Friday - Gianna Simone with Heroes , Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor #Suspense

1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms? Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices? Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

I write in a bunch of genres. I'm particularly drawn to those where I can push boundaries and break rules. I love paranormal and fantasy genres, particularly stories that involve magic or some not-quite-human characters, and I definitely read a lot of books with those themes. Adding those elements to my books is a lot of fun. The Harry Potter books inspired me in a lot of ways, some obvious, some not so much. There was a period where my own writing wasn't inspiring me, but after reading those books and dabbling in the fan fiction world, my creative juices were flowing like crazy and they haven't stopped since.

I also love to write historicals – another genre where I can rip apart modern ideas about what makes a relationship, and develop a relationship that is "true to the time." I like some realism in my historicals, those I read and those I write. The Wolf and the Dove is a perfect example of that. One of my all time favorites and one of the first books to make me seriously think about pursuing publication. Of course, now 40 years later, we can take the physical side to much greater depths, and I REALLY like that! ;p

2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write? Does one of these come easy and why?

It varies with each book, but I will admit I like to write my smoking hot heroes! Especially since I tend to make them villainous in some way. They all have some self-serving goal when the book starts, and they can behave in un-heroic ways. Making them face the error of their ways without losing their edge is a fine line to balance, but it's lots of fun!

My heroines are a different story. They are ever evolving from the moment the first show up on the stage in my head. Half the time, they take a million different turns in personality and end up making me crazy! Kind of like my daughter. Hmm…

3. Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain imagination create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

It's funny, I've been inspired by actors and actresses, but sometimes, only in specific roles, or for a certain character trait. A picture is a surefire way to spark a character that either immediately, or down the road, takes up residence in my consciousness. And they definitely come before the plot. The character is who inspires the story.

4. Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination create the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

Again, the same as with the heroes, certain people inspire my characters in certain ways. There are one or two actresses who resemble more than a few of my heroines in one way or another. Sometimes they're the first character to come to mind, but a lot of times, she will come after I have an idea of my hero. Probably because she has to evolve into someone who can stand up to him and bring him to his knees.

5. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist, since they don’t always have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person opposed to the hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one? How do you make them human?

I tend to make my villains a bit insane on some level. It's hard to humanize them, but their goals are usually formed on the basis of some sort of crazy interpretation of the events and the main characters. Or they're just plain mean. Their motivation tends to be less complicated than my hero's and heroine's. They're just nasty people – and they must die! lol

6. What is your latest release? Who is the hero, heroine and or the villain?

The latest release is Warrior's Wrath, a medieval set along the border of Wales in the early 14^th century. Rowan Langley is the hero, but I also have a "sub-hero," if you will, Rowan's friend Gerard. Both of them catch Aeron Dawkyns in their snare. The villain is not just a person in this story, though Owyn Sutton is a pretty vile guy. The secrets in Rowan's past, which he just unearthed, is a bigger obstacle to his relationship with Aeron.

And if I could share something about another title – Claimed by the Enchanter, a paranormal tales in an alternate modern-day New Orleans and the surrounding area. Claimed by the Enchanter was just named a finalist in the paranormal category of NJRW's Golden Leaf contest. Regine Marchand is the heroine who is convinced she must keep total control over her life, even sexually, as dominatrix, and Cameron McIntyre is my hero, who makes her question everything she thinks about herself. He's a dom who believes Regine is a switch and is determined to show her. Unfortunately, the villain has put them in a bad professional situation, which could derail their personal relationship.

7. What are you working on now?

Right now, I am revising a Viking story, and I've started a new book set in the Golden Age of Piracy. I've also completed the third book in the Medieval Warriors series, but I'm taking a different tack with that book than with the others at the moment

8. How can people find you?

                Website  http://giannasimoneeroticromance.com/bio.html

                Blog  http://giannasimone.blogspot.com/

                Twitter   @Gianna_Simone

                Facebook   https://www.facebook.com/GiannaSimoneRomanceAuthor