Heroine Showdown - Imhara's into Round 2!

The Window Seat on a Rain Day continues its knock-down, drag-'em-out Heroine Showdown!

And great news is IMHARA IS INTO THE SECOND ROUND (thanks to everyone who voted in Round 1)! Woohoo!!!

The competition is getting tougher but I'm pretty sure Imhara can make it into the next round with your help again! So, if you have the time, I'd appreciate you ducking over to vote for her - here's the link.

TOPIC: Everything You Know About Romance Novels Is Wrong (part 2)

This is a continuation of the post from saturday, 8th December 2012 on Everything You Know About Romance Novels Is Wrong (part 1).

Kymberly from the Grumble Bumble blog has generously given her permission for me to share this post with you.

Myth #3: Romance novels are predictable.
Boy and girl fall in love. The end. That's supposedly what all romance novels contain. Once you've read one, you've read them all. Bo-ring!

I always enjoyed this perception of romance novels, because it's exactly what I hate about, say, mystery novels. Alcoholic cop is stalked by serial killer who taunts him. Alcoholic cop bucks the system and saves a pretty woman right before serial killer murders her in some elaborate fashion. Sound at all familiar?

Books within any genre can stick to a formula, if their authors desire to do so. I can't think of any book that doesn't contain an element that hasn't been done and done and done. Robots? Aliens? Zombies? Vampires? Alcoholic cop taunted by serial killers? Done! Done! Done! So what? If it's written well and people enjoy reading it, what's the problem?

If I'm bored by a romance novel, I stop reading it. I do the same when I read any other book, especially one where a cop just won't follow the rules.

But romance novels rarely bore me. I just find cowboys avenging the murder of their sister and dukes rebuilding the estate ruined by their fathers and maids hunting for a way to get their family out of poverty and pirates discovering stowaways off the coasts of India interesting. And those are just the historical romance novels!

There's also contemporary romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, science fiction romance and even inspirational romance, where God is part of the equation. My best friend reads romance novels about Navy SEALS and bounty hunters and FBI agents and the women who love them. I prefer my novels with dashing dukes and duchesses and cowboys and heiresses and spunky modern women who just don't have time for love. Give me a witch and a haunted castle and I'm in heaven.

And I happen to have a ridiculous soft spot for time travel romances, especially ones that involve Vikings. The romance genre has all that and more. This is a big damn tent; come on in.

Do boy and girl fall in love (and these days, boy and boy and girl and girl or some combination thereof) and have a happy ending? Almost always. Just like the hardboiled detective usually solves the case in mysteries and the disaffected writer usually ends up alone and confused in "literature" and the hungry-for-love career girl usually gets her guy in "chick lit."

Get away from me with pinning this "formulaic" accusation on romance novels alone. (You want me to go into a lengthy dissertation on devaluation of the feminine and reduction of an encompassing human emotion to silly women's nonsense? I can do it, I'm not even lying. Don't tempt me.)

Moving on...

Myth #4: The heroes in romance novels are always perfect.
NO, THEY ARE NOT. Honestly, I can't even stand to read a romance novel where the guy is perfect. But, even more honestly, I can't remember the last one I encountered where the hero is perfect instead of, you know, human, with, like, flaws.

I just read one where the hero is terrified of water because his son drowned. Another where the hero can't stand to be around fire because he was burned. There are heroes who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. And many, many heroes who have a significant disability in either their body or mind.

To imply that romance novels only have "perfect" men demeans writers, by implying they have no imagination, and readers, by implying all readers only want a perfect man. Even the physically gorgeous specimens who drip with money and class generally have prejudices and obstacles they must overcome in order to be deserving of the heroine. Because, in the end, romance novels are about the heroine.

And finally...

Myth #5: Heroines in romance novels are always beautiful.
Truly, romance novels are about the heroine. It is the heroine who grows and, by growing, attains that which she desires, which, by the way, usually isn't just the hot guy -- often it is a great job or a beautiful home or a loving family or travel around the world or an illness or disability defeated or adjusted to or any number of things too many to list.

And the heroines can be beautiful, just like the heroes can be gorgeous, but it's not required. I think if every character was flawless, romance readers would revolt en masse. And, like heroes, heroines in romance novels have obstacles to overcome.

And, often, these obstacles involve the heroine's perception of her appearance. They think they're too fat, or too skinny, or too pale, or too dark, or hate their frizzy hair, or their dull brown eyes. It is through the introduction (or reintroduction) of a person into their lives or through an alteration of their circumstances that they begin to see themselves as worthy. Just the way they are.

Now, that's the kind of story I'd want my daughter to read. One where the heroine overcomes obstacles, learns to love herself, and gets the guy. Oh, and has lots of great sex too.

What's not to love? 

Many thanks to Kymberly from Grumble Bumble blog for allowing me to share her post here!

TOPIC: Everything You Know About Romance Novels Is Wrong (part 1)

I found this blog and article mentioned on Facebook and loved the debunking of some common myths associated with the romance genre.

Kymberly from the Grumble Bumble blog has kindly given me permission to post this two-part series here on my blog.

Everything You Know About Romance Novels Is Wrong (part 1)

Recently, a guest speaker in a class asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. I said, "Romance novelist."

His response? "I'm not touching that one."

My response? "I thought so."

I knew I'd throw him off, you see. I should be ashamed that I'd like to write romance novels, right? Well, I'm not.

Then the other night a classmate asked me about my desire to write romance novels. And of course -- OF COURSE -- he asked, "Like 50 Shades of Grey?"

Ugh. I wonder how many romance novelists are so sick of that book for that reason. How many times does someone ask them what they do, to which they respond that they write romance novels, only to have that person ask, "Like 50 Shades of Grey?" I'd like to put a stake through the heart of 50 Shades of Grey for that reason alone.

(Also, 50 Shades of Grey is an awful book. I finally caved and read it because, like, every person possessing a vagina is apparently required to read it. And I believe the only way to truly hate something is to know it. So I read it. It's one of the worst books I've ever read. The hero is an abusive asshole. There's an entire page in the book where the discussion between the hero and heroine goes like this:

"Will you beat me again?"
"Do you want me to beat you again?"
"No."
"I'd like to beat you again. Don't you like it?"
"No. Please don't beat me again."

I'm not even joking. Also, it's poorly written. If 50 Shades of Grey is written well enough to be an international bestseller, my shitty blog should earn me a damn Pulitzer.)

So let's talk about how everything you know about romance novels is wrong. First of all, have you read one? No? Then shut up. I read 50 Shades of Grey. I at least suffered in order to earn my right to say how awful it is. If you haven't read a romance novel then YOU NEED TO SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP.

It's time for you to learn something... 

Myth #1: Romance novels are porn for women.
First of all, if romance novels are porn for women, how is that a problem? Men are allowed (even supposed to) like porn, but not women? What bull!

But I maintain that romance novels are not pornography. Pornography centers on the sex act as the most important element of the "story." Romance novels revolve around a love story. Sex, being a very significant element of relationships and falling in love, often occurs in romance novels (but not always). And I really don't see the problem with that, but there's a big difference between "centers on a love story" and "centers on a sex act."

And if you don't know the difference, I kinda feel sorry for whoever is in a relationship with you.

Next up...

Myth #2: Romance novels are rape-y.
Like many myths, this one has a basis in fact while still being largely untrue. This is how I'd describe it: Romance novels used to  be rapey. They aren't anymore. In early decades of the genre, which just so happened to coincide with decades in which women had limited sexual agency, romance novels contained rape at a much higher rate than romance novels published in more recent decades.

There's actually a reason for this, one that I hinted at with "decades in which women had limited sexual agency." Back in the day, a woman who had premarital sex was a slut. Women who read books in which women had premarital sex were reading books about sluts.

Even today, there's a large number of people who think a woman who enjoys sex is a slut and a bad person, so don't try to claim this wasn't a big deal or that women did not and do not internalize these kinds of societal norms. We do. So, in order to make a heroine palatable for a reader while also allowing a book to have a sex scene, heroes in romance novels often raped the heroine. It's a crazy idea to grasp, but it's true.

Think of it like this: The heroine really, really wants something but she knows it's wrong, which, shockingly, just so happened to sync with the reader really, really wanting something but knowing it's wrong. Weird how that works. In order to give both the heroine and the reader that thing that they really, really wanted but couldn't say yes to, the hero made the decision for them, thus releasing them from responsibility for desiring things they aren't supposed to desire.

(I feel it's important to point out that this is fantasy. Don't go walking away thinking I'm saying women want to be raped. I'm explaining the history of a genre to you, not describing modern women's psychology. Don't be an idiot.)

With second-wave feminism in the '70s came the radical concept that women enjoy sex. And romance novels began to incorporate this new ideology. Modern romance novels -- as in, romance novels published in recent decades -- no longer need this device to sooth the reader's soul and glad we are for that!

Heavy lifting done, time to move on to the fluffier stuff... 

The second part of Grumble Bumble's post will appear here on my blog Tuesday, 11th December, 2012!

TOPIC: In a galaxy far, far away...with Jenna McCormick

Some of the most wonderful moments of my childhood included reenacting or creating my own scenes of such science fiction classics as George Lucas' Star Wars, Glen A.Larson's Battlestar Galactica (the original version) and Gene Rodenbury's Star Trek.

The TARDIS

Most days my friends went along with my desire to turn the Jacaranda tree in my front yard into an Viper or X-wing fighter.

We fought over whether we were going to be Jedi's or belong to the Dark Side of the Force. And how we so wished transporters or the TARDIS were actually real!

In many ways I never lost that obsessions with all things sci-fi. I still love watching SF TV shows and movies - old and new - V the TV series, Dr.Who, Lost in Space, Farscape, Firefly, Stargate, ET, Tron, Dune, Planet of the Apes, Alien, The Terminator, Mad Max, Fortress, Waterworld, Pitch Black, Independence Day, The Matrix, Armageddon, I,Robot, I am Legend, Avatar, District 9, Cowboys & Aliens...the list is endless.

My love for sci-fi didn't stop at TV shows or movies. I loved reading the genre as well.

I became a huge fan of authors like Anne McCaffrey, Andre Norton, Patrick Tilley, David Brin and Sharon Green.

And then I discovered science fiction romance - the best of all worlds!

So, for those of you who don't know what it is, or for those who love it as much as I do, this is a blog series devoted entirely to science fiction romance and the authors who write it for our enjoyment.

Strap yourselves in, prepare to jump to Warp 9 and you never know...you might find yourselves in a galaxy far, far away...addicted to a new genre...and a new author...

My first SFR guest author is JENNA McCORMICK. 

Bio: A little fantasy goes a long way...

Born on Sanibel Island (Florida, USA) somewhere between the fifth and seventh bottle of Rosa Regale, Jenna McCormick writes big girl erotic romance with a touch of out of this world fantasy.

Her hobbies include scouring the Internet for the perfect pair of boots and stirring up trouble, much to the dismay of her alter ego, mystery writer Jennifer L. Hart.

YOUR THOUGHTS ON SFR: 
Has the SF genre always fascinated you?

Absolutely. I grew up on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and can still recall all the lyrics to the TNG parody version sung to the tune of Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start the Fire.

Jean Luc, Gorgie’s spec’s, mysteries on the holodeck…

What SF/R addictions can you lay claim to? (collect Star Wars paraphernalia, closet Trekkie, you've watched Buck Rogers a million times etc.)
Never a closet Trekkie, no I didn’t have enough sense for that, LOL!

I was always, BAM out there, in your face with my geek-ri-tude. Loved Star Wars, some of the first adult novels I read were the continuation on the series.

And I was a rabid fan of both Firefly and Farscape.

Is there any one author, TV show, movie, producer, actor, other influence that inspires you?

Jax

Oh, a whole bunch. I’m easily influenced, LOL.

As far as SFR, I’d have to say Ann Aguirre’s Sarantha Jax series is all I’ve ever wanted in SFR.

What sucked you in to writing science fiction - as opposed to being just a fan or reader of SF and whether it's straight SF, space opera, SFR or any other combination?
Honestly I tried to write paranormal and I stunk at it. My brain kept leading me into outer space. It’s what I’m hardwired for and while I do enjoy paranormal, it’s not my passion the way SFR is.

As an author published in SFR, have you seen or do you see the genre gaining popularity in the marketplace?
Absolutely. Books like THE HUNGER GAMES are setting the bar and well established authors who used to write in other romance subgenres are branching out into SFR.

I think that’s exactly what the genre needs both fresh new voices (ahem;-) and ones that they trust immerse readers in the subgenre give them a real chance to fall in love with it. For some reason, SFR scares off many traditional romance readers, but I think having a good experience with it is crucial.

YOUR WORK:
Published work in the SF/R genre: One full length, NO LIMITS, two novellas in a trilogy and one Medieval Times Space Opera as the other (non-erotic romance) me, Jennifer L Hart.
Publisher/s: Kensington, Sanibel Moon Books, and self-pubbed.
Your website: www.authorjennamac.com 

Congratulations on your newest release, NO LIMITS - it came out on Jan.1st with Kensington Aphrodisia. Can you share a little about the book?
Thank you!

Title: NO LIMITS
Publisher: Kensington Aphrodisia
ISBN 13 978-0758272850
Order from: Amazon or Barnes & Noble

All Genevieve Luzon wants is to be loved by one man, a seemingly impossible task in New-New York City at the start of the twenty second century. Sure, she can buy sex as easily as order a pizza on a Friday night, but finding a forever kind of love among her self-centered peers is no easy feat for the unemployed off-world vacation coordinator. When an old friend offers her the position of secret shopper to test out the male prostitutes, Gen can’t think of a good reason to refuse. Hell, if she can’t find Mr. Right, she might as well try on a sampler of Mr. Right Nows.

Yet the perks of her new position don’t compare to the strange attraction she has, not for one of the prostitutes, but a candle that seems to warm places of her she never knew existed. When a man appears out of the flame, Gen is sure she's found the one. Rhys is an empath, made a slave by the Illustra Corporation and he’s everything Gen could ever want. Except available. Because Rhys is on a mission. One that might claim his life. He must try to free his people, consequences be damned. Now, Gen must choose between turning her back on the only man she’s ever loved and the monumental task he has set for himself. Should she risk her life fighting a war hidden from polite society against those who wish to control us all?

Is love really worth fighting for?

What unique slant have you given SF in NO LIMITS?
Well, I started the story on future Earth and then took my characters out into space. Usually, the story is one or the other, set on futuristic Earth or out in space. I never was any good at coloring in the lines.

What do you think readers will like the most about the story?
The many, many sex scenes. LOL!

Is NO LIMITS the first in a series or a stand-alone?
First in the series. I’m currently working on the sequel, NO MERCY, about Zan the space pirate. He’s yummy, a total bad boy anti-hero and I can’t wait to play with him some more.

FAVOURITE PICKS
Now for a little bit of fun - think back to all the TV shows/cartoons, movies and books you've read in the SF/R genre and answer the following...

SF/R hero: Mal Reynolds.
SF/R heroine: She-Ra. Totally counts - she was born on planet Eternia!
SF/R villain: Q.
SF/R alien race: The Borg.
SF/R technology: I’m going to be an ego maniac here and name my own. The health shield in NO LIMITS. On future Earth everyone is equipped with personal shields to obliterate foreign DNA. I’m a germaphobe and this sounds a lot better than living with a can of Lysol strapped to my hip.
SF/R space craft: Moya from Farscape. I just had to toss in a living ship in her honor.
SF/R TV show or movie: Jeeze, if I had to pick just one…. Gotta be Firefly. There were so many hidden gems and nuggets of sheer brilliance in that show.
SF/R quote made by a character/actor/person: “That’s a dumb planet!” – Mal Reynolds from Firefly.

Jenna, thanks for sharing your take on science fiction romance, it's been fantastic having you launch this blog series - all the best for your new release, NO LIMITS!
Thanks so much for hosting me, Kylie!

If Jenna's book, NO LIMITS, interests you, keep an eye out on her website or blog for more information about her blog tour!

TOPIC: Writing Terms (part 2)

This is part 2 in my series on writing terms.

category romance – typically the Harlequin M&B romance lines ie. medical, Sexy, Blaze, Desire, Intrigue etc.
protagonist – the most important character in a book
antagonist – the major character in a book whose values or behaviour are in conflict with those of the protagonist or hero
hero – main male character in the story
heroine – main female character in the story
secondary characters – minor characters in a story
premise – the problem that’s the basic idea of the story
turning point – an incident that marks the growth or a new stage in a character’s life
Black Moment – a defining moment or realisation of a character in the book
partial (request) – usually 3 chapters and a synopsis requested by the editor or agent
full request – the entire manuscript is requested by the editor or agent
query letter – a short letter pitching a book to an editor or agent to see if they’re interested in reading a manuscript; usually contains an introduction, a short summary of the book, and the author’s credits
solicited manuscript – a manuscript an agent or editor has asked to see
unsolicited manuscript – a manuscript an agent or editor hasn’t asked to see
simultaneous submission – to send out the same manuscript to more than one publishing house or literary agency
multiple submission – to send out different manuscripts to the same publishing house or literary agency
slush pile – a term used for unsolicited manuscripts received by a publishing house
voice – a term used to describe the tone or style of the author in a their work
imprint – a division within a publishing house that deals with a specific category of books

Which heroine turns the pages for you?

Last time I looked at the types of heroes available in romance books. Today I thought it'd only be fair to check out the different types of heroines* within those same pages.

A crusader with attitude

So, who belongs to the sisterhood?

Let's begin with the kick-ass heroine. She's the modern day super-hero, independent, tenacious and head strong. If there's trouble she's the one in the thick of it all, sorting it out, taking on the world (or enemies) with a never-say-die attitude. Don't get in her way.

A compassionate nurturer

The sister who compliments her is the optimist. Someone who listens, a compassionate, empathetic woman who takes care of others in a highly capable fashion. She takes her duties seriously.

A damsel in distress

The typical damsel in distress tends to endure any situation she finds herself in, hoping someone else will solve the problem or rescue her from trouble. She can be a little insecure and might even be a little child-like, definitely the girly-girl of the sisterhood.

A spunky spitfire

Opposite her is the gutsy, just-one-of-the-guys, don't-make-me-wear-a-frilly-dress heroine. She has lots of friends and tends to be supportive as well as the reliable one of the family.

I'm the boss

The heroine who likes to call the shots tends to take life a little too seriously. She's the work-aholic, competitive one with a boatload of confidence that can sometime come across as arrogance. Failure is not a word in her vocabulary and taking charge is an integral part of her nature.

A survivor to the core

Let's not forget the cynic of the sisterhood. She's the one who'll size up everyone in the room at a glance, has an in-built sense of distrust for everyone and everything. She can be a little mysterious or hides her softer side behind a tough exterior.

The understated siren

The prim and proper miss is our self sufficient heroine. She prefers to use her brains instead of her body to her advantage but underneath what can be a rather sensible or even mousy exterior beats the heart of a passionate woman just looking for the right man to bring it out in her.

A lovable spirit

The last heroine thinks with her heart instead of her head. She's the free spirited, playful, fun loving sister. Well intentioned, whimsical but may be seen as a bit of a ditz.







 
Long gone are the days when every heroine sits back and let's the hero rescue her or sweep her off her feet (she's still around, but now she's joined by a bevy of sisters with different qualities). Readers demand a heroine with flaws and strengths they can identify with.

Which sister do you like to see in the stories you read?


* Some "titles" for the heroines in this post taken from All About Romance website.

Who has your heart? Valentine winners!

There was certainly some heart throbs mentioned in this post over the weekend.

Thanks to everyone who dropped by to drool...umm, I mean share your fantasy dates for Valentine's day.

I popped all your names into my dragon coffee cup (dry & clean, of course), and the winners of the Valentine's Day special give-away books are:

1. Alison
2. Julieann Thomas
   
3. Cate Harris
4. Bec Skrabl

If you could send me an email with your address to - kyliegriffin (at) clearmail (dot) com (dot) au - I'll post your prize to you!

Who has your heart?

February 14th - Valentine's Day - an auspicious day in any romance writer's calendar.

A day to celebrate the enduring love between partners, lovers, wedded couples, boyfriend & girlfriend and possibly to renew a commitment to a relationship in some special way.

I thought I'd take a different slant to Valentine's Day. One a little more...scintillating...and it involves you getting tenderly romantic, waxing a little poetic, maybe even hot & heavy. Interested?

Who is the hero (or heroine, depending on your preferences) from any book/movie/TV series that you'd love to have a Valentine's date with?

I'll start the ball rolling with a book character from one of my "keepers". I'd go on a date with Julian, Sherrilyn Kenyon's love-slave from FANTASY LOVER. I mean what more could a girl ask for - he's considerate, gentle, compassionate (look how he treats Grace in the book - sigh), a Spartan warrior, skilled in the art of romance and loving (having spent over two thousand years as a love-slave), and he's seriously ripped (because he's a warrior, but I already mentioned that, didn't I?).

Sam Worthington as a warrior makes your heart beat, doesn't he?

So, tell me, which special hero/heroine who sets your heart a-flutter, makes your pulse race, your mouth salivate, your skin tingle with excitement? - and yes, you can use your imagination here and have as an adventurous a date as you like!

I've four special book prizes to give away to keep in the theme of Valentine's Day. Leave a comment by midnight (Aussie DST) February 14th and you'll go into the draw. (open to local & overseas entrants)

What are you reading and enjoying?

Sometimes we forget in the busyness of life to take time for ourselves and do something we enjoy. I love getting out and spending time in my garden, creating patchwork (not that I've done a lot of that lately) and curling up with a good book.

There are times I get so busy I don't read for weeks. It's only when the stress levels get to unmanageable that I realise I've ignored my need for down-time. I've become to tangled up in "everything else". That's when I make an effort to pick up a book from my To Be Read pile and spend a few hours escaping.

So, have you been taking time out to read for pleasure? And if not, why not?

And continuing in the spirit of my October Blog Anniversary month, a free give-away* will go to one commenter (local or international) who can tell me about a book you've recently read and why you enjoyed it.

Just a couple of sentences, it doesn't have to be an essay. Was it the character/s you identified with, the excitement of the plot, the interesting setting, a favourite theme running through the book? Leave a comment along these lines by midnight (Aussie EST) 16th October, and you'll go into the draw!

*Give-away prize is an autographed copy of COLTER'S WOMAN by Maya Banks.

!!! Don't forget to leave a contact email address or check back in on the day I announce the winner! If you haven't claimed the prize in 48hrs I'll draw another name from my coffee cup.

A Bloody Good Read

Ever read something that just sideswipes your emotions and you find yourself crying, laughing, cheering or sighing with contentment ALL the way through the book? Hang on to it if you have - they're a "keeper".

The "keepers" on my bookshelf are growing. I'm pretty ruthless these days when I add one as I have limited shelf space, so when I read something it really has to impact me and be a book I can go back and read more than once or twice.

I was over at Writers' Gone Wild Blog late last week and Maree Anderson posted a great blog on "That Scene I Just Can't Seem to Forget" and it got me really thinking about what has grabbed me in the past.

I discovered paranormal romance author, Lora Leigh's, Breed series before I realised she wrote for Ellora's Cave in their Romantica genre. Checking out her back-list I found her Men of August and Bound Hearts series and bought every single one I could lay my hands on.

Marly's Choice was the first book in the Men of August series and the first Romantica book I read. Forbidden Pleasure in the Bound Heart series was the second.

MC was hot as it was dark in it content, dealing with a pretty unpleasant issue (the issue brought out in this book was one I never thought to see in a "romance", especially considering how some people would find it objectionable). FP was hotter and the premise of a stalker preying on the heroine was pretty creepy. Full kudos to Ms.Leigh for handling both in such an amazing way. The emotion in both grabbed you from the start and ripped you through to the end.

For those of you who've read either of these books, you'll understand what I mean.

For those of you who haven't here are the blurbs...

Marly's Choice
Marly's love for Cade has spanned her teenage years, and survived strong, and intact into womanhood. Her fantasies and daydreams have sustained her, but she's no longer content with merely imagining the touch of his hands, the taste of his kiss. It's time to seduce the tough, sexy cowboy.
She's heard the rumours for years, the tales of his sexual preferences. She's prepared herself to accept his desires. Prepared her body for his touch. But she wasn't prepared for the choice to come...
Cade's dark desires, his sexual excesses are based in the past. In a time where pain, shame and blood stains his very soul. He carries a secret shared only with his brothers. A secret that has scarred the bond, the ability to be a brother or to accept the love of the men he was raised with. He knows the only way to prove his loyalty, his love for those brothers...and Marly will be the key.
She has a choice. She can surrender to Cade's needs, his soul deep desires, or she can walk away. A choice only Marly can make. A choice that will change her life forever.

Forbidden Pleasure
People have heard rumours about The Club, located just outside Washington, DC. And only its members know where men fo when they want to indulge the desire to share their women with a carefully selected male partner...
Former FBI agent John "Mac" McCoy resigned his membership from The Club when he married Keiley Hardin. Tenpting and innocent, sweet and secy, she would never accept Mac's desire to share her with another man. However, Keiley's growing curousite and Mac's own fantasies of sharing his wife haunt his dreams. And his passions.
Unable to wait any longer, Mac invites his best friend, Jethro Riggs, to their home with the intention of drawing Keiley into the pleasures that can only be achieved when two men love the same woman. But there's more going on in Mac's neck of the woods than a little additional pleasure. A past case involving a stalker who likes to play games has turned up again, but now Keiley is in the middle of it all. Passion and pleasure, danger and desire comine as the forbidden landscape becomes an addiction none of them can escape.


As I said, it was the emotion imbedded in books, the way Ms.Leigh used it within and between her characters to such astounding effect that captured me and left me so wrung out by the end.

I didn't just shelve the books afterwards - I ended up rereading both of them again straight away - they were so powerful I wanted to experience it all again and pick up on the bits I'd missed.

After visiting Maree's blog I decided I would reread both again - for the umpteenth time.

So, do you have a "keeper" on your shelf?

TOPIC: Kick-Ass Heroines

When I started writing, I did so with the idea of making my heroines as strong as the male characters I'd read in books. There was nothing I loathed more than to have a weak heroine who relied on the hero to save the day or get her out of a tricky situation, or even worse, one who fluttered her hands and shrieked with fear while waiting for someone to save her. Second on the grit-my-teeth-and-grimace-list was no heroine in a good story.
So, when I come across a good book with a kick-ass heroine, where the hero doesn't overpower her as a character (yes, he could be an alpha but not in an overbearing/unbearable way), I usually end up loving the book and the author immediately goes onto my To-But-Without-Hesitation list.
Tracey O'Hara, fellow Aussie author, is now top on that list. I've just finished reading her debut urban fantasy book, Night's Cold Kiss, and really enjoyed it.
Antoinette, the heroine, hates vampires after witnessing the murder of her mother as a child. She's a scarred, vengeful character who transforms (figuratively and literally - no spoilers other than that :-) ) by the end of the story.
I was engrossed by this character and her story. Her strengths and weaknesses were attractive as well as grind-your-teeth frustrating; a balanced, convincing portrayal that made her a very believable character.
What makes Antoinette kick-ass, besides those qualities already mentioned? She's an elite Venator, a highly trained vampire slayer (and no comparison to Buffy should be made here). O'Hara's world is a whole lot darker and believable than Whedon's ever was. The action scenes I absolutely loved - fast paced, easy to read, gripping and realistic.
Not a screaming heroine in sight. Antoinette is a female who knows what she wants and takes it (no Conan or he-man dressed in a skirt in this story) and she knows how to use weapons. O'Hara's knowledge/research is integrated into these scenes and full kudos to her for making this seem effortless.
Tie this in with a strong plot that finishes with a satisfying conclusion, a hot romance, several arcing sub-plots left unresolved that foreshadow more books in this series, and you have a great story.
If you haven't yet read O'Hara's book, and like kick-ass heroines, then get a copy and read it.

CRAFT: Attention Grabbing Beginnings (Part 3)

I really enjoyed picking out paragraphs for this series of posts. It took me some time to wade through my shelves and decide which openings grabbed my attention but it was fun.

This week sentence structure played a big part in why I chose these two books as great beginnings. See what you think...

The next scene, from Nina Bang’s A TASTE OF DARKNESS, starts from the hero’s point of view.
Werewolves-furry pains in the butt.
Werecats-sneaky, whisker-twitching manipulators.
Werejerks-every freakin’ loser with a were in front of its name.
Reinn hated them all. But most of all Reinn hated his job. Guardian of the Blood. What a crock.
He’d been a warrior in some form or another for most of his thousand years of existence. When he’d finally decided to walk away from that life, he’d bought a house and property in the Colorado Rockies, and then settled down to be alone. That was it. He. Wanted. To. Be. Alone. No friends, no emotional chains, no vulnerabilities.
Yeah, he was one cold bastard. But he was one cold bastard who was still alive.
Phew, that’s one dark, tortured hero. More questions? No answers? Oh, didn’t that happen in the last scene we read?
Take another look at the passage. Reread the first three lines. Do you detect a staccato rhythm in the descriptive phrases? Like the internal ravings of someone angry at the world. Hmm, emotional overtones.
Also note the broken structure of the sentence towards the end – He. Wanted. To. Be. Alone. Attention grabbing? You betcha. Effective. Yep.
And what about this? No friends, no emotional chains, no vulnerabilities. More strong emotion that creates a need to find out why. You’ve got to read on to find out more.

“The King must die.”
Four single-syllable words. One by one they were nothing special. Put together? They called up all kinds of bad shit: Murder. Betrayal. Treason.
Death.
I’m a huge fan of J.R.Ward but even if I hadn’t been, this opening scene from LOVER AVENGED just grabbed me and I was skimming the words as quickly as I could to find out who, why, where and what the heck was going on.
Very sharp, short sentences. Each word carefully chosen for maximum impact. Tension and excitement. The last four one-word sentence just go from icckk, to uh-oh, gasp, and ewww. The mind is calculating scenarios and the eyes are racing down the page wanting to read more. Know more.
The illiteration of the ‘s’-sound in the first sentence is great – single syllable words. And the character has attitude – look at the phrasing of the fourth sentence – They called up all kinds of bad shit… Pretty powerful for a such a short opening scene.

Last post for this series next week!

CRAFT: Attention Grabbing Beginnings (Part 2)

How have you gone reading some of your "keepers" and looking at their opening few paragraphs? Did you analyse what made them appealing? Was it the author's voice? Did they open with riveting dialogue or a fantastic action scene or something usual with an unusual twist?

Here are two more of my favourite openings...

Not many people can handle the pain of being ripped apart, of having your limbs twisted and morphed until you are convinced your mind will shatter into a thousand tiny shards.
I can. And I’m tired of hiding my true nature so that humans can sleep better at night, convinced their actually in control of this tiny blue-brown planet. They need to know the truth-they need to realize that they’re not at the top of the food chain.
Far from it.
An unknown character’s point of view begins this scene in RED by Jordan Summers. The subject matter certainly grabs your attention in the first eleven words, doesn’t it? The second half of the sentence just makes you wince and wonder who this character is. Surely it can’t be the hero or heroine?
The ominous overtones deepen in the second paragraph. Why is this character tired of hiding his/her true nature? Why are they hiding anyway? Is this a world that doesn’t tolerate non-humans? Why do they feel the need to show humans they’re not at the top of the food chain? What did they do to the character to provoke him/her out of hiding?
Hey, more questions and a need to read on to find out the answers.

In SHADOW TOUCH by Marjorie M.Lui we meet our heroine in a strange situation.
Shortly before being shot in the back with a tranquilizer dart and dumped half-dazed on a stretcher, right before being stolen from the hospital by silent men in white coats, Elena Baxter stood at the end of a dying child’s bed, her hand on a small bare foot, and attempted to perform a miracle.
She was good at miracles. She had been practicing them for her entire life, and at twenty-eight years of age, had become quite proficient at the art of doing strange and wonderful things.
I don’t know about you but my mind immediately said, “Hey, what?” when I read the part about being tranquilized and kidnapped. I just had to read on to find out why someone would do that.
Then I discover our heroine is a woman I can like – she’s at a hospital helping a child she doesn’t even know, risking exposure to use her supernatural ability to heal the child. How can we not care for her and worry when we discover she’s been harmed?
What do I do? Read on.

I'll post another in this series next week. Stay tuned! :-)

CRAFT: Attention Grabbing Beginnings

As writers we hear about hooking your reader from the very first sentence. But what makes for a compelling read? What makes the beginning of a book a good one?
Is there a trick or particular secret to writing an attention-grabbing opening?
I’ve picked several opening scenes from books on my keeper shelf and, in the next few posts, I’d like to share what drew me in to each of them.
Let’s start with the opening scene from NIGHT PLAY by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
“I’m so sorry, Vane. I didn’t mean to get us killed like this.”
Vane Kattalakis ground his teeth as he fell back from trying to pull himself up. His arms ached from the strain of lifting two hundred pounds of lean muscle up by nothing more than the bones of his wrists. Every time he got close to raising his body up to the limb over his head, his brother started talking, which broke his concentration and caused him to fall back into his dangling position.
“Don’t worry, Fang. I’ll get us out of this.”
Somehow.
He hoped.
Wow. The hero in trouble from the outset; a life or death situation; edge of the seat stuff. And it began with a provocative line of dialogue. Active, immediate, tense, suspenseful.
What else happened when you read this? Did any questions spring to mind? They’re about to be killed? Why and by whom? Vane and Fang are certainly suffering. Why protract their deaths? Could it be for revenge? And why does Vane feel it’s his responsibility to get him and brother out of trouble? How’s he going to get them out of this situation? What’s going to happen next?
The tense situation compels you to read on and combines with the need for answers to these questions.

They were created, not born. They were trained, not raised. They weren’t meant to be free, to laugh, to play or to love. They were men and women whose souls had been forged in the fires of hell.
This brief excerpt comes from MEGAN’S MARK by Lora Leigh. The emotion that grabbed me from the start? Anticipation.
Look at the words used by the author that builds expectation and excitement from the first sentence – created, not born; trained, not raised; weren’t meant; souls; forged; fires of hell. Powerful, emotive words.
The structure of the sentences is also clever. Lora could have written – They weren’t born but created in a lab. Pretty boring statement. It’s much stronger flipping the words around - They were created, not born. That effect continues in the next sentence - They weren’t meant to be free, to laugh, to play or to love. She tells you what they weren’t meant to do rather than what they did do.
It made me want to know more – so, yep, I turned the page.

So, what captures your attention when you read a book? Post one of your favourite openings and let me know what worked for you.

I'll share some more of mine next week.