Kristy asked me how I came up with my ideas, so I thought I'd blog a little on that today. Usually, it starts with something that fascinates me, a personality conflict or just a personality. Here's just two ideas I've had but they haven't become books yet, then I'll give you how I came up with certain books that did get into print. I was watching Dr. 90210 and Dr. Rey's wife really wants her husband's attention so badly, but he is so into work and tai kwan do, etc., that he only has so much time for her. When she had a breast cancer scare, he was ready to take the phone call with her in her office, but when it was fine, he was back in surgery right then. I thought to myself, what if it wasn't fine? What would he have done then? And what would happen if Haley woke up and realized, you know, I'm not as much in love as I quite thought? And I came up with an idea about a trophy wife who wakes up at 30 and has grown up -- right about the time her husband leaves her for someone younger (which I don't think Dr. Rey would do incidentally!) Idea 2: I'm reading People Magazine, and I see Heather Locklear's estranged hubby is hooking up with Charlie Sheen's estranged honey, and Heather has a daughter. Charlie's got two girls -- and I thought, what does it feel like to be that daughter whose daddy is raising other people's children so he can sleep with their mommy? And now, she's all grown up. Finally, for the Ashley Stockingdale series, it all started with the charactrer of Seth Greenwood. There was someone in church who just fascinated me. He was good looking, could talk intelligently on any subject, was generous to a fault, and yet he could not make it down the altar. He'd been a Christian his whole life, raised in a good family -- and then, one time we had this girl at church as a guest. She was living with her third boyfriend, not a Christian, but there was something about her that just sparkled, and all the Christian men went crazy for her. Bible study just stopped that night, while they all vied for her affection -- knowing she was living with a guy, but they all wanted to be the hero, and rescue her. And I realized how strong the pull to what God doesn't have for us is, and the lie that keeps so many from Christian marriage. And that's how Ashley was born. : )