As you are no doubt aware, BUILT, which features novellas by me, the fabulous Amie Stuart, and the equally fabulous Bonnie Edwards hit the shelves this week. Taylor Flynn, the heroine of my novella DOWN AND DIRTY, has a little personality problem. Basically, she’s a bitch. Not to mention a snob, who, for various reasons, doesn’t think the hero is appropriate dating material. I knew as I was writing the story that she bordered on unsympathetic, and possibly unworthy of the hero’s love and devotion. Some people suggested that perhaps I should soften her up. The problem was, I liked her just the way she was. I liked that she was uptight, concerned with her image, and reflected attitudes of women I actually know (and love!). And I love that she’s not so super sweet and incredibly perfect that everyone who meets her is absolutely enchanted by her beauty and grace (barf!). On the contrary, while she’s very beautiful, most people find her kind of cold, and the hero is one of the few people who sees the loveable woman under her perfect exterior. I had such a good time writing her character, this woman who had a very specific idea of her perfect man, and then found herself knocked flat by love where she least expected it.

That being said, I know Taylor will not be everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, one reviewer said she wanted to bitch slap her. Yet she still gave the story a B, so I must have done something right.

We’re all familiar with the reformed rake/uber-alpha/asshole hero, but what about the loveable bitch? Do you like reading or writing them? Has an author ever gone too far in creating either a bitch or an asshole and made you think he/she wasn’t worthy of the other’s love?