Behind the scenes: Touched by Starlight

A lion shifter, a fae/witch heroine, and a long-lost “Dancers” painting by Edgar Degas. Read on to learn all about “the making of” Touched by Starlight, Book 4 in the Château Nocturne series.

THE CHARACTERS

Touched by Starlight is Book 4 in the Château Nocturne series, which means Bene, the lion shifter, is already a well-established character. But this story gives the charming jokster a lot more depth. You’ll learn how experiences in his past combine with recent events to make him more determined than ever to leave a meaningful mark on the world.

Unike Bene, Dora (short for Pandora) has only appeared as a side mention so far. Like her cousins Mina and Gen, she has a deep interest in art, and she hopes to make a career as a curator of a corportate art collection in the near future. Yes, that’s really a job, as I learned from a friend of mine! We were catching up about what our respective children are up to now that they are young adults, and she told me that her daughter manages a corporate art collection. I found that fascinating and resolved to give that job to a character someday — and now, I have! Read this article about corporate art collections if you’re interested in learning more about what corporate art collections are and how they work.

Unlike Bene, Dora is uptight, organized, and a bit bossy. At least, that’s his opinion. She prefers assertive. That makes this story a mix of “opposites attract” and “don’t judge a book by its cover,” because both Bene and Dora are guilty of underestimating each other early in the story. I love watching them gradually realize there’s far more to each other than meets the eye. It’s the perfect set up for a slow-burn romance that bursts into flames as the story unfolds.

The trickiest thing for me to decide on was Dora’s magical powers. I finally settled on two main powers that suit the story well: her “Garden Jedi” powers (handy in the hedge maze — more on that below) and her ability to sense a painting’s history. I would love to have any magic powers, but I think I would pick her “green thumb” if I could only have one. How about you? Which magical powers would you choose if you could?

THE STORY

Writing a standalone Book 4 in a five-book series is tricky because the story “inherits” some loose threads from Books 1, 2, and 3 that have to be resolved while introducing fresh new elements to keep the audience on their toes. That meant figuring out a way for Mina, Gen, and Dora to finally tackle the “Gordon” issue as well as shining a light on Henrik’s “Leonora” problem. (And boy, is Leonora a problem!)

In addition to all that, I also had to lay the groundwork for events in Book 5 while giving Bene and Dora the love story they deserve. So, whew! That called for a lot of interweaving of plotlines — probably the most I’ve had to juggle in any of my series so far. But I think I pulled it off. I hope you’ll agree, especially after reading Book 5!

It’s also important to me to make characters face challenges that make them reconsider their own beliefs and priorities. I think that’s a critical part of maturing and becoming your best possible self, which Bene and Dora definitely do. It also makes the characters relatable because we’ve all been there, especially when it comes to learning the hard way. And there are certainly plenty of challenges for Dora and Bene to overcome in Touched by Starlight!

THE ARTWORK

Every book in the Château Nocturne focuses on a different artwork and a different art “case” for our friends to solve. Therefore one of my first tasks was to decide which artwork to feature to this book. I almost went with a Canaletto painting that was lost in WWII, but I discovered too much conficting information about that and decided to go with something else. I even reached out to two art galleries about the Canaletto, and they kindly helped me with my research, telling me that particular work is one of the most-copied paintings in the world!

So I went back to the drawing board and went with “Five Dancers” by Edgar Degas instead. Alas, there are plenty of artworks to choose from that were lost in WWII! I combined that with a case of an American soldier who looted art from Germany during WWII which I heard about on a podcast that focuses on “true art crime.” If you’re interested, you can read more about the real-life case here.

ON LOCATION IN FRANCE AND AMSTERDAM

By now you know that I love writing romance stories with an element of armchair travel — hence a series set around a château in Burgundy with action that moves around great locations in Europe. In Touched by Starlight, I decided to “go to” Amstersdam, a place that hasn’t featured in any of my stories so far.

Amsterdam is a wonderfully versalite setting in so many ways, from elegant to seedy. For example, it’s perfectly plausible to find the head office of a multi-million-dollar art collection there, directly across the street from a porn-themed bistro! It’s also a place where a couple can hunker down in unique accommodations for a few private nights (in this case, a canal boat) and where the weather can truly wreak havoc at the least opportiune times (cue foreshadowing!). I can perfectly picture vampires and othjer supernaturals roaming the streeets in Amsterdam too. Finally, I needed a city with a metro, for reasons that will be clear to you in Chapter 17!

All in all, Amsterdam ticked each of those boxes — and more. The city contrasts well with the countryside charms (and dangers) of Château Nocturne, where you’ll get a closer look at features like the hedge maze, which has been mentioned in passing since Book 1. Now, it’s the setting for several pivotal scenes.

Why a hedge maze, you ask? There’s something beautifully old-fashioned about hedge mazes, for one thing. They also embody mystery and suspense, since you’re never sure what’s around the next corner: another path forward or a dead end. A hedge maze is also a great setting for intimate moments, as you’ll see in this book. They’re well suited to action scenes as well! I won’t reveal more here other than to promise you’ll find both types of scenes in Touched by Starlight.

For a closer look at some truly spectcular hedge mazes, check out this article. Enjoy!

MY FAVORITE SCENE

I rarely name a sad scene as my favorite, but that is indeed the case here because it shows a certain character at their best (that’s Chapter 25). I won’t say more here to avoid spoilers, but I think you’ll know what I mean when you read it.

My other favorite is the poker scene in chapter 6, as well as the banter between Bene, Roux, Marius, and Henrik throughout the story. (Henrik, all indignant: “What do you take me to be?” / “A vampire,” the others retort.) I also love the chapters where Bene and Clement antagonize each other. For example, in Chapter 4, when Bene visits the police office on important business. Clement took one look at me, scowled, and turned back to his office, saying “I’m not available.” Those two crack me up every time!

How about you? What’s your favorite scene or scenes?

CROSS-LINKS WITH OTHER BOOKS

I love planting references to my other stories in each new tale I write. Some are obvious, others more hidden. In Touched by Starlight, you’ll find a reference to a female Robin Hood. That alludes to my Sherwood Forest Shifters series, of course! Make sure you check it out — it’s as full of humor, action, and romance as the Château Nocturne series!

So, there you have it — a “behind the scenes” look into the evolution of Touched by Starlight. I hope you enjoyed this “making of” and that you’ll go on to the next books in the Château Nocturne series. Happy reading!