Kristin Miller | The inspiration for DESIRING RED, a dark and dirty tale
June 2, 2016
There are many things that inspire my books: movies, songs, quotes,
and Facebook memes, to name a few. Sometimes it’s difficult to pinpoint the
exact moment inspiration struck and blossomed into a story. Other times, as in
the case of DESIRING
RED, I know precisely which elements inspired the tale.
Earlier this year, my editor at Entangled came to me and asked if I’d be willing
to write an erotic retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. As a longtime fan of
dark fairy tales (Grimm vs. Disney for me!), I was instantly drawn to the idea.
Do you remember the 2011 film Red Riding Hood starring Amanda Seyfried?
Two men. One heroine cloaked in red. That’s where the similarities between DESIRING RED and Red Riding
Hood end, but it was the colors that grabbed me. As odd as it sounds,
one of the things I remember most from the movie was the stark-white snow, the
shadows in the woods, and the crimson red of her cloak. I tried to create an
erotic tale as vivid and captivating.
Because I’m a sucker for a sexy Alpha wolf, I knew I had to write the tale as a
paranormal romance with a werewolf at the core—two werewolves vying for the
heroine’s attention, to be specific. When I was “researching” on Pinterest, I
happened upon this cool graphic.
It got me thinking. What if the heroine was an outsider and someone who wanted
to be included in the Arcana Wolf Pack? What if she started off being overlooked
as an outsider and ended up ruling it all? I must like underdogs.
Finally, music inspired the book. I wrote to these songs every single day:
The songs are dark and brooding and put me in the perfect mood to write the dark
and dirty tale of Red. I hope you love the scorching hot retelling as much I
enjoyed writing it.
I’m indecisive when it comes to my shoes. Choosing a werewolf mate who’ll be
with me until I croak? Pardon me while I take some time to think on it. But a
steamy encounter before the final ceremony changes everything.
Reaper, the Omega’s eldest grandson, is fiercely loyal, scorching hot, and built
for pleasure. He brings down my defenses, and before I know what’s happening, I
succumb to the heat in his touch and the skill of his mouth. I’ve only just met
him, but I need him like no other.
As part of my pack duties, I must parade in front of the Alpha, who has first
choice of the pre-shifters. Rumors of his dark desires run deep, and I’ve always
been intrigued. But the forbidden passion blazing between Reaper and me is too
primal to deny. By pack law, Reaper can’t have me until the Alpha makes his
choice…but Reaper’s never been one to follow the rules.
New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kristin Miller writes sweet
and sassy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance of all
varieties. Kristin has degrees in psychology, English, and education, and taught
high school and middle school English before crossing over to a career in
writing. She lives in Northern California with her alpha male husband and their
two children. You can usually find her in the corner of a coffee shop, laptop in
front of her and mocha in hand, using the guests around her as fuel for her next
book.