Turning Lemons into Sweet Ice Cold Lemonade!

I should be writing about April Fools Day, but since I've never been much for carrying out jokes let alone telling them ... I figured it'd be best to write about something else. How 'bout turning something not too thrilling into something amazing?

Today is the release date of my second NASCAR story. This was the most fun I've ever had writing a book, and that's saying a lot because I love writing, but it didn't start out that way.

FROM THE OUTSIDE is a timeless bad boy meets good girl story, and I never would've written this story on my own. But since the Harlequin NASCAR books are continuities, like soap operas for lack of a better description, I didn't have much of a choice. They have what's called a "bible" and parts of the plots and characters are outlined for the authors ahead of time. We don't have much of a choice about what story we write.

So I was given an an Argentinean driver hero - ex-Formula One playboy guy coming over to NASCAR and, of all things, a soap opera actress heroine.

This picture on the left is the guy I visualized as I wrote my hero, Roberto Castillo. His name's Adolfo Cambiaso and he's a famous Argentinian polo player. Cute, huh? Looks like a playboy, yes? You should hear him talk. That accent. Oh, baby! He's some lemonade!

So back to playboy and actress ... Like I said. Never would've written this story. I've not much for playboys. Hard to motivate. Too cliche. And an actress heroine? Too glitzy. Too self-involved.

But they gave me a lot of leeway with the characterization and plot, so I was really able to make the characters and the story my own. I added a couple fun twists on the bad boy/good girl thang. Can't tell you what the twists are 'cause that'd ruin it, and if you're not into racing, don't less that backdrop throw you. There's just enough racing detail to make it feel authentic. And the heroine's not the slightest bit high maintenance. I swear. Even got to travel which is one of my favorite things to do in my books. I was able to take my characters to two places I've never been, Mexico City and Argentina.

Best of all, I got to find out about a profession I knew nothing about when I had the opportunity to interview a real life actress. A few years back Roberta Leighton was in General Hospital and The Young and The Restless, and it just so happens she's an old high school friend of my SILs. She lives in Beverly Hills, is a lot of fun, and gave me the perspective I needed to do this story right. We spoke on the phone, I asked questions and she answered them, and she helped give me what I hope is a sense of realism about acting that I wouldn't have had without her input.

The actress I visualized as I was writing the heroine, Mallory Dalton, was Eva Longoria. Can't you just see Adolfo and Eva arm in arm? Cute couple, yes?

Anyway, something I had huge reservations about turned into a wonderful experience and a great book. Lemons into tasty lemonade.

Every dreaded something you had to do, say, learn, teach that ended up being just what the doctor ordered? Ever dreaded something that turned out worse than you expected?

I'm giving away copies of FROM THE OUTSIDE to two of our commentors today, so knock yourselves out!!

Have an excellent day,
Helen