In this week's AuthorView, bright new writer Eve Silver talks about the characters she loves, the heroic act of living, and the "dark" side of her nature.

MB:What or who inspired your novel?

ES:My ideas come from some deep cauldron in my soul that bubbles and hisses and finally belches out an idea that must find its way onto the page lest it tear me apart. Each time I finish a book, new characters begin to whisper their story, and I follow them as they lead me along the path that will become their own. Ummm … yeah … I guess I am a little dark…

MB:What do you like most about "Dark Desires?"

ES:I adore Darcie and Damien, their strength in the face of adversity, their growth as they struggle with both inner demons and undeniable attraction. Also, I love the dark tension of the story, the whisper of fear, the chill of the damp streets of Whitechapel, the Gothic thrill.

MB:Who is the most heroic person you know?

ES:I think that heroism isn't always found in the grand gestures that make our hearts stop and our minds whisper, "There is a hero." Sometimes it dwells in the simple act of living, of facing tragedy and despair and building a life in the aftermath, learning to laugh again, or love again, or simply face the next day. I have family members who lost children to horrific accidents, an aunt whose eye was blown out in a tragic explosion, a brother and a son who suffer from severe medical conditions, friends who fled war-torn Bosnia with little more than the clothes on their backs. Each of these wonderful, strong, brave human beings has chosen to build a life beyond tragedy and loss, to turn their face to the rising sun and smile in anticipation of each day. They are my heroes.

MB:Who's your romance hero: Dark brooding bad boy or white knight in shining armor?

ES:My romance hero? My gorgeous, sexy, brilliant, talented, funny, stand-by-my-side-no-matter-what husband … even after 20 years!

But in the pages of a book I like a hero who is a little mysterious, a little dark, a little tortured, a lot sexy, with a sense of humor, even if it is a bit dry. Something between bad boy and knight in shining armor, with a tiny touch of brilliant thrown into the mix.

MB:Answer the question you wish an interviewer would ask.

ES:Another Gothic? Absolutely. Look for my next dark historical romance in November 2006.