The Inspiration Behind Cupid's Arrow

Whenever someone asks me where I got my inspiration for a story, I always have a hard time remembering. Conception to birth can be a really long process. When inspiration hits, I'll sit down and dash out anything from a one-page storyline to a full sketch of 10,000 words or more. Then, when it's time to start a new story, I just pick through these and see which one strikes my fancy.

My latest work, Cupid's Arrow (to be released February 2016), probably sprung from my long-time fascination with the American and French Revolutions. They are so very different in concept and result that I thought it would be interesting to bring together characters that are of both worlds. Luckily, these characters already existed as a younger brother and a younger sister in Caution to the Wind and Le Chevalier.

Neil Blakely - Neil is the younger brother of Amanda Blakely, the heroine of Caution to the Wind. His character was fairly well developed in that story, but it was fun to mature him by fifteen years or so. Although he was quite young during the American Revolution, Neil did serve on his brother-in-law's ship. His worldview is definitely an American one.

Christiana Saint-Ange  - Christiana is the youngest sister of le Chevalier de Mont Trignon, the hero in LeChevalier. She figures early in the book, but we don't actually meet her in person until the very end so maturing her was a lot less difficult. I could take her just about anywhere. However, I'm afraid neither the French Revolution nor I was very kind to her.

I probably come out a little more pro-American Revolution in this novel than I meant to. I'm working on one now where circumstances and points of view are a lot less black and white. That said, the French Revolution was a very dark period. The didn't the latter stages the Reign of Terror for nothing!