Lady Emma Hardwick seems to have a lot of complications in her life in DUKES DO IT BETTER. How would you describe her as a heroine? Realistically flawed? Some of my favorite historical heroines are those written by Stephanie Laurens because I like a heroine who is shrewd and pragmatic. What attributes do you like giving your heroines? Shrewd and pragmatic heroines are always going to be preferrable in my world because I understand those! More than anything, I want my characters to be relatable in some way. Even if there are aspects we don’t like, or wouldn’t embrace for ourselves, I want their actions to make sense and ring true. Lottie (ANY ROGUE WILL DO) was a ‘control enthusiast’ because she’d learned the hard way that the only person she could rely on was herself. Phee (West End Earl) was always going to gravitate toward options where she could lone wolf to get things done, because independence meant safety. But I remember writing Emma and feeling like it Just. Wasn’t. Working. As I pushed on, it became clear that the only way forward was to really let her emotions reflect my own experiences as a single mother. When you’re…