behind the scenes with Secrets, Lies & Lullabies
I know I say this about almost every book I write, but I really enjoyed working on SECRETS, LIES & LULLABIES.
I loved that it revolved around two fine jewelry empires; that seems like such a unique set-up to me. And, hey—what girl doesn’t like talking about sparkly, pretty, expensive things? :tada
I loved that there was so much going on in the story, so many little threads woven through, keeping everything on edge & pulling it all together.
And I loved these characters. Alex was a no-brainer. Baby Henry was just an irresistible little cutie-pie. But Jessica was my favorite. She’s quirky & fun & just…different. In a good way.
SECRETS, LIES & LULLABIES is also the first book I wrote after my surgery last year. I got off to a great start before that, but it wasn’t easy to get back to it after. In fact, I’ve always typed my books, but in order to get this one off the ground, I had to completely change gears & start writing by hand. But you know what? It really started to flow when I did that, & it also helped me realize that my brain works just fine either way.
So I thought I’d share some random trivia with you from the creation of Alex & Jessica’s story. Little tidbits that you may notice while you’re reading, & this way you’ll know how they came about.
In chapter three, the name of Jessica’s perfume is mentioned: Fanta C, which is an homage to one of my favorite old Sandra Brown Loveswepts. (Editor C actually tried to get me to change it, saying it sounded like the name of a soda, but I had my heart set on it. And also, the prequel to this—Adam’s Fall—was even better, imho.)
Alexander’s last name— Barjoran—came from an episode of The Mentalist. (Bonus points if you know which one.)
I decided on Jessica’s name after meeting with a sweet waitress one day during a lunch out, then realizing we had a mutual friend in common. But it’s okay if our own Darling Jessica believes the heroine is named after her. :elvis
Baby Henry was originally Baby Hugh. But while I like that name, I caught myself thinking of him one too many times as “Baby Hughie” & that just didn’t work for me.
And I landed on Henry after watching an episode of Once Upon a Time. Since I wanted to stick with kind of a wealthy-sounding H name, it was perfect!
About halfway through, there’s a line in the heroine’s point of view: Think. Think. Think. I did it on purpose, but do you know where I got it? Oh, come on, take a guess. It’s from one of my very favorites—Winnie-the-Pooh.
Baby Henry & I share the same initial: HAB
Jessica is a bit different for a Harlequin Desire heroine. She’s got multiple piercings, a streak of blue in her curly blond hair, & even a tattoo. (Well, okay, you don’t actually read about the tattoo, but in my mind, I’ve always pictured her with one.)
SECRETS, LIES & LULLABIES also begins a little differently. ***POSSIBLE SPOILER — DO NOT READ if you’re nervous about knowing minor details*** Alex & Jessica meet, sleep together, & then there’s a significant amount of time that they’re apart. Not on the page, of course; I would never bore you with the details of their separation. But things need to happen, & they can’t be together when they do. And once they get back together…whoo-howdy, it gets good. :yummy
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Comments
5 Comments • Comments Feed
Mary Kirkland says:
I love finding out about those little things about a book. Thanks for sharing this with us.
On October 18, 2012 at 9:31 am
Heidi says:
I’m so glad, Mary! I try to keep track as I’m writing, because I know I won’t remember later, but it’s fun to look at them all lined up like this & realize how many little “inside” things I managed to slip in. :howyoudoin
On October 18, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Laura J. says:
I like knowing too. I almost feel like I’m Abby from NCIS and getting into the head of the “mastermind” . Only I drink Polar Pops and she drinks Caff Pow, but you get the picture.
And I’ve said this before, but I will say it again, one of the reasons I LOVE your books Heidi is because you don’t follow the norm. There is always something a little different about your hero/heroine whether it’s their appearance or how the couple got together/broke up/got back together (Chicks with Sticks, ring a bell?! *g*). AND you always manage to add a little humor while still keeping tension high and sex….well you know. *G*. In other words…you keep it real. People can believe the characters are real.
Now if we can just figure out a way to have at least 1 book by you come out a month. hmmmmm…..
On October 18, 2012 at 5:06 pm
Laura J. says:
okay…that first paragraph doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense.
Let me try this…I like knowing=knowing where you came up with the ideas. Abby=me wondering where you get your ideas. Mastermind=Heidi.
Yeah, I said it. I called you a Mastermind.
On October 18, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Heidi says:
I totally got what you were saying…esp. the part where you called me a Mastermind. But if you feel the need to repeat that, feel free. :elvis
I love sharing this stuff, too. I like to see if anyone else picks up on it or remembers where the references come from, like certain movies or TV shows.
And thank you VERY much for the awesome compliment. I love doing that sort of thing—slipping in something a funny or a little cute/unique about the characters. So I’m glad you approve & look forward to that! :yummy
On October 18, 2012 at 8:38 pm