Supernatural Sunday

Welcome Author

Rebecca Leigh!!!

First, I'd like to apologize to everyone for getting this up so late, but better late than never! While Gracen is enjoying a much needed break, I've offered to pick up some of her slack. Unfortunately, my physical maladies had other ideas today. So, again, I apologize for the delay. So, let's just get right to the good stuff, shall we?

While this is really the last day of May, we're kicking off today with our June questions. Hope you enjoy the interview, because we sure had fun coming up with these questions!

ME: There are many holidays within the month of June to celebrate - Holidays/Special Days: 1st – Atlantic Hurricane Season; 5th – World Environment Day; 14th – Flag Day; 19th – Juneteenth Day (Freedom/Emancipation Day); 20th – Father’s Day, 21st – Summer Solstice; 24th – St. Baptiste Day; 27th – Helen Keller Day - and we thought it would be fun to see how different authors celebrate them!

GRACEN: When you stop to consider trends and traditions, June marks a time of beginnings (marriages, commencements). What about you, any weddings, anniversaries or graduations to attend this month?

REBECCA: I always like to commemorate the first day of summer by spending the day outdoors with my family. Since we now live in Hawaii, we are planning a trip to the beach – our favorite place! My youngest daughter was also born on June 29, which makes June a special month.

GRACEN: While April 22nd marks Earth Day, June 5th is World Environment Day. What will you do to celebrate our environment?

REBECCA: There are so many things to do in Hawaii to celebrate the environment. We like to go to the beach, go hiking, and spend time with the wind blowing through our hair at the Pali Lookout – the site of the pivotal battle when King Kamehameha I conquered the island of Oahu.

GRACEN: Speaking of the environment, do you strive to be more energy efficient or more environmentally conscious? How you accomplish this goal?

REBECCA: We try to teach our kids the importance of being environmentally conscious even if it is in only small ways. For example, hanging our laundry to dry and taking a home lunch in reusable containers.

GRACEN: While the summer solstice occurs on June 21st, warmer weather usually arrives earlier than that, encouraging people to get out and enjoy the weather. What activities do you usually start in June?

REBECCA: Actually, we just continue the activities we are able to do all year long in Hawaii. The weather here is perfect for the beach essentially 365 days of the year. Going to the beach is our family’s favorite pastime.

GRACEN: While people generally clean in spring, they need to do something with all the stuff the find they do not need. If it isn’t given away or donated, many people have rummage or estate sales. What about you, do you like to hit the rummage sales on a nice warm morning? Do you go alone or with someone else? Is it a family tradition?

REBECCA: I occasionally got to rummage sales, but I don’t really have an eye for finding those gems. I wish I did – my mother-in-law can find amazing items at rummage sales!! I think it’s a gift I just don’t possess.

GRACEN: The weather in June seems to be a great mix in almost every state, and most people tend to plan vacations in June. What about you, are you a June traveler? If so, where will you be going? If not, when do you prefer to travel and why? Where have you gone or will you be going this year?

REBECCA: As I’ve said, the weather in Hawaii is fabulous. We live in a place that for many people is a vacation get-a-way and we like to take advantage of it!

GRACEN: We’ve had our fun now, so let’s put the focus on your writing. While there are many genres to choose from, what specifically brought you to romance? Why this genre over the others?

REBECCA: I love the idea of having a happily-ever-after story. Maybe it’s the little girl inside me who never grew up, but I think this is one of the most appeal aspects of the romance genre. I actually do write in another genre, but I think my talents are in romance.

GRACEN: Even though the popularity of the romance genre continues to grow, it’s still not always a highly respected genre. What, in your opinion, is the reason for the continued interest in the genre and for the lack of respect it receives?

REBECCA: I’m not really sure the answer to this question. Maybe it is the sort of “in the closet” aspect of reading romance books? Personally, I never shy away from the fact that I like to read romance and that I write romance. I’ve had comments here and there (about the content of my stories), but I ignore them. If what I write bring me pleasure when I write it and pleasure to readers, that is all that matters to me.

GRACEN: For a writer, inspiration can be found everywhere and in almost anyone, but sometimes specific people, places and events can inspire certain characters, personality traits, events or situations that happen in our stories. In your current story that we’re promoting here today, insert name here, did any one particular person, place or event inspire you? If so who/what was it (were they), how did it/they inspire you and how is this inspiration reflected in your story?

REBECCA: There are two inspirations for my debut novel “Have Stake, Will Travel.” The location (the story takes place in Bora Bora, part of French Polynesia) is inspired by my own home here in Hawaii. I am completely in love with the beauty of the South Pacific and my characters very often find themselves here! My main character was inspired by my favorite vampire television series, Buffy – although Orion Masters is more like Faith!

GRACEN: Without giving away anything pertinent to the story, tell us about the hero and heroine (s) of your story. What do they look like? How do they meet (or “did” if this is not the first book with these same characters)? What are their personalities – Are they comical cut-ups, are they serious or are they a mix of the two? Please give us a little bit of dialogue from the story that can illustrate this. (Not much, but just a few lines and from a different section than the main excerpt – Thanks!)

REBECCA: Orion Masters is a vampire slayer with a corporate sponsor. Julian Hunter is a vampire she meets on her latest gig to Bora Bora. The two meet on the hunt and fall in love.

BLURB: Orion Masters is no ordinary slayer, she's a dhampir—half vampire—and she uses her superhuman abilities to her advantage.

After all, a girl's gotta make a living.

But her life takes a dramatic u-turn on a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The balmy nights of paradise hold a forbidden temptation. Hot, steamy sex with Julian Hunter.

Like Orion, Julian is a slayer. Unlike Orion, Julian is a pure blood. Their paths cross on the hunt and Orion finds herself unable to control the allure of Julian's seductive powers. Yielding to her body's instinctive, passionate reaction to Julian, she discovers the erotic lure of heritage, shared blood, and destiny.

EXCERPT: I leave right before sunset to return to the gothic lair, but I don't bother to put on either of the sexy dresses I brought with me to the island. The vamps are in the rented house; I sensed their presence. I don't need to lure them away with promises of sex. I'll walk right in and kill them. My jeans and t-shirt will do fine.
I breathe a deep lung full of air before I start the long walk. The salty taste of the tropics fills my mouth. Mmm. Tastes like a good night for slaying.
By the time I reach the vamps' vacation hideout, the sun has already set. I'd hoped to get here quicker, while there was still more light. That would've been the only sure way to know every remaining member of the family would still be inside. Now that the sun has disappeared below the horizon, some or all of the bloodsuckers could already be gone. Searching for their next meal.
Damn.
But tromping through the thick jungle cover of the tropical forest that surrounds the vacant property adjacent to the house took longer than I'd anticipated. I didn't want to walk up the driveway—who knows who may have seen me. I don't need any nosey humans getting in my way. Not tonight.
I sneak to the edge of the thick line of trees near the rear of the house, staring at the same porch where Kinau made himself at home earlier today. Then, the mansion looked almost cozy. A shiver runs down my spine now when I look at the place. I hadn't realized how foreboding the joint is.
The dark brick façade grabs what few rays of light dare to still struggle to shine and locks them away in the recessed crevices that cover the walls. The tall spires jut into the darkening sky and the quickly gathering clouds hug each gable, as if coming home. The windows suck the looming night into their panes and reflect only darkness.
All the widows, that is, except the one closest to the back door. There's a faint glow coming from inside that window. The vamps that are still here must be congregating in whatever room is on the other side. A meeting place before they walk out the door to feed.
God, I hope they're all in there. Six vamps, one room, me. That would be sweet! Victory is at hand.
I move as stealthily as my legs will carry me past the tree line, over the perfectly manicured lawn. Man, whoever owns this gothic abode loves Bermuda grass. And lilies.
I stop to glance briefly at an ornate black wrought iron gate that encloses a pooled garden of night blooming lilies. The flowers open their blood hued petals to the now fully risen moon. Awakening for the night, like the vamps inside.
Night blooming lilies?
Is that normal for the tropics? I'm not sure. But in the mere seconds I afford the questions, I'm caught off guard. Something big and hard crashes into my back, knocking me face first into the soft Bermuda grass.
The wind is knocked out of my lungs and I take several seconds to recover, despite my dhampir strength.
"What the f—?" I spit grass out of my mouth. My exclamation is cut short when I roll over onto my back and see what hit me.
"Julian?"
His dark features are accentuated in the moon's light, making him even more irresistible looking than the night in the club. Smoldering gray eyes, jet-black hair, shadowed skin, all burning luminously in the night.
His blue aura, highlighted by the moon's glow, dances in waves around his skin. The light moves around him mystically, like the Aurora Borealis, except this is the tropics, not the North Pole. And the aura signals his status as undead, and aren't the result of photon emissions in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Or a dance of the spirits.
The reason for his glow doesn't matter; his light is beautiful. I didn't think it possible for him to be more good looking. I was wrong.
"Orion, what are you doing here?"
I struggle out from under his grip and jump to my feet, dust myself off. "My job. What the fuck are you doing here?"
You're one of them, I think the words but I don't say them. That's what I get for letting a damn vamp get into my head.
I am not one of them. His words are a soft, seductive whisper. "I'm here for the same reason you are."
"What do you mean?" Now I'm confused.
"To kill the Lumière family." He smiles and his teeth sparkle eerily in the night.
I stumble back a few steps, taken off guard by his matter-of-fact explanation. He catches my arm and pulls me to his chest. He tries to wrap his arms around me, but I back away again, determined to stand my ground.
"What do you mean, you're here to kill . . . did you say Lumière family? I didn't know their name." He obviously has more information about these creeps than the Corporation, and that makes me very nervous.
"Yes." He glances behind him toward the back door to the house." Listen, if we're going to kill them, we've got to do it now. Before they leave for the night to feed."
He's right, but I'm not about to agree. This is my kill, not his.
"There's no we in this plan, Julian. The Lumière family is mine." I push past him and stomp toward the back door, leaving stealth lying on the grass behind me.
"Actually, they're mine. The Council sent me to take them out. They're a danger to my kind. This is my job, Orion." His determination matches my own." We might as well work together."
The Council? That's one I haven't heard of before. His job? What is Julian, some kind of vampire terminator? Maybe Julian and I have more in common than I thought.
"I don't work together on any kill and certainly not with one of the enemy."
"Enemy?" He actually sounds a little hurt and a tinge of regret bites at the edges of my conscience for using such a harsh word with him. "Is that who I am? The enemy?"
"Um, hello, vampire—vampire slayer." I use my thumb to motion quickly between us and roll my eyes.
"I am not your enemy, Orion."

Want to learn more about Rebecca or her books? Then check out:
her website: www.rebeccaleighromance.com
her blog: blog.rebeccaleighromance.com

Want to learn more about Orion Masters, vampire slayer?
Check out her blog: orionmasters.blogspot.com

Starlight Saturday

Buy Link: https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=100
Length: Naughty Nibble

It’s Valentine’s Day and Safina is vacationing in Los Angeles and she’s determined to have some fun. Safina and her friend, Lynn, decide to go to Red, an exclusive nightclub. But Red is much more than anyone realizes. It’s owned by Cupids.

Just getting into the party mood, Safina spots someone on the rafters of the building shooting arrows into the crowd. Panicked with the need to stop the attack, Safina watches as her friend Lynn is shot with one of the arrows. But Lynn didn’t feel anything, leaving Safina confused. But when she watches the winged attacker fly into the air and disappear, she faints.

Confronted by one of Red’s owners, Kal, Safina is soothed by him and her immediate response to him. But Safina feels as if she’s met Kal before and is relieved to return to Chicago and get away from him and the questions she has about him. But he follows her to Chicago, equally transfixed by her with a sense of déjà vu. When all of their questions are answered, they must decide if they are going to follow their hearts.

This book was only 26 pages, so I was surprised how easily I connected with the characters. Safina is likeable and fun and so well written she’s easy to identify with. Angela Nichelle paints a descriptive world easily seen through her writing. Cupid’s Arrow was sensual, yet sweet. I was left fulfilled and sweetly glowing, satisfied by the happily ever after ending. I would be delighted if Ms. Nichelle decided to write a sequel with one of the other Cupids as the hero.

PHANTASM FRIDAY

I’m at Naughty Novelists and I’m giving away a copy of Elfin Blood to one commenter, so come visit me and leave a message for a chance to win. Click here: http://www.cheriedesues2.com/naughty-novelists.html

~~~~~

5 THINGS MY CHILDREN TAUGHT ME

I’m kind of knocking off the theme “All I need to know I learned in Kindergarten”, but I thought I’d talk about the 5 things I’ve learned from my children…

5 – They’re money pits! And I've been broke since the first one was born. I thought I’d stop bleeding money when they were out of diapers and stopped drinking formula, but sheesh I wish I’d known it only gets worse. Now they five dollar me to death for this thing at school, or that thing at karate, or that special they "need" at Walmart and Game Stop…it never ends! And I fear it will get worse as the teenage years loom closer.

4 – A two year old learns curse words faster than one syllable words!! And knows how to use them with proper sentence structure. Yikes! I learned how to curb my foul mouth quicker than I could teach them to curb theirs! I used to love the word “damn-it” until I heard it uttered from my two-year-old’s mouth when one of his toys was frustrating him. Boy, was that an eye opener…er, ear opener. ;-)

3 – It doesn’t take a quivering bottom lip for them to get their way, but a sweet look and the words “I love you” will crush my resolve almost instantly! I had no idea I was such a sucker until I had children of my own! Who knew the joke would be on me and that they’d wrap me around their little fingers and lead me around like a dog on a leash.

2 – Children see the world with innocent glee. I’ve lost the wonder and joy of going to the beach, but watching the wonder and joy on my child’s face for the first time was priceless! We’re leaving Sunday for a cruise, the first my boys will take, and I can’t wait to see the excitement on their faces as they get to experience the adventure for the first time. When I get back, I’ll blog about the cruise and post pictures.

1 – How to love unselfishly! This is nothing they taught me. But the love I felt at the moment of their birth is unexplainable unless you have children of your own. I didn’t know I could love so intensely until my boys were born. Suddenly I had humans I’d suffer everything for and give everything up for them. But, they make life worth every sacrifice. And…most of the time I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing anything. =)

So, what are some of the things you’ve learned from your child/children?

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

~huggles~
Gracen

Twilight Thursday

Welcome Author

Gerrie Ferris Finger!!!

I've brought Gerrie into the spotlight not just because I like crime novels, but because she brings together many of the elements that I happen to like in the genre. The End Game offers a stable relationship right from the start, so it's not about building a romance, but it's more about how these two can make their relationship work in their respective lives of solving crimes and if that connection is strong enough to withstand the pressures they deal with every day. But that's not the only reason I wanted to shine the spotlight on Gerrie. I wanted to shine the spotlight on her because she had me gripped in her story from the beginning and managed to chain me to it, which hasn't been all that easy to do recently. If it wasn't for the characters in my own head wanting me to tell their stories, I'd have finished The End Game by now.

If it weren't for my characters distracting me constantly these last two weeks, this interview would have been posted last week! Sorry to everyone about that!

ME: May is loaded with all kinds of interesting holidays (Cinco de Mayo (5th), Mother’s Day (9th), Armed Forces Day (15th), Memorial Day (24th)). May 5th marks a unique voluntarily celebrated holiday recognizing the Mexican efforts against the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1962 under General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin. This battle is legendary because since that time, not one country in the Americas has been invaded by another continent. Do you and/or your friends celebrate this holiday? Why or why not? If so, how do you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

GERRIE: We always celebrate Cinco de Mayo. This year, my husband and I were in Charleston. I was signing THE END GAME at a Barnes & Noble across the street from a celebrated Mexican Restaurant. In the afternoon, around 4 p.m., we went to check out the menu and sat at an outdoor table to check out the margaritas (him the Mexican beer). We met Mario, a naturalized American citizen from San Antonio, in town with his company, and wound up staying until dark, while the band played on. Fortunately, our hotel was in walking distance. Next day, Mario came and bought a book, and we have emailed. What an evening.

ME: Mother’s Day has become as commercialized as other holidays, but, as far as I can tell, no one seems to mind. Some mothers prefer flowers, some a nice meal, while others prefer gifts like time alone. If you are a mother or wish you were one, what would be your ultimate gift on Mother’s Day? Do (would) you prefer your gifts bought or handmade?

GERRIE: Any gift that comes with love is to be treasured.

ME: With the situation in the Middle East, more and more people feel the need to demonstrate their support for the troops. Are you among them? Why or why not? If so, what do you, or have you done to show your support? (If you’re not, that’s okay!) Will you be doing anything special on Armed Forces Day?

GERRIE: My husband is a retired Marine Corps colonel. So yes, we have a retired Marine Corps license plate and we fly the American flag. We belong to many retired military organizations and we'll be having dinner with our military friends.

ME: Many people make a point to care for the graves of loved ones on Memorial Day, or have parties and picnics to celebrate them. What about you? What, if any, Memorial Day traditions do you have?

GERRIE: We do not live in the cities where are loved ones are buried. We will be going to a golf outing and picnic afterward.

ME: There are several games on Facebook (and maybe other social networking sites) that advertise about turning your image into a cartoon avatar, and these next questions find their roots there, but character has been substituted for avatar. If you wrote yourself as a character, who would you be if someone other than yourself? Would you have the same name, physical attributes, anatomy or would everything change? What would your name be and what would your character-self look like? Would you be the heroine or the hero? Why?

GERRIE: I would be someone other than myself because I would want to have a conversation with that person, and, as much as I like myself, I wouldn't be that interesting. I'd already know what she would say. I write from the woman's POV, although I've considered writing a hero's story. I don't know what my name would be or what I would look like, since my characters seem to want to name themselves and stir up an image in my head.

ME: What about your personality and traits? What would you change and what would you keep? What new traits would you give your character-self and why those traits?

GERRIE: I would keep my good traits, and try to change the bad and ugly. I like characters who are brave and resourceful, but not foolish.

ME: When would you exist? Would you go back in time, stay in the present, or jump into the future? What time period would you pick and why?

GERRIE: For this discussion, I would say back in time. I like history and research. I did a romance set in the 1920s and thoroughly liked that era.

ME: What type of story would it be (other than historical, contemporary or futuristic)?

GERRIE: Romantic suspense and mystery. My romances are considered light, and my novels will always have a crime twist in them.

ME: Would you have companions (family, friends, pets, children) or would you be the loner-type? What companions would you have and what would they be like? What, if any, special qualities would your pet have if your character-self had one?

GERRIE: Depending on the setting, most would contain some or all of the above. I would need to develop a plot to know what my companions would be like. I especially like to have dogs in my novels. They are wonderful characters.

ME: We’ve had our fun now, so let’s put the focus onto your writing. What is your main genre (erotica, erotic romance, romantic suspense, etc.)? What was the draw for you?

GERRIE: Romantic suspense. My characters are in their thirties and desire romance, but wherever their love and lust takes them, I do not open the door on their privacy. I love suspense and mystery. I want my lead romance characters to have a certain amount of distrust and suspicion of character who is reluctant to reveal much about him or herself. My mysteries will always have a murder and twists and turns that are fair to the reader.

ME: Besides your main genre we just discussed, what elements do you prefer to use in a story and why those elements over others? Any elements you would never use? Why or why not?

GERRIE: As I've mentioned, mystery; there's got to be some mystery surrounding their romance. I wouldn't use fantasy or vampires. It's just overdone now.

ME: In your opinion, what author or story had the most influence on your writing? What about their writing or that story did you find so influential and why?

GERRIE: I loved the Mary Stewarts and Judith Krantzes until they got repetitive. I guess that happens when writers are prolific. A lot of romance writers are very good plotters, but sometimes the writing weakens. I've always been fond of Mary Higgins Clark for her ability to write a gripping story. In the mystery vein, I love Greg Iles and Val McDermid.

ME: While authors and stories can definitely influence us, inspiration can be everywhere for a writer, but sometimes specific people, places and events can inspire certain characters, personality traits or things that happen in our stories. In your current story that we’re promoting here today, The End Game, did any one particular person, place or event inspire you? If so who/what was it (were they), how did it/they inspire you and how is this inspiration reflected in your story?

GERRIE: I wrote THE END GAME after I retired from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I'd heard of foster children going missing and I wanted to create a heroine who was going to do something about it.

ME: Without giving away anything pertinent to the story, tell us about the hero and heroine (s) of your story. What do they look like? How do they meet (or “did” if this is not the first book with these same characters)? What are their personalities – Are they comical cut-ups, are they serious or are they a mix of the two? Please give us a little bit of dialogue from the story that can illustrate this. (Not much, but just a few lines and from a different section than the main excerpt – Thanks!)

GERRIE: Moriah Dru is a tall, dark-haired woman of thirty-five. She's athletic. She and Richard Lake, who is an Atlanta policeman, run 10-Ks every day that they can. It keeps her in shape for the rigors of going after bad guys and finding missing kids. Lake is a good-looking guy, one that cop and media ladies find fascinating, to Dru's jealousy consternation.

Excerpt:

Pressing END, I went for my backpack, slid the cell in, and thought about my poor overworked lover. A big-city detective lieutenant couldn’t count on two whole days to himself unless he escaped to a desert island and changed his name. Neither, it seemed this morning, could an ex-policewoman turned child finder.

I pulled clothes from a wardrobe while I watched the tragedy on the tube. A helicopter hovered above the scene. Video caught firemen tromping through a gutted house and horrified people clinging to each other. The chopper ranged the neighborhood where searchers darted like fire ants. Closer to the ground, the lens tightened on a Search and Rescue dog pulling its handler along an overflowing ditch. Another SAR dog zig-zagged across a playground with swings and see-saws.

Lake came from the bathroom toweling his chest. We exchanged glances. I said, “It was really nice while it lasted.”

“Really nice?” he mocked, flinging boxers and socks from a drawer onto the bed. “You say better things about my wardrobe.”

He’s a tall, broad-shouldered man, but it’s his face that captivates–all angles and irregularities merging to make him beautiful. Then my brain’s devil-voice said, you’re not the only woman in Atlanta who thinks so. I didn’t have the time to dwell on my jealous side and whirled for the shower. I said over my shoulder, “It appears you’re on loan to me.”

“Isn’t owning me enough?”

If only I did. “Portia made sure you got the gig.”

“Lovely Portia.”

As I washed hair and scrubbed body, I said goodbye to an amorous weekend and set my mind on the reality of what lay ahead. Kids going missing after their house burns down. Foster kids. Troubled kids. My kind of kids.

ME: The main characters are usually great, but sometimes, secondary and tertiary characters are known to steal the scenes. Who are the secondary/tertiary characters in your story and what do they look like? What’s unique about them? What is their relationship to the hero/heroine? Have any of these gone on to become scene-stealers? If so, who and how did they do it? (Again, please give us a small bit of dialogue to illustrate this – thanks!)

GERRIE: My scene-stealers are two Search and Rescue dogs. No kidding, they've gotten a lot of review press. The Lab is an airscent and the German Sheperd is a ground tracker. Their names are Buddy and Jed.

Moriah Dru’s weekend off with her lover, Lieutenant Richard Lake, is interrupted when Atlanta juvenile court judge Portia Devon hires Dru to find two sisters who’ve gone missing after their foster parents’ house burns down.

The latest winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition, The End Game features a strong new heroine in a vivid Southern setting. Gerrie Ferris Finger puts a new spin on the classic mystery novel.

Gerrie Ferris Finger is a winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition. She lives on the coast of Georgia with her husband and standard poodle, Bogey.

To learn more about Gerrie and her other books checkout:

Her website: www.gerrieferrisfinger.com

Her blog: www.gerrieferrisfinger.blogspot.com

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Review of The End Game

A hunt for two young sisters propels Finger's compelling if at times sobering debut… A well-researched plot and snappy dialogue—plus some fine rail-yard K-9 detecting by Buddy, a German shepherd, and Jed, a Labrador retriever—keep the action moving.

Tantalizing Tuesday

Please welcome author Megan Johns into the moonlight today. To learn more about Megan, please visit her website by clicking here.

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GRACEN: Mother’s Day has become as commercialized as other holidays, but, as far as I can tell, no one seems to mind. Some mothers prefer flowers, some a nice meal, while others prefer gifts like time alone. If you are a mother or wish you were one, what would be your ultimate gift on Mother’s Day? Do (would) you prefer your gifts bought or handmade?

MEGAN: Mother’s day in the UK is earlier - the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter – so I already got my present. I had a beautiful bunch of flowers which were a perfect gift and I did the same for my own mother, too. Chocolates, unfortunately, are a banned substance (apart from 85% dark chocolate).

I think a token gesture, no matter how small, lets people know that you care, maybe a gift or simply visiting and spending time alone.


GRACEN: (Megan combined her answer to questions 3 and 4, so what follows are questions 3 and 4)
With the situation in the Middle East, more and more people feel the need to demonstrate their support for the troops. Are you among them? Why or why not? If so, what do you, or have you done to show your support? (If you’re not, that’s okay!) Will you be doing anything special on Armed Forces Day?


Many people make a point to care for the graves of loved ones on Memorial Day, or have parties and picnics to celebrate them. What about you? What, if any, Memorial Day traditions do you have?

MEGAN: Armed Forces Day didn’t start here until 2009 when it took over from Veteran’s Day, also a relatively new event, but it is gathering momentum. It is important to ensure that we remember the sacrifices of our troops in all conflicts, not just WW1 and 2. Historically, we have focused on Remembrance Day in November (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the Armistice was signed in 1918 at the end of WW1). I always buy a poppy and observe the two minutes of silence. The date happens to coincide with my father’s birthday so, yes, we do visit his grave and lay flowers then.


GRACEN: (Megan combined her answer to questions 5 and 6, so what follows are questions 5 and 6)
If you wrote yourself as a character, who would you be if someone other than yourself? Would you have the same name, physical attributes, anatomy or would everything change? What would your name be and what would your character-self look like? Would you be the heroine or the hero? Why?

What about your personality and traits? What would you change and what would you keep? What new traits would you give your character-self and why those traits?


MEGAN: If I wrote myself as a heroine I would shed a few years, a few pounds (in weight!) and go back to how I looked in my thirties, but possibly taller. I would probably be more of an extrovert, bolder and more outgoing to guarantee plenty of action. As I like putting my characters in difficult situations, it would ensure they got into conflict so that I could delve deeply inside them.


GRACEN: When would you exist? Would you go back in time, stay in the present, or jump into the future? What time period would you pick and why?

MEGAN: As for when it is set, I would definitely choose the present as I like to bring contemporary issues into my writing whenever possible.


GRACEN: What type of story would it be (other than historical, contemporary or futuristic)?

MEGAN: It would be a love story with added interest. My reading tastes are quite eclectic, but I always like to have a romantic core.


GRACEN: Would you have companions (family, friends, pets, children) or would you be the loner-type? What companions would you have and what would they be like? What, if any, special qualities would your pet have if your character-self had one?

MEGAN: Companions? I would be an independent type, but I would need somebody to talk to, possibly a colleague or old friend, maybe a sister – somebody I could reveal my thoughts to.


Although I love dogs (I am the proud owner of a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel), I think my heroine would be too encumbered by a pet and conversation is quite limited!

I definitely would not want to be my character as her love life would be too much of a roller coaster- too much conflict, turmoil and constant ups and downs.


GRACEN: What about a love interest(s)? What type of relationship(s) would it (they) be? Would it (they) be anything similar to what you have now (or want to have), or would you be radical and change things up? What would he/she (they) look/be like? What would it be about him/her (they) that attracts you? Would he/she (they) have any traits you don’t like or would you make him/her (they) completely perfect? What traits and why?

MEGAN: What would the heroine look like? Natural. She would be too busy to worry about complicated hair styles or the latest fashion. As for traits, she might appear a little hard on the outside, but she would have a soft core. If she were modelled on me, she would be far from perfect!

The hero would be enigmatic. He would be dark and mysterious and slightly detached. I like to set challenges!


GRACEN: (Megan combined her answer to questions 11 and 12, so what follows are questions 11 and 12)
What is your main genre (erotica, erotic romance, romantic suspense, etc.)? What was the draw for you?


Besides your main genre we just discussed, what elements do you prefer to use in a story and why those elements over others? Any elements you would never use? Why or why not?


MEGAN: The Path of Innocence is contemporary romance whose central message is that love, when strong enough, will win through and conquer all ills.

I really enjoy romance as a genre because it affords so much scope to explore other issues as well as enabling a writer to delve deep inside characters’ hearts and minds. I particularly wanted to write for women who understand that life is not clear-cut and The Path of Innocence is more than just a contemporary romance. It is also a deeply emotional book about the complexity of love and its contradictions


GRACEN: In your opinion, what author or story had the most influence on your writing? What about their writing or that story did you find so influential and why?

MEGAN: What author influenced me? I have to say Joanna Trollope because of the way that she deals with contemporary issues in such a pithy style, never wasting any words.


GRACEN: While authors and stories can definitely influence us, inspiration can be everywhere for a writer, but sometimes specific people, places and events can inspire certain characters, personality traits or things that happen in our stories. In your current story that we’re promoting here today, insert name here, did any one particular person, place or event inspire you? If so who/what was it (were they), how did it/they inspire you and how is this inspiration reflected in your story?

MEGAN: Inspiration, as you say, is everywhere- people, events, places, past experience...
I was busy with a teaching career and quite late in discovering my creative streak. However, suddenly I discovered all this stuff in my head, the accumulation of years of experience, seemingly waiting to be unleashed. It seemed that my mind could take me off in so many different directions.

Events at the time also influenced the conception of The Path of Innocence. My daughter was about to go to university, so I guess that I was experiencing a few motherly pangs of concern. It started me thinking about what if a young person couldn’t adapt or found it hard to cope with emotional setbacks away from home? I have experience of this age group through work, so I know how vulnerable young people can be, despite outward appearances.

My thoughts also turned to the strength of a mother’s love and how none of us can take for granted its reciprocal nature. What events might shake those underlying feelings of love in one’s offspring? What about a parent who has betrayed their trust or been emotionally abusive?

The characters of Fiona, Roger and Debbie were emerging and The Path of Innocence started to take shape.

The book is set in the UK, in London’s suburbs, rural East Anglia and Scotland. Settings are a major source of inspiration for my writing. If I can mentally transport myself to a location with which I feel a strong emotional attachment, I find that ideas will spring from this sense of place. When I put my characters there too, they also respond to the environment so that it influences their behaviour and hence the plot.


GRACEN: Without giving away anything pertinent to the story, tell us about the hero and heroine (s) of your story. What do they look like? How do they meet (or “did” if this is not the first book with these same characters)? What are their personalities – Are they comical cut-ups, are they serious or are they a mix of the two? Please give us a little bit of dialogue from the story that can illustrate this. (Not much, but just a few lines and from a different section than the main excerpt – Thanks!)

MEGAN: Fiona is feisty, strong-willed and opinionated, a firm believer in true love. She is also naive which leads her into compromising situations, testing the strength of her resolve and making it difficult for her to live up to her own standards.

Roger is more withdrawn, serious and sensitive, emotionally scarred by an unhappy childhood.

They meet whilst she is throwing up, having stormed away from a guy at a party!

Excerpt:


Something about the gentleness of tone penetrated her flimsy defences and a loud sob erupted, despite her efforts to suppress it. Suddenly her hands began to shake uncontrollably and a river of teardrops spilled down her cheeks.

“I…I’m sorry,” she choked. “Making a fool of myself.”

“It happens to the best of us. Look, I don’t want to interfere, but are you sure there’s nothing I can do?”

“My jacket,” she sobbed. “It’s so cold.”

“Where is it?”

“In there,” she nodded toward the flat. “In one of the bedrooms.”

“Can I get it for you?”

“No! You can’t go in!”

“Well, perhaps I could ask somebody else to get it?”

She raised her bleary eyes to meet the stranger’s face and forced a tight smile.
Fiona’s mother, Debbie, plays a pivotal role. She has a lot of turmoil and conflicting emotions battling inside her as she wrestles with her contradictory feelings, caring for a sick husband whilst nurturing a burning sexual desire. Her journey is a very important theme of the book.

Excerpt:

She eyed a neighbouring cat clambering back on to her fence, watching it balance its tightrope way along the top. The cat probably failed in its attempt to pounce upon a butterfly, she guessed, and she followed its course around the borders of her garden until it finally disappeared behind a row of conifers. It seemed that everywhere she looked, there were fences or trees, boundaries hemming her in, locking her in parochial isolation. Sometimes, like now, she yearned to break through the barriers, to regain her lost freedom, to become a whole person again rather than a mere appendage to the main player. She fixed her gaze on a row of marigolds and it suddenly struck her how sad and wilted they looked, drained of life. Gardening, like everything else, could feel like a losing battle. Yet, she shook her head firmly, knowing that being a defeatist was of no use to anybody, least of all to her, and she knew that she mustn’t give up the fight. Promptly jumping to her feet, she began to unreel the hose and, blatantly ignoring the ban, she turned on the tap to full power and aimed the nozzle at the flowerbed, determined to shower the drooping plants back to life.

BLURB:

The Path of Innocence is my debut romantic novel. It is a contemporary novel, set in the UK, in London suburbia, East Anglia and Scotland.


The main characters are Fiona and Roger, two young and naive adolescents from very different backgrounds, who are travelling precariously towards adulthood along a path of self discovery, love and sexual awakening.


Fiona is strong-willed and idealistic, a firm believer in true love and family values, although her naivety leads her into compromising situations and she struggles to live up to her own standards. Roger is already disillusioned by an unhappy childhood and his encounters only serve to deepen the wounds.


The book explores the challenges they face, following their ups and downs and the pain they suffer as a result of showing too much trust in those they perceive as friends, only to be betrayed.


When they eventually meet, it takes a huge leap of faith for Roger to let Fiona into his affections , but they do fall in love and it seems that they have finally found the happiness that has, so far, eluded them both. Yet, they are unaware of the powerful struggle Debbie, Fiona's mother, has with her own conflicting desires and which threatens to bring their happiness crashing down.
Debbie's journey is an important theme and the book explores her inner turmoil as she wrestles between the contradictory emotions of wanting to care for an invalid husband, whilst also nurturing a burning sexual desire.


And the dramatic consequence of Fiona and Roger finding out her dark secret threatens to shatter their beliefs in everything.


The question of whether their love can survive a cruel twist of fate hangs in the balance right up to the end.

Excerpt:

Here’s Roger, poor little rich guy, forced to resume the vitriolic relationship with his father after his mother’s untimely death.


George and Heather departed after mid-morning coffee the following day and Roger was summoned to his father’s study shortly afterwards.


“I shall be returning to London this afternoon,” he informed him matter-of-factly. “You may stay here for the rest of the school break if you wish. There should be few distractions to interfere with your studies. Mrs. Mulwell will remain for one more month, until I or your grandmother have appointed another housekeeper.” Brusquely, he pushed a cheque at him, although he didn’t let it go. “An additional allowance. But I expect your commitment to exam success in return.”


Roger eyed the cheque and snatched it from the hand with a dry, thank you, although the thought of being bought off sickened him. Inwardly bridling, he watched his father gather a bundle of papers and tap them four-square into a neat pile.


“Of course, I would have wished for any son of mine to go to Oxbridge, but as it is…”
Contemptuously, Roger stuffed the cheque into his pocket before his feelings got the better of him, and concentrating hard on maintaining an even tone, he piped up, “Can I ask a question?”
Edward Rolfe did a quick double-take and glanced at his watch.


“What happened to Mother’s personal things?” Roger continued, undeterred. “There doesn’t appear to be one item of her belongings left.”


His father glared irascibly. “What are you talking about, boy? Your mother is dead.”


“Yes, wiped off the edge of the earth without trace, it would appear.”


“I’ve no time for this sort of nonsense.” He slammed down the lid of his briefcase. “Pull yourself together and grow up. And those are my final words.” Clicking the locks into place, he stood up to tower over his son. “If you haven’t got anything constructive to say, you might as well leave.”


“Yes, I’ll go.” Loathing oozed from every pore in Roger’s body and his voice faltered tellingly. “And leave you to get on with your affairs.”


“You have many lessons to learn, not least that business must take priority if you are to succeed.” His father made to brush past him, then he stopped in his track as Roger retorted acidly, “Oh, I didn’t mean business affairs.”


Turning around sharply, Edward Rolfe glowered at his son, but Roger met the menacing stare levelly.


“Just get out of my sight!”


“Yes, I expect you’d like that. I daresay my nuisance value is as tiresome as Mother’s always was. You never cared about her either. You were only interested in your own selfish gratification. And you certainly don’t care about your so-called friends. I wonder what George would think of you if he knew you were bedding his wife?”


Roger watched as his father’s normally inscrutable veneer contorted into an explosion of wrath and, glaring darkly, Edward Rolfe raised a hand, then slapped it hard across his son’s face.
The force of the impact stung, but ignoring the pain, Roger did not even twitch a muscle and he stared back in defiance, knowing that the bitterness that had festered for so long had, in that instant, turned into pure hatred, and there was no going back.


********


BUY LINK


REVIEWS
Euro reviews 5 stars http://www.euroreviews.be/bookdetails.php?book_id=1310
BKWalker 4 stars (two reviews) http://bkwalkerbooks.weebly.com/book-reviews.html

Mystic Monday

Awards, Contests and Ketchup

A couple weeks ago, I get this email from YA Author, Sandra Cox. It seems she nominated me for a Creative Blogger Award on her blog, Downtown YA.

Then about a day or two later, I received another email from YA Author Dana Davis seconding my "nomination" on her myspace blog post - which means, I only need to pick 7 - targets...wait, no...victims...that's not right either...authors...yeah, let's use authors - authors instead of 14. Okay, so I need to pick seven other authors to "nominate," but we'll get to that in a minute.

The other part of this...um...honor is to come up with a confusing list of false-truths - a list of 7 statements about myself 6 can be true and 1 can be a lie, or 6 can be lies while 1 can be true. Therein lies the challenge. My problem is, I want to win, I want to confuse the hell out of you so that no one will guess the right answer. But I also want you to enjoy yourselves in the process.

So, here's my list of 7 statements. 1 could be true or 6 of them could be. That's for you to decide hehehe!

1. I met my husband in a "chatroom" over the intranet.

2. Exchanged emails with an NBA General Manager.

3. Went to school with the kids of a Big Ten football referee.

4. Met a professional athlete.

5. Was born at a professional football stadium.

6. Knew an actor before he became an actor.

7. Was told by an author that I had the grasp of narrative hook when I was 13.

Okay, there's my list. Not so easy, is it? Or maybe it is. HAHAHAHAHA! Have fun! Can't wait to see what answers are chosen! Oh, and just a fact, I was born in Green Bay, WI....Anyone who really knows me can honestly say that each of these answers has 50/50 shot of being true...lol!

Okay, now on to the...um...what did I call them again? Right, author nominees.

1. Gracen Miller - fellow Moonlighter and Adult Romance Author

2. Margay Leah Justice - fellow Moonlighter and Romance Author

3. Kimberly Joy Peters - YA Author (Painting Caitlyn and Posing As Ashley)

4. Lori Handeland - Paranormal Romance Author

5. Anna Campbell - Historical Romance Author

6. Christine Hart - YA Author (Watching July, Best Laid Plans)

7. Alyson Noel - YA Author (Immortal Series)

I'd really love to have mentioned Kate Douglas and Heidi Betts, but I do know that they have been fairly busy lately lol! Of course, Sandra Cox and Dana Davis do get honorable mention. Perpetuating the cycle just isn't good lol!

Wistful Wednesday

Revision: How Do I Make

This Better?

I thought I’d do something a little differently today. I thought I’d show you a little glimpse into the process of revision. Below is the latest of many incantations for the opening of a YA novel I’ve been working on for some time. But, like all of the openings before it, it just lacked the punch I was looking for. After weeks of trying to come up with a better opening, I submitted this portion of the opening to an online contest for the feedback and in so doing, had a breakthrough. I finally came up with something that I think packs the punch I was looking for, as well as conveying the information I wanted to convey in this section. Following this version is the new version. I invite you to read both and tell me what you think. Which one does the better job of conveying the information? Or do I still need to work on it? All suggestions are welcome.

Version #1:

I don’t ask for a lot. Really. In my family, there’s not much to ask for, anyway. I guess you could say that demand out-weighs supply. But even if there was anything to ask for, I wouldn’t. It’s just not me. I’m kind of happy with what I’ve got so why ask for more when I don’t need it? Still, it would be nice if, just once, I could ask for this: To get through the day without someone making fun of my name.

Just once.

Please?

No, of course not. That never seems to be the case. Inevitably, someone, some time, is struck by the urge to make fun of my name. And how could they resist? With an unfortunate moniker like Irene Goode, they have a lot to work with.

Yes, that’s right.

Irene.

Goode.

That’s me. A born punchline for all the budding comedians of Amory High. Or wanna-be mean girls.

Today, it was Bridget Taylor stepping up to the mike for her shot at school fame. And me. One thing about Bridget: She lacks imagination. So rather than dazzling her classmates with her stunning wit, she fell short with a dull pun. A variation of which she’d been slinging at me since our first encounter in grade school.

“Can you pass this to the Goode girl?”

Version #2:

I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. Seriously, with a name like Irene Goode, the probability for trouble ranked pretty high, if you know what I mean. Well, I guess Irene’s not too bad – unless you’re like a certain someone who shall remain nameless (Bridget Taylor), who once told me, “We had a cow named Irene once. We ate it for dinner.” Seriously twisted. Even in grade school. Yeah, so tell me something like that and you make an issue out of the first name. But most of the time, it’s not so bad. Not great. But not bad. Oh, no. The problem is the last name.

Goode.

Do you know how hard it is to live up to a name like that?

I do.

Or how about Version #3, which adds more detail:

I always knew my name would get me into trouble one day. I just didn’t think it would take this long. Maybe I just have a long fuse. Or a short attention span. Something. But, anyway. It finally happened. I snapped. And my name got me in trouble.

Seriously, with a name like Irene Goode, the probability ranked pretty high, if you know what I mean. Well, I guess Irene’s not too bad – unless you’re like a certain someone who shall remain nameless (Bridget Taylor), who once told me, “We had a cow named Irene once. We ate it for dinner.”

But she was one twisted sister. I mean seriously twisted. Even in grade school. Who would name something and then eat it? Or even say they did? That’s a demented thing for anyone to say, but really disturbing coming from a seven-year old.

Yeah, so tell me something like that and you make an issue out of the first name. But most of the time, it’s not so bad. Not great. (Like Maxie or Roxie, my idols!) But not bad. Oh, no. The problem is the last name.

Goode.

Do you know how hard it is to live up to a name like that?

I do.

So what do you think? Which version do you like better? And do you have any revision tips for other aspiring writers out there?

PHANTASM FRIDAY

Yikes! I almost forgot today is Friday. Between getting ready to leave for vacation next week and birthdays today for my brother and best friend, I'd forgotten today was my blog day! So, a big huge YIKES!

So, I thought instead of boring you with some trivial blog, I'd hold a contest in celebration of the coming summer. I'll give away a Gracen Miller tote bag (beach bag) to one lucky winner.

All you have to do is leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win. I'll pick a winner this coming Sunday, May 23rd.

Due to cost of postage, this contest is open to all US residents only.

Good luck to all entrants!

Wistful Wednesday

One of Those Days

Have you ever had one of those days where one thing was so prevalent in your that you forgot just about everything else? Yeah, well, I had one of those days today. So I apologize for forgetting to post this morning. But in my defense, the thing that took precedence in my mind today was the health of my family members.

I am happy to say that my sister is out of the hospital now and resting (ha!) at home, recovering from a bad bout of the Crohn's and trying to heal a bit before surgery. And my daughter had a follow up with her doctor today and it looks like she is fast on the road to recovery herself. There are still some issues to deal with, the upper most being trying to determine if the original diagnosis of bipolar disorder is an accurate one. To that end, she will be undergoing a series of psychological and medical testing in the near future. So I apologize now if I get a little scatter-brained in the coming weeks and forget to post again.

Later, my Moonlighter friends!

Tantalizing Tuesday

Welcome Author

Lynn Crain !!!
The Power of a Good Hook

Another year has passed and I’m still churning out the words. I find it amazing that something like writing has fascinated me for forty years. While other passions come and go, writing has had a firm grip on me since my younger years. I can remember my mother reading Grimm’s Fairy Tales to me in one form or another and me thinking some of the endings were dumb while the beginnings held great promise. Even at that early age, I realized that the book had to have an incredible beginning or people wouldn’t like it.

Since those early days, I have learned the power of the hook as we writers call it. If you don’t get the readers with the first line or paragraph, you may not get them at all. So I thought this blog, I’d go over some hooks that have intrigued me and give a few of my own for contrast.

Here’s my top ten list of best hooks in the world. See if you can guess who wrote them. The answers are listed below. They are, in no particular order:

1. Hunting vampires was a bitch.

2. He was running for his life.

3. It was a dark and stormy night.

4. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

5. Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.

6. Marley was dead: to begin with.

7. When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

8. It wasn’t a very likely place for disappearances, at least at first glance.

9. Somewhere in the world, time no doubt whistled by on taut and widespread wings, but here in the English countryside it plodded slowly, painfully, as if it trod the rutted road that stretched across the moors on blistered feet.

10. The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane.

Each one of those have special meaning for me as I read each of those books at a different time in my life. Realize that this list ebbs and flows like a river, changing with time and never standing still. Notice there is a mix of classic and contemporary pieces. Some are romance and some are not. But each of them have something so compelling which makes me want to read more. And read them I did, some more than once and a few of them I still read yearly if I can remember just where I left my latest copy. LOL!

So what comprises a good hook? Notice that with the ones I listed, there is not one standard theme. Some come from a character’s point of view and some don’t, some involve something personal and some don’t. So just what is it?

There are some constant elements each and every hook must have. They are:

· It must be compelling

· Should be a beginning – The reason I say should here is because some books have started with the ending and been quite successful.

· It can start with dialogue.

· It can start with action.

· It could be a contrast or something totally unexpected.

· It could be a character description or a description of a setting.

· It could be a humorous question or exclamation or even a regular question or exclamation.

Let’s look at some of mine now and see just what I do. The first is from a WIP called “Where’s My Underwear?” and it is a fun romp. It’s first direct, to the point and immediately brings you into the action.

“So…you really don’t know where your underwear might be?”

There are groups out that who say never start your novel with a question. But this question just begged for an answer. It puts the reader immediately on a quest for the missing underwear. It also brings to mind other questions: who has the underwear? how was the underwear lost? was the underwear misplaced?

Suddenly, a reader wants to know the answer to those questions.

Here’s another of my first lines. This is from a completed book which is part of the Blue Moon Magic world.

He had always been in this cage in one way or another. It was only recently they had decided to make it his permanent room.

Again, this one takes you immediately into a dilemma. You know someone is in a cage. You don’t know the how’s or the why’s but it just begs those questions.

Here’s another from my Santa’s Elves series. This is from my book, An Elf’s Desire.

That human woman drove him crazy.

From just this first line, you know the person thinking is a man and that he isn’t human. Still, you wonder just what the human woman is doing to drive him crazy. It must be something good or he wouldn’t be thinking about it.

This last one is from another WIP called “Avenging Aingeal” and is a story of elemental magic.

No one knows where we came from really. We just…are. And there are so very few of us, roaming the earth, protecting the inhabitants these days.

This is from an omniscient POV but is still interesting in its own way. We want to know just who ‘they’ are and why we need protecting. Then one might want to know just how long have ‘they’ been protecting us because the way the sentence is constructed, it is implied that ‘they’ have been here for a long, long time. But one must read the story to know the all answers.

And this one has always been one of my personal favorites as it won quite a few contests with the most notable being at the Hawaii RWA conference. Leslie Wainger picked it as one of five from the whole room full of people.

“Damn, I’m going to lose another one.”

This from my complete book, Midnight Run about a woman off-road racer. It was my first book ever, all 72K of it. And it’s set on my computer in one form or another for the past fifteen years at least. It has a great hook but a saggy middle with a kick-ass end. But that’s left for another blog.

And here are the answers to my original question.

1. Hunting vampires was a bitch. – Minion – L.A. Banks

2. He was running for his life. – Hot Ice – Nora Roberts

3. It was a dark and stormy night. – Paul Clifford – Edward Bulwer-Lytton

4. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. - Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

5. Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were. - Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

6. Marley was dead: to begin with. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens

7. When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton. Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring – J.R.R. Tolkein

8. It wasn’t a very likely place for disappearances, at least at first glance - Outlander – Diana Galbadon

9. Somewhere in the world, time no doubt whistled by on taut and widespread wings, but here in the English countryside it plodded slowly, painfully, as if it trod the rutted road that stretched across the moors on blistered feet. - The Flame and the Flower – Kathleen Woodiweiss

10. The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J.K. Rowling

After all, isn’t that what a hook is meant to do? Make you as the reader want to read the book?

You betcha!

I always look forward to comments from readers.

You can email me at lynncrain @ cox . net (remove spaces before sending).

You all have a great week!

Lynn

Lynn Crain

Experience the Magic

www.lynncrain.com

Posted by Carrie for Gracen

Mystic Monday

Sorry everyone! This was a weekend of manuscript editing and disc golfing!  I promise to have a real blog post up next week!

PHANTASM FRIDAY

*Make sure to leave a comment to be eligible for Tina's contest. Contest details are below.*

~~~~~

Fighting for Her Man. . .

In every good romance, there has to be conflict, someone or something keeping the hero and heroine from a fast resolution and a declaration of love.

Although the romantic moments are always nice, it’s the path to them, the struggle for the characters that provides the most interest. Readers flip pages faster and faster when they sense their wait is at an end.

All writers strive to make the journey as entertaining as possible, and I’m no exception. In my newest release, Lush Velvet Nights, Nathan is attracted to Adriana but because of an event in his past, he’s afraid to give up his heart. Adriana, on the other hand, knows he loves her. She just has to convince him of it.

Here’s a blurb (for background) and an excerpt to show you how Adriana fights for her man:

BLURB:

Lush Velvet Nights - When wanton desires & love demand all…

During the day, Adriana’s a lonely corporate heiress, helming a supermarket empire. At night, she hires escorts, scripting provocative fantasies of kidnapping, lust, submission and endless longing. It’s all she has to excite her until she meets Nathan Wynn. Tall, blond and muscular—like a modern-day Viking—Nathan’s a labor relations attorney representing Adriana’s union employees. His imposing presence intensifies her basest desires. When he protects her from an escort he believes is an attacker, she knows he’s wonderfully dominant and unrestrained. Fascinated by Adriana’s underlying sensuality, Nathan brings her to his secluded mountain estate, determined she submit fully to his hunger. At a gentleman’s club, he makes certain she denies him nothing. Engaging in a seductive sexual journey, Nathan’s caught off-guard by his stunning need for Adriana. An attraction he fears because of past events in his life. A growing emotional connection she will not let him deny.

EXCERPT:

For the remainder of the day, Adriana forced herself to concentrate on Greco’s myriad budgets and profit margins, behaving like the automaton her father had hoped to raise and felt most comfortable with. At eight p.m., she tossed her reading glasses on her desk, locked her office door against any interruption, flicked off the lights and sank in her chair, turning it to face the window. Given the glare of the city, only a few of the brightest stars sparkled in the sooty sky, ready for her to wish upon them as she had the night at Nathan’s estate.

Turning her cell phone over in her hand, she let down her guard finally, allowing her concern to filter through the confidence she’d tried to nurture all day. On a sigh, she whispered, “Please let him answer.” Please let him show how happy he is to hear from me. She didn’t doubt Nathan’s feelings for her. She worried his fear of another betrayal and the possibility of losing a future child might be greater. Her thumb shook as she punched in his number. With a trembling hand, she brought the phone to her ear. After six rings, his voicemail came on.

Heart sinking, Adriana ended the call and told herself she was behaving like a fool. Maybe he was speaking to a client or to Echo. He wasn’t going to stop answering his phone just because he knew she’d be contacting him.

She took several calming breaths to steady her voice prior to her next call. Her feet tapped the floor during his voicemail message. At the beep, Adriana smiled, then spoke softly, and she hoped, seductively, “Hey, it’s me, calling like I said. I thought you’d be finished with work by now. When you are, give me a call.” She gave him her private work and cell number, repeating both slowly to make certain he knew how to reach her. “I’m looking forward to hearing from you, Nathan. As I said this morning, I had an amazing time. I can’t wait for what comes next. Call me to talk about it. I do have some ideas. Bye.”

She closed her phone, placed it on her desk and wrapped her arms around herself, appreciating what millions of men went through everyday because society still expected them to make the first move with a woman. Nevertheless, she’d done it with Nathan. All she had to do now was wait for his call.

Sometime later, she jerked awake in her chair. Panicked at the hour—eleven p.m.—she checked voicemail on all her phones. Empty. Her shoulders slumped. She waited another half hour, dropped her phone in her jacket pocket and left her office. Despite her disappointment and fatigue, Adriana wasn’t about to give up. She hung on to what she knew to be true and what she couldn’t live without—hope.

* * * * *

Without asking, Joe cooked her favorite childhood foods during the long weekend. He heaped mounds of macaroni and cheese, lamb burgers and pork gyros on her plate, not commenting when she finished just a bit of his feast. Only once did he ask if everything was all right, not going further or probing for details. Adriana assured him everything was fine. And it would be, once she made her next move.

* * * * *

Monday morning, she sat in Steve’s office, confessing what had happened between her and Nathan—sort of. She glossed over the intimate parts and eliminated all the kinky ones. Less cautious in her summary of Nathan’s life, she explained how he now supported his parents and had educated his siblings, sending them to Ivy League schools, his divorce from Hayley and losing Echo. Exhausted and breathless, Adriana slumped in her chair, awaiting Steve’s advice.

He twisted nervously in his chair. Its leather creaked beneath his heft.

Knowing he wanted to run, Adriana pinned him with her stare. “Come on, Steve, you’re a guy and I know you have an opinion on what my next move should be. Do I call him again, go to his office, send him flowers, a bottle of booze, a piece of my lingerie, what?”

“Have you thought about giving up?”

She gripped the arms of her chair. “Screw that. I know how the man feels.”

“He told you?”

“His eyes did.”

He started to roll his then stopped, apparently thinking better of it. “You’re certain he has feelings for you?”

Tears threatened, causing her voice to crack. “I’ve been with a lot of bums. I know when someone’s trying to con me. He wasn’t, Steve. The man needs me as much as I need him. So how do I get through to him? How do I convince him that what happened with Hayley won’t happen with us? That he’s a good man and he deserves a second chance?”

Steve loosened his tie and tightened it again. “Ah…”

“What?” Adriana leaned up in her chair. “Tell me. Please. As a friend. Don’t hold anything back. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

His lips fluttered with his hard exhale. “My best advice is for you to chill. Do not stalk him.”

Adriana’s head slumped forward. She pressed her fingers to her temple and spoke through her teeth. “I know I haven’t had great luck with men, but I’m not that desperate.”

“I’m only saying—”

“Yeah, I know. You’re never going to let me forget hiring Ed and what it cost this company. And now you’re worried I’ll act like a maniac with Nathan and he’ll sue us into bankruptcy and we’ll all be out on the street looking for work.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Just a minute.” He sounded offended. “As far as I’m concerned, the Ed incident never happened. And I do hope someday, well into the future, you and Nathan will have a good laugh about it.”

She tilted her head to see his face. Angry red blotches covered his cheeks and forehead. However, his expression registered hurt that she’d think his feelings for her ran only as deep as the company’s bottom line. “I’m sorry.”

Almost magically, he calmed down and waved his hand, dismissing all the nasty things she’d said. A typical guy response. Adriana knew most women would be pissed for weeks.

“You’re in love. I understand,” he offered. “It affected Francine the same way when she fell for me. She blew everything way out of proportion. Worse than PMS.”

So, he did have a feminine side after all. Adriana decided to let his bitchy comment slide. “You don’t think I should contact Nathan again?”

“He knows how you feel about him, right?”

“I didn’t say the words, but he’s fully aware. I saw it in his eyes.”

“Then don’t call him again. Wait for him to get in touch with you. That’s what I’d want if loving a woman frightened me. I wouldn’t appreciate being crowded. It would just make me run faster. Give him time to think about the two of you, what you shared, the good time you had. Give him a chance to miss that.”

* * * * *

Steve’s advice comforted Adriana until lunch. By dinner, she was too restless to eat. The following day, a wave of longing hit so hard she could barely function. Her thoughts kept returning to the voicemail she’d left him. What exactly had she said? She’d been so nervous, her words hadn’t registered. They’d just fallen out of her mouth. Maybe she said she’d call him again. Was he waiting for her to phone?

Why would he? Nathan wasn’t the type of man to wait for anything he wanted. He’d just take it.

At nine p.m., Adriana was the last one in her office and unable to think or worry anymore. Her sore muscles screamed for rest and a bit of peace. Removing her reading glasses, she went into her private bath and splashed icy water on her face to rouse herself for the lonely drive home. Her head was still hanging down, her fingers gripping the edge of the porcelain sink when she heard a noise. A faint creaking as if someone had just opened or closed a door. Steve? Had he returned to his office for something he’d forgotten? Was he back here to see if she was all right? She caught herself before she sighed, listened hard and heard more creaking…or was it tinkling? Like her cell phone ringing? Nathan calling?

Quickly, Adriana ran a towel over her face, tossing it aside as she hurried to her desk. Halfway there, she stopped with a jerk. Her heart jolted. She stared at Nathan standing in front of her closed office door, wearing a look of desperation as though he didn’t want to be here but couldn’t stop himself. The wind or his fingers had tousled his blond hair. He’d loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar. His eyes bored into hers, they feasted on her as they did in her Viking fantasies.

He reached her before she could get to him. Hands on either side of her face, he tipped her head back and pressed his mouth to her throat, suckling her, branding her, his groans of delight wonderfully vulgar. Lusty moans poured from the back of her throat. Panting noisily, Nathan lifted his head and stared.


In Lush Velvet Nights, Adriana’s convinced Nathan loves her, despite his misgivings. And through it all, she fights for him, determined to win his heart.

Lush Velvet Nights is available from Ellora’s Cave

Buy link:

Website/blog/YouTube video trailer for Lush Velvet Nights: http://www.tinadonahue.com/

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~~~~~

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