Character development and writing niches

I've had more than one person suggest to me that I find some sort of "hook" for my stories - a nice neat niche that I can claim as my own and therefore set myself apart from the rest of the many many talented romance authors out there - like the new NASCAR romances that Harlequin has introduced. It's not a bad suggestion, it's just got me stumped. My mind doesn't really work that way.


My stories come to me from scraps of overheard conversation, funny anecdotes, a song, a scent, a color, a sunny day. My muse is a subtle and fickle beast and doesn't always hand me the story in one lump either. My current WIP came to me on a whiff of freshly cut grass one summer afternoon in Ohio and I had no idea there was so much story to tell when I started out! It's fun and frustrating and maybe that explains why I have so much trouble thinking up a story to fit neatly into some predetermined slot — even when it’s something that my publisher requests in a call for submissions.

Above all else, what really interests me is the psychology and the motivations of my characters. Who they are, where they come from, what experiences have shaped them and why they do the things that they do. I suppose it’s no big surprise that I practically minored in psychology in college and love to give people advice. Most people just roll their eyes and ignore me which is why it’s such fun to tell my characters what to do. They listen – most of the time anyway.

My debut novel HERE TO STAY was written after a visit to the New Jersey shore in winter. The sky was grey and the beach was deserted and melancholy and it seemed the perfect place to set a story about a woman who was dissatisfied with her life and her marriage. I gave her a neglected Victorian house on the beach and some time to retreat and think things over. As Julia rediscovers herself and what she wants out of the rest of her life, she also rekindles her relationship with her estranged husband Patrick – all while investigating the apparent murder of the great-aunt who left the house to Julie. Together she and Patrick they are able to not only solve the mystery but also come to a new understanding of their relationship.

My second novel ONE CRAZY SUMMER is scheduled for release September 6th, 2007. I started to write it after taking an accounting class — which probably wasn’t the intended goal of the teacher! On the surface Summer is just another flaky Bohemian jewelry shop owner but inside lurks a conservative streak. She’ll do just about anything to take care of her younger sister and a handsome man in pinstripes makes her weak in the knees. No wonder she falls for Ben Martinez, the accountant she consults after her ex-accountant and business partner embezzles most of her money. Ben Martinez is the strong silent type, but still waters *do* run deep. He’s fiercely loyal to his own family so he understands Summer’s need to protect her sister and her business. What he didn’t expect was for Summer to touch his own heart so deeply.

I’ve had a few letters from readers as well as several good reviews for HERE TO STAY and one thing they all comment on is the character development. Julia and Patrick touched people’s hearts so I guess I’m doing something right. Hmmm… maybe I’ve found my niche after all.