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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Remmy Duchene and BL Morticia here today talking about writing, books and their latest story Wounded Pride. Welcome, Remmy and BL!
~Our Interview with Remmy Duchene and BLMorticia~
- How much of yourself goes into a character?
RD: Well, ethics and morals, I try to put most of my own in my good guys. Renford isn’t at all like me. He’s brave, loves working out, funny – hell the only time I’m funny is by accident and I’m always stunned someone laughs lol. Most times, I put my attitude in a character, give him a bit of my temper to handle things he needs to handle. But sometimes I base characters off people I’ve met.
BL: I agree. I also base characters off people I know. Brian isn’t really like me. He has an air of confidence I don’t possess. His vulnerability might be attributed to me though. The sexy piece of ass he is, yeah that’s all him and no, I don’t know anyone like that.
- Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?
RD: I don’t think so. If I based all my characters off my own experiences they will all be the same, I think. I try to create experiences for my characters, sort of like making them have their own thing going on rather than putting my bad luck on them. No one deserves that lol.
BL: I have used a few of my experiences, not in Wounded Pride though. It could be as simple as having an agreement with a significant other. And it will be the stupidest thing. Yes, I’ve done that before. I love that term Gary Stu. I’ll have to use that. lol
- Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?
RD: When using a location/culture that is real, I think as a writer I am limited to the special kind of crazy I would like to instill in certain stories. Especially with cultures–I believe, since I am an outsider I have to be careful not to offend anyone. That isn’t what I want to do with my writing. I enjoy researching cultures in general–one of the reason I write predominantly interracial/multicultural stories. I LOVE making up my own words because then you can write anything you want as long as it jive and is consistent. But for Wounded Pride I think I was limited to the kind of crazy we could bring. This story takes place in New York, mostly, so there are certain things about that microcosm that we cannot change.
BL: I also love doing research. I also write a lot of interracial but, I have to saw, not to the extent of Remmy. Not that I haven’t wanted to. I love learning about different cultures and nationalities of people. For Pride, I did a little research on the Lakota tribe. I wanted to make Brian real and not a stereotype.
Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?
RD: Kinda. As a child and teenager, even now, I will read almost anything. From science fiction to erotica, if it has words I will take a look. Well, I wasn’t reading erotica as a kid but I picked up my first romance novel at eight years old and I haven’t looked back. But that was because being from a 3rd world country and living in the middle of nowhere, things to read weren’t plentiful so you read what you can get.
BL: I read romance when I was young and yes, that has carried on into adulthood. I don’t read very much outside of romance, but I’m looking to change that.
- Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?
RD: A few times. And it’s for completely different reasons for me because as a female writing MM. Case in point, recently I started on a ‘secret story’ and I’ve had to put it aside so many times because from the first chapter, I started sobbing. There is a lot of hardship that one main character has been through and that is still on the horizon and it’s just heart wrenching. As a human being, it pains me to have to put a ‘person’ through the hell I know I must to have the story come out right.
BL: Not with Pride, but I did put it aside because I didn’t know what to do next. I recently wrote a trans romance and my anxieties about writing a new character got to me. I’m still nervous, but I managed to finish the story and I hope to have someone trans to read it for me before release.
- Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?
RD: As long as there is happy in there I am happy lol. Honestly, as a reader and a writer in the same body, I find myself reading a book and then thinking “was that ending appropriate for the story?” and “was that ending necessary?” I’m a nerd, I know. Look, happily ever afters are a little hard to write especially when it’s a short story and it has to move so fast to get to the end within a set number of words. So happily for now will do. Other times, you just NEED that happily ever after.
BL: Lately I’ve been writing more happy for now because true HEA, to me, have to be long as hell. For me, either one works as long as the characters are satisfied.
- Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?
RD: Yes. I am a sucker for romance. Sometimes I want the harder stuff but most times I love a little of the old, corny stuff too. As a teenager, I devoured every romance novel in my high school library (I am not kidding). After I graduated I went back to visit the the school and stopped off in the library. When I was introduced to the new generation of Library Club members one girl was like “omg! You! You’ve read every romance novel in this place!”
BL: I did. I read some of my grandma’s Harlequins when I was younger. They were very vanilla. When I was a teen or young adult, I graduated to more “erotic” works. Anne Rice, Fern Michaels, Jackie Collins. The stuff my grandma would have a fit about if she knew.
Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?
RD: Growing up, I loved spinning words. Whether it was for lyrics for a song or poetry. I always love the feeling of creating and since I wasn’t remotely good at anything else. Now, I am heavily influenced by the people around me. The people I ‘meet’ who read other stuff I’ve written.
BL: Growing up, I had no influences as far as writing, but when I got older I looked to Anne Rice as Zane as major influences. When I started writing erotica and or fanfiction, I wanted my books to be just as racy as Zane’s. Lol I don’t think I’ve achieved that yet.
- How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?
RD: Honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. I mean I LOVE the feel of a paperback in my hands. Being able to turn the pages, smelling that book smell. I read e formats on my tablet and this is when a book is not in paperback format. I would love it if we could keep both but after seeing one of Canada’s largest music stores shut down because no one is buying CDs anymore – I hold out no hope.
BL: I do love paperbacks, but the Kindle is such a godsend. I have a young one, so I can’t really keep the racy paperbacks in my house and I have a small place too so, space is limited. As far as where it’s going, I believe people will always buy paperbacks regardless of how many e-readers are sold. Many people prefer it.
- How do you choose your covers? (curious on my part)
RD: So far, I have been very lucky with my cover artists. For Wounded Pride BL and I sat down and discussed the men to be on the cover. Since it’s a second story to Wounded Hearts the colours etc were already picked. So this cover was just to change the backgrounds and the model. Usually, for me, I fill out the cover art form and for me, if when I open the cover my first reaction is “YES YES YES!” Then that’s my cover. If I have to sit and think about it – or close the file, go away and come back, then it’s not my cover. I usually give the cover artist a little bit of a free range to be creative. I find this gives them the chance to come up with something impressive.
BL: I have also been lucky. The Wounded Pride cover model was easy for me. I have used that model many times and I’m not ashamed! Lol I think LC did a great job on both Wounded Covers. As far as my others, I also give artists free reign. I try not to be difficult because I know their time is precious. Most of the time, all the pope who have worked on my covers have gotten them exactly right.
- What’s next for you as an author?
RD: Surprisingly, a lot. I have a couple of stories being translated in different languages with Dreamspinner – French, Italian and German so far. BL and I wrote Wounded Hearts together and that is now in French and Italian! How awesome is that! My story Piece of Me is coming soon and the third book in my intoXication series was recently accepted and coming soon! So there is plenty that I’m excited about.
BL: I’ve just released the second books in both my Hardy and Day series and Hirah Blaze collections. I’m taking a break for now and focusing on newsletter promotion.
Renford Kline is straight… right? He got over his experimentation in college and moved on. Then how does he explain his blush-inducing fantasies about Brian Daystar? Fantasies he’s having when he should be focused on his career move from attorney to professor. When Brian comes to New York, Renford knows he’s in trouble. Everything about Brian attracts him—from his tight body to his beautiful, dark hair—but Renford is straight… right?
Brian Daystar needs a break. He’s been working nonstop to turn his Montana ranch into a safe haven for at-risk youth—so much so that he can’t even bring himself to care when he finds out his partner, country star Corey, is cheating on him. Their relationship has been over for a long time, but it might take his feelings for Renford to make Brian accept it.
Both men have decisions to make. Renford must come to terms with who he truly is, and Brian is going to have to decide if he will shun his happiness or embrace it.
✒︎Want to know more about the Authors? Contact them at their links below:
Remmy Duchene – https://remmyduchene.wix.com/remmyduchene
https://twitter.com/remmyduchene
https://remmyduchene.blogspot.com
https://www.instagram.com/manluvlikeaboss
BLMorticia aka Sharita Lira – http://thelitriad.com/
http://blmorticia.wordpress.com
https://twitter.com/AuthorSharitaL
http://instagram.com/sharitalira/
When Dashiel’s body is found dumped on an East London wasteland, his best friend Danny sets out to find the killer. But Danny finds interaction difficult and must keep his world small in order to survive. By day he lives in an abandoned swimming pool and fixes electrical devices to trade for supplies, but by night, alone, he hunts sharks—a reckless search for dangerous men who prey on the vulnerable.
