Interview: Christie Walker Bos

Christie Walker Bos is the author of several contemporary romances. One in particular caught my attention. It is called The Write Man For Herand has a paraplegic male love interest. I wrote to Ms. Bos and asked her some questions about this book and what led her to write it. I hope you enjoy my interview with her below. Also take a look at her website for more information about all her stories and books: http://christiewalkerbos.com/

Find The Write Man For Her at Amazon.

1) How close are your books to your real life experiences? Depends on the book. With, Magical Man List, the book was inspired by my real life search for a soul mate and how I found him using a Man List. I did do a special ceremony, although not the same one that the characters in the book did. For The Write Man for Her, except for my main character being a writer, too, there weren’t a lot of similarities.

2) Was it easier or harder to have your main character also be a writer? It made it easier to understand her drive to become a writer, since I have the same drive.

3) What appealed to you about having the hero be disabled? I had met a man who was a pilot and flight instructor who was in a wheelchair. I was so impressed by how he hadn’t let his disability stop him from living life to the fullest. He was my inspiration. After the book came out, I gave him a copy and signed it, To My Inspiration. He was blown away.

4) What research did you do to portray the disability? I spent a lot of time on an online chat group page for paraplegics. They were extremely helpful. One guy agreed to answer all my questions about sex, off line, and let me ask him anything. I’ve since had wheelchair bound paraplegics read my book who thought I did a great job. One guy even wrote me a letter, which I posted on my Web site.

5) What was your initial inspiration or thought behind the story? Like I said previously, the wheelchair bound flight instructor was my inspiration. He was married and seemed to have a very normal life. It got me to thinking about having my hero in a wheelchair. There was also a movie, can’t remember what it was, where this guy in a wheelchair asks a woman to dance. My dance scene at the company party was directly inspired by that scene.

6) Were there different challenges involved with having a wheelchair-using character than in your other books? Yes. I had to make sure that all the details were believable and truthful. I had someone say that a wheelchair bound person couldn’t live on a boat. But I found that wasn’t the case. In Marina Del Rey, there is actually a real guy who lives on his houseboat in the marina. They even have handicap ramps at several of the marina. So it is possible although not common. The biggest problem is money, not the logistics of the wheelchair.

7) What was the most challenging element of this story? The most challenging aspect of writing this book was the extra research needed to make sure the details of a paraplegic’s life were true to form. Without actually knowing someone in a wheelchair, that took the most research. Thanks again to my online chat group who kept me honest.

8 ) Simon, the bad guy, is so deliciously, frustratingly annoying. What was your inspiration for him? Every bad boss I’ve ever had! Plus a few creepy boyfriends. Coming up with the villain is always easy. Unfortunately there are plenty of living and breathing examples out here in the real world.

9) How did you pitch this story initially? There were a number of agents and editors that felt I would not be able to pull off a love story with the hero in a wheelchair. Based on reader comments and the letter from the wheelchair bound gentleman, I believe they were wrong. I pitched the story at a writer’s conference to Ellora’s Cave. She had her doubts as well but was intrigued by the unusual hero and asked me to send it in. Guess I won them over because they published The Write Man for Her and all my other novels under their Cerridwen Press line, which is now called Blush. Blush novels are sweet romances with just a bit of sex, while the Ellora’s Cave novels come under the category of erotica. I have three novels with the Blush line, plus two free short stories. Stake Out for Love is a short story with Cath, the girlfriend in The Write Man for Her. It’s free, so why not try it!

10) Do you have other books or stories that have characters with disabilities in them? No. That was my only one. I did get a bit of interest from Hollywood on this story, though. I put together a screenplay and it’s now making the rounds. Nothing yet, though. Every one likes to daydream about who would play the three main characters. Who do you think should play Jessica, Brant and Cath?

What interesting answers! I am excited to hear that a screenplay is making the rounds, wouldn’t that be exciting? I’d love to see that movie. Maybe we should start a Facebook group and gather supporters 🙂 I’m impressed to hear the level of research and care that went into the story. How sweet that you gave a copy to your inspiration guy! He must be happy to know that his life is living proof for the normal life that is possible with a disability.

It’s a really good point about the houseboat. People will say this or that is not possible for someone using a wheelchair full time, but in reality I have yet to see anything that isn’t possible. It might take money, it might take creativity, it might take patience, but nothing an able-bodied person can do is impossible for a wheelchair user.

Next on my reading list is Magical Man List. I’m quite curious to read that one. Cath is a great character too, so I’ll have to check out the short story that has her in it.