Dorothy F. Shaw Interview Author of: Shattered Heart #3

Dorothy F. Shaw

Author of:

Shattered

Heart
The Donnellys Series - Normal doesn’t always mean picture perfect…

Rad-Reader:  Why this storyline?

Dorothy:  I can’t really explain why characters get a certain storyline, other than to say, it just sort of comes to me and clicks. Before that “magic” moment, I usually have no clue what the story will be. However, Shattered Heart was loosely plotted over two years ago, when my former agent needed me to write a synopsis for the first 3 books in the series. Book 1, Unworthy Heart, was already written, book 2, Defensive Heart, was half written and book 3? Well, I had no clue. So…in my usual fashion, which is flying by the seat of my pants, (I’m totally a pantster) the plot/story line hit me and I ran with it. 

Rad-Reader:  Why erotica and not another genre?

Dorothy:  I LOVE to read romance, (paranormal romance is my most favorite) and, I also love to read a lot of sex in my romance. The first truly erotic romance book I ever read was by Angela Knight. It was a novella in her Mageverse series. I think I read the whole thing with my mouth dropped wide open. I was blown away. Everything I’d read prior to that had sex scenes in it—but they were nothing like what Ms. Knight had written. After that, there was no going back. That experience happened before I’d even started writing, so I guess, naturally when I did start writing, it was what came out. I write what I like to read. But, really? Why not erotica? Why not lots of awesome steamy sex? I realize it’s not for everyone, but real adult life should be filled with lots of sex. It’s for sure filled with a ton of drama, twists and turns. I just think sex should be part of that roller coaster too. 

Rad-Reader:  Why was Shane so shocked when the brothers told him Cyn had a crush on him since middle school?

Dorothy:  Primarily denial. I guess that's the easy answer. But truly, think back to your teen years. Anyone younger than you, especially a best friend's younger sibling was soooo not on the radar. At least it wasn’t mine. In addition, I think Shane was so shocked because he’d been blind to it. And how could that have been possible? How could he have not noticed…except that whole younger girl, BFFs sister etc. I’d say that’s why he never noticed.  

Rad-Reader:  Didn’t he start to notice her about the same time?  That she had a cuteness about her but she was his best friend’s sister?

Dorothy:  He certainly noticed her in high school. How could he not? She was adorable. And spunky. And fun. But again, his best friend’s younger sister that he’d known since they were all kids. 

Rad-Reader:  Why did he not answer any of the letters that Cyn had sent him when he was in the service?

Dorothy:  I’m kind of giggling right now because it would be easy for me to say something like, well…Shane was just busy doing basic training things. Or, Shane thought the letter was sweet but didn’t really know what to say back, or didn’t think there was a reason to write back, and call it good. But the truth is, I have NO idea why. 

Now, I can’t speak for all authors, but…sometimes, I write something that the character says to write. Then maybe two chapters or more later, the story has moved on and that little something stays behind. The letters never came up while I was writing Shane’s POV and probably why I didn’t refer to them again. Likely, they weren’t significant to him. But obviously they were to Cyn, because she mentioned them. 

Rad-Reader:  Joey and the family seemed to know about the crush how did Shane not?  Or was it an act to save himself?

Dorothy: I don’t think it was an act to save himself. As I mentioned above, not that he saw Cyn like a sister, (because that makes for a weird plot line later) just that she was family to him. As far as the rest of the Donnelly siblings, at least the older ones? Of course they knew. They saw through Cyn’s annoying tag-along behavior, likely before Cyn even did. 

Rad-Reader:  In all that time he had no serious relationships why?

Dorothy:  All I can say to this is, he was a bit busy serving his country. Two tours in Iraq and then additional years in Afghanistan, doesn’t leave much time for a serious relationship. Now, by no means am I saying, Shane was a monk. Or a saint. I mean, look at him? Holy HOT MARINE… but no, no “serious” relationships for him. 

Rad-Reader:  Why did Cyn always hold on so long to the wrong guys?  Then she dug in her heels when people told her so?

Dorothy:  Cyn is quite stubborn. I guess, this is where real life comes into play with fiction. Some of us…well, we hold on when we shouldn’t. And then sometimes, we hold on even longer. When the heart and head don’t agree? It’s messy. Cyn knew these guys weren’t right for her, but in her heart she had to try. She had to hold on. 

Rad-Reader:  What was it about Shane that won Cyn’s heart even at the beginning?  That he just couldn’t walk away from her or was it the family ties at first?

Dorothy: I think Shane had always had Cyn’s heart. But because she is so stubborn, and also the “incident” she was a tad unable to decipher true from false. Meaning, even though she knew in her deepest heart of hearts that Shane was every bit as wonderful as he appeared to be, she was also caught in this wicked web of self doubt. She no longer trusted her own judgement about anything. When she broke—emotionally—she knew she was wrong about all sorts of things. Shane being one of the main things. When she walked through that wreckage, she was able to clearly see that she not only loved him, she LOVED all things about Shane. 

Rad-Reader:  Why did he fight it at the end to make some type of decision or commitment?

Dorothy:  Well, this was him just trying to do right by Cyn. He knew she had stuff to work though, he also knew about the year long moratorium she’d wanted to commit herself to. Shane wanted Cyn for keeps, but he needed her to be ready and committed to that too. And, he had his own little bit of stubborn coming out of him. Blinded by being noble, I suppose.

Rad-Reader:  What song out now best describes your book?

A Thousand Horses: "Smoke"

Dorothy:  Oooh, tough question. Well, each book I write gets its own playlist in my iTunes. Shattered Heart has over 400 songs on it. The song that’s Shane and Cyn is not a current one, its actually pretty old. But it fits them.

                                Edwin McCain: "I'll Be"

Rad-Reader:  If you book was made into a movie who would you get to play…

Cyn:  Jennifer Love Hewitt
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/34/8a/ee/348aeef57a26dac3bbd5bbe42eaf99b0.jpg

Shane:  Derek Theler
http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Derek+Theler+Fast+Furious+6+Premieres+LA+UjMMR0nvOxWl.jpg

Carlos:  William Levy
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/602907112478527491/AgsGTXK2.jpg

Joey:  Chris Powell
http://clubindustry.com/site-files/clubindustry.com/files/archive/clubindustry.com/forprofits/ChrisPowell-230.gif

Maiya:  Kat Von D
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/54/06/fd/5406fd225690c199fee664e865a61aef.jpg

Angie:  Scarlett Johansson

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/10/30/1414663869861_wps_2_article_2550744_1B2A27590.jpg

Dorothy:  Oooh, another tough one. A lot of authors use hollywood actors or actresses as a muse for a character. I don’t typically do that. Instead, I comb through random stock photo’s looking for someone who more or less resembles the way a character looks in my head. So, this will be hard…but I’ll give it my best shot.

Cyn:  Emma Stone - Though she’d need to have her boobs bigger and put on about twenty or more pounds to fully pull off Cyn.
http://nopabeauty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/emma-stone.png

Shane:  Channing Tatum - OOH YUM! LOL
http://www.glamour.com/images/entertainment/2015/06/channing-tatum-magic-mike-xxl-w724.jpg

Rad-Reader:  Yeah I went back and forth on this one but I was trying to change it up because I tend to use him a lot. But Oh Yeah!

Carlos:  William Levy… decent choice of yours, so I’ll go with that.
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/602907112478527491/AgsGTXK2.jpg

Joey:  Chris Powell, also your choice and works here as well.
http://clubindustry.com/site-files/clubindustry.com/files/archive/clubindustry.com/forprofits/ChrisPowell-230.gif

Maiya:  Could do Emma Stone here too, but that won’t work. So…Isla Fisher, maybe. 
http://fandomobsessed.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/D-isla-fisher.jpg

Rad-Reader: Now I did think about her at one point for Cyn so that is interesting that her name came.

Angie:  Kristen Stewart for sure.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/91/01/63/91016314d98ffad15248832f3e2a501d.jpg

Rad-Reader:  What is your next project?

Dorothy:  I have a single title, dark erotic romance due out in early June. It’s called Stripped Bounty. The heroine is on the run from a murdering drug dealer and the hero, who’s also a hot badass biker, saves her. 

Rad-Reader:   Where can our readers buy your books?

Dorothy:  

http://www.amazon.com/Dorothy-F.-Shaw/e/B00DPRI5HK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1454191458&sr=8-3

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Dorothy%20F.%20Shaw%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/dorothy-f-shaw/id674181633?mt=11

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/search?query=Dorothy%20F%20Shaw&fcsearchfield=Author

Direct from my publisher, Samhain: https://www.samhainpublishing.com/author/1845/dorothy-f-shaw

Rad-Readers:  Where can our readers find you on the Web?

Dorothy:  http://www.dorothyfshaw.com/

http://www.facebook.com/DorothyFShaw
https://www.facebook.com/TheDonnellysseries
https://twitter.com/DorothyFShaw

WOW! Well, I think that was the hardest interview I’ve ever done! But it was also a ton of fun.

Thank you so much for having me. =)

Best,

Dorothy

Dorothy you have to have been one of the funniest authors I have had the pleasure of communicating back and forth with.  I totally got far and above the things I needed from you and you were just so fast getting everything back to me.  I just can’t thank you enough.  I had one of my many migraines and you were just like I totally get it, rest Chica.  So, thanks and welcome to the family of misfits. Char J