Tuesday, July 12, 2022

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY - WILD AT HEART by Stacy Gold

 

THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Wild at Heart

 

Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Stacy Gold's Wild at Heart!


SYNOPSIS:

They each hit the trail solo in search of themselves…

Overworked entrepreneur Jules Martinez is sick and tired of men leaving her for their exes. Determined to wipe the giant, scarlet R for rebound off her forehead, she kicks off a yearlong vow of celibacy with five, blissful weeks backpacking her favorite trails through Washington State. Solo.

Out-of-work financial analyst Evan Davenport hasn’t been happy since camping in Scouts as a kid—before his wealthy parents and now ex-fiancé made all his major life decisions. Hoping to find joy and purpose, he buys all the latest ultralight backpacking gear, flies to Washington, and sets off alone on a weeklong speed hike through the wilderness.

Mother Nature has other plans, though, and keeps shoving Evan and Jules in each other’s paths. Usually naked. When sparks fly, can they find what they’re looking for in life together instead of apart?

 


What is the sub-genre and trope?  Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?

Wild at Heart is a contemporary adventure romance that's a modern day flip on the usual damsel in distress story, and takes place primarily on the Pacific Crest Trail. This was definitely all decided before I began writing the book.


Are you more character or plot driven?

I am very much a character-driven writer. I adore a good slice-of-life story that shows how characters grow and change. While plot is important, it's how the characters react to what happens that matters most.


With many main and secondary characters, how do you keep them separated in your mind?  Do you have a story/vision board above your workspace?

It can get really confusing, and I'm definitely the kind of writer who halfway through the book cannot remember if my hero's eyes are blue or brown. 

So, I create, and regularly update, detailed character spreadsheets that I can refer back to and ensure I'm keeping everyone straight.


I know from previous interviews that characters take on a life of their own.  Were any of the characters in this series determined to take their own direction instead of where you initially wanted them to go?

Oh my gosh, yes! 

John, Evan’s brother, did not turn out to be the character I had envisioned in a few very important ways (no spoilers). I tried writing him the way I had planned but he denied me, and the story is better for it.


Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?

Every character I write is a mix of people I've known, characters I've read or seen on TV or in movies, and what I know about human psychology.


Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?

Absolutely there are bits and pieces of a few of my badass, outdoorsy girlfriends in every female character I write.


Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?

The more gut-wrenching, emotional scenes are probably the hardest. Though that’s mostly because it’s hard to type and cry at the same time.

 

What is your favorite book in the series?

Right now, I'm reading through Drive me Wild my first draft of book two in this series. 

This one is Aly’s story, and I think it's going to be great, but it's impossible to measure it against a finished book like Wild at Heart. 

And I'm really excited to start writing the third in this series. Bryn’s book could very well become my favorite, but we'll have to see how it goes.


I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?

In this book, it's Jules. 

She's just so smart and sassy and competent, and she hides the big gaping wound in her heart with walls of distance and sarcasm. She loves sex but is terrified of relationships. 

She lets very few people in close, but when she does, she's the best kind of friend. She's so tough in some ways, and so utterly soft and fragile in others. And I think that's beautiful.


Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?

Ack. Picking favorites is just too hard. I love them all for different reasons.


How do you get inside these character’s heads to find their perfect HEA?

As I mentioned earlier, I do some pretty detailed character background sheets before I begin writing. Right now these include more than sixty different questions ranging from where they grew up, to where they went to school, to what they look like, what was their biggest trauma, what is their biggest fear, what brings them joy, and so on. 

Though sometimes they do still go a little bit rogue on me, like John, and I end up having to make some changes unexpectedly.


What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you?  Why?

Two scenes really stick out for me in this book, and they're on completely opposite ends of the spectrum. I love the meet-cute in this one. It's hilarious, and I love the way it flips the power dynamic and shows Jules as the experienced one and Evan as the guy who has no idea what he's doing and needs help.

The other scene I adore is the one where Jules finally lets herself be vulnerable and shares her biggest secret with Evan. It's the thing she hates about herself, and she is sure he'll never look at her the same again once he knows. It's so powerful, I cried while writing it. And that's always a good sign to me.


Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?

I haven’t drafted book 3 yet, but I’m going to guess it’s this first book, Wild at Heart. 

After I drafted it I realized the middle was super saggy and the ending didn’t quite work. So I hired an editor to help me sort it out then rewrote the back half.


This question is if you write in MULTIPLE POVs not just the hero and heroine - I love the multiple POVs in a book.  It’s not just the hero and heroine, but we get inside the heads of multiple characters throughout this series.  I feel that it gives the story further depth.  Do you think you will write another book or series following this multiple POV outline? (if applicable)

I only write in two POV's, because I believe every scene should be written from the POV of the character who has the most to lose. That's pretty much always one of the two main characters in my stories. 

But I love writing in the two POV's because so often what we think about ourselves is the opposite of what others think about us, and that's fascinating.


How long did it take you to write this book/series?

The first draft of this book took about six months to write, but then I spent about another year rewriting the second half and editing the entire thing until it was polished enough to start submitting to agents.


How did you come up with the title for your book and series?

Every book in the Wild Love series takes place at least partly backpacking in the wilderness. So, my first decision was that every title needed to include the word wild. 

From there, I searched popular song titles with the word wild to get inspiration.


If you met these characters in real life would you get along?

100%! I tend to write characters I would enjoy knowing in real life because I'm going to be spending a whole lot of time with them while I'm writing their stories.


Series question – Did you know in advance that you were going to write this as a series or did one of the characters in book one demand their own story?

I definitely planned this one as a series.  At the center the series are three best girlfriends: Jules, Aly, and Bryn. 

So, each book focuses on one of their stories and how they find love and happiness. Which is super fun, because they all recur in each other's books as secondary characters. 

So you get to find out more about them and their lives even when it’s not “their” book.


If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters? 

Hayden Panettiere and Timothée Chalamet


Can you give us a hint as to what we can expect next?  Whether a new book and series or a sequel to an existing series?  Can you share a small tease?

Up next is Aly’s book, Drive Me Wild. Then Bryn’s book will follow, and readers will learn even more about Jules’ and Bryn’s shared past.

Aly Teller only agreed to go on the hike-a-thon backpacking trip with her girlfriends to raise money for her bestie’s new summer camp. She never expected to spend the last two days of it hiking alone with a guy she barely knows—especially an under-height, under-employed, over-bearded ginger who somehow makes her skin tingle every time they touch. Not that it matters. She’s got a real estate firm to run, money to make, and better things to do than date another man who’s sure to resent her career.

All Noah Eisen wants is a couple days of solitude on the trail during the hike-a-thon. A need for solitude is why he built a quiet cabin in the woods and runs a custom carpentry business by himself. He hadn’t planned on playing guide—especially not to a pretty but high-maintenance, southern belle city girl more worried about breaking her nails than enjoying mother nature.

But when Noah has an accident on the trail, Aly comes to his rescue, and he learns he’s got her pegged all wrong—except for the southern belle part. Soon they must decide if the attraction drawing them together is stronger than the differences shoving them apart.

 

Check out all my interviews/reviews for Stacy Gold!
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2022/07/author-at-glance-stacy-gold.html#more


BIO:

Award-winning adventure romance author Stacy Gold would rather be in the middle of nowhere than almost anywhere else. To that end, she’s run more than 50 rivers in three countries, been heli-dropped into remote ski huts multiple times (and made it into even more under her own steam), worked for the U.S.D.A. Forest Service as a backcountry ranger, river ranger, and naturalist, and spent fourteen years as a commercial river guide and kayak instructor. Her last “real job” was serving as Communications Director for a state-wide mountain biking non-profit.

When she’s not busy kayaking, skiing, mountain biking, or hiking with her husband and happy dogs, Ms. Gold writes about independent, capable women finding love and adventure in the great outdoors.


Connect with Stacy:

Email:
stacy@stacygold.com

Website:
https://stacygold.com/

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WILD AT HEART

Get your copy today!

BLURB:

They each hit the trail solo in search of themselves…

Overworked entrepreneur Jules Martinez is sick and tired of men leaving her for their exes. Determined to wipe the giant, scarlet 
R for rebound off her forehead, she kicks off a yearlong vow of celibacy with five, blissful weeks backpacking her favorite trails through Washington State. Solo.

Out-of-work financial analyst Evan Davenport hasn’t been happy since camping in Scouts as a kid—before his wealthy parents and now ex-fiancé made all his major life decisions. Hoping to find joy and purpose, he buys all the latest ultralight backpacking gear, flies to Washington, and sets off alone on a weeklong speed hike through the wilderness.

Mother Nature has other plans, though, and keeps shoving Evan and Jules in each other’s paths. Usually naked. When sparks fly, can they find what they’re looking for in life together instead of apart?


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