Taming Griffin's LIVE! Behind the Scenes Q&A

Phew, what a journey! Taming Griffin is now live on Amazon (READ) and it was probably the most challenging book I’ve written so far. Up until now, every heroine had a tiny bit of me in them that made them relatable in my mind. Something I could latch onto to understand where they were coming from. For Kennedy, it was her anxiety and panic attacks, Amara’s was her love of waffles, Ryan was being a tomboy, and Moon’s was her free spirit.

(If you asked my husband, I think he’d tell you that I like the idea of being a free spirit more than I actually am one, but we’re going to pretend that I’m the kind of person who dances barefoot in the rain and dresses up in costume to go bar hopping. I, decidedly, am not.).

Magnolia was the first heroine I’ve written that was nothing like me AT ALL.

So, let’s jump into some behind the scenes on this book and a peek at what’s coming next, shall we?

How’d you get the idea for Griffin’s character?

Originally when I envisioned the series, I hadn’t planned for Maddox to have a brother. Somewhere around the middle of writing his book, though, I knew his mom was going to come back into the picture and Maddox had always been pretty alone in his life. I wanted him to not only have his HEA, but to also get to have that brotherly bond for realsies (ya know, with blood). The problem was… where would Griffin fit in?

Would he be another spin off series waiting to happen? Would he be a side character that never had his story told? Neither of those felt right, and it hit me as I was finishing up Maddox’s story and starting to brainstorm Jericho’s (something I usually do in the middle or earlier of the book before it—so when I was writing Zen, almost as soon as I started the book I started working on True’s story), I knew I wanted Griffin to take over for him. It felt right knowing where Jericho was going and his feelings on the whole fame thing.

In all of this, what was important to Jericho was being with the guys not being on stage (even though he loved the music), so it made sense to have him step aside and Griffin to fill his (very, very huge) shoes.

Now, when I first pictured Griffin, I pictured him this young guy but also very artistic and with lots of ink on his body and piercings and stuff. I figured he’d be this badass cocky troublemaker, sort of like Maddox only different because it didn’t come from a place of pain but instead of youth and just being dumb and wanting to have fun.

Instead, when I started writing him, he came out super sweet and caring and really naive when it came to matters of the heart which makes for some moments of uncertainty that really give him this lovely vulnerability. People say True’s the sweetest guy in the band, but I think Griffin might take his crown.

Why was Magnolia Southern? Why’d you give her the history with domestic abuse you did?

I’ve always had this fascination with the South. I’ve lived there a few times and, like I’ve mentioned before, there’s something about a Southern woman that’s both feisty and strong but in equal measure with sweetness that is so appealing to me. I’d wanted to write a Southern heroine for a while, but the timing was never right with any of the others. Magnolia was the perfect compliment to Griffin’s story and so I got my wish to write her.

It had nothing to do with my past obsession with the show Hart of Dixie and a certain Lemon Breeland, I swear… lol

As for the domestic violence, it was weird because it was probably July of this past summer and I was plotting the book sitting by the pool and letting my mind wander on what Magnolia would be like. Almost right away, I saw her with an abusive ex but she needed to have gotten away from him and be working on moving on from that.

Personally, I don’t have experience with DV so I asked in some of my writer groups and tons of women responded with their own personal experiences, for which I could never thank them enough. Those experiences were what I used as inspiration for all the crap Winston pulls in this book. It’s a lot and it’s disturbing, and her experiences make it all the better when she gets her HEA.

What made you want to write the band on tour?

Up to this point, we’ve seen the guys taking off for their first tour in Shadow Phoenix, ending a tour in Finding Zen, going solo in Loving True, writing music together in Saving Maddox, and recording a new album in Playing Jericho. It really felt fitting for them to go on tour and us to follow along on all the stops and chaos that happens along the way.

The cities I picked for their stops were ones I either personally have visited and loved, have a history with the band, or places I thought would make for dynamic settings for scenes I planned to write (like when Magnolia and Griffin go on dates).

Tell me all the deets about Lucky.

Magnolia’s pup, Lucky, is an Australian Shepherd. I’ve never personally owned one, but growing up my cousins had one that was the sweetest dog. They have the most gorgeous blue eyes and the fluffiest fur, so when I was picking what kind of puppy to give our heroine, this one stood out above the rest.

What’s up next?

I’ve started working on Tempting Harrison next, which follows our British hero as he fights off his attraction to the MUCH younger (and very forbidden) Bellamy Frost. You’ve briefly met Bellamy in Jericho’s book, but she’ll be front and center as the heroine of Harrison’s book.

Harrison is the final book in the Shadow Phoenix series, and once that’s done, I’m moving on to the Hollywood Guardians series, which kicks off with Connor and follows his team as they find love and protect the elite’s dirty little secrets. I’ve already started series planning this one and doing some plot work and I’m really excited about what’s going to happen in it.

Watch this space for more details about this series and sneaks into the first book coming soon! Captive (Connor’s story) is set to release April 20, 2021!

So, there you have it! All the behind the scenes dirt on Griffin and Magnolia’s story. Leave me a comment when you read it and let me know your favorite part!

Get to Know: Magnolia

Taming Griffin is upon us (eek, just 13 more days!) and now seems like a great time to introduce you to Magnolia Dawson, Griffin’s other (better!) half.

Magnolia’s fresh out of college, so she’s young like Griffin, and she’s already had a pretty rocky life. This book explores some dark subjects like domestic abuse, but I wouldn’t call the book itself dark. It’s more a redemption, a story of a girl finding herself and her happily ever after despite the circumstances she’s been through.

I’ve wanted to write a southern heroine for quite a while now but it wasn’t right for any of the stories so far until this one. Right off the bat, I knew Magnolia had to be from the south. I’ve lived in Texas a few times and there’s something about that part of the US that’s a little more welcoming, a little sweeter, and a little more relaxed and slower-paced that I love so much. But women from the south? They’ll be sugar-sweet to you while cutting your legs out from underneath you with their words and there’s something about that I love so much, I needed Magnolia to have that quality. Unfortunately, it’s been buried pretty deep, so she’s going to have to work to bring it back out.

Magnolia’s from Georgia, so she’s got that southern sass and a twang to match. She was raised by her grandmother (Grammy!) but spent most of her childhood lonely and without a lot of friends. She was determined to go to college because of a promise she made to her grandma, and that’s where she met her ex, Winston.

He plays a big part in this story, and in order to get the feelings and situations correct, I talked to a lot of women who’d gone through what I imagined Magnolia had been through, too. Since she met him, Winston’s always been a shadow hanging over her life, so this book will explore that in detail.

Our pretty southern heroine is in full-on survival mode in this book when we first meet her, but slowly she starts to open up and her journey from when we meet her to the end of the book is amazing to watch unfold. I can’t wait for you to read it. Griffin’s really the best, sweetest guy ever (even more than True—shockingly), and he’s there with her every step of the way.

All Magnolia’s ever wanted was a place to call home and a family to love since those aren’t really something she’s ever had the chance to have. You’re going to have to wait to read to find out if she gets them, but just for fun, here’s a little sneak peek:

Magnolia

My heart beat wildly in my chest because standing up to people and confrontation were basically my biggest fears, but I had to get over it if I was going to run this tour like it deserved. I couldn’t let her see my fear. “I’ll do no such thing. You’re going to pack up your stuff and get off my bus. I wasn’t notified you’d be traveling with us, so we don’t have room for you or him.”

She narrowed her eyes even further and I took a step back. I flinched and the triumph that flashed in her eyes made me hate what I’d become even more than I already did. I hated cowering when someone acted aggressively toward me, but I couldn’t help it. It was instinctual now. She tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder and smiled at me, though it was more teeth than anything. “Make me,” she challenged, and then her smile widened as she looked over my shoulder.

Wait until you see who she was confronting… and who’s over her shoulder. Are you excited for Taming Griffin?

Sorry For the Delay

I know, I know. It’s been a hot minute since I wrote anything on this blog, but there’s a good reason—promise! I’ve been hard at work writing Griffin. This book… it’s testing me, y’all. I’ve had to do so much research to try and get everything just right.

The Shadow Phoenix crew is going on tour in Griffin’s book, and while it’s not a huge tour, I want you to feel like you’re experiencing some of the places they go right there along with Magnolia and Griffin (and, of course, some of the other guys and girls from the group).

So, I plan on getting back into more detailed blogs soon, just as soon as I finish writing this book. I’ve got less than three weeks to get everything done and the stress is legit kicking my ass.

I’m off to get this manuscript finished so I can get it into your hands… or devices. But in the meantime, read on for a little sneak peek of a silly and sweet moment between Griff and Mags.

Griffin

Magnolia raised her eyebrow at me and I laughed. “What? You know I’m from Texas.”

“Yeah, but you don’t strike me as the kind of guy who listens to a whole lot of country music,” she noted, letting her stunning blue gaze run over all my tattoos and piercings and my body heated under her scrutiny. Again.

“Well, ma’am, give me any country song from the nineties and I could probably sing along,” I drawled, letting the twang I’d worked hard to bury pop out in an over-exaggerated way and she giggled. It was a sound I hadn’t heard from her yet, but one that had everything inside me lighting up. 

Instead of continuing our banter, she turned on the stage and looked out into the empty auditorium, breathing in deeply. “Just think about all the people who’ve stood on this stage in the last ninety-five years,” she mused. “The music that’s been played and all the people in the audience who had a chance to come out and see the show, no matter what was going on in their lives. They all came together to enjoy something special. It’s really incredible when you think about it.”

I stepped up beside her and looked out into the rows of empty seats. The Grand Ole Opry was a place of musical legend, and just like Magnolia, I never thought I’d be standing on this stage. This was one of those places on every musician’s bucket list--no matter how famous or not famous you were. “What show do you wish you could’ve seen?”

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing

Almost right off the bat with this book, I knew I wanted to tackle the issue of domestic violence with Magnolia. When I decided the band was going on tour in Taming Griffin, I wanted to figure out Magnolia’s motivation for wanting so badly to keep her job. The answer came to me pretty quickly—she was afraid if she stopped moving, her past would catch up to her.

Here’s the problem: I’ve never experienced domestic violence for myself. I have this innate need to write my heroines flawed but with a huge redemption arc. I want them to find love, but also to learn how strong they really are and how they’re responsible for their own growth and happiness. Because of that, I like to start them out in tough situations that they can grow out of.

They can take back control of their lives and show themselves how badass they really are.

I do this because I struggle in my own life. Since I was a kid, I’ve had severe panic attacks off and on. I don’t know what caused them or why they started, but I do know that it fucking sucks. At the beginning of 2020, I was at a point where I couldn’t leave my house, even to go for a walk or to go grocery shopping.

It’s taken a shit ton of work this year, but I’m healing and getting better, and I want the same thing for my characters. I want them to find out their true strength in the face of adversity, but I also don’t want to be offensive.

I’m going to write Magnolia how I imagine a woman would act in her circumstances, but I realize that not everyone reacts the same way or will have the same hangups, and that’s okay. Please know if you’ve experienced domestic violence, or if you’re currently struggling with it and don’t know where to turn, you can click this link for help: DV Hotline

You’re not alone in your struggles, no matter what they are, and I hope by writing women who reclaim their lives, I can give you an escape and hope at the same time.

And, for what it’s worth if you need someone to talk to, I’m your girl. Just leave me a comment or email me at heatherreadsitall@gmail.com. I hope you love Magnolia as much as I love writing her and Griffin is exactly the sweet, soulful guy she needs to help lift her up.

Just remember—I really have no idea what I’m doing.

On Repeat

When I wrote Finding Zen, the thing that inspired me most of all was a song. I’ve talked about it before but The Hills by the Weeknd was the song that originally inspired that book. I didn’t have the same instant song inspiration with True. My book inspiration comes from all over the place. Sometimes it’s a song, a random idea that will just pop into my head, a trope I’m fascinated by… it could really be anything.

With True, there wasn’t just one song, but there were many that all had little lyrics that made me think of certain scenes. For example, there’s a scene where True and a very pregnant Amara are dancing in their living room. That scene was inspired by a lyric from the song Only Human by the Jonas Brothers.

With Maddox, the entire plot was inspired by the song Marry Me by Thomas Rhett. Every time I heard the song, I would think about what the guy who was left behind would be feeling. And of course, I always rooted for the girl, in the end, to come to her senses and them to get their HEA. So, I wanted to write my version of how I thought that story would come out with a little extra excitement.

Neither Shadow Phoenix nor Jericho were inspired by songs, and I didn’t make playlists for them because my writing style was a lot different in both. Jericho didn’t really have an inspiration and I haven’t kept it a secret how hard that book was for me to write. Shadow Phoenix was somewhat inspired by my love of reading reverse harem and playing with some of those themes in a traditional contemporary book.

With Jericho, I found myself listening to the album Pink by Two Feet on repeat. It’s not super lyrical, and there are a lot of really sultry, sort of dark, and intense musical moments that just seemed to fit my mood while I was writing that story.

Now, while I’m writing Taming Griffin, I’m finding myself inspired by music again. I’ve got AJR’s The Click on constant rotation, and I imagine Griffin’s more carefree personality really fits in with the song I’m Not Famous.

So, there you have it, a little insight into the weirdness that is my mind. What are you listening to right now? Do you associate any songs with characters you read about? Let me know in the comments!

What I'm Working On

With the release of Playing Jericho, I haven’t been great about blogging. On the one hand, I was busy rushing to get it done on time. On the other hand, I’m fairly lazy when it comes to keeping up with my social media. Or anything, really, but that’s for another day (procrastination is another one of my many, many talents lol).

So… I did a thing. A sort of crazy thing that my husband challenged me to do—write my next book in just two months. I’m the type of girl who doesn’t appreciate when someone tells me I can’t do something so I went all challenge accepted on him and here we are. Me, writing Taming Griffin in just two months from start to finish.

Am I stressed about it? Sort of. But I’m surprisingly making decent progress on the manuscript and it’s going better than I thought. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Griffin and Magnolia’s story came really easy to me. Where Jericho and Moon were a total struggle every step of the way, I knew who Magnolia was right from the start.

Griffin… I always thought he’d fit in well with his brother in the loveable asshole category, but when I actually started writing him, he quickly let me know he was more like True than any of the other guys. He’s sweet and younger than the rest of the guys of Shadow Phoenix, and with his youth comes a certain naivety.

He grew up in a happy home with parents who always supported him, so he never really learned about the hardships the world has to offer. When he starts his journey with SP—a job he got pretty easily because of who his brother is—he has no clue about people’s nefarious intentions and motivations, or that someone might get close to him because of what he has to offer, not because of who he is.

Magnolia… she has some serious baggage she brings with her on tour. In Taming Griffin, we follow the band on a nationwide tour, one that Magnolia’s responsible for managing. She has her own reasons for wanting to be on the road and never staying in one place for too long, and none of them are good.

I’m excited to share more sneaks of the sweet but sexy Griffin, and the sassy Southern Magnolia. Read on for an unedited sneak peek!

Magnolia

“Did you enjoy the show?” a smooth, deep voice asked from right over my shoulder and I spun, throwing my fist right at his face. Griffin reacted so fast, he managed to catch my punch instead of letting it smash into his too-perfect face. “Damn, what’d I do to piss you off this time? I was coming to apologize.”

I jerked my hand out of the hold he had on it, horrified at myself for reacting that way. I learned a long time ago someone sneaking up on me wasn’t a good thing and now I reacted accordingly. “Hasn’t anyone ever taught you not to sneak up a woman?” I snapped, my heart racing a million miles an hour.

He studied my face carefully before lifting his hands in surrender and taking a step back. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” He raked his fingers through the damp strands of his wavy brown hair. “I wanted to apologize again for this morning. It was unprofessional of me to not even let you know I wouldn’t be able to make it, and it won’t happen again.”

Taming Griffin releases 12/22!