Soap Stars as Inspiration

Back to work yesterday. I'm in the initial stages of writing/plotting my next book. I did some character interviews for my hero and heroine, and I needed a visual image for my hero, Nick Vitelli. Nick's a divorced ex-cop, from Atlanta, now living in Nashville again to be near his son and working for a local PI agency, Music City Investigations. It only took a second to come up with one of my very favorite ABC soap hunks, Steve Burton, who plays mob hitman, Jason Morgan on General Hospital. After all, I've plunked down forty bucks to see Steve at Zanies Comedy Club on September 12th. Not too big a reach to figure he'd make a great image for Nick.




I don't know about other writers, but it helps me to visualize my hero and heroine. And soap stars are perfect. Some of them have even posed for covers for romance novels. Mark Consuelos, ex-Mateo AMC, and Cameron Mathison (Ryan AMC) has (not sure on that one, but I think he has). Most of the younger male soap stars have great bodies and, let's face it, are a pure pleasure to watch. Yes, I plead guilty. Although I'm a woman of mature years, I can still watch and receive inspiration from my favorite soap characters.




Now for another issue: naming of books and my current WIP series. I've changed my PI agency's name to Music City Investigations. And I'm working on the titles in the six book series. I decided the Family brand was a little unromantic and unsuspenseful--not what you want for romantic suspense. Although there's always a secondary plot with family issues in whatever I write, romantic suspense calls for more specific titles. I'm considering song titles and the like. I haven't submitted my last completed WIP, but the first book in the series might be called LOVE ME IF YOU CAN and the second, BECAUSE OF YOU.




This latter one features Allison Lackey, the nurse of the family. She and the agency's new hire, Nick, are thrown together when one of Allison's co-workers disappears. Nick fears a setup and he's not interested in romance with anyone, especially one of his boss' sisters. Allison had a crush on him when she was a teenager and embarassed herself quite thoroughly back in the day. Besides he and Allison disagree about everything including the case.




I still have to figure out who my villain is and where and why Allison's disappeared. Is he her psycho exhusband as Nick is convinced, or is the villain someone at the hospital as Allison believes? Oh, well, I don't want to figure out too much in advance, spoils the fun.





Marie-Nicole

http://marienicoleryan.com/