THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY
Imprinted on the Heart
Get a behind-the-scenes all-access pass to Terry Newman's Imprinted on the Heart!
***Synopsis***
Imprinted on the Heart. It’s part of the Whimsical Hearts series. Book one is Rewrites of the Heart, and book two is Hearts on the Rocks. Unfortunately, I hadn’t planned on making this a series, so there’s really no connection online. And then, to complicate things even further I went and used a different publisher for Imprinted on the Heart, and well, finding a connection is even more difficult.
What is the sub-genre and trope? Did your characters lead you to this genre or was that decided before the story began?
Imprinted on the Heart is a paranormal romantic comedy. I chose this genre, then found characters who are perfect for this fantasy. JJ Spritely’s characters jump out of the pages of their romance story to help others write their personal love story.
Are you more character or plot driven?
I’m definitely character-driven. A book may have a good plot, but if you hate the main character—or worse yet—don’t care about them, people aren’t going to read his story.
But if you create a character your readers are invested in, then they’ll root for them and even want to read more about them.
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 have a whiteboard on the wall in my apartment where I outline my books. But really, it’s not that difficult to keep track of my characters because they’re all so different, and they’re all like my children.
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?
Most of them had ideas of their own where the story was headed, but Blake was probably the most persistent. He has a natural penchant for getting off track and rambling on about things. He was the hardest to keep on script.
Having said that, though, Alex can come up with some crazy ideas. I have to reign her in every now and again.
Are any of the male POVs based on anyone you know?
Yes, I developed Blake after a very good friend of mine in graduate school. His hair wasn’t quite as wild as Blake’s, but it was close. And my friend had this wonderful Maine accent. And of course, my friend was one of the smartest people I’d ever met.
So I just exaggerated a few traits, gave Blake an English accent instead of a Maine one, and poof!
Are any of the female POVs based on anyone you know?
Not really. I pulled from many of my friends to create JJ and Alex, the two main female characters.
Was there any one character/scene that was harder to write about than the other?
Probably the first scene in the prologue. Merlin enters the warehouse storing the books. My goal was to create a mysterious setting. At the same time, I wanted to show Merlin as still hesitate about his new role of assigning fictional characters to leap into the real world to help with relationships.
What is your favorite book in the series?
My favorite has to be Rewrites of the Heart. It was the first novel I ever wrote, so it was the first time I created any characters.
Not only do I love every character in that book, but it has some of my favorite scenes.
I know that we aren’t supposed to have “favorites” as far as our children, but seriously, who’s your favorite character and why?
Blake Teesdale, of course. Aside from the fact that he’s modeled after one of my very good friends, I love his attitude about knowledge, love, and life.
A close second, though, has to be JJ Spritely. She has a heartbreaking backstory. I enjoyed giving her a boyfriend and have her looking forward to a brighter future.
Series question - Who is your favorite couple and why did you decide on their dynamics?
Blake Teesdale and Alex Zurich are my favorite couple for a couple of reasons. First, they’re a fictional couple even by the standards of the romance novel they’re in. The jump out of the pages of a love story written by a fictional author. So, does that make them, fictional fictional characters?
And secondly, because they have such a bond and love for JJ, who created them.
How do you get inside these characters’ heads to find their perfect HEA?
To give JJ and Kenn their perfect happily ever after, I really had to dig into their backstories. JJ is a young widow. Her first husband died in a car accident. Kenn has his own heartbreak. So I had to make sure they trusted each other.
What scene in this book/series sticks out the most for you? Why?
Without giving too much away, one of the scenes where Kenn is trying to propose. He knows her favorite song is "Moon River", but he couldn’t get the Jewish Mariachi Band to play for the event. Instead, it’s a troupe of clowns playing a rendition of it on bicycle horns.
Series - Were any of the books harder to write than others?
The first one, Rewrites of the Heart, was probably the hardest, though, truthfully, all the books gave me some degree of difficulty.
But with Rewrites of the Heart, I had never really wrote a book with the intention of finishing it. The first thing I struggled with was how to arrange it for JJ and Kenn to see each other after their initial meeting (which did not end well).
How long did it take you to write this book/series?
It’s difficult to say how long Imprinted on the Heart took. I began it more than a decade ago, right after I finished Rewrites of the Heart. Somehow I was able not to lose all the different versions.
Then about a year and a half ago, I found the different parts of the story and thought it was pretty good. So I spent another nine months or so on it.
How did you come up with the title for your book and series?
This title, Imprinted on the Heart, was particularly difficult. I wanted a title that reflected that JJ was a writer, and her characters were, well, you know, fictional. I’d already used Rewrites of the Heart, which implies a story is in progress. JJ was rewriting her life story.
Imprinted seemed good. She’s coming to the happily ever after of her story. Imprinted means “fixed indelibly or permanently.” It seemed appropriate.
If you met these characters in real life would you get along?
Of course! JJ doesn’t know how lucky she was. Her characters leaped out of their story. How I wish JJ, Kenn, Alex and Blake would leap out of theirs so I could meet them.
One of the meeting places of my characters is the Physics Café. I would love to visit it!
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 really thought Rewrites of the Heart would be a standalone. But everyone else was so sure there needed to be more. And I’m planning more. I have a short story in mind for Alex and Blake. And I have stories I’d like to write about the Physics Café and the owners, Alvin, Simon, and Ted.
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?
I’m 58,000 words into Murphy’s Laws, a contemporary romantic comedy. Murphy Clarke was stood up at the altar three years ago. To compensate, she’ created a list of 7 rules to protect her heart. The first is “never take vacations.” We meet her in Summer’s Beach, North Carolina on vacation.
This is where she meets Noah Andrews, a former tech industry exec, who had to give up his career for health reasons. The following is the first time they meet, when Murphy takes his yoga class.
A shadow hovered over her phone. She blinked. Frowning, she looked up to see the yoga instructor. His steel-gray eyes bore into her. He snatched the phone from her hand. She shivered as a spark of electricity skittered up her arm. She swallowed hard.
“What the…?”
The yoga instructor grabbed her phone? The tall, handsome instructor? The one with broad shoulders? And loosely curled caramel-colored hair? She imagined if he’d ever smile, he’d probably have adorable laugh lines around those eyes. For a split second, she was lost in his penetrating eyes and those shoulders that were far too broad to belong to a yoga instructor.
Earth to Murphy. That, however, didn’t excuse him from stealing her phone. She glowered at him.
“What the hell are you doing?” The nerve of this man.
“Ma’am” —Ma’am? He called me ma’am?— “we’re in meditation. Silent meditation. Who are you talking to?” He nodded toward her phone.
“My client, as if it’s any of your business.” She held one hand out, the other on her hip as she waited for him to return her phone. Instead he raised it to his ear. What?
“Ms. Murphy is in meditation at the moment. I’m sure she’ll return your call later.” And he clicked the phone off and tossed it to her. It bobbled in her hands before she clutched it in her palm.
“Let’s continue our closing routine.” He pivoted and walked to the front of the room, leaving her to stare at his nicely formed butt. “Now that I’ve put Ms. Murphy’s phone on airplane mode.”
“How dare you.”
Murphy grumbled to herself, but returned to her spot and sat down next to her sister. She placed her left ankle over her right thigh and huffed.
“What is your problem?” TC kept her gaze on the instructor.
“I told you I didn’t want to go on vacation, but—”
“Ladies, are we ready? Ms. Murphy, you can talk about your fear of vacations after the session.”
“I’m not afraid of—”
“Everyone take a deep breath. Think peace and stillness. This is the attitude you’re taking with you as you leave the class.”
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:
A history professor, Cooper doesn’t see the value of romance novels and he has even less regard for those who write them. Until he meets a woman who haunts his thoughts.
There’s only one small snag in Alex’s and Blake’s plan…okay…two rather large snags. JJ wants nothing to do with Cooper. The other snag? Alex and Blake aren’t able to return to the pages of their own book.
Will JJ and Cooper write their own love story? And will Alex and Blake find their way back to their own world?
Brad Townsend, geology doctoral student, knows Cagney Adler is the perfect fake girlfriend to help him avoid blind dates. Sure, they have nothing in common, but that’s what makes her ideal. There’s no way they’ll fall in love.
As friends and events throw them together in unexpected ways, they reconsider their compatibility.
How about a return visit from Alex and Blake, the fictional characters from her yet-to-be-released book? They’ve jumped out of the pages of their book into JJ’s world before. They mean well, but they cause chaos wherever they go.
Kennedy King Cooper wants to propose to JJ, but his track record with this sort of thing isn’t good - and to further complicate matters, the new professor, Robert J. MacWhouton, is monopolizing JJ’s time. If he doesn’t ask her soon, he may lose her forever.
Alex and Blake are determined to give destiny a helping hand. They stand ready to do whatever it takes to help Kenn propose before a kilt-wearing romance hero wannabe sweeps her off her feet. If only they had a plan.
This time, it seems, no one is guaranteed a happily ever after.
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