Drawn to the Enemy
by Barbara Winkes
Released: May 09, 2024
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Why this book and why now?
The first two books in the series feature an ice queen and her love interest. In book 1, the theme was arranged marriage, and I wanted to create a contrast to that. In Drawn, one of the characters is loyal to her family, the other one widowed, never felt completely welcome in her former partner’s family. It was fun, and a challenge to play with elements that are very different, whereas some of the tropes and themes are similar (mafia romance, enemies to lovers). Why now? It’s a growing genre within sapphic romance, and I love that. It means we can bring more romance readers to the dark side! 😉
Do your character names have special significance or meaning?
For my ice queens, I definitely try to find names that fit the archetype. It’s rarely something you can translate, more of a feel that a certain name evokes (I hope!). For the love interest, I also often chose names that can be shortened, not so much for the ice queen (or my jaded, cynical-until-they-meet-the-sunshine-to-their-grumpy detectives) – those don’t appreciate nicknames very much!
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
For Courtney: Fantasy Island (the remake). For the escape and the bi rep. I don’t think that after her experiences, she’d have the same affinity to crime dramas as I do. She would love the setting as much as I did, and the stories might inspire her to explore her own fantasies.
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
Sienna: Non-fiction, any biography of women leaders. Because that’s what she is, and she would identify with the concept. Courtney: The Delicate Things We Make by Milena McKay (because she has always enjoyed age gap romances).
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Taylor Swift, Don’t Blame Me & Sparks Fly. Courtney is younger than I am now, and those songs fit her falling for Sienna head over heels (though they do work for a lot of my couples, come to think about it). Sienna might surprise her with old school Bon Jovi, because she’s closer to my age, and I’m pretty sure Courtney wouldn’t see that one coming!
