemporary series is about The Maverick Billionaires. While not related to one another by blood, they are still a family because the heroes have had each other's backs since childhood and have achieved incredible success as a team.
I also write "sweet" romances under the pen name Lucy Kevin. My Four Weddings and a Fiasco series (which includes my Married in Malibu spin-off) is about a group of people who run a boutique wedding venue. Each of them ends up finding love themselves. This would be a really fun series to have come to life on the screen.
My vote is for all of these series to be made into movies and TV shows in the near future!
ErinMC: You must get asked so many questions from readers! What question do you wish readers would ask more often? What's the answer?
BA: My favorite question is: How did you create the Sullivans, and how many more will there be? I always knew that I wanted to write about a big family, and I dreamed about them for a long time.
In the past five years I've written about eight San Francisco Sullivans, five Seattle Sullivans, and I'm now writing about four New York Sullivans, with the Maine Sullivans coming up next. And, yes, there will definitely be more Sullivans even after that. I'm planning on writing about them forever!
Readers first met the Sullivans in The Look of Love, a sweet and sexy contemporary romance featuring the San Francisco branch of the genetically blessed clan. Since then, Andre has been busy fleshing out the rest of the family tree, following the brothers, sisters, and cousins as they find love across the country.
Her new book, Since I Fell for You, takes the action to New York City. Suzanne Sullivan has a trio of overly protective brothers and a high-risk job as a digital security specialist, so romance is the last thing on her mind. It should also be the last thing on her bodyguard's mind. Determined to keep things professional, they agree to ignore the heat growing between them. Easier said than done? They're about to find out.
Andre answered your questions about finding meaningful escape in romance books, saying good-bye to the Sullivan family (spoiler alert: not going to happen!), and falling in love at first sight.
Bella Andre: You're right that we can't help but put ourselves into our characters. Suzanne Sullivan was such a fun heroine to write. As a digital security specialist who loves computers and software programming, she considers herself to be a bit of a nerd. Just like her, I was always the kid at school who was sneaking extra reading time anywhere and any way I could. As for Roman Huson, being a bodyguard is a perfect job for him because he is very protective. As the mother of two kids, I know exactly how he feels. I would do anything for my family!
Charmaine: Do you believe in love at first sight?
BA: I absolutely believe in love at first sight! I also believe that relationships deepen and strengthen over time as love grows even richer.
Laura: With Since I Fell for You, did you have the full story in your mind when you started writing it? Or did you make some of it up as you went along?
BA: I have written 16 books about the Sullivan family, and every story develops differently. With some of the books, I have a really good idea of the story that I want to tell. With others, I end up figuring it out as I go along. With each and every book, however, I'm surprised (in a good way!) at some point by something the hero or heroine does or says. I knew quite a bit about Since I Fell for You before I began writing it, in large part because I was so excited about writing a computer genius heroine and a bodyguard hero that I had been thinking about them for a long time! I've never written a couple quite like them before, so I had the best time in the world telling their love story.
Tina: I love being able to read a good book to escape my life! What would you say to those who criticize HEA (happily ever after) books for not portraying "real" life? I've had people tell me they don't understand why I read HEA romances because there are no men like that around…and because hardly anyone ever gets to live happily ever after.
BA: I love reading for escape, too! One of my favorite things about romances is that they are about finding hope and happiness—regardless of the obstacles. I've gotten so many notes from readers who are going through something difficult in their life, and they want to let me know that my books are the first thing that made them smile in a very long time. Nothing makes me happier than to know that something I've created has made someone feel better. That's the magic of romance. All of which is my way of saying that I pay no attention whatsoever to anyone who wants to put down romance!
BA: I'm a huge fan of Elizabeth Gilbert. She's such an honest and captivating writer. It would be an honor if she wrote the story of my life. As for a title, a good one would be Love Beautifully.
Becca: Hey, Bella! I'm curious about your relationship to your characters. Which pair was the most fun to write about?
BA: Honestly, I love all of my heroes and heroines and find it really difficult to pick favorites. In my series about The Sullivans, I write a lot of big family scenes where we get to spend some time with each of the members of the family (and their kids and pets, too). Each couple is special to me for different reasons. Take Suzanne and Roman in Since I Fell for You—on the surface they seem completely different. She lives in her head, but he's intensely physical. It turns out that they are the perfect fit and share so much common ground. I had the most wonderful time writing their love story, and I can't wait for you to read it.
Sandi: What was the most romantic meal you ever ate?
BA: The most romantic meal I ever ate was one cooked by my husband on Valentine's Day. It might not have been a culinary masterpiece, but it was made with so much love. Which is what matters most.
Jeane: I am always curious about an author's writing process. Do you need to lock yourself in a room to finish a book? Or can you write wherever you are? Since you live in California, perhaps you have a nice glass of wine in your hand just to free your imagination a little?
BA: I'm always curious about how other authors write, too. What I've learned is that everyone has a different process. I used to need to write in a certain place at a certain time of the day on a certain computer. But once I had kids, I quickly learned how to write any place at anytime on anything. I can write on a plane, a train, or in a waiting room. I can write in bed, in a park, or on the beach. I can write on a computer, in a notebook, or using a dictation program. Of course, a glass of wine never hurts, especially because I live in the California wine country!
Christine: If a movie producer approached you and offered to turn any of your books into a movie, which one would you choose—and why?
The Sullivans series is an emotional, fun, and sexy contemporary romance series about a close-knit family who all support each other through thick and thin, no matter what. I have written 16 books so far about the Sullivans and plan to keep writing about them forever.
Another sexy contemporary series is about The Maverick Billionaires. While not related to one another by blood, they are still a family because the heroes have had each other's backs since childhood and have achieved incredible success as a team.
I also write "sweet" romances under the pen name Lucy Kevin. My Four Weddings and a Fiasco series (which includes my Married in Malibu spin-off) is about a group of people who run a boutique wedding venue. Each of them ends up finding love themselves. This would be a really fun series to have come to life on the screen.
My vote is for all of these series to be made into movies and TV shows in the near future!
ErinMC: You must get asked so many questions from readers! What question do you wish readers would ask more often? What's the answer?
BA: My favorite question is: How did you create the Sullivans, and how many more will there be? I always knew that I wanted to write about a big family, and I dreamed about them for a long time.
In the past five years I've written about eight San Francisco Sullivans, five Seattle Sullivans, and I'm now writing about four New York Sullivans, with the Maine Sullivans coming up next. And, yes, there will definitely be more Sullivans even after that. I'm planning on writing about them forever!
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I absolutely believe in love at first sight! I also believe that relationships deepen and strengthen over time as love grows even richer. Best regreds
Md. Imran patowary
88+01983908615
Excellent interview and questions answered. Thank you so much A.J. and Bella for doing this! I am now even more excited about reading more of Bella's books as well as read her books as Lucy Kevin. I am currently reading Sullivan book #4 and absolutely LOVE it! Each story gets better and better. So thrilled to read that Bella is planning to write about the Sullivans, "forever"! Woohoo! Happy news!
Angel25 wrote: "Excellent interview and questions answered. Thank you so much A.J. and Bella for doing this! I am now even more excited about reading more of Bella's books as well as read her books as Lucy Kevin. ..."<3 <3 <3 Angel25!
Have you been to all the areas that you write about? Before research that is...
I certainly believe in love at first sight.When I was in school , I saw this young person and I automatically fell head over hills in love with him. Call it crazy, but I was in love and knew that we would eventually get married. After dating for 2 years... We got married and now we have been married 51 years ! Call it Karma if you will ,but I knew 100% that we were going to marry. I love this man with all my heart and soul and we absolutely know it is forever ! ! !Message 6 by Ann( NEW)
I am reading each series chronologically! Dig them all!
Linda wrote: "Have you been to all the areas that you write about? Before research that is..."I actually have -- at least so far! :)
Robert wrote: "I certainly believe in love at first sight.When I was in school , I saw this young person and I automatically fell head over hills in love with him. Call it crazy, but I was in love and knew that ..."
This is so sweet! <3
Marcella wrote: "I am reading each series chronologically! Dig them all!"I'm so glad you're enjoying my Sullivans, Marcella! <3
I believe in love at first sight. My husband and I met and were married 2 weeks later. We knew right off the bat we loved each other.
Best regreds
Md. Imran patowary
88+01983908615