I was probably sitting in my ninth grade English class the first time I heard about star-crossed lovers. No doubt, it was the first year I thought English was going to be a little more entertaining than math and science. Even then, I was more interested in romance and passion than, say, algebra.

For those of you who’ve forgotten (pardon me while I channel my ninth grade teacher), it was Romeo and Juliet that kicked off with the rather stark introduction: “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.” Admittedly, this wasn’t going to be a romance with the same fun pay-off as The Flame and the Flower. But still, it sounded like racy fare for a fourteen year old.

I thought about the whole star-crossed bit this week as I plot out my next book and turn to the astrological inspiration of Linda Goodman’s Love in the Signs. Over the course of brainstorming many novels, I’ve frequently consulted astrological guides for character ideas. I like all kinds of psychological tools to develop my characters—from enneagrams to Myers Brigg profiles—and astrology is something I come back to time and again. Not because I believe I can predict my character’s future or anything (ha! Imagine how fast I’d be writing if I knew what would happen in the next chapter), but because the sun sign profiles depict identifiable, relatable character types that resonate with readers.

It helps keep my characters consistent when I use profiles like this. Midway through the book, if I’m not sure how my heroine would react, I can remind myself that she’s a Pisces and she’ll need to sit by the lake for a little quiet reflection to get her head on straight. Or that she’s an Aries and as such she’s itching for a major confrontation with the hero.

But the best reason to use the astrological profiles is so I can cast my hero and heroine in diametrically opposed signs to give them the most conflict possible (a romance isn’t a romance without a worthy battle for the HEA). I pit the Cancer woman against the Leo man. The Virgo woman against the Aries man. Literally, I cross their stars, just like The Bard suggested so many years ago.

It still works like a charm. And you know what? It turns out I was wise to tune into the racy stuff and save my napping for algebra. That wild and crazy couple from Verona sure gave me a lot to think about…

Well? Are the sun sign charts hogwash in your book? Do you fit your profile? Are you star crossed in your relationship? Chat with me today and I’ll give away a signed copy of any Blaze from my backlist to a random poster.