Romance Writer's Weekly- Three Burning Questions Answered (March 4, 2014)

Romance Weekly's Authors answer questions about serious and non-so-serious aspects of writing. Enjoy! This week's questions come from Meggan Connors. 

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1. Do you have a recurring theme in your work, either intentional or unintentional? What is it and why do you think you chose that particular theme?
Magic is a common theme in my work. Love is a kind of magic and everything is possible with both. It is stepping into the unknown and dangerous. Love (and magic) can be glorious and exciting or it can be treacherous and tear us apart. Sometimes we take the chance and sometimes we are thrust into the situation by forces beyond our ken. 
Trust and honor and honesty are also themes because these are the building blocks for a solid relationship foundation. Naturally, human foibles and past experiences provide roadblocks and speed bumps in the crooked path to a Happily Ever After. Without those, it wouldn't be close to reality!

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2. Do you carefully plot your stories, or do you plot as you write? Why do you think this particular ethos works for you?
I'm a hybrid plotter/pantser. And it depends on the story. Some pour out of me, like a flood following a long winter. Some start as a basic "what if" and I have to build it. Last year, I read the 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt and I used it to plot out my work-in-progress ghost story. This book is genius for getting to know your characters and letting the natural conflicts reveal themselves. I found that I don't have to work for plot twists because the questions posed in the book help me develop a depth to the heroes and antagonists. I also think you need to use whatever model works best for you.

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3. Is there a particular genre (within romance) you could never write? Why?   
I don't write dom/submissive and can't see myself doing so. It is impossible to see myself allowing someone that much control over my body and mind. This is not to say I don't see a committed couple using role play as part of their foreplay and lovemaking. I mean, who wouldn't love to be ravaged by a hot pirate or taken by the  rogue highlander? Men find it incredibly sexy to have a shy retiring lady turn the tables and get wicked and wild with them. But an entire relationship where I have no say? This strong independent woman can't do it so I don't write it. 

Hop on over to visit the fabulous and fantastic J.J. Devine's blog to find out how she writes and what she can't bring herself to compose.