THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Hearts on the Rocks
Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Hearts on the Rocks by Terry Newman!
***Synopsis***
The only thing Cagney Adler wants is to get her doctoral degree in American history by the time she’s thirty. But her friend keeps setting her up on blind dates. The latest one is to Brad Townsend, a PhD student in geology. Sure, the man is cute, but they have nothing in common. They speak different languages.
Brad’s friends keep setting him up on blind dates too and he’s facing another one unless…what if his friends already think he’s dating. He has a plan. He knows Cagney Adler is the perfect fake girlfriend to help him avoid blind dates. They have nothing in common so there’s no way he’ll fall in love with her.
Cagney wants nothing to do with it. Until the unimaginable happens. Two characters from the romance she’s been reading, actually appear across from her at the Physics Café. The book, Love’s Surprise, was written by her advisor whose pen name is JJ Spritely. She reluctantly agrees.
But this pretend stuff begins to look real, with double dates to the movies, and apartment warming parties. And wait, Cagney’s apartment becomes unlivable…and they find themselves roommates.
Hearts on the Rocks brings back Alex Zurich and Blake Teesdale, as well as JJ Spritely from Rewrites of the Heart. Alex and Blake are the characters created by historian-turned-romance author JJ Spritely. They jumped out of their love story to help JJ write her own love story. Now they’re trying to write Cagney’s happily ever after.
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or
was that decided before the story began?
It’s a paranormal romantic comedy. The tropes are fake dating and force proximity.
I was inspired by a romantic comedy I read with the fake-dating trope. Originally, I had planned it to be a contemporary romance—no elements of fantasy. But the more I wrote, the more I thought of Alex and Blake and how they could help Cagney. It just seemed logical to have Cagney be a graduate student of JJ Spritely.
Are you more character or plot driven?
I’m more character-driven. While every story needs a good plot, a plot is useless if the reader doesn’t care what happens to the characters. Once you make the reader see the characters as real people, they’ll follow them throughout 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 a story board—a dry-erase board for every story. But I haven’t yet confused my characters. As weird as this may sound, they’re all individuals to me and I keep them separate in my mind.
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?
I think Alex Zurich wanted a larger voice in this story. She took a back seat in many ways to her boyfriend Blake Teesdale in Rewrites of the Heart. Alex relentlessly tries to show Cagney that Brad is the man of her dreams, even if he is a scientist. I’m happy I gave her the room to make her arguments.
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
Blake Teesdale is.
We met him first in Rewrites of the Heart. He’s based on my friend from graduate school, Andrew. Andrew was very studious, but when he wasn’t studying had a great sense of humor. And while his hair wasn’t quite as unruly as Blake’s, but it had a mind of its own.
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
I can’t say I based Cagney on myself, but I did draw from my experiences in graduate school to write her.
I was grad student in American history and a teaching assistant, so I got to grade lots of undergraduates’ essays. I also know the pressure of trying to get your degree before you feel as if you’re too old.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
The scene in which Brad and Cagney drive up to the home of Brad’s parents, who live in what looks like a ski chalet. Cagney is nervous because, first his parents think they’re really dating, and secondly, she’s never lived this type of lifestyle. I wanted her fears to be realistic without being exaggerating them.
What is your favorite book in the series?
My favorite book will always be Rewrites of the Heart for so many reasons.
It was the very first novel I ever finished. The characters have been with me the longest, nearly thirteen years now. And I love all the secondary characters in that book. Dr. Chare, Teri Yaki, the Jewish Mariachi Polka Band, and toddling owners of Mario and Luigi’s Italian Bistro.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
My favorite character is Blake Teesdale. Since he’s based on my friend Andrew, it’s like always having my friend around. And I love his love of knowledge and chuckle at how he gets off track so easily. But he’s also madly in love with Alex and it’s so sweet.
Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
Alex Zurich and Blake Teesdale are my favorite couple. They’re the unifying thread of the series. Since they’re romance author, JJ Spritely’s, fictional characters, I wanted them to have all the attributes of the stereotypical hero and heroine of romance novels. I wanted to see how they would act in the real world.
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
After I create a character, they show me who they are. I spend time with them and put them in different situations, and slowly their real personality comes out.
By the time I’m thinking about how their happily ever after looks, we’ve become best friends, and I know how their it should look.
For Cagney and Brad, that involved more than just being together. I wanted them each to share each other’s academic achievements as well, especially since they started out not knowing a thing about the others area of study.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
I absolutely love the scene where Cagney stands up in the middle of the birthday party of Brad’s father and tells him they don’t know their son. Then she goes on to recite a litany of all his wonderful traits.
She’s not only standing up for her friend, but this is the moment it all crystallizes for her. She realizes the feelings she’s been denying for a while.
Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?
If I were honest, I’d say Rewrites of the Heart was the hardest, only because I had no idea what I was doing. It was my first novel and I knew the beginning and ending, but I had no idea what to do in the middle. I didn’t even know how I would get JJ and Kennedy King Cooper to see each other again after their first brief encounter.
I also had the habit of putting more than one point of view in a scene. In the original draft, I think I had three different ones in less than 1,000 words.
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?
I intend write more multiple-pov stories. In fact, I have.
It’s called Imprinted on the Heart. In this book, Kennedy King Cooper wants to propose to JJ, but can’t get it quite right. I have Kenn’s and JJ’s points of view, as well as Alex’s and Blake’s. And both the prologue and epilogue are written from the viewpoint of Merlin the wizard.
It’s currently with my editor. Fingers crossed she likes it and you’ll get to read it.
I’m also working on a dual-pov story, Murphy’s Laws, that’s a contemporary romantic comedy.
How long did it take you to write this book/series?
Rewrites of the Heart took nearly five years to write. As I said, it was my first book and I wasn’t sure of anything. I’d let it sit for a period of time before I’d go back to it.
Hearts on the Rocks probably took about nine months to write. While I knew the characters, I wanted to make sure I put them in just the right situations to bring out their personalities.
How did you come up with the title for your book and series?
I came up with the title, Hearts on the Rocks, first. That doesn’t always happen.
I knew I wanted the hero and heroine to be graduate students and I wanted them to be from wildly different disciplines, so I chose geology and American history. The title seemed perfect.
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
I hope so. I’d love to meet Cagney and Brad. I think we’d have a great time together. Cagney and I could talk American history (I did graduate work in that field. See where my inspiration comes from?) And I’d love to learn about geology and action movies from Brad. And he does have a good sense of humor.
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 never thought I’d do anything more with Rewrites of the Heart. But Alex and Blake kept nagging at me. They appear again in Imprinted on the Heart (if my editor likes it), but I have a feeling they’ll be appearing again to help another couple write their happily ever after.
If your book/series were made into a movie, which actors do you see as playing your characters?
I think Ryan Reynolds would make a great Brad Townsend and Kate Hudson as Cagney. I’m not sure who I’d like to play Alex and Blake.
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?
Imprinted on the Heart is with my editor now. Kennedy King Cooper wants to ask JJ Spritely to marry him, but… in walks a new, handsome professor, Robert J. MacWhouton, who wears a kilt. Kenn tries to propose, but every time something prevents him from asking.
Here’s a short peek into book. Kenn is explaining how difficult it is to keep the one you love from getting hurt.
Copyright © 2024 Terry Newman
“…JJ’s a grown woman who has made her own decisions for decades before I met her. Who lived in a dangerous world without me. Who’s gone through the sorrow of the death of her husband. She doesn’t need me making decisions for her.” He sat back on the couch. “So, tell me, Blake why do I feel the need to stop her from doing something stupid? To protect her?”
“Because you love her,” Blake said quietly. “You love her and you don’t want anything bad to happen to her. Ever again.”
Blake placed his elbows and his knees. “When I discovered I loved Alex, you know what I wanted to do?”
Kenn shook his head. “What?”
“I wanted to wrap her up in layers of bubble wrap so no one could hurt her. I didn’t want her to have any reason to cry ever again. I thought a woman as beautiful as Alex—both inside and out—shouldn’t have a reason to cry.”
“Yes, that’s how I feel about JJ.”
The two sat in silence for several moments.
“Come on, let’s go.” Blake jumped from the chair. “I’ve got a way to make you feel better about everything.
“Are we going to buy bubble wrap?” Kenn rose.
Two things you should know about me: I have an offbeat sense of humor and characters are constantly talking to me, trying to get me to tell their story. Other than that, I’m a normal person.
I’ve spent most of my adult life writing in some fashion, from small-town reporter, to editor-in-chief and ghostwriter for a national natural health publishing firm. The last decade and a half I’ve worked as a freelance writer, penning ebooks that range from starting a doula services business to Native American herbs.
I’ve finally took the plunge to fiction after having many doubts. I pushed the doubts aside. My first novel with The Wild Rose Press, Heartquake, won a 4.5 crowned heart review with Ind’tale Magazine.
All my books are set in fictional towns in northeast Ohio, where I grew up, and I write about things I love—like coffee. I’ve taught workshops on writing and character development.
I have a daughter, a son-in-law, and a grandpuppy and live in North Lima, a real town in northeast Ohio with all my characters. Yes, it does get crowded.
Connect with Terry:
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The only thing Cagney Adler wants is to get her doctoral degree in American history by the time she’s thirty. But her friend keeps setting her up on blind dates. The latest one is to Brad Townsend, a PhD student in geology. Sure, the man is cute, but they have nothing in common. They speak different languages.
Brad’s friends keep setting him up on blind dates too and he’s facing another one unless…what if his friends already think he’s dating. He has a plan. He knows Cagney Adler is the perfect fake girlfriend to help him avoid blind dates. They have nothing in common so there’s no way he’ll fall in love with her.
Cagney wants nothing to do with it. Until the unimaginable happens. Two characters from the romance she’s been reading, actually appear across from her at the Physics Café. The book, Love’s Surprise, was written by her advisor whose pen name is JJ Spritely. She reluctantly agrees.
But this pretend stuff begins to look real, with double dates to the movies, and apartment warming parties. And wait, Cagney’s apartment becomes unlivable…and they find themselves roommates.
Hearts on the Rocks brings back Alex Zurich and Blake Teesdale, as well as JJ Spritely from Rewrites of the Heart. Alex and Blake are the characters created by historian-turned-romance author JJ Spritely. They jumped out of their love story to help JJ write her own love story. Now they’re trying to write Cagney’s happily ever after.
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