French Kissing: The Characters

I feel as if I should apologise in advance for all this talk of French Kissing, but the plan is to write 300.000 words (*) (1000 paper book pages) (yes, this just made me dizzy) about the four main characters (and their love interests) this year, so, well, we all best get used to it. 😉

Episode One is out (and only $0.99), I just finished the first draft of Episode Two last Monday (and it should be available by the end of the month if all goes well) and I started writing Episode Three (as I posted on my Facebook page: it begins with everything in pieces.)

The words have been rolling out and the characters have been keeping me thoroughly entertained, making the whole process of writing French Kissing the most fun I’ve had in ages. Mostly, because I get to stay with the characters for so long (as opposed to writing standalone novellas, when I have to say goodbye so quickly.) So, please allow me to introduce the four main (point of view) characters and the two main love interests.

When I create a character I always base their physical appearance on someone hot from TV. Call me shallow, but it’s how I operate. 😉 The characters in French Kissing are no different, but, I do refuse to reveal my inspiration. I’m not someone who goes into lengthy character descriptions because, personally, when reading, I like to project my own tastes and I don’t want to take that pleasure away from anyone. 😉 That being said, at least five of the ‘hot people from TV’ my characters are based on, have been drooled over written about on this blog. So, if you really want to know, it’s quite easy to find out. 😉

So, let’s start with couple on the brink Nadia and Juliette. They’ve been together for ten years and, well, they’re suffering. They both work too hard. They’ve stopped talking and can’t seem to communicate properly without fighting anymore. There’s a lot of unspoken resentment between them, even a few secrets, and, basically, things are not looking good.

The wife insisted I included a couple in French Kissing, to show that romance and passion are also still very much possible between long-term lovers, but I don’t think she expected me to put them through their paces the way I have. What can I say? I’m addicted to drama. (If there’s no drama, what’s the point?) (BTW, Nadia and Juliette are not based in any way on my wife and I. We’re doing just fine, thank you muchly.)

Juliette is co-owner of Barbier & Cyr, a PR firm she started with her best friend Claire fourteen years earlier. She’s a bit of a control freak and a hot head and, from what I gather from the first reviews, not the most liked character, but give her a chance. She has become a little complacent and does have a few entitlement issues, but she’ll have to adapt.

Nadia works as an administrator in a large Parisian hospital. She’s more caring by nature but her recently acquired job takes up more and more of her time, leaving less and less for Juliette. She likes to unwind with a good glass of wine (sometimes one too many.)

Claire is co-owner of Barbier & Cyr. Twenty years ago, Juliette was her first girlfriend and they’ve been best friends ever since. She’s single, supposedly (according to Juliette) because no one is ever good enough for her. Secretly, she’s rather jealous of Juliette and Nadia’s stable relationship (until it starts falling apart.) Let’s just say she’s on the look-out and she’s about to find what she’s looking for… or not. 😉

Steph is the confident, handsome heartbreaker of the group. By choice, she doesn’t do relationships. Instead, she prefers to indulge in weekly one-night-stands and is not very discriminate about who to have them with. She started working for Barbier & Cyr fresh out of school as an intern ten years earlier, and has become a valued employee since (while also trying to sleep her way to the top a little bit.) She’s become good friends with both her bosses, but that friendship is about to be tested when Barbier & Cyr manages to snag a very high-profile client who captures much more than Steph’s (usually) fleeting attention.

Which brings us to the two main side-characters. The first one is Dominique Laroche, a rising political star from a right-wing conservative party. I can’t say that much about Dominique without giving away too much of the plot, so if you’re intrigued, buy Episode One, it’s only $0.99! 😉 (Or e-mail me and I’ll send you a review copy!)

Last, but certainly not least, is Margot. Almost everyone who’s read Episode One and reviewed it or e-mailed me about it has told me that Margot is their favourite character. I could kick myself for this, because Margot was supposed to be a point-of-view character at first, but I changed my mind because she somewhat falls out of the main group of four, who are linked by years of friendship between them.

Margot is a doctor in Nadia’s hospital, she rides a motorcycle, likes to wear leather trousers and jackets (and tight white t-shirts that expose her toned biceps.) She’s the quiet one with very strong morals and she also happens to be incredibly romantic. (Okay, I should have known. My bad!) When Nadia introduces Margot to Claire, sparks don’t immediately fly, but it’s really only a matter of time.

Those are currently the main characters. There is one other that has been worming her way in (now that I’ve reached Episode Three), but I must keep that one a secret for now… (Such fun!)

Some more blog posts will follow, I’m sure, because (and I do still believe this to be a good thing) I am currently rather obsessed with French Kissing. I write in the morning. When I join my wife in the office after lunch, we talk about what I just wrote and, before I go to sleep, I think of plot lines (and possible sexy situations). It’s safe to say I spend 75% of my day on it (except on weekends, when I try not to bore my wife with more tales of lesbo drama) and it’s going to be like that for a while. (I must admit that, after writing this blog post, I do feel like somewhat of a maniac.) 😉

(*) I’ll finish writing Season One (150.000 words) at the end of May and, after a break of a few months (if I can stay away that long), will write Season Two (another 150.000 words) at the end of the year.