The topic today is how much of myself is in my stories.
The short answer: Quite a bit.
The long answer:
It’s hard not to insert little bits of wisdom I’ve learned or some of my own experiences into my stories. Not enough so that the characters aren’t beings in their own right but sometimes there’s just enough in there to spark some recognition that there’s a bit of me in there.
Anika, from Breaking Rossi’s Rules, has my reclusive tendencies. Tamara from my latest release, Raking the Ashes, is a romance novelist (though much more successful than I am!). Chloe from Sight is too exhausted to bother with dating, which would absolutely be me if I were in the same situation. Olivia from Playing Dirty has tunnel vision. Like me, when she’s focused on work, nothing else matters. Several characters (Kendra, Cara, Lily, Cammi, Elle…just to name a few) share my Thai heritage.
It doesn’t end there. Even the locations are somewhat wish fulfilling. Being a researcher at an Antarctic station was once something I would have jumped at the chance of doing once upon a time. All the travelling the characters do is also very me. I love to explore the world and a lot of times the characters end up in places I’ve been or where I wish to go. A lot of the jewellery, food, and even clothing are things I like or would like to try.
Obviously, I find it impossible to write without imparting at least a little of myself somewhere in the story.