Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in the 80′s, which is sad because I so wasn’t cool in the 80′s. It seems those were the romances and the movies that I identify with and that continue to live in my imagination.
Maybe that was just the time when I finally had enough allowance money and freedom to go to the movie theatre, and I also started paying attention to television. Maybe it was when I started caring about romance and getting emotionally invested in the characters I was watching.
Believe it or not, Butterfly Swords was heavily inspired by the 80s.
Really?

Well, first the 80s was the Golden Age of Hong Kong TVB, when the best historical adventure dramas were made. The Five Tigers came from that period and include some of my favorite Asian actors to this day, like Tony Leung.

But a major influence on the love story in Butterfly Swords came from one of my favorite 80s movies: Dirty Dancing.
Without giving up spoilers for Butterfly Swords, here’s a little bit about Dirty Dancing:

Baby is young and idealistic. She comes from a wealthy family that shelters her. At times she seems unassuming and quiet, but there’s a core of strength in her. She’s very clear in her ideals of how people should be treated.
Johnny is a bad boy. He’s older, more experienced with life and with women. He’s got some moves that make Baby swoon, but other than a couple of steamy dances, he doesn’t touch her and keeps his distance.

Johnny is the alpha male and respected among his people, the other dancers at the camp. They look up to him to solve their problems. Yet he defers when dealing with Baby or with her father. He’s “out of her league” to paraphrase the soundtrack.

Baby’s got Daddy issues. She wants her father’s respect, but realizes her relationship with Johnny is pushing her beyond the bounds of her family. She’s starting to form her own judgments and opinions about people – but it’s all based on the very strong and stable core of love and respect that she comes from.

No need to draw any comparisons between the foreplay of both dancing and sword fighting:

When I started getting close to the love scene in Butterfly Swords, I had a dilemma: Would it be a moment of passion thing? Would they be thrown together in rebellion?

My heroine Ai Li was sexually innocent, yet held power over Ryam because of how he chose to treat her. Ryam held power over her being more worldly and experienced, but he also felt a sense of responsibility because of it. I didn’t know how to negotiate the first love scene with the interesting dynamic between them. How to keep them both true to their characters but still…*ahem*…get it on?

I took a little guidance from Dirty Dancing and Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze.  If you’ve happened to read the book and see the movie, can you see any parallels?

I’m going to listen to “She’s Like the Wind” now in memory of Patrick Swayze. I heart you Patrick. You will not be forgotten.

Have you ever received unexpected inspiration from movies or other books?  Two visitors who post a comment to answer Jeannie’s question will receive a copy of Jeannie’s book and one of Terri’s (who is thrilled to have Jeannie as her guest!).

Jeannie Lin writes historical romantic adventures set in Tang Dynasty China. Her short story, The Taming of Mei Lin from Harlequin Historical Undone is available September 1. Her Golden Heart award-winning novel, Butterfly Swords, was released October 1 from Harlequin Historical and received 4-stars from Romantic Times Reviews—“The action never stops, the love story is strong and the historical backdrop is fascinating.”
Join the launch celebration at http://www.butterfly-swords.com for giveaways and special features. Visit Jeannie online at: http://www.jeannielin.com

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