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!