Friday - Fiona McGier - Talking about Heroes, Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor

1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys creating tales in many forms?

I usually write contemporary erotic romance, because those are the kinds of stories I like to obsess over, when I'm waiting in line somewhere, when I"m driving in-between jobs, when I'm in the shower, etc.  My heroines are busy, but not as busy as me!

Does your reading choices reflect your writing choices?

No, I usually read sci-fi when I'm reading fiction, because I like to dream about the future. Otherwise I'm reading non-fiction stuff like cultural anthropology (LOVE Desmond Morris!) or psychology books, trying to understand more about how/why people act the way they do. I think it helps me to create more believable people.

Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

I don't care for historical fiction of any kind. I also don't like westerns.  And due to me faither being  from Glasgow, I don't think of Highlanders as sexy!  The accent doesn't say to me, "Hello, hot man in a kilt with nothing on under it."  The accent says to me, "Hi Dad."  Definitely NOT a turn-on! 

2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write?

Heroes, most definitely.  If I'm not in love with the hero, there's no story.  Whenever I re-read any of my books, I fall in love all over again.  Sigh...

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?

Sometimes it's a picture I see, maybe in a magazine or on-line.  Sometimes it's a sexy man who walks by, or who captures my attention in public somewhere.  Like I said, I fall in love with the hero first.  Then the story creates itself around him.  I have to design a woman worthy of him, and he has to be worthy of her also...not just good-looking. I've written heroes of many skin colors and nationalities, but I'm partial to any kind of tall, dark and handsome.

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?

After I imagine a hero, I imagine a woman for him.  Then I start to mull over the details of their romance.  Once in a while I dream the entire plot line.  Yes!  That has happened to me with 2 of my books.  One I started, then got writer's block.  I put it away.  Weeks later, I dreamed that a man was telling me that I was having trouble writing because I was, "Giving the heroine the wrong hero."  Then he smiled, showing vampire fangs.  I told him that I don't write paranormal, since it's been so over-done.  He reminded me that I was working the Mayan prediction of the end of time into the story, and that I should research the Mayans.  I woke up the next morning and did just that.  Guess what?  They were heavy into blood-letting for religious and other ceremonies.  Why?  No one knows.  But if they were vampires...(Prophecy of the Undead.)

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 don't think anyone thinks of themselves as a villain.  They believe they're doing the right thing and just misunderstood.  Even the worst person has supporters, at least in his/her own mind.  I think that's the trick to creating believable villains.

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

Her Last Resort.  The heroine is in her mid-fifties, a retired CIA agent.  But someone isn't letting her re-learn how to sleep with both eyes shut.  Someone keeps sending young men to try to kill her.  She has no "kill" license anymore, and wants to be left in peace.  Her daughter wants her to spend a couple of weeks up in a resort cabin in northern Minnesota, since she hasn't had much contact with her kids since her divorce back when they were very young. 

The hero is the resort owner, an ex-KGB agent, now a respectable US citizen.  When he witnesses an attack, he offers to help her, but she's not used to relying on anyone else.  The villain is the person who is sending the killers.

7. What are you working on now?

I have at least 4 books I'm currently thinking through the plots and ideas for.  One is 2/3 written, one is 1/2 written, and the others exist only in my mind...for now.

8. How can people find you?

Best place is my website: http://www.fionamcgier.com.  I have pages for all of my books, and buy links along with excerpts.  And a free short story I wrote for a flash fiction contest.  There is a contact form, for anyone who would like to be on my mailing list.  I only send out notices when I have a book coming out, new cover art, or anything book-related to report.  No spam.  I get enough of that!  Want some of mine? (grin.)

I also blog on the 16th of every month at: http://www.sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com

This month I'll be blogging about kissing