Kenzie has published seven, soon-to-be-eight steamy romances, and while I love all of them, the first one is still the story near and dear to my heart. Which one was that?
When I got the idea for this book, it was little more than a news blurb over the debate about if prisoners can be reformed enough to re-enter society. All of a sudden, 'Steve' was in my head, prodding me, saying, "That's me! I'm trying to prove I've changed, but my town doesn't believe me. Write my story!"
I happened to be driving at the time, so I promised not to forget, and went on my way. Two weeks later, while at a Boy Scout Family Camp-Out, I found myself with time on my hands, so I began writing it. First of all, I needed some back story, so 'Angela' spoke to me, telling me about the passion party she'd just hosted, and filled in the background. 'Steve' expressed his anger over being shunned, then the story took a strange turn. 'Brad' explained why he was out of town, and then 'Emma' began telling me her woes with her brother.
Suddenly, I had not two main characters, but four. What had I gotten myself into?
I put it away and enjoyed the weekend. 'Steve' was silenced for the moment.
After school began, I sat down to type up what I'd written. I changed some of the initial ideas around (for instance, Emma's parents were supposedly the ones who met Brad and Gavin in the restaurant, but that wasn't going to work, since Gavin KNEW her parents!) and kept going as the story flowed. From the time I began typing to the day I typed 'the end'? One month to the day. I was exhausted and exhilerated! But now what to do with it?
Initial reaction was mixed. Readers liked the chemistry between the characters, but disliked Brad and Emma's relationship. They also felt Steve was too angry, and in fact, every time I tried to tone him down, he'd snarl at me, saying I captured him perfectly! Then a friend suggested I simply have his brother tell him to 'chill out', and it worked. One acquisitions editor loved him and the book was published, but my relationship with my editor was rocky, and I never felt she did the story justice. As soon as I could, I got the rights back and republished it, this time with much better results. My new editor shared my vision for the story and it's fared better.
Still, there are some readers out there who don't 'get' the concept, and that's okay. Not everyone can follow a multi-character storyline. So my advice to you is, should you read Wild At Heart, take the first three chapters and read all of Angie's part, then go back for Steve's, then Brad's, then Emma's. I think by the 4th chapter, they're sufficiently intertwined. Download the pdf from smashwords and print it out, so you can follow it better, and don't have to scroll.
At any rate, I'm currently working on a sequel, and as it stands, there will only be one H/H.
But no promises.
Wild at Heart is available at Amazon
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If you like it, would you please leave me a review on Goodreads or where you bought it? Thanks!
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