Getting to Know Your Characters with Kate Walker from Indebted to Moreno.

We have author Kate Walker taking us through as she interviews her characters from her latest release Indebted to Moreno. 


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One of the most important things about writing romance is  getting to know your characters. The more detail you have, the deeper you can go into their personality, hopes and dreams, memories the better you will be able to tell their story. A technique I teach students on my courses  is to ‘interview’  your hero and heroine. Ask the questions, dig deep into what makes them tick and you will be able to  portray them dramatically, emotionally and  believably on the page.  So when I was asked for some insights into Rose and Nairo, the hero and heroine of my latest book – Indebted to Moreno – this is the way I approached it.

Q.   Can you tell me who you are?
N. Nairo Roja Moreno – eldest child and only son of Raoul Moreno and his wife – his first wife. But when I first met Rose I was using the name ‘Jet’ – a nickname that the people I was sharing a house with had given me.

R. Rose Cavalliero.  My mother had a brief love affair with Enzo Cavalliero a young artist and I was the result.  But sadly we never saw my father again.   My mother married a man called Fred Brown and I called myself Rose Brown  for a time. That was when I first met Nairo – and he gave me the nickname ‘Red’ – for obvious reasons.

Q What was it that you first noticed about each other?
N: Her hair  - I mean, it’s obvious isn’t it? She has glorious, rich red hair. She’s stunning as well – no one could miss that, But when I first saw her she was sitting down, head bent so I couldn’t see her face. She looked so lost and miserable  but her hair  fell over her shoulders , all around her, like a glowing curtain – I had to talk to her – had to touch it.
R: His voice. Well, that was the first thing.  I was feeling so terrible, lost and alone – cold and wet and hungry – and I heard this voice – gentle and considerate and with the sexiest accent possible. I didn’t think that anyone could  match up to that voice but then I looked up  and – well, he’s gorgeous isn’t he ? And this gorgeous man had come to my rescue.

Q. But you split up? What happened?
N. Lack of trust. We didn’t know each other  but we rushed into bed with each other before we had time to think if it was wise or  sensible. We were you and hot for each other. . . it was inevitable  but we didn’t know the reality behind the passion.
R: I got scared. I’d been running when I first met him  and I carried all the fears I’d been running from into the relationship with me. Well, I say relationship but we were too young, too  impetuous to consider if what we were doing was  a good idea – or even safe. We just snatched at a chance to be happy for the present and didn’t look to the possibility of what a future  might bring., Or even if there could be a future.

Q. In those years apart  what happened to you?
N: I went back home, to my father and my younger sister. I had walked away from them, from family, from responsibility but I knew I had to go back and learn to belong again.  It went down hard with me to do as my father wanted  - to prove to him that I was worth something after all but it was the only way to rebuild our relationship. And there were other things – other wound that had come close to destroying the family  - I had to heal those.
R: I had to learn to love my mother again and to become her daughter all over again. I also had to  find a way to support us both, to give us a room over our heads and a future to look forward to. So I  focussed on my artistic abilities  - talents I’d inherited from my father – and worked and worked.

Q. What do you most value in each other once you met up again?
N: Her determination and hard work. She has a stunning talent for design but she also had to work so hard to make it  to where she is now.  Also, her generosity and forgiveness where he mother is co0ncerned. I never thought that I would see the two of them together as they are now.   And of course she’s sexy as hell – I couldn’t keep my hands off her. I wanted her  - but I wasn’t sure if I could trust her.
R:  The way he cared about his family. The support he’d given to his father and to his  lovely younger sister. It was obvious that when Esmeralda had needed him then he was there. And he’s still there for her, still wanting to ensure her happiness and the best possible future she could have.   Plus – well, he’s  gorgeous. I know I said that before, but that was when he was so young – when we were both so young. Now he’s not a boy or even a youth any more he’s a man – and he’s all man.  He’s dark and dangerous – but there’s something about him that just draws me and in holds me there.

Q: So now that you’re back together – the past is behind you and you need to move forward into the future so that you can have that happy ever after ending that the readers are looking for. How are you going to manage that?

R&N : Ah well – if you want to find that out then you’ll have to read the book to find out our full story!

 Kate Walker's 65th title is INDEBTED TO MORENO


Sins of the past must be paid! 
On trembling legs, dress designer Rose Cavalliero stares up at the man she never thought she'd see again. Tall, dark and dangerous, Spaniard Nairo Moreno took Rose's virginity before a misunderstanding led her to nearly destroy his life. But now he's back and determined to collect the debt she owes him.  
Designing his precious sister's wedding gown will cement Rose's career. But if she'd known that accepting Nairo's offer would see her blackmailed into becoming a more-than-convenient fiancée to the man who broke her heart, Rose would have said no…wouldn't she?


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19 comments:

  1. Such an fun interview! It really is a great way to get to know your characters :)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the interview Meradeth - I always need to know my characters really well and this certainly helps.

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  2. Characters will tell you a lot about themselves once they trust you :)

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    1. Hello Carol - yes, it my characters don't tell me much about themselves, then I know I don't know them well enough!

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  3. That was so interesting! Can't wait to read :)

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    1. Hello Jemi - I'm glad you enjoyed the interview and I hope you enjoy Indebted to Moreno too when you get to read it. It's getting some great reviews.

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  4. Fun interview! Congrats to Kate!

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    1. Thanks for the congratulations, Kelly. I'm glad you enjoyed then interview

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  5. I adore keep characterization, and when you can really hear the character's voices carry through, even in an interview, you know you've got solid ones.

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    1. Thank you so much Crystal - that's such a compliment to say that the characters' voices carry through even in the interview - that's exactly what I was hoping for so you've made my day.

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  6. Such a fun interview! Wishing Kate all the best! :)
    ~Jess

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    1. Good morning Jess - and thanks for visiting - and for those best wishes. I'm about to send my next book in so I need them! :-)

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    1. Good morning (well, it is here in the UK!) This is always a fun exercise to do - I often get students on my courses to try it.

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  8. A very fun interview. A lot of my stronger writing tends to come just from my imagination running rampant and creating things but if and when I need to spontaneously create a character, I tend to use a ton of base questions to identify what they're like.

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    1. Good morning Robert - it sounds as if we're quite alike in writing. I love the imagination running riot - but that's usually after I've got to know my characters through those many 'base questions' - that's why I set up a character questionnaire form in my 12 Point Guide.

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  9. That was a really good character interview! It certainly gave some good insight to their motivations for being in their relationship.

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  10. A great way to get to know your characters and to share them with readers!

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  11. Congratulations to Jemi Fraser! You are the winner at this post! Please contact Kate Walker with your address to get delivery of your win!

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