Author Interview with Nicole Locke.

I have had a wonderful time interviewing the brilliant ladies behind The Lochmore Legacy series from Mills and Boon. Today we finish of with an interview with Nicole Locke, who wrote the last book; Secrets of a Highland Warrior, in the series. I hope you enjoy it!

1. How did this idea and the characters come about for Secrets of a Highland warrior?

Rory and Ailsa were all the idea of the wonderful Mills and Boon historical team. What I did with them after that…well, I hope I did them justice because I loved writing them so so much.

2. This book is the last in The Lochmore Legacy series. Unlike other series, each of these four books were written by a different author. How did that work for you? Did you enjoy the process?

The process was extremely different! My book may have come out last, but chronologically, it was first. In lots of ways, I was writing backwards. I had my characters, then I waited to see what the other writers would do so I could make sure their bones were in my story. But if I had any ideas for ‘future’ I had to come out with it first so they had time to put it in theirs. Confusing? It wasn’t actually…. But then again, I don’t think a writer’s brain works normally anyway.

3. When you write do you just write as you go or do you have a lot of notebooks and planning to do first? I imagine you have to research a lot as far as the historical elements go, but do you write down family trees, character profiles etc?

I’m currently writing the ninth book in the #LoversandLegends series. Each book is a standalone romance (always a HEA!), but there’s an underlying plot and entwining families.

Thus, I’ve got fictional and historical timeline/facts spreadsheets and family trees. In other words, I gotta know what King Edward truly was doing on the night of the 25^th in London if my fictional heroine is meeting with him privately to become a spy.

After that, it’s every character for themselves. For instance, the last time the readers read about the villain, Reynold, he was in York, England. But between that story and the next (coming soon!), he’s travelled to Paris and been up to no good. That’s the stuff I can’t plan for a hill of beans, and I’m along for the ride like everyone else.

4. Where do you find your inspiration for the men in your stories? Do you dream them up or do you pick traits from different people?

Dream, dream, dream, and if I’m lucky someone looks or acts like him, so that I can tell the publisher what to put on the cover!

5. You predominately write Historical romance, but do you ever think about writing for other genres?

All the time! I read loads of romance, but because I don’t want to have a clash of historical genres in my writing brain, I read sci-fi, paranormal and contemporary. So, of course, I’ve dabbled with it. Love is love is love….

6. How long does it take you to write your stories? Do you ever have more than one idea going at once?

Forever. The story will be bursting to be told, but I swear I approach my keyboard likes it’s a live grenade. So I tend to avoid it as much as possible. Once I sit and write no one can stop me (I’ve got my fingers around that pin), but it’s that sitting down thing I find excruciatingly difficult.

7. What is next for you? Can you tell us a bit about your next book?

My next historical is all about the villain Reynold, why he’s been such a baddie and how (if!) he can be redeemed. Look out for: Her Dark Knight’s Redemption!