Meet The Authors Showcase Edition #2 (2 of 3)

A showcase with @MissBelleVincent, author of Teasing Your Wicked Heart

1 What provided the inspiration for your story?

 I was working on a different novel and I hit a wall (as I'm sure many novice and experienced writers do so too!). I had grown fixated on my hero and heroine, and a minor character just charmed me enough that I began imagining what it would be like to give him his own story. What kind of girl could be his match? That was the first question, and his story just unraveled from that.

2 what is something you struggled constructing with your story?

 Writing historical romance, the thing I struggle most with is the language and the backdrop. I don't live in London and I've never been. Many customs and historical facts I have to research, and since English is not my first language either, colloquialisms and slang (especially the dated ones!) are not my strong suit. However, I'm told that I'm managing quite well, so I'm very happy about that.

3 what did you enjoy writing most of your story?

I enjoyed getting to know my characters. They always start as an imagination. Imaginary friends in my mind as I lay awake at night, if you will. The more I write and discover about them, the more eager I get to spin their tale and romance.

4 what's the overall response of your story from your readers?

 I'm very happy to say that I've been utterly surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response to my book. I've kept this story to myself for years! I wrote most of it in 2014, edited and dotted i's and crossed my t's until 2016. I've never had the courage to publish it until I've discovered Wattpad. At first, there weren't many readers. I thought it was because the people just didn't like it. But as more and more people started to discover it, the book just took off on its own!

5 is your story a stand alone novel or a piece of a series ?

 Interestingly enough, it's supposed to be a stand alone novel, but, due to the response of the readers and many have clamored to hear more of the other characters, I've begun to work on other stand alone novels that are connected to this one. It's not a series per se, since it's not necessary to read one before the other. But there will be a lot of recurring characters, and it's my goal to build this world where all the "Imaginary friends" could live and be free!

6 what would you like your readers to take away from your story?

I'd like the readers to understand how love isn't about the romance as we were led to believe. Love is hard, and love is sacrifice. And self love and healing is the first priority before you can share this with another. Knowing this, understanding this, and living this, makes love more potent and powerful. I'd wish for any reader to experience it for themselves too.

7 what advice would you provide to fellow writers, when it comes to focusing on their own story?

 Fellow writers, never lose hope. If you hit a wall, just write and keep writing. Editing can only happen if you've written something :)

8 does your main character share any similarities to yourself?

My characters, whether main or not are always based off of real people. I studied psychology, so my characters are based on my understanding of these people I've met. Sometimes (more often) different characters reflect some of my quirks and personality. To identify which is and isn't me is a secret I'll keep to remain mysterious :)

9 what is something about your story you believe would draw in new readers?

I  think the character development is my strength. My characters feel real and relatable, and their situations, although dated because of the genre, are still applicable today if the readers reflect on the philosophical nature of it. Initially, I know that the fun fresh take on these characters lure the readers in. But they stay because they connect to them, I'm sure of it.

10 do you have any future projects?

 Yes! I'm working on one of the side characters from Teasing Your Wicked Heart. Remember the novel I was writing when I hit a wall and spurted out this one? Yes. I'm rewriting that and hopefully inspiration never leaves me and I shall be able to finish the novel and release the chapters by next year :)