Deirdre Martin-Interview

1.How do you come up with your female main characters, any inspirations?

That’s an interesting question.  I very often come up with the story I want to tell first, and figure out character details later. A lot of the female leads are amalgams of women I know. I have a friend who’s a former soap actress who helped inspire Monica in POWER PLAY. I often throw bits of myself into my female characters as well. For example, I own a Newf, like Delilah in CHASING STANLEY, I’ve always been interested in New Age-y stuff, like Gemma in TOTAL RUSH, and I like to cook, like VIVI in JUST A TASTE.   

2.Also do you know in advance the secondary characters that are going to be in their own books?

I never do. I write a book, and often, I’ll get email from readers asking “Is so and so going to get their own book?” If I hear that comment over and over again, then I pay attention. I’ll look back at the character and if I agree that the secondary character merits his or her own story, then I’ll run it by my editor. If she agrees, I go for it.

3.I love how family is important in your books, did you do that on purpose or did it just happen naturally?

It happens naturally,  If I sat down at the computer with the intent of tackling particular themes, I’d be sunk, because my brain just doesn’t work that way. It took me a long time to see that the issue of family kept cropping up again and again in my books. In fact, I think someone pointed it out to me, I didn’t see it myself. I wonder if that’s weird! I don’t know.

4.This question is silly, but I have to ask it, are the New York Blades the Islanders?

No. A lot of readers also think the Blades are the  New York Rangers, because Manhattan is  their home ice,  but they’re not. I chose New York because I know New York. The team is totally fictitious, though I will cop to there being certain elements of the Devils’ Scott Stevens and the Rangers’ Mark Messier in the character of Ty Gallagher in BODY CHECK.

5.Why did you decide to write about hockey?

What happened was that I started watching hockey with my husband, and I realized very quickly that not only was the game itself exciting, but that the players made perfect romantic heroes. They're warriors on a quest: the quest for the Stanley Cup. They're willing to sacrifice, whether it's physical, mental, or spiritually, to achieve their goal. These guys are tough. And let’s not forget, they have fabulous bodies.

6.I also love that The New York Blades series is so different, and that each book is unique, how did that happen?

I wanted to write books that were interconnected, but could also stand on their own as individual novels.  Often readers will tell me they pick up one of my books, not knowing it’s part of an ongoing series. When they find out, will sometimes seek out the rest of the Blades’ books, or the rest of the books in the Wild Hart Saga. The latest book, ICEBREAKER, can count as a book in either series: the hero is a hockey player, the heroine a member of the O’Brien family. That was fun to write.

7.If you weren't a writer what would you do?

I would love to be an actor, but that’s even more impractical than being a fiction writer. I do community theater and I’m part of an improv group, and I love it.

8.What NHL teams do you like?

The Rangers. I’m also fond of Philly.

9.How many times have you seen Slap Shot?

Let’s put it this way: my husband and I own Hanson Brothers action figures.

10.Is harder to write a sports romance than it is a regular romance?

A little bit because you’ve got to know the game really well. When you write scenes that take place on the ice, you have to make sure that they’re realistic enough to interest hockey fans, yet still clear enough so non hockey fans can appreciate what’s happening. That’s one reason I try to keep on-ice events pretty simple.


Thanks so much Deirdre this was a fantastic interview!!!!