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.