When Your Characters Have a Mind of Their Own (DFBI 7)

Introducing a new character in a supporting role is very exciting for a writer. It opens up so many possibilities. Is this person going to eventually have a starring role? Are they going to have a recurring role? How will they support the main character? Will they enable the characters by being supportive friends? Will they push the main characters to be more than they were? Will they do something to drive the storyline?

When I wrote Re/Bound, I introduced Keith Rossetti in a supporting role. He was Malcolm’s best friend and FBI colleague. I created him to be a handsome hardass. He was great in a supporting role, so I brought him back in Re/Claimed and Re/Leased. Keith has always been dear to my heart, so when I started planning Doms of the FBI 7 and he whispered in my ear, I gave the story to him.

In this story, I introduced a new couple, Erica and Burke. Erica, as the daughter of a senator, is supposed to be a connection that helps Katrina land an appointment as a judge. She’s also interested in BDSM. I thought maybe I’d do a side story with them discovering their way through the lifestyle. But then Keith invited them to dinner, and things changed. Burke wasn’t cooperative at all. He said and did things that changed the direction of the plot. He brought out a major romantic conflict between Keith and Katrina, and he caught the eye of someone he shouldn’t have. For someone who was supposed to have a small role, he ended up having a larger impact on the novel.