In the words of Michelle Tanner, how rude!
My only excuse is that I've been busy with life. A life that, coincidentally enough, includes finishing up A Runaway Duchess so it's all packaged up and ready to go May 10th. I am super, super, SUPER excited to be releasing my first full length novel. The experience has certainly been different than writing a novella, and I'm incredibly nervous really pumped to see how ARD will be received.
In some ways, writing a novel is much easier than writing a novella. For one, you have more time and space to play with the character's story. You can elaborate on their background and histories. You can toss more challenges their way. You have more room to bring other characters into the mix. Of course, all those things can make the entire process more difficult, as well.
I have never been very good at writing "filler". I like to get right to the punch line from the get go. Right to the heart of the conflict, if you will. I've read many books where the hero and heroine don't even meet until the seventh or eight chapter, which is all fine and good, but I can't write like that. I'm too impatient.
In all four Wedded Women Quartet novellas the hero & heroine know each other already. With the exception of Grace, they're all married. If I were to stretch those stories out to novels, I most likely would have began with when they met for the first time. Instead, I allowed that to become back story, and thrust the reader into the thick of it from the get go. Some people like that. Some people don't.
In TRD Charlotte and Gavin do not know each other when the novel begins. They meet by pure coincidence at a ball when they are both trying to escape public scrutiny. Due to extenuating circumstances and a little bit of fate, they have a whirlwind engagement that is anything but typical.
One thing I did truly enjoy in writing TRD that I did not have the opportunity to do in the quartet novellas was creating secondary characters. One of my favorites is Lady Dianna Foxcroft, Charlotte's best friend and partner in crime. "Short and plump and perfectly adorable with blond ringlets, rosy cheeks, and dancing blue eyes" Dianna schemes right alongside Charlotte to help rescue her BFF from marriage to the Duke.
Charlotte's maid Tabitha also plays a considerable role, as does Gavin's ill tempered butler. Bettina, Charlotte's mother, was quite fun to write, as wicked and frustrating as she could be.
In the end, I really liked bringing an entire cast of characters into play and hope to use at least some of them for future endeavors.
Look for Charlotte, Gavin, and the rest of the crew in just TWO WEEKS when The Runaway Duchess goes up on Amazon! Until then, if you haven't already, make sure to add it to your Goodreads TBR list by clicking right here.
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