Winter Jackson asked Kristen Ashley:

How do you think of characters and storyline? Does it just come to you all at once, or do you have different ideas come to you at random times and then put it all together to create your AMAZING books?

Kristen Ashley First, much gratitude for saying my books are amazing. :-) xx

And second, it depends on the book. Sometimes it comes to me as an idea.

For instance, DEACON came to me after I heard the song "Say Something." Just, KABLAM! the story was in my brain. Alternatively, Nick and Olivia's ENDING from SEBRING came to me after hearing "Stay Alive." I was desperate to get the story down because all I knew was the end and I wanted to get them there and beyond that.

On the other hand, it can leak through bit by bit. HEAVEN AND HELL came to me as the first chapter and every paragraph after that was a surprise. Sam and Kia didn't give me any idea what was going on or what to expect!

Then there's an idea that will hit me, like wanting to write a book about a hero who, on the surface of it, isn't a very cool dude. In fact, you might hate him. And challenging myself not only to make him likable, but to make a reader fall in love with him. That was another KABLAM! moment when Tate Jackson from SWEET DREAMS came to me.

So it can be just about anything. I just need to keep my mind open and so I'm ready to roll wherever a story or character takes me.

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