Where Do Ideas Come From?

We get asked this question a lot, and most of the time my response is a shrug and a 'I don't know. They just come.'

Well, for my current work-in-progress, I have a different answer.

For a while there I was watching the Discovery Channel show "It Takes a Thief." It's about two guys who'd been in a lot of trouble as teens (mostly for theft). Discovery held auditions for this show, and two men--Matt and Jon--were chosen. They scope out a home--well, Jon scopes it out, Matt's along for the ride. Once they've chosen a home, Matt meets with the homeowners and tells them what they want to do. They place cameras all throughout the house, then Jon does his stuff. Breaks in (sometimes pretty violently) and steals everything he can put his hands on. (He does this when no one's home.) The family comes home to find out they've been robbed--most are very upset, even though they were expecting this to happen. And when Jon has done damage--such as break a window or something inside the house, they get pretty emotional. Which is what he wants--"if you don't feel something, you won't change." Then Matt steps in, "debriefs" the family and gets them set up with new security systems. Jon comes back in a few days and tries to break in again to see how well the family is using their new systems.

Anyway, both guys are pretty cute (I'll admit, Jon's my favorite), and it got me to thinking. I'm signed up for an Amber PAX involving twins. Hmmm. What if my two security experts are brothers. And not just brothers, but identical twins? And they've wanted the heroine, but she's a little skittish?

That's when you have "It Takes a Thief or Two." Due out in December 2007. I'm already about a third of the way done with it, and the manuscript is due to Amber Heat in September, so I'm doing good.