When I first came up with the idea for When I Found You, there was only Kate and Arthur. But as I wrote their story, I realized they needed friends and family to help flesh out their characters. This is how I ended up with Rob, Arthur’s best friend, and Marcy, Arthur’s younger sister. They stepped in to fill the role of supporting cast, and holy shit, did they make an impression!

I fell in love with both Rob and Marcy individually, but together, these characters were dynamite. I knew they had a history along with deeper feelings that both of them were hell-bent on hiding. What started as a one-and-done book evolved into a duo…and then eventually five books in the series. Yeah, damn those secondary characters and their persistence.

With Marcy being a fashionista and stylist to the stars, I uncovered her vibrant personality amplified by her flair for the dramatic. But her wounded past haunted her as much as it fed her driving motivation for independence and success.

Her secret crush on her brother’s best friend lingered much longer than a typical crush should. Rob was always there when she needed him. Even though she wanted more than a tense friendship, she lived in fear that it would end up like all her past relationships. A huge fucking disaster.

Rob is a physician who works in the ER, so he’s no stranger to trauma. He has a sixth sense of knowing when someone is in pain. But Marcy doesn’t want his help or his pity. They clash at every turn. Rob tries to be a supportive and understanding friend, even though he wants much more from Marcy than plain old friendship.

It’s complicated and messy. But that’s why I love their story.

Marcy’s inspiration drew directly from her career. She wears the latest trends in fashion and marches to the beat of her own drum. I had a lot of fun searching for some of the wacky and wild fashion trends of the 1980s and including them in the book. Her position also allowed her to use a lot of slang and 80s pop culture references. You’ll find lots of little Easter eggs as you read.

In the first scene I wrote with Rob in When I Found You, I didn’t really have a good sense of his character or personality. But as the story progressed, I saw glimpses of him coming to life. It was in the first chapter of Can’t Fight This Feeling that I was finally able to picture Rob in my mind.

Mid-90s Kevin Costner. I mean, come on! The man is freaking adorable, and he fits Rob’s personality so damn well. I couldn’t help but cast him as my ER doctor and brother’s best friend.

The more I wrote, the more I realized how much I loved these two touch-starved idiots. They both wanted each other for years but could never work through the bullshit separating them. It was a wonderful exploration of a blossoming romance while dealing with the past trauma of abuse and neglect. While some of those harder topics come into focus throughout the story, Rob’s steady presence gives Marcy the courage to face her past…and her complicated present.

Here’s a snapshot of a heated scene from the book. Artist Lilibeth Sonar did an amazing job capturing both Marcy and Rob perfectly. I had to share it with you since it’s obvious who inspired Rob when you see it. *wink*

Just turn on some REO Speedwagon and grab a copy of Can’t Fight This Feeling. Trust me, you’ll fall in love with Rob and Marcy just like I did. Oh, and a little spoiler but you see them again later in the other books.

Oh, man. Those pesky secondary characters. Gotta love them, right? I love it when inspiration takes on a life of its own. Be sure to grab the whole series as you’ll definitely want to see what those secondary characters get up to in their books.