This week:  Favorite characters and three must haves for writing…

 Who is your favorite character you’ve written and why?

Hmmm… That’s tough. I become very invested in my characters, especially the heroes. I’d have to say Ray in Hot as Blazes, as he is the embodiment of a hero to me. A man of few words, he exudes a quiet air of confidence. While handsome, he doesn’t see himself that way and always has your back. The heroine nicknames him Hemanus (hēּ-manּ-us), a term invented by my son for his dad.

Do you prefer to write your Hero or Heroine?

I’m such a tomboy, I love writing the hero. I’ve been told I write like a guy and that it’s a good thing, but I’m not so sure. Some romance readers like cutesy and that’s not my style. Tongue in cheek humor, action and sarcasm are prevalent in my writing. As for my heroines, they are flip-flop casual, real world and, independent bordering on bossy. Some may polish their nails, but they’re not worried about breaking one.

What are the three things you can’t write without?

Jack Daniels, my Stealth Bods Pinterest Board for inspiration & chocolate LOL – No really, my number one need is a computer. I hate writing by hand. I’ve was typing before I learned to drive. Keyboarding is second nature and a zillion times faster than my scribble. If you’ve ever used a typewriter you know the freedom word processing is godlike. A writer’s world is limitless until the damn thing crashes.

The internet is second deity to writers. You can learn things in seconds where as before it would have taken a visit to the library or even a trip abroad. Recently, I wrote about a neighborhood in a nearby city, where I had never visited. I needed to know the type of houses built there. A Google satellite search gave me the answer in minutes and saved me a thirty minute drive, plus gas.

My third need varies by the day. Some days I need music or eye drops. When editing, I need is a printer loaded with paper. Certain errors pop in print. I notice wrong word choices, thoughts out of sequence and misused words. Oh, and I can’t forget my CRW critique group!

Thanks to Rebekkah Ganiere for this week’s Romance Weekly questions. Hop on over to Leslie Hachtel’s blog to see what three things she can’t live without when writing.