One of the most common questions asked of writers is where our ideas come from, but far less frequently asked is where our characters come from. I remember reading that J.K. Rowling said that Harry Potter walked fully-formed into her head. Other writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle acknowledge that their characters, like Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, are based on acquaintances at least in part. With most romance writers, I’d imagine the path to how we develop our heroes isn’t quite as clear because few of us take some guy we knew in college and plop him unchanged in our romance. Why? We didn’t date millionaire tycoons in college. Believe it or not. Or, in my case, I have never, to my knowledge, dated a werewolf. But we might borrow characteristics and mannerisms and even events from the men we’ve been in contact with. Sometimes from a guy we had a crush on. Maybe we’re borrowing from the guy that held the elevator for us. Okay, I’ll admit it…it’s not always guys we know. It might be someone we see on TV. We’ll swipe a character trait from this man, and the smile from this other guy and the sum…

If you stop to think about your life’s story, as a whole, you’ll discover each layer is composed of many chapters filled with mystery, romance, relationships, and outcomes – both good and bad. There are innocent moments that take your breath away and if you’re lucky, instances that will define you. When I look over my own life’s story, I always stop on my college years as a favorite chapter. One packed with its own set of angst, friendships, heartbreak and insanely fun moments. As a writer, it’s those new adult experiences that fascinate me the most. These are the years when you truly are just starting out in life. You’re in a transitional period between adolescence and adulthood, one where you tend to experience love and friendships on a completely different level. Eighteen to twenty-four is an amazing time where anything and everything seem possible. The world is completely open for you to create your own journey, make your own destiny and figure out what’s worth fighting for. New adult books explore these levels of emotions, relationships, and journeys. The stories written in this genre can be darker in themes, edgy and raw when dealing with a more mature…