How it works for me is that a scene comes to mind, usually a scene between the hero and heroine, that depicts the emotional conflict. From that scene, the characters come alive for me. I don't do a lot of preplanning in any way when I write.

I despise stereotypes. A gay man can be a macho athlete, or he can be an interior designer or any career in between.

Having kids is the deal-breaker on shyness! Once you have a baby, you learn to speak up loud and clear to protect them, defend them, and encourage them. I have three sons, so I've experienced that in triplicate.

I'm truly, 100% guided by the characters and my Muse. If one of the characters suddenly decided to do something very different, I'd just go with it. It's much easier to let the Muse drive than for me to try to steer.