Hello, Dear Readers!

Did you know that many authors "hear" their characters talking to them, as if those characters jump fully formed from their imagination. It has never happened this way with me. I have to dig deep to discover who they are. I suppose, like me, they can be a bit socially reticent. So I've been pondering over many characters in the fortnight since I last spoke with you, figuring out their likes and dislikes, verbal tics, loves, and fears.

I usually start with a very vague idea of at least one of the characters and spiral out from there using questions. So, with Pippa in the novella I've included in Wolf's Naughty or Nice collection, I knew she wanted to get back to Scotland. That was it. So I asked first, why does she want to get back there? And why is she not there now? And that led to an array of personality clues and broader context that helped shape her backstory and some of her goals and motivations in the actual novella.

Right now, I'm in talks with Jackson Cavendish, the hero from Love a Lady at Midnight (which will be published early 2023). I know he's already fallen hard for our heroine, he's a scholar, and he's pretty laid back and patient. He knows how to play a long game. But a book needs action, yeah, so I've been having to figure out what it takes to prod him into that. 😂 I set some characters in previous books--brothers Bax and Cass--out to gain the answers, and they've proved useful, even if Cass can get distracted.

What sort of questions do you have for Jackson? I'll ask him and see if he provides you an answer.

How about some book recommendations?

Today, I'm featuring the fabulous Cecelia Rene and her Secrets with the Marquess. It's part of the wonderful Regency in Color series, and I just lOVE the cover!

Looking for your next read in Kindle Unlimited? Here's some historical fiction for you!

Looking for new reads in cooler weather (if you're in my hemisphere, that is). Try these! Great for binging!

I've also found a collection of free books. A great way to find a new author! See if there's anything you like!

You can snag Naughty or Nice here! If you haven't already. It releases on October 18 and won't be .99c much longer after that!

And once you've got that, you can grab this free Naughty or Nice Notebook with tons of freebies and extras from the Wolf authors!

Happy reading!

Charlie Lane