People often ask about my inspiration for my steamy love stories. The thing is, in my romance novels the term “love story” applies to much more than just the love that develops between heroes and heroines. It extends to the love of found family, love for animals, locations, scents, and so much more. My heroes and heroines are not one dimensional, and they don’t walk on the page without issues. Sometimes the love story extends to figuring how to love themselves, or how to allow themselves to be loved.
My inspiration comes from all aspects of life, the people I meet, from the people I meet and stories they share, to my own experiences. It comes from articles, and snippets of conversations overheard in the line for ice cream and from an overactive imagination dreaming up complex people and interesting scenarios that I want to solve like puzzles.
Sometimes, the inspiration for part of a story comes from something very close to me, such as Diesel Black’s affinity for Hobbits. The inspiration for that love came from pictures my brother drew 40+ years ago in our childhood home. I never would have imagined them showing up in one my books, much less in RUNNING ON DIESEL, a truly gritty story about a growly bartender and a snarky waitress. Yet here we are, and it made me so happy to include them.
Until next time, happy reading!
~ Melissa
 
 
Melissa Foster is a New York Time and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes contemporary romance, new adult, contemporary women's fiction, suspense, and historical fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page.
