Izzie d asked Kristen Ashley:

when you write a misunderstanding or something said that are either taken or meant to be hurtful ,eg Stella/Mace story when he tells her the real reason he broke up with her b4, than offers to tell her about his past, which she refuses as shes reeling too much then he leaves,he vowed he wouldnt do again their past is so bad you forgive him, but do you find it hard not to cross the line of it being too much to forgive?

Kristen Ashley This is a very interesting question!

I know this is going to seem odd but I actually don't have a lot of control over what my characters do. They do what they do in my head and I type it all out. There are times I think that it's too much, they've gone too far, they've said WAY the wrong thing and even I wonder if they'll be able to dig themselves out of that hole. Then, miraculously (at least for me - and I hope for you), they find ways to dig themselves out of that hole. :-)

In the beginning when I was feeling my way with my writing, I would attempt to make my characters do what I want them to do, try to change their behavior, soften their words, it doesn't work. I have to let them be who they are and just take their ride.

So the truth is, I've often felt a character HAS crossed a line that I think it's difficult for them to jump back over. Then they jump back over it...hopefully spectacularly (as in this instance, when Stella sings "And So It Goes" to Mace and then the healing begins :-)).

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