Bunnies and Plot Trails - By Kathy Ivan

I'm sorry.  Today's my day to blog and I totally spaced on the date.  So, since I didn't have anything ready, I've pulled an older blog post that I did for another blog and I'm going to post it here today.  It still applies to the way I think, so I hope you'll get something out of  it.

BUNNIES, BUNNIES EVERYWHERE . . .

When I set out to write this blog, I stood at my back patio doors looking outside at my yard.  Within moments I noticed movement under the bushes along the fence line.  In our neighborhood, even though I live in a large city, we still tend to get several different "critters".  Some I don't mind seeing in the yard, some I mind quite a bit.  This morning, though, was one of the happier sightings.  Coming out of the bushes was a cute little brown and white bunny.  There have been several wild rabbits spotted on our street, so the sight of this one wasn't a big surprise.  Seeing a second bunny come hopping out behind the first, though, that was a bit more unusual.  So standing there with my first cup of coffee in hand, I eased the curtain aside and watched. 

Christina Tetreault: Where do Ideas Come From?

Where do I get the ideas for my stories? 

Now there's a question with no single answer.

Ideas for my stories come from any number of places.  Sometimes, I draw from places and events in my own life.  In fact, I made the Sherbrookes, the wealthy family featured in my series, from Newport because I got married in one of the grand mansions down there and always wondered about the people who originally built them. 

Another example of when I pulled from my own life can be seen in book 3, The Billionaire Princess. When I started that book, I had just returned from a trip to Virginia Beach with my husband. Then I decided that I wanted Sara and Christopher to go on a camping trip, and since Virginia Beach was so fresh in my mind it made sense to send them there. 

Other times, I get ideas from pictures.  While writing book 4, The Billionaire's Best Friend, I found a picture of a male fitness model that fit the way I pictured the hero, Nate Callahan.  Since the model had a tattoo, I just had to give Nate one too.