Author Spotlight: Tory Richards
Behind the Scenes
Book 1 The Biker Next Door
Can the president of the local MC resist the cute little extrovert that just moved in next door?
Living next door to each other is torture. Wolfe wants Ella but he doesn’t have time for relationships. He had an MC to run. Anything permanent was off the table. Ella, a fun-loving extrovert thinks she’s okay with a no-commitments kind of relationship. But being with Wolfe only makes her want him more. They should never have given in to temptation. Can they find a compromise for happiness?
Inspiration
A couple of things inspired me to write this book. Bella, the family Pit Bull for one. We adopted her after she just showed up one day and she’s so sweet and loving. Pit Bulls have a bad reputation and I wanted to write about a motorcycle club that takes down dogfighting rings to save and protect the dogs. The president of the club, Wolfe, has a rescued Pit Bull. Also, while visiting Bath Iron Works in Georgetown Maine I thought it would make a good location for a new series. I like small towns.
I had to do a lot of research about dogfighting in certain terms and understand the world around it. But the cruelty of it was just too much and I decided not to get in too deep about it in my book. The gist of my story is that the Soldiers of Retribution, along with law enforcement, take down dogfighting and the people involved, and the rescued dogs are sent to a rehabilitation center the MC is also working closely with.
In the meantime, Ella, a cute little extrovert who writes thriller novels for a living, moves in next door to Wolfe and trouble with her stalking ex becomes his problem when his protective urges take over. He doesn’t want to like Ella, but his dog loves her, so there is that.
The Soldiers of Retribution is a new club, ten years old, and made up of men who have a good reputation in their town.
Writing Process
My writing process has always been all over the place and not very disciplined. It’s because when I began writing I always looked at it as a hobby. And for a lot of years, I was what I call a closet writer. No one knew I was writing. I kept it a secret as if there was something wrong with wanting to be a writer.
I don’t have a set routine. Heck, I once went twenty years without writing a single word. You know, life got in the way, and I had a daughter to raise. These days I write when the mood strikes me. I have to want to write and then I have to get into the zone to accomplish it. I have been retired for twelve years, and I have lots of time, but writing isn’t a job for me.
In writing Wolfe, I was in a good place. It was a brand-new series and refreshing after spending so much time writing my Desert Rebels MC series. Series do well but after seven books I wanted to switch gears. I took a break and wrote Wolfe. Sometimes you need to do that. It’s not really writer’s block. Although I have been there, too. I cannot tell you how many books I have that are in various stages of completion. Some will never be completed. But it kept me writing, kept my mind working, and that helps when you hit a brick wall.
I guess it’s all about what you think about writing and why you do it. If I had to write, I’d never write another word. If it became a job to me I’d never write another word. It’s a passion and that works for me.
Character Development
When developing my two main characters in Wolfe I wanted them to be young but strong-minded and independent. I made Ella an extrovert, which is usually what I save for my secondary characters are. She is friendly and outspoken and not afraid to say what’s on her mind. As soon as she sees Wolfe for the first time, he interests her, but it doesn’t take long before she realizes that he’s an asshole and doesn’t want to be friends. All that does to Ella is make her try even harder.
Wolfe isn’t the typical MC president. They’re not one-percenters and he runs his club out of the only bar they own unless they decide to meet up at his house. He has a lot on his plate and doesn’t have time for romance. Besides, he just broke up with someone. He might find Ella cute and curvy, but he decides to keep her at arm’s length by being an asshole to her. His dog, however, creates complications by seeking out his new neighbor.
Of course, when he realizes that Ella is being hounded by her ex his protective instincts take over, and so does his overactive libido. Things heat up quickly between them and believing that one taste of Ella will be enough is soon put to the test.