HAPPY RELEASE DATE FOR WRENCHING FATE!!!

"Silas McNaught, Lord Vampire of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is elated when he finds Akasha Hope, the woman his psychic visions revealed to him centuries ago. 

To his surprise, Akasha is infuriated when Silas interferes with her life. Furthermore, she is nothing like the sweet woman he’d envisioned. Instead she's a foul mouthed mechanic and, due to being the accidental result of a military experiment, she possesses the strength of ten men ….and government agents are looking for her. 

Matters are further complicated when Silas’s vindictive ex lover spurs the Elders to investigate Silas in hopes to destroy Akasha and gain control of her friends, which are the key to an otherworldly prophecy. 

As government conspiracies and vampire politics collide, Silas teaches Akasha the meaning of trust…and love."

OMG, You guys, I can't believe it's here already!
Wrenching Fate is now out in the big scary world!
Here's the links to where you can get it:
Apple (ibook store)
Barnes & Noble (Nook and Print)
Kobo
Google Play
Amazon

I'm also having a virtual release party on FB Here!

There will be chances to win digital copies of Wrenching Fate as well as other books and prizes from my stellar list of amazing guest authors.

So please pop by!!!

For an extra chance to win, you can comment on my guest post at SOS ALOHA!

OMG, I am so excited!!!

WRENCHING FATE'S kinda sorta available early!

Handling a release for an Indie book has been quite a different experience. I had to order proof copies twice and make changes before I had it right. I had to get everything formatted for the various digital editions and schedule the releases among the individual retailers.

I have two parties planned. One for the digital release on the 14th...

And a book signing for the print release on the 15th at my local pub.

So two things happened. The first is that for some reason the Nook version didn't set up for pre-order and instead went live. So if you have a Nook, you can get the book early.

That was an accident.

However, so that people can have the print version in time for the 14th ...and so I can get my own copies for the signing at Gus's, the print version is also available at the Createspace estore as well as on Amazon.

The kindle edition will go live as scheduled on the 14th and you can even preorder it for Kobo or Google Play.

Either way, be sure to pop by my Facebook party or, if you're in the Coeur d' Alene area, drop by Gus's pub and have a beer with me!



  

Why the Sex Doesn't Sizzle (and How You Can Make It Sizzle): Guest Post by Dolly Garland

Have you read a sex scene that falls flat? Forget about tension and desire, what you are feeling is more akin to boredom and distraction.

We’ve all read those scenes.

Many of us have written them too. There could be tons of reasons why this happens. It could be just lack of practice or just psychological discomfort, or something else. We are not going for psychoanalysis here. Our focus is on the end result.

It’s likely that you might get better by practicing, but I prefer a more methodical approach to learning so that results become likely rather than an accident.

Before the extreme right-brained amongst you question the validity of using methodical approach for creative things, let me assure, yes it works. Focusing only on our creativity or only on logic is an excuse people use to say “I was born that way”, but if you intend to go through life and be successful in whatever you want to do, at some point you need both creativity and logic.

We are just going to apply that principle to writing sex scenes.

What you need:

A journal and a pen. You can do this electronically, and I’m not saying it won’t work. If you are used to typing everything, it probably will work. However, I do advocate writing by hand. There is something about the physical act of putting pen on paper and getting the words out – words that are uniquely yours not just because you thought of them, but because your hand shaped them – that helps assimilate the knowledge further. It connects words to your emotions and to your mind and heart.

Answer these questions before we can move on to making your scenes sizzle.

Why is the scene there?

Does it move the story forward?

Is it there because the characters are at the stage in their relationship where sex is the only natural progression?

Is it there because you just want a bunch of sex scenes to sell the story?

This is not a judgement process. You can write them for whatever reason you wish, but it’s important to know why you are writing, because it is your why that shapes the scene.

Face Facts

Read your current scene out loud, and answer these questions:

What did you want it to be? Is it supposed to be dark and intense, fun and giggly, sweet and romantic?

Is it what you wanted it to be?

HOW TO MAKE IT SIZZLE

Get Inspired

Make a list of sex scenes you remember. Don’t cheat. Don’t Google it, or browse through your DVD shelf.

This list has to come from memory. You remember these scenes for a reason. They had impact on you. They had something special that just stayed with you.

For example, I immediately think of:

Matrix, the scene between Neo and Trinity during the celebration in Zion

Buffy and Spike

Shakespeare in Love, the first sex scene which is romantic in every sense of the word, with sonnet recitals included

Titanic – for its innocence

From books, first time between Jaenell and Daemon in Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop

Scenes between Eve and Rourke in the “In Death” series by J. D. Robb

I must have seen and read hundreds, possibly thousands of sex scenes but in this ten seconds, I thought of only a handful. Because these scenes had something special that connected to me.

Why do these scenes work for you? What elements appeal to you? This is not an exercise in copying other people’s work.

Shred Your Scene

Pick it apart. Every single bit of it. How many POVs? What’s the location? What is the mood you are trying to convey? Is there any dialogue? Choreography? What emotions are already there? Are there any lines that you really like? Are there any gems that you must keep? Are there any clichés that you need to get rid of?

Get Involved

You’ve just ripped apart your scene, and it’s fresh in your mind. Get your journal, and start writing.

Write about your impressions of the scene, your frustration of what’s working or what’s not. Write about good things you found. Write what you can do to fix it. You might find fragments of the actual scene seeping in, that’s okay.

The key is to write fast and absorb yourself in this scene. Let is completely take over you. Get in the zone as if you are actually there. Give your brain a chance to feel challenged. Did deeper, and gather as many ideas as possible.

Fix It

Type up your scene, with double space between each individual line, and then make a comment next to every single one of those lines as to how you can improve it.

Yes, it’s going to take time. Yes, it will be annoying and you just want to get on with it. Trust me, I know. If impatience was a skill, I would win awards. But if you do this for even two or three scenes, you will not only fix those scenes, but you will also learn where you are going wrong, and the next time you are writing sex scenes, the process will be much easier.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE TODAY:

Pick one of your scenes that is weak, that doesn’t create the emotional response you want it to create, and take it through all the steps listed above. Don’t skimp on the work.

Dolly Garland is a fantasy writer and a founder of Kaizen Journaling, where she helps a community of Kaizen Warriors create their personalised arsenal for success. Find her on Facebook

Writing, Reading, and the Inherent Dangers Therein: Guest post by Elise Rome

Thanks so much to Brooklyn Ann for inviting me to blog today! When she first approached me about the idea for this post, I immediately said yes. She asked me to write about how we readers-turned-writers can turn off the “critique” side and read just to be a reader again.

The truth is—at least for me—I’m never “only” a reader anymore. I’ve spent too much time editing my own work and critiquing others’ manuscripts. Even when a friend asks me to just do a beta read for her (i.e. reading full manuscript without comments and instead giving summary of feedback at the end), I can’t help myself. I have to turn that track change marker on and mark anything I see that could be improved. Even when I tell myself that I’m just going to read a book for fun, I might not be as analytical about what I read, but I’ll still be reading along and hit something—a specific plot device, perhaps—and my writer brain will wake up and shout, “Look at that!” I’m tempted to say it’s a curse, but I have to admit that I like it. =) More on that in a minute.

For example, right now I’m re-reading one of my favorite books of all time, DEVIL IN WINTER by Lisa Kleypas. I haven’t re-read this book since becoming a writer, and although I still love it with an equal amount of passion as before, I’m now able to notice things about Ms. Kleypas’ (who just happens to also be one of my very favorite authors) writing that I never noticed the first time around. Here are just a few things I’ve seen:

1)      She gives one or more paragraphs of information about a specific historical fact or tradition. It’s not coming from the character, but from the author herself directed at the reader. We’re always told to show, not tell, but this is very obvious telling.

2)      In the hero or heroine’s POV she gives physical tags about that specific person—taking a step out from the third person limited to omniscient and back again.

3)      She repeatedly uses the same words when describing her hero’s mannerisms. For example, he raises a brow sardonically or murmurs wryly.

All these are things that I would mark up in a critique, and yet, here’s the thing that strikes me as I’m reading this book again. Despite the three instances I mentioned above and any others I may come across in the future, I’m still enjoying the book. I notice these issues and move on, but the book still works! In fact, I can’t turn the pages fast enough. Perhaps even more importantly, I remember that when I read DEVIL IN WINTER for the first time, before I started writing seriously, I didn’t notice any of these—and I loved the book. Makes one wonder about all the “rules” we have as writers…

As a result, I now have two differing opinions on reading books from a writer’s perspective. First of all, I think it is a blessing rather than a curse to be able to notice what works and what doesn’t work in books other than our own. I believe this can only make our own work better, because we’ll be able to translate that knowledge into our manuscripts. Secondly, however, I think it’s important to realize that just because we see something “wrong” as in the Lisa Kleypas examples given above, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it was wrong for that author or that book. We personally may not like writing like this in our own work, but instead of calling something wrong and turning our nose up at someone else’s book, we should instead look at how that author makes the “wrong” look right.

Again, using the examples from DEVIL IN WINTER from Lisa Kleypas given above:

1)      Although she gives the reader direct information about historical information, she only gives enough of it to satisfy the reader’s curiosity—and then she moves on. Because of this, rather than it slowing down the pacing or shouting at me as author intrusion, I appreciate this piece of knowledge that doesn’t detract from the story but rather enhances it.

2)      Although she gives the POV character physical tags that they wouldn’t be able to see in their POV, it is subtle enough that as a reader I still feel like I’m in the scene with the characters, and I even feel that I know them a little better than I would otherwise if only given access to their direct POV.

3)      The consistent use of certain adverbs and adjectives in the hero’s mannerisms keeps his character consistent, reminding the reader of the villainous bad boy persona we were introduced to at the beginning of the book.

As you can see, analyzing how an author violates “rules” and yet makes them work can be just as effective as analyzing how an author does something “right” or does something “wrong” that we should try to avoid in our own writing.

As for trying to read for pleasure and leaving our writer brains elsewhere, I have to say that I think this is one of the inherent dangers in becoming a writer. You’re never not one. However, there have been a few times when I’ve had success with getting lost in a book, and that’s when I’ve given myself permission to enjoy the book as it is and later come back to it for a full analysis of what worked and what didn’t. I’ll cross my fingers that this approach works for you, too! =)

As a reader-turned-writer, what do you think is the most valuable part about reading other authors’ work? Have you had success turning off your writer brain for the sake of pleasure-reading? If so, how?

Surviving the Sophomore Manuscript: Guest Post by Tracey Devlyn

Book Two. Second manuscript. The sophomore book. No matter what one calls it, the follow-up story to one’s debut can be a terrifying and paralyzing adventure for some authors. I definitely fall within this category.

I had years to write and polish my debut novel, A LADY’S REVENGE, without the pressure of a looming deadline or editorial pet peeves swimming around my head. Not so with book 2, CHECKMATE, MY LORD. Don’t get me wrong. I had plenty of time to write the manuscript. In total, about twelve months. Yep, you read that right. Many authors can write two, three, or even four books in the same amount of time.

Without going into the gory details, the ten months following THE CALL were not what I expected. Because of that, I spent a lot of time worrying, thinking, spinning my wheels, and starting the beginning of book 2 four times. My lack of self-confidence resulted in good deal of lost time and thousands of wasted words.

On top of all that, I couldn’t see beyond the midpoint. The last half of the book was nothing but impenetrable darkness. And that’s when the fear set in. True fear. Especially when I didn’t finish the rough draft on the deadline date I had set. A date I would change two more times before finally finishing the draft (absent the final two chapters).

When I eventually reached the end, I was so lost that I couldn’t write the climatic chapters. Plus, I only had a few weeks until my deadline. Not enough time to ship the manuscript off to my awesome critique partners, get their feedback, and revise. Talk about going it alone. Yikes.

My husband, who reads a ton of mysteries and thrillers, had just finished reading the advanced reading copy (ARC) of my debut. Out of desperation, I asked him if he’d be willing to read my current manuscript. Without hesitation, he agreed. He might have been motivated by the help-me-I’m-dying look I was flinging at him.

So I buckled down and line-edited the manuscript while my dear husband read it for the picture stuff. As it turned out, we made an awesome team. He asked great questions and pointed out little nuances in the plot that I had missed.

I made my deadline with one day to spare.

Moral of this story?  Bear with me—I have more than one.

1.    Try to block out the white noise.

2.    The more time you have to write, the more time it will take you to write.

3.    Put your nose to the grindstone and push forward.

4.    Don’t allow yourself to dwell in I Can’t Do This Land or I Don’t Have Enough Time Land or It’s Too Much Land for long. It’s not healthy and will negatively affect your productivity.

5.    Have faith in your abilities. They got you to this point and they’ll carry you through to the finish line. Never give up.

6.    Surround yourself with a positive support group.

7.    Ask for help.

And don’t forget to have fun and bask in your incredible accomplishment.

Where are you in your writing process? Have you ever fought with self-doubt? How did you overcome it?

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win A Lady’s Revenge. (Contest is open only to U.S. and Canada)

* * *

BRIEF SUMMARY OF A LADY’S REVENGE:

A British agent flees her French captor’s torturous dungeon and falls in love with the decoder responsible for her imprisonment.

British agent Cora deBeau has spent the last three years seducing secrets from the most hardened of French spies while searching for her parents’ killer. When her latest assignment goes awry, she suffers at the hands of her French captor until Guy Trevelyan, the Earl of Helsford and master cryptographer, saves her during a daring rescue. Scarred and wary of men, Cora shies away from the one man who could heal her savaged heart.

After rescuing Cora from a French dungeon, Guy discovers it was one of his deciphered messages that led to her captivity. Guy strives to earn her forgiveness while outwitting their enemy. But will he find the scars on her wounded soul run too deep?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tracey Devlyn writes historical romantic thrillers (translation: a slightly more grievous journey toward the heroine's happy ending).

She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Australia Romance Readers Association and the Windy City, Beau Monde, Women’s Fiction, and PASIC Romance Writers of America chapters. Tracey’s also co-founder of Romance University, a group blog dedicated to readers and writers of romance, and Lady Jane’s Salon-Naperville, Chicagoland’s exciting new reading salon devoted to romantic fiction.

An Illinois native, Tracey spends her evenings harassing her once-in-a-lifetime husband and her weekends torturing her characters. For more information on Tracey, including her Internet haunts, contest updates, and details on her upcoming novels, please visit her website at:

TraceyDevlyn.com  |  Twitter.com/TraceyDevlyn  |  Facebook.com/AuthorTraceyDevlyn

LadyJanesSalonNaperville.com

What is Writing Sex Scenes like for a Man? A Smutty Interview with Sean Poindexter

Today we welcome special guest, Sean T. Poindexter, author of the urban fantasy novel, THE SHADOW OF TIAMAT. The novel not only had kick-ass dragon fights and a sweet love story, it also had plenty of hot dragon sex. :) So I HAD to get Sean over here to talk sex-scenes from a male POV. 

So, let my questions commence!

1.) Do you think writing sex scenes is different for a man vs. for a woman?

I don't really know...I've only written them as a man. But really, I'm not sure. I know that some people assume that when a man is writing a sex scene, it's because he's just putting his fantasies out on paper. Apparently, they don't think a woman writer would ever do that kind of thing. In any event, I'm sure this happens but not for me. I'm not writing out my fantasies. Especially since in the first book, the love scenes all almost all told from the female's point of view. So, unless someone thinks it's my secret fantasy to be a woman and be made love to by a male dragon in human form, then I'm not just writing out my fantasies. I wrote those parts of the book because I felt that was what needed to happen there. The first love scene between Meg and Garrett occurs after a long--relatively--pursuit that builds tension between the characters. Having a fade-to-black scene that starts with Garrett carrying Meg to bed and then fades back in with "The next morning, Meg couldn't walk..." would have been cheating to the readers.

2.)Do you do any kind of research for your love scenes?

I guess you could call it research...I've found that an invaluable trait of all successful physical relationship is empathy. You have to be able to understand what your partner likes, doesn't like, and why. And you have to be able to figure out what they want without being told all the time. In order to do that, you have to talk to them, spend time with them, and try things until you find what works for you both. In a truly healthy physical relationship, one person won't enjoy something that the other person doesn't. This same empathetic trait assists in writing the love scenes in my books. Not only am I able to write Garrett as a lover, but also empathize enough with Meg that I can convincingly portray her wants and desires, and predict how she would realistically react to different kinds of touching. When in doubt, I've always been able to ask my wife or one of my female friends to look over something I've written and let me know what they think. Their input has been invaluable.

3.) What gave you the courage to break tradition?

I wasn't aware that I had broken any traditions. There are many male authors who write books with love scenes. And there are many female authors who don't. I just happen to be one of the former.

4.) What reactions have you received from readers?

Overall, they've been great. I have had a reviewer say she skipped those scenes because she doesn't like reading them, though she really enjoyed the rest of the book. It is fascinating to me the wide spectrum of opinions on at which point a love scene becomes pornographic. I've had readers tell me the scenes were very tame and tasteful, and I've had others say they were borderline erotica/pornography. It's interesting to me because it shows how subjective the measure is. But my publisher, Crescent Moon Press, does not publish erotica or pornography. So on as objective a scale as possible, I would say that if any of the love scenes in my book came to or crossed the line into erotica/pornography, they wouldn't have allowed them in the book. 

 5.) What does your lovely wife think of "those scenes?"

She loves them! She's a huge fan of my books. I'd say my biggest fan. She loves the scenes as well. And yes, she would tell me if she didn't like something. She always has before.

Sean will be here to answer questions and to give away a copy of THE SHADOW OF TIAMAT to one lucky winner who leaves a comment.

...and if you don't win, you can always get a copy at any of these locations:

Paperback from Amazon: http://amzn.to/tiamat-ppb
Paperback from B&N: http://bit.ly/voMy5Z
Kindle from Amazon: http://amzn.to/tiamat-kindle
Nook from B&N: http://bit.ly/tiamat-nook
Other ebook formats: http://bit.ly/utxfuB
Paperback from Books-A-Million: http://bit.ly/rMQ7fi
Paperback from Powell's Books : http://bit.ly/uRJbpK
Paperback/ebook from Indiebound: http://bit.ly/vwKpcP

Thanks so much for coming today, Sean! 

A Paranormal Thanksgiving: Top 10 things to be thankful for…Guest post by Jean Murray

Before things kick off, I just wanted to put and idea out there. 

Imagine setting a thanksgiving table for some of our paranormal brothers and sisters.  The menu would have to be quite varied to include: blood wine, raw turkey, stuffed brains, pickled souls and magick maze. Not to mention the dinner conversation and a closet big enough to put all the various weapons they carry.  And don’t get me started on seating arrangements.  A host nightmare for sure.

So in the spirit of our Paranormal Thanksgiving, what are you thankful for?

Here are a few of mine:  

10.  Werewolves are the good guys in Twilight Series.  And not bad to look at either…

9.  Session 1-9 of X-files is available on Netflix

8. Our Blood Sucking friends taking TV by storm: True Blood, Vampire Diaries, Being Human (click here to see the Top 10 Vampire TV series). 

7.  There is such a thing called HORROR Romance!!  Monsters need love too.

6.  Zombies aren’t just for horror movies any more.  They have eaten our hearts in books, TV and films. Walking Dead Series – Which character are you?  Come meet my REVENS.

5. Zombie Survival Guide available on Amazon.  Prepare for the worst J

4.  Hunter from the Midnight Breed Series has his own book.    

3. Our superheroes of yesteryears are making a comeback!  Whether genetic mutants or otherworldly visitors.

2.  No matter how much the industry says vampires are out, the living dead are not dead. 

1.  Long live the P word:  Paranormal romance novels are more popular than ever, consuming more bookshelf space at the bookstores.

What are you thankful for?

Jean Murray is the author of the Key to the Cursed Series: Three sisters and their fated mates on a journey of love, redemption and war. Soul Reborn starts the series based on Ancient Egyptian Mythos.  A fabulous mix of action, suspense and indelible love story appeals to both paranormal romance and urban fantasy readers.

Learn more about Soul Reborn:

THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD.

Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet to ignore.

DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED.

Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is the only thing standing in the way of the goddess' undead army unleashing hell on earth.  But Lilly has a secret—one she is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his heart.

Soul Reborn Reviews:

Romantic Times (RT) Book Reviews (Sept2011) -  4/4.5 stars/Scorcher, http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/soul-reborn

Bitten by Paranormal Romance – 5/5 Alpha Howls, Hot http://www.bittenbyparanormalromance.com/2011/07/review-of-soul-reborn-key-to-cursed.html

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11135250-key-to-the-cursed

Find Jean at these locations:

Web Address: www.jean-murray.com ; www.keytothecursed.com

Blog Address: www.wickedromance.wordpress.com

Face Book:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jean-Murray-Paranormal-Romance-Author/130589967006760

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/wickedromance

Book Trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/user/KeytotheCursed?ob=5#p/u/0/smSJsJp5o74

Blending History and Pop Culture By Shana Galen

Do you guys remember that book I was raving about a few weeks back? LORD AND LADY SPY by Shana Galen? Dude! Check it out! She's here today and has a copy to give away to one lucky reader! Squee!

When Brooklyn Ann invited me to blog here and suggested this topic, I was really excited. I can’t believe I haven’t ever blogged on the blend of history and pop culture before. In fact, I was so excited to blog on it, I couldn’t concentrate on the proposal I’m writing and had to work on this blog instead.

First, some background. I think the reason Brooklyn asked me to blog on this topic is because my most recent novel, Lord and Lady Spy, is a Regency-set wink at the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. I say wink because the book and the movie don’t have much in common except the basic premise. Here’s a little about the book.

No man can outsmart him...

Lord Adrian Smythe may appear a perfectly boring gentleman, but he leads a thrilling life as one of England's most preeminent spies, an identity so clandestine even his wife is unaware of it. But he isn't the only one with secrets...


But one woman almost certainly can...

Now that the Napoleonic wars have come to an end, daring secret agent Lady Sophia Smythe can hardly bear the thought of returning home to her tedious husband. Until she discovers in the dark of night that he's not who she thinks he is after all...

The idea of taking a well-known premise, like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, and tweaking it into something different but familiar isn’t new at all. I’m sure you’ve read at least one book touted as a re-telling of a fairy tale. And we are always taking history and making it pop culture. Think of Bridget Jones’s Diary, a retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, or Clueless, a re-telling of Austen’s Emma. And, although I wish I was the first to take pop culture and blend it with history, I’m not. I don’t know who the first was, but I do know Jenna Petersen did this years ago with her Lady Spies series which was an historical Charlie’s Angels.

But here is what I think makes blending pop culture and history so much fun, and why I think we’ll see more of it.

1. Pop culture is accessible. Adrian and Sophia in Lord and Lady Spy don’t have access to grenades, automatic weapons, fast cars, or helicopters. I had to make a carriage chase and good old hand to hand combat fun and exciting. No special effects, which, let’s face it, don’t really work in books anyway. But I think the lack of special effects makes the story all that more accessible to readers. They know they could never be Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie firing those machine guns. But they could be Adrian or Sophia and run after a bad guy.

2. Pop culture is familiar. One of the things we love about re-tellings of fairy tales is the blend of the familiar and the novel. What will be the same? What will be different? This is why we see the movie version of books we’ve read. We already know the story, but we wonder how the director and actors will change it, and if they’ll keep our favorite parts the same. I was really conscious of this when writing Lord and Lady Spy. I didn’t want to re-write Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Honestly, I didn’t even love the movie that much. But I did love the premise, and I thought there were certain scenes I could make work in a book. For example, somewhere in the movie—maybe when Brad and Angelina have finished destroying their house—they sit down and compare “war” stories and wounds. I knew I wanted a similar scene. It wouldn’t be the same by any means, but it would be familiar to readers and fun because of the new way I’d envisioned it.

3. Pop culture is enduring. This isn’t to say that two hundred years from now, writers will be waxing poetic on Jersey Shore or Grey’s Anatomy, but the pop in pop culture stands for popular. If a movie or TV show is popular it must have some element that resonates with viewers. I believe the idea of a husband or wife having a sexy secret is what made Mr. and Mrs. Smith a success at the box office. Who, after a few years of marriage, wouldn’t be kind of excited to find out your other half is really a secret agent? And who wouldn’t also be royally annoyed that he or she kept such a secret? This is the element of Mr. and Mrs. Smith I focused on in Lord and Lady Spy. I wanted to know, how does a married couple keep such a secret and at what price? Further, can a marriage recover from such duplicity? Those are questions any romance author could write a book around. Adding the pop culture element makes it much more fun.

I want to thank Brooklyn Ann for asking me to blog today. And I’d love to give away a signed copy of Lord and Lady Spy to one person (open internationally) who comments today. Do you have a favorite story re-telling?

Bio

Shana Galen is the author of numerous fast-paced adventurous Regency historical romances, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her books have been sold worldwide, including Japan, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and the Netherlands, and have been featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher in Houston’s inner city, Shana now writes full time. She’s a wife, a mother, and an expert multi-tasker. She loves to hear from readers: visit her website at www.shanagalen.com or see what she’s up to daily on Facebook and twitter.

Subplots are Tricky: Guest Post by Kinley Baker

Thank you, Brooklyn Ann, for inviting me to Supernatural Smut!

I’m excited to be here and talk about one of my favorite things: subplots. I like to construct stories with a lot of subplots mainly because I like to write in multiple POVs (point-of-views). Like in Ruined, I wrote from the perspective of not just the hero and heroine, but also the villain, the mentor, the seductress and the Book Two hero. Since this was my first novel, I learned a lot about subplots during the editing process. The number one thing I learned is that the subplots must relate to the overall story.

The reason why subplots are tricky is because it’s hard to find a good balance. I personally like when a lot is going on in a novel as long as I can follow along. But my favorite scenes in books are always going to be between the hero and heroine. I love the scenes where the hero and heroine fight, where they make up, where they have those soft moments right before something throws them for a loop. So while I like a lot going on in the story, I always want the focus to be on the couple. This is a little different for fantasy compared to paranormal romance. I think you might find more context and characters beyond the world of the hero and heroine in fantasy novels. But since I’m a fan of both, I try to trend more toward the paranormal romance philosophy where everything should relate back to the couple.

Since Ruined is my debut, I’m still learning how to juggle subplots. I think each book I write makes it easier to discern which storylines belong and which should be taken out. I’m especially excited about Book Two in the Ruined trilogy because I love how one of the side stories ends up impacting the major plot.

I automatically associate subplots with POVs. If I reveal a character in a story, that character should have a compelling reason for being there. I constantly have to remind myself of this. It’s also good to understand the goal, motivation and conflict for the characters involved in subplots, whether or not you show their view point.

Questions I learned to ask during the editing process:

Why is this subplot included?

How does this storyline relate to the overarching theme?

What makes this character view point important to the story?

What would be different about this story if this character and their experiences weren’t in it?

If I took this subplot out, will the main story be impacted? (On this one, if the answer is no, it can be taken out.)

Here are a few Pros and Cons of Subplots:

PROs of Subplots

Incorporating storylines for minor characters can encourage an author to make the smaller characters more interesting. It gives an opportunity for the author to ask, what makes this character tick? What does this character want from this story? It can take a villain who we may see as “bad” and give him motivation so we can understand why he’s bad.

Multiple storylines can help in series. Sometimes including storylines for smaller characters can leave the reader wondering . . . whatever happened to (insert name). . . which means they want to know more about the world you built in Book One.

CONs of Subplots

They can be confusing for readers to follow. If there’s too many things going on, readers may find themselves asking why they should care. This also depends on the reader. Some readers have zero tolerance for subplots. Some really like them.

Readers may wonder about the relation between the minor side stories and the main love story. If they can’t figure it out, they may skip past the sections that don’t involve the hero and heroine.

This is what I’ve learned so far. I think this is a constantly changing thing and heavily depends on the individual story. Fantasy usually involves more subplots. I recently finished a futuristic novella where I just show the hero and heroine, which was very challenging for me. I think it’s a good exercise to step out of our comfort zones and do the things that make us nervous.

Subplots can pull readers into the fictional world or they can distract readers. As long as we’re consciously analyzing which subplot is moving the story forward and which are holding it back, I think we’re on the right track.

What’s your reader preference? Lots of subplots, the fewer the better or somewhere in-between?

Thank you so much, Brooklyn Ann! I enjoyed hanging out today.

BIO

Kinley Baker read her first romance novel at the age of thirteen and immediately fell in love with the hero and the genre. She is the author of the fantasy romance, Ruined, recently released from Crescent Moon Press. As a firm supporter of all supernatural lifestyles, she writes fantasy romance, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. She lives with her husband and her dog, Joker, in the Pacific Northwest. You can find Kinley at www.kinleybaker.com.

Sex Talk With Rebecca Zanetti

When I asked Rebecca to make another appearance on my blog, again she asked me to come up with a topic. We-ell, I kept remembering the time she spoke at an Idaho Writer’s League meeting. Naturally it came up that she writes some steamy stuff. All the romance writers wanted her to elaborate on certain subjects and pitfalls…but alas, the stodgier members kept steering the topic back to the PG-zone. ::sigh:: But now’s my chance. I even gave her an out. I said, “We can talk about sex…or structuring a novella.”

She replied, “Sex? Go for it.”

So, here I go...and since purple's my favorite color, I totally call dibs. 

 Rebecca, you write for Kensington’s BRAVA imprint, which I understand is a bit naughtier than the ZEBRA line. (About a third of my romance collection is Zebra books…and they can get pretty steamy.) Can you tell us more about what a reader can expect from a BRAVA book?

First, a big thank you to Brooklyn Ann for having me over at Supernatural Smut today!  Great question, by the way.  At Kensington, the Zebra line is supposed to be somewhat sweet, the Brava line is sensual, and the Aphrodesia line is erotic.  In Brava, the hero and heroine need to be very sexually aware of each other from the first meet, but they don’t have to actually have sex until it works for the plot.  In fact, sometimes it’s better to wait and just keep the tension going. Love that tension!

Mmmm...me too, and you do such a good job with that in FATED! 

To get serious for a moment, we all know that romance authors, especially of the steamy variety, get all sorts of judgments and stereotypes lobbed at them. Most recently I’m thinking of the episode with Judy Mays.   Have you gotten any crap from people because of your writing, and how did you handle it?

My short answer here is…no.  The people in my life are supportive…or they’re not in my life.  I have gotten some rolled eyes and dramatic expressions from acquaintances, but screw them.  Sorry to be crass, but life is WAY too short to worry about the opinions of stick-in-the-muds.   You know what’s been interesting, though?  People don’t look at me differently.  They look at my husband differently.  It’s hilarious.  J  (And for the record, my books aren’t THAT steamy.  Okay, they’re steamy.  But they’re not erotic.  And frankly, I have no problem with erotic romances—I just don’t write them.  Yet).

Okay, back to the fun stuff…though this one’s a little related. During your talk at the IWL meeting, you mentioned that one of your dad’s friends called him up to discuss some of the racy stuff in FATED. How did that go? And do you have any more fun stories about reactions from friends and family? (The thought of my father reading my smut makes me cringe…but not enough to make me stop writing it. J)

Oh yeah, I forgot I shared this story.  You have a great memory!  Well, a very conservative friend of my dad’s came up to him and said he read my book.  And my dad was surprised, and repeated, “you read Becky’s book?”  And his conservative friend said, “Sure.  I love vampire books.  Can’t wait until the next one comes out.”  My dad couldn’t wait to call me.  Who knew?  Also, I’m on a nonprofit Board with a couple of nuns, who read the book.  They both just loved the world building.  J

Nuns? Really? That's gonna have me giggling all day.

I read something funny on your blog awhile back. You said, “Those who complained that there was too much sex in book one have already pre-ordered book two.” After I recovered from my laughter, I wondered: Is this sort of hypocrisy common? And what other reactions have you gotten from readers?

You know, I wouldn’t call it hypocrisy.  It’s just human nature.  What happened was an acquaintance (not even a close friend) of my mom bought and read FATED.  When she saw my mom, she said how much she enjoyed the writing, but the sex was way too much for her.  Then she asked my mom if she’d read CLAIMED, and my mom said ‘yes’ because she usually reads a printed off copy from my computer right after I finish the book.  Well, the lady then asked if she could borrow the printed off copy.  J  It gave me a good giggle. 

The fan emails are wonderful and I love getting them.  One nice lady said she is home most of the week with two special needs kids, and while she loves her life, she still needs to escape once in a while in books.  She said she read FATED three times one week to just get lost.  Nearly made me cry.

Awww!!! That's so sweet!

Now for the technical stuff: Do your love scenes just come to you, or do you have to focus or be in a certain mindset to write them?

Wow, that’s a tough question.  I think for the most part they just come to me.  Sometimes I’m under a deadline and I have to really work at it, but usually I’m just in the mood to write a certain scene.

So…let’s ask a question today.  Are some books just too racy for you?  Brooklyn Ann will randomly draw a name of a commenter for a signed copy of FATED.  Thanks for reading today!

Rebecca Zanetti is a college professor by day and romance author by night.  Currently she’s busy writing the sexy Dark Protector Series from Kensington Brava, which has received excellent reviews.  To find Rebecca on the web, drop by her website: http://rebeccazanetti.com/ 

Book one of the Dark Protectors, FATED, is available NOW from Kensington Publishing at all major book retailers.

Book 2, CLAIMED, will be available on October 25, 2011 at all major book retailers and is available for pre-order now!

While geneticist Emma Paulsen appreciates vampire king Dage Kayrs rescuing her from the evil, pasty, creepy Kurjan leader who wanted to mate with her, she wouldn’t have needed rescuing had the vampires not gone to war.  And while she’s willing to spend one night fulfilling her fantasies with Dage, no way does she plan to stick around for good.  Whether the king happened to brand her flesh or not.

That is until her pregnant sister, Cara, contracts a Kurjan virus that will not only destroy the baby but strip Cara’s chromosomal pairs until she’s possibly less than human.  A virus that turns shifters into werewolves.  A bug that requires science, magic and physics to be quashed.  Emma will have to suspend her every belief in science and to trust the vampires in order to save her sister.

Dage Kayrs has waited three centuries to find his mate.  As King of the Realm, he’s accustomed to diplomacy and design, although he’d rather rip his enemy’s head off than negotiate.  He’s tired of hiding his true nature.  He’s tired of being alone.  But the greatest challenge of his long life will be in learning to compromise enough to keep Emma, his learning to bend during a time of war when his oldest friends might become his greatest enemies.