Thank you everyone for your lovely comments while I slept (I live in the middle of Canada, eight hours behind you in Italy).

To Lucy (#28): I wrote A GIFT OF DAISIES a long time ago. I can no longer remember how I got the idea for it. But I have always been willing and eager to try something different, and those were characters I decided to try. I know it is not a reader favorite, though there are readers who like it. It is not a favorite of mine either.

To Dany (#30): DEVIL'S WEB was also written a long time ago. I still like the WEB books, but when I reread them 15 years after writing them, I found them very dark, especially DEVIL'S WEB. I still like to delve deep into characters and bring out all their pain before healing its cause, but I like to include a lot of light and joy as well.

To mrstll (#32): Yes, when I write books in a series, they are, of course, filled with minor characters. However, in any particular book I try to keep the main focus on the particular couple whose love story this is. I used to include sub-plots in my books, that is, secondary love stories, and I used to spend quite a bit of time on those. Now I stay with the main couple far more. For most of the book I stay within the point of view of the hero or the heroine--that is, I see the story through their eyes.

Why are series so popular? I think that for readers (and writers!) characters often become like real people. It is good to know that at the end of the book they are not gone forever but will reappear in another book.

To Lory (#34): Are women stronger and more courageous than men in my books? Perhaps though I have not noticed it myself. I know that I like to write strong female characters. At the same time, though, I want them to be historically accurate, and women did not have much power in the Regency era. It is a challenge that I enjoy. It is far easier to create strong, courageous men.

To Laura (#36): My characters are purely fictitious. They come from my imagination. However, I have been observing real people all my life. My understanding of what makes people who they are helps me create characters. My observations of how people speak and behave and look also help me. I want my characters to seem like real people, and so I draw on what I know of real people.

I don't think I will ever create a character who is Italian or set a book in Italy. I do not have enough knowledge of your country and people to do it well. And a few visits would not help. I know the British soul-deep because I am British. I can create convincing British characters.

Mary Balogh