What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
Sub-genre: Steamy vacation/beach romance
Tropes: Second chance, hot single dad, woman needing a reboot, ocean adventure
Are you more character or plot driven?
Very much character driven!
I formulate a basic plot, but the characters always take over during drafting and affect the plot.
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?
I use software to keep track of characters (story/series bible). No vision board.
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?
Quinn ended up having more layers than I originally thought he did.
I didn’t understand how deeply he was devastated by their breakup until nearly halfway through my first draft, but it makes for a much better book (it’s always best to let the characters lead!)
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
No
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
No, both characters are entirely fictional, though in my other books, several characters are taken from real people.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
Any scene involving huge swings of emotion is difficult. You can’t rush through the character’s reactions, or the words come across as rushed and unrealistic.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
Liam! Quinn’s son is just so sweet, and I think he does a good job of showing what a good man Quinn is.
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
I rarely have a clear vision in my head of the final scene(s) at the start. The characters develop over the first draft and eventually tell me what it should be.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
Steph and Quinn’s “meet cute”, or reunion in this case. I really tried to capture the shock, and especially the desperate unhappiness on Steph’s part.
Also, how their back story and their breakup is revealed over the course of the book. And how Liam fits into it all—I really love how this story came out!
How long did it take you to write this book?
I wrote the first draft in about six weeks.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
It just came to me—and was very fitting for the story!
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
Definitely. We divers stick together 😊
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?
In Too Deep is a standalone, but Steph and Quinn make a cameo (actually, it’s more than a cameo!) in the book that follows, releasing in August 2023. Beached in Bali is a friends to lovers romance with a romantic, exotic setting:
Best friends on vacation in Bali. A secret crush. One bed.
What could be more complicated?
https://readingbydeb.blogspot.com/2023/04/author-at-glance-erin-brockus.html
Two of her greatest passions are diving and travel, which combine to form the inspiration for her characters and stories. Sipping a cocktail on the beach after a morning of diving is her idea of the perfect day. Erin has even been known to pull on a drysuit and explore the cold, murky waters of the Pacific Northwest. She is also an avid runner and cyclist.
Erin lives with her husband, a scuba instructor, in the middle of Washington wine country. She is currently submerged in her next island escape.
Connect with Erin:
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https://www.erinbrockus.com/contact.html
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Flamingo Island Multi-Author Series
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