Sunday, January 5, 2014

HIS WICKED DREAM: Secrets and Schemes (Part 1)



Welcome! I’m so excited to be here! 

The official tour for His Wicked Dream (Book 2, Velvet Lies series) starts Jan. 20. You’ll get lots of exclusive sneak peaks, plus the chance to win 2 Amazon gift cards and 3 bundles of ebooks in my Rafflecopter Giveaway.


Meanwhile, in the spirit of “secrets and schemes,” I’m taking you behind the scenes to learn the “real” story behind the story.  (You realize, I probably shouldn’t admit ANY of these things in public . . . LOL!)  Enjoy! ~ Adrienne deWolfe




SECRETS AND SCHEMES (Part I):
Behind the Scenes of
HIS WICKED DREAM
Book 2, Velvet Lies Series
by Adrienne deWolfe

1.


Michael is the eldest sibling in the Jones family. When Michael is introduced into the series (SCOUNDREL FOR HIRE,) he’s not exactly likeable. Yes, fans have written to tell me this! However, those same fans write in the next sentence that while they were “worried” they wouldn’t like Michael after reading SCOUNDREL, they “fell in love with him” in his own book, HIS WICKED DREAM.  (This was all part of my nefarious plan!)  In fact, Michael earned the Reader’s Choice Award for Best Hero from the Avon Books Website.  Not too shabby for a guy that “nobody liked!”

2.


In my original concept for the VELVET LIES series, the youngest Jones sibling, Gabriel, was supposed to appear as a ghost. Gabriel and his ghost dog, Goober, were supposed to match-make for Michael and turn his life upside down. Goober's fondness for chasing cats was the SOLE REASON I developed Stazzy as a pet for Eden. Alas, there was this little hurdle called, MY EDITOR. When I was writing HIS WICKED DREAM in 1999, Avon didn’t think an historical romance with ghosts would sell. (Picture Adrienne laughing hysterically, because Paranormal Romance is now one of THE hottest sub-genres.)  Eventually, I replaced the Gabriel-and-Goober subplot with the “animal orphanage” that now figures so prominently in the story.


3.



Michael is my first ever attempt to write an Alpha Hero (and probably my last.)  As a reader, I personally prefer mischievous, wise-cracking, somewhat naughty characters (HINT:  Rafe from SCOUNDREL FOR HIRE, Wes from TEXAS LOVER.)  But everyone kept telling me, “Adrienne, readers want ALPHA males.”  Uh-huh.  (Are those the same folks who hated Michael in Book 1?)  

4.


Speaking of replacing things, you will find that the paperback version of HIS WICKED DREAM (which Avon titled, ALWAYS HER HERO – yuck!) has a different set of villains than the ebook version.  This evolution occurred because Sera’s story (SEDUCED BY AN ANGEL) changed so drastically from my original concept.  I wrote Sera’s story 13 years after I finished writing HIS WICKED DREAM.  And when I started writing Cass in Sera's story . . . well, he stole my heart.  So I had to redeem him.  (And give him his own book, of course! DEVIL IN TEXAS is coming this Summer.)  


5.

Now you’re probably wondering about that big, fat “Yuck!” comment that you read in #4.  Okay, here’s the secret scoop about my Title War:  I begged and pleaded, but Avon refused to let me have another title.  The title I wanted was HIS WICKED DREAM, but I would have settled for anything less schmaltzy than ALWAYS HER HERO.  Fortunately, my epublisher agreed with me.  In fact, my epublisher’s Title Guru said (and I quote) “Romance novels with provocative words like WICKED, SCOUNDREL, SEDUCED (etc) sell better than Romance novels with sweet titles.”  I rest my case!

Stay tuned!  Part 2 of Secrets and Schemes:  Behind the Scenes of HIS WICKED DREAM will post on this site later today.  If you're into SWAG and like my novel covers, visit my shop at http://CafePress.com/AdriennedeWolfe


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