A Part of Me That was Dead is Resurrected, Freebies, and a Book Sale!

Ever since I was 4 or 5, I LOVED to fish. But, for some reason, I hadn't done so in over 10 years, despite living in walking distance from my favorite lake.  But in the past week, I've been fishing! I went ice fishing twice (something I've never done, but always wanted to do, despite my hatred of being cold). But the ice already melted, so my last venture, I fished from the shore. Even though I didn't catch anything aside from a perch and some fish that took me on a run, then escaped before I could reel it in, it felt so GOOD! Like part of me that was dead came back to life.  Have any of you experienced anything like that? FREE BOOKS! Book Sirens has free review copies of Redeeming the Angel and other awesome reads in themed bundles, click the pics to get them!  Or, if you want to go straight to downloading Redeeming the Angel, go HERE!

Discounted books! For Smashwords Read an Ebook Week, you can get almost all my books for 50% off! Go HERE!

Horror News: March is Women in Horror month! That means I'll be participating in some fun interviews and stuff! A few updates: I'm hoping to find out the release date for the 2025 Women in Horror anthology featuring my short story, "The Waitress." At the end of April, I get the rights back to His Final Girl and will have some huge news then! I didn't get as far as I'd like on my lighthouse horror novel, but I AM making progress and writing every day. Still no word on The Graveyard Girls, but my agent is slammed with work and life stuff, so I'm not worried. Life News: Aside from fishing, here are my March goals.

Next time I will share updates on my goth garden, share more fun promos, and tell you all about my car repair adventures. Until next time, virtual hugs! -Brooklyn A. Series by Brooklyn Ann B Mine (Horror Romance) HIS FINAL GIRL HER HAUNTED HEART HIS SCREAM QUEEN HER HALLOWEEN PARTY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brides of Prophecy (Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy/Romantasy) Also don't need to be read in order until book 5...kinda Tesemini (short prequel, Newsletter Exclusive!  Wrenching Fate Ironic Sacrifice Conjuring Destiny Unleashing Desire Pleading Rapture Melding Souls Reclaiming the Magic Leaving the Shadows Bewitching the Vampire Redeeming the Angel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Blood Prophecy (Brides of Prophecy spinoff books) To Tempt a Sorcerer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hearts of Metal (Contemporary Romance) Standalones that intertwine Kissing Vicious With Vengeance Rock God Metal and Mistletoe Forbidden Song Tempting Beat Heart Throb Scandals With Bite (Regency paranormal romance) Books do not need to be read in order Bite Me, Your Grace One Bite Per Night Bite at First Sight His Ruthless Bite Wynter's Bite The Highwayman's Bite ----------------------------------------------------------- For excerpts and special content, visit BrooklynAnnAuthor.com

November news, Book Sales, and More!

Well, I was supposed to post a list of Horror Movie recommendations before Halloween, but as you can see, I missed that. I had car trouble and a bunch of other things. So I only got to enjoy Halloween for a few hours.

I carved this pumpkin and lightning speed. It's supposed to be Pinhead from Hellraiser, but it didn't turn out as well as I would have liked it.

I gave candy to Trick-Or-Treaters, and curled up on the couch and watched my favorite ghost story, ROSE RED.

For November, there's a lot of Excitement on the way. First off, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE (Scandals with Bite, Book 1) is on sale for $1.99! Woo-hoo!

You can snag your copy on:

Amazon

Kobo, 

Nook

And speaking of Scandals with Bite, I am working on Book 4, Lenore and Rochester's story, and hope to release it this Spring.

On the heavy metal front, I will be getting my editorial notes for Hearts of Metal book 2 as well as the finalized cover and release date!

And then there's the big SEEKRIT project for my boyfriend's Christmas present. I can't talk about it here, but I am giving details on Facebook and my Newsletter, since he's not on any of those places.

Oh yeah, and I get to make turkey this month! YESSSS!!!

How's your month going? Any big plans?

Avon Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop

I got tagged by the lovely Ashlyn Chase in the Avon Tasty Summer Reads Blog Hop. Here's her post and how it works:

Each author invites up to five other authors to answer five questions about their
current summer release or WIP and a tasty recipe that ties into it!

Then give a short description of your WIP/Release including the date of release. Then answer these five questions:

1)When writing are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?
2) Are you an outliner or someone who flies by the seat of their pants? Are they real pants or jammies?
3)When cooking or baking, do you follow the recipe exactly or wing it?
4) What is next for you after this book?
5) Last Question...on a level of one being slightly naughty to ten being whoo whoo steamy, where does your book land?

And then your summer recipe!

Okay, here goes: I'll soon be doing final edits on my 2nd Regency Paranormal romance, ONE BITE PER NIGHT which releases March 4th, 2014. It's available for pre-order on Amazon. 

Here's a quick description: When Vincent Tremayne, Earl of Deveril and Lord Vampire of Cornwall, becomes guardian to Lydia Price, he vows to get her off his hands as soon as possible. But once Lydia sets eyes on the enigmatic earl, she is determined to win his heart …for eternity. 

The first book in the series, BITE ME, YOUR GRACE, is available now.

Now for these fun questions:

1) When writing are you a snacker? If so, sweet or salty?

Usually I drink Red Bull, tea, or hard cider while I write. However, if I snack, it's definitely salty. Peanuts, sunflower seeds, rice cakes, and chips are my faves.

2) Are you an outliner or someone who flies by the seat of their pants? Are they real pants or jammies?

I work from a basic outline that I steadily expand, but many scenes are written by the seat of my pants... or jammies, or fuzzy bathrobe.

3) When cooking or baking, do you follow the recipe exactly or wing it?

I cook to taste so when I read a recipe I usually know right away that it needs more garlic, butter, herbs, etc. Recipes are usually just a base I use to expand my culinary creativity.

4) What is next for you after this book?

Book 3, BITE AT FIRST SIGHT releases September 2014. For fans of my series, I am pleased to tell you that it is Rafe's story. When the scarred, surly Spanish vampire encounters a grave-robbing Countess, sparks fly. 

5) Last Question...on a level of one being slightly naughty to ten being whoo whoo steamy, where does your book land?

I hate to sound trite, but I think mine are somewhere between. It really depends on the characters. I'm pretty sure that Book 2 is steamier than my first. Even though the Lord Vampire of Cornwall is way more of a sweetie than the Lord of London (the hero of book one), he is WAAAAY naughtier when the clothes come off! I blushed so much writing those scenes! 

Now for my summer recipe!

Japanese Pickled Cucumbers: A sweet n' tart treat to cool you off in the hot weather:

Ingredients:

Cucumbers
Seasoned Rice Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Sesame Seeds
Sugar
Salt

Peel and half cucumbers.
Using a spoon, scoop out seeds then slice the cucumber halves.
Place cucumber slices in a bowl.
Pour in enough rice vinegar to reach halfway to the top of the cucumbers
Sprinkle a bit of sugar and salt
Drizzle w' sesame oil
Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Adjust oil, vinegar, sugar, and salt, to taste.

Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Okay, now to tag 5 authors.

I'm tagging Shona Husk!

What Makes a Sexy Hero?

In this age, men are being sexually objectified almost as often as women. A while back I wrote a two part post on the subject and have declared this to be mostly a good thing. (See Part One and Part Two)

Anyway a few things occurring in internet-land have disturbed me enough to make me return to the subject. First was the kickstarter debacle on a manual on how to "seduce (but really sexually assault)" women. Another are the frequent articles on the downsides to being a "nice guy" which constantly reek of entitlement and complete ignorance on what women really want.

Things like this make me do a facepalm. Dudes REALLY still haven't figured out what women find sexy?

Of course, seeing stuff like this may make them feel a little insecure.

He looks yummy, but he probably spends more time at the gym than with his girlfriend.

Sure, physical attributes have their appeal, but if you crack open a romance novel, you may be surprised that more page time is spent on the man's hair, eyes, and smile than on his body. In fact, the first thing that drew me to this picture was the eyes... then the pout... then my gaze wandered down.

In real life, most women are actually turned off by too many muscles. Some like 'em tall and lean, like me. Others like a little cushion. Some like chest hair, others don't. Women's tastes in male appearances vary too much for a definition to be laid down as to what is "sexy." Pretty much, if a guy showers, shaves, and brushes his teeth, he's got a great shot at finding someone who wants to knock boots with him.

Because, aside from basic hygiene, looks are not the first priority of masculine appeal.

Here is a list of things that are.

The way they treat women.

Women are human beings just as much as men are. I have many male friends and despite looking nothing like romance novel cover models, several are totally on my "If I was single" list. Why? Because they treat me as a human being, not as a sex object or inferior creature.

In the best romance novels, and real life, the hero actually cares about what's going on between a woman's ears as much if not more than what's going on between her legs. He cares about her hopes and dreams, celebrates her triumphs and mourns her trials. He actually listens to her when she talks.

Seriously, a high five for good news and a sympathetic, "dude, that sucks" for bad news goes a long way.

I get fucking sick of guys bitching about being "friendzoned." It defies logic on so many levels. The best unilateral advice I've received from my old men friends is "You should marry your best friend." After all, sex only takes up so many minutes or, hopefully, hours of the day. If you're not friends with your partner, then those remaining hours suck... especially if he or she snores.

And if she just wants to stay friends, don't reject her and scorn the fact that she doesn't want you to stick your dick in her. I've lost some damn good drinking buddies and dart opponents because of that. Friends are valuable. Not only are they fun to spend time with, you may meet your special someone when hanging out with her.

Intelligence

Men with brains are sooooo sexy. Aside from providing intellectually stimulating conversation, an intelligent man has creativity, drive, talents and the ability to help solve problems.

And from what I've learned, contrary to popular belief, this goes both ways. Most guys do not want a bimbo. I was drinking with my friend I call "Cowboy Sheldon" and we were having the most delightful drunken conversation about the scientific possibilities of telepathy. One highlight of the chat was when he took my hand and said, "You know where the hippocampus is! That's so hot!"

Back to the sexy guys.

I know another guy who is an utter and complete genius. Dude can do just about anything with a computer, play almost any musical instrument, fix cars, and invent stuff. The things he knows and can do have me swooning like a heroine in a Gothic novel.

However, a guy doesn't have to be a genius. Just utilizing vocabulary that proves he is literate gets me all aflutter.

Dumbasses are NEVER popular romance heroes. I bet even the ones in sports romance can string sentences together.

Sense of humor

This sounds like a cliche because it's repeated in every "what women want" statement, but it's fucking TRUE!!! Of all my exes, I miss the one that made me laugh the most.

Seriously, have you ever laughed in someone's arms? It's one of the best feelings in the world. The only reason why I haven't had my characters do that in my books is because it's still so mind blowing that I don't yet have the words.

Gratitude

"Thank you" means a lot in fact as well as fiction.

Seduction and lovemaking

Now that the rapefests of the 70's and 80's bodice rippers are gone, romance novels today feature glorious, consensual sexytimes. A common thread you will find is that it's not all about the woman's tits and little bits. Instead the hero spends time lavishing affection on ALL of her. He kisses her hands, her legs, her belly. He runs his fingers through her hair.

And there is much FOREPLAY. Verbal and physical.

There is nothing sexier than the feeling that a man is making love to YOU and not just your orifices.


There are countless other things that make a man sexy and I know I didn't get them all, so I ask you readers:
What is something a man did that was sexy? You can either give a real life example or something in a book or a movie.

One commenter will win a BITE ME, YOUR GRACE bookmark!




    

Romance Writing Challenges: After they...you know.

Okay.....now what?

This weekend, I had the house to myself and finally finished the first love scene. Those can be difficult to write at times and I'll probably do a post on the subject later, but now I'm on to my next challenge. The afterglow and new tier of emotional conflict. As much as one would like for the hero and heroine to declare their love and get their HEA after they finally get it on, if the writer did that, there'd be no story. Also, I don't think sex has ever made an instant HEA in real life. Lust does not equal love and respect.

With that in mind, I have to work to express the new anxieties the characters face. How close are each to realizing their love for the other? What insecurities do they have about the new level of their relationship? How do they behave around the other? How is their environment and other characters affecting their actions and emotions? All this must be accomplished without too much navel-gazing and lack of action.

Often I handle this challenge by skipping ahead and writing the next BIG EVENT. This helps me analyze how far I have to go to reach it. How much needs to happen to the hero and heroine to face that event? So far it's working pretty well. I went back and wrote the first two "after math" chapters and have 1 1/2 more to go before the event occurs.

Fellow romance writers: How do you handle those chapters? Fellow romance readers: What are your favorite  ...and most loathed aspects of those scenes? 

Analyzing 8 Common Romance Themes

As with my other analysis posts, I am not a psychologist, I just like to find the reasoning behind everything. My mom's trademark scold to me was: "Brook, stop being so f*cking analytical!" Damn, I miss her.

Anyway, one cannot help but notice many regular themes in romance novels, and many of those stand out because they are often unrealistic. I'm not writing this post to defend or attack these themes, I'm just pointing out my theories in their appeal to readers.

1.) Virgin Heroine (unless it's a historical): Many women regret their first time...especially if their first time was with a total jackass. I believe the virgin heroine fulfills the readers fantasy of having the first time be with THE ONE.

2.) Extremely Beautiful Heroine: Okay, I have a cynical theory and a optimistic one. Cynical: Society is so fixated on physical appearance that it could be hard to believe the hero would fall for an ugly heroine. Optimistic: Maybe the heroine isn't that beautiful in society's standards...but the hero sees her that way.

3.) Naive Heroine: I must stress, Naive, not TSTL (Too stupid to live). I believe the appeal of such a character is to give a breather from the jaded people we know, including ourselves. It's fun to learn new things and see the world from a fresh perspective. I also enjoy watching a character grow.

4.) Gorgeous Hero:
A.) The reader may be turned off by an ugly hero. Of course it's all in the imagination of the beholder. I thought those hairy, "porn-stached" heroes from 80's romances were repulsive.

B.) Remember back in high school when all the girls swooned over a certain guy? (In my case I never did because I'm not into the tan-blond-pretty-boy look) Anyway, I believe the "gorgeous hero" fulfills the fantasy of the reader landing such a paragon.

5.) Rich Hero: One cannot argue that one of the biggest fights in a marriage is about money. With the rich hero, this issue is nullified. Also, it's so much easier to focus on adventures and sexual chemistry if the characters aren't slogging through a 40+ hr work week and panicking about bills. The reader deals with that enough in real life.

6.) Alpha Hero: I've touched on this subject before in my post, "Alpha or A-hole?" But I didn't speculate much on the appeal of such a hero. I think a lot about my paternal grandparents' marriage. She totally wears the pants and I remember once asking her what would happen if she wasn't able to cook every meal. "Well, I think he could figure out how to make a sandwich," she replied tentatively. ::sigh:: It makes me even more appreciative that my man can cook and does it well. Still, I run the show most of the time. (Shhhh...don't tell him!) From a reader perspective, it's a nice vacation to see the man take charge and do things for a change...as long as he isn't being a bullying prick about it.

 7.) Characters with extraordinary jobs: Who wants to read about Harold the accountant, or Susan the Wal Mart greeter? Rock stars, Navy Seals, Spies, Vampire Lords, and Alpha werewolves are just so much more fun and fiction is a great place to find 'em.

8.) "Magic Hoo-hah" and "Mighty Wang": Thanks so much to the ladies at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books for educating us on those lovely terms. Okay, they called the first "Hoo-hoo" but I prefer Hoo-ha for inexplicable reasons...maybe it just sounds more cheerful. Again, I have to be cynical on the basis for their popularity. In today's jaded society, it seems rare for couples to remain faithful to each other. But with a "magic hoo-hah" or "mighty wang," your partner would never dream of straying to another after experiencing such greatness.

Sexual Objectification of Men in Romanceland: Part 1

Face it, we totally do it.

A few prime examples:

Mmmm....

Rawr!

Oh my!

And it's not just the covers. Hop on twitter and follow a few romance readers and/ or writers and you'll hear all sorts of talk that probably trumps what one would hear in a men's locker room... I think. Really, I have no clue, but trust me, we get all kinds of dirty. :)

As for categories of preferred novels, we in romance-land totally navigate by the type of guy. Cowboys, Navy Seals, Vampires, Dukes, even firemen. There's categories of um...certain videos for men that are organized in a similar manner.

See, sexual objectification all the way.

And I don't think it's a necessarily a bad thing. First off, I think it speaks highly for gender equality. For years, many women have protested against the rampant sexual objectification of women in the media. The feminists point the blame at our patriarchal society. I think that's not completely accurate. I think much of sexual objectification comes from the fact that humans are sexual beings. Now...with the majority of the objectification being of women by men...yeah, there's a point there.

But....I believe that many in society have been doing their part to level the playing field, with the romance genre leading the fray...and scoring points. I have a theory that the infamous volleyball scene in Top Gun was truly intended to be targeted for women, despite the homo-erotic accusations it receives. I think someone in the film crew walked by a display of NYT bestselling romance novels adorned with topless Fabio and thought, "Hey, the ladies like their eye candy, too! Let's throw em a bone and maybe we'll do better in the box office?"  

Trope Talk: Guardian/ Ward

I've been wanting to do a series of posts on tropes for awhile. They are so prominent in the romance genre that one cannot escape them in one way or another. But I say this isn't necessarily a bad thing. I don't know about you, but I'll often buy books because I'm craving a certain trope. Sometimes that backfires miserably. And sometimes I'll read a book that features a trope I usually loathe, but this time I enjoy it.

It all depends on how the trope is handled.

So here's my first trope:

Most often found in historical romances is the GUARDIAN and WARD romance:

What is appealing about this trope?

1.) The aspect of the forbidden: The hero is responsible for the heroine's well-being and often it's his job to ensure she has a successful marriage...to anyone but him. Delicious!

2.) The characters often get more "screen time" alone together and have the opportunity for more intimacy...and hilarious hijinks.

3.) Some readers like older men. (I think that's part of why I like vampires.)

When this trope goes wrong:

1.) When the hero was the heroine's guardian for a long time, or knew her since she was a child. This kinda brings some pedophilia contexts to it. Ewwww.

2.) When the situation in which the hero becomes her guardian is ridiculously unbelievable. Any time the reader is pulled out of the story shaking her head is bad.

3.) Any instance when it's treated like a parent/ child situation. For any edgy role-play, we can pick up some erotica instead.

Some good examples of the Guardian/ Ward trope done well.

THE TAMING OF THE DUKE by Eloisa James. Book 3 in the awesome Essex Sisters quartet, I think it was my favorite and the most unique use of the trope.

In book one, when the hero discovers he's to become guardian to his old friend's four daughters, he turns a room into a nursery, fills it with toys and hires nursemaids...only to discover that all four are grown women. LOL! The one he ends up with is Imogen, though they hated each other on sight and the hostility continues for over two books straight. Like with most Eloisa James novels, one should read the books in order to better enjoy the fun.

SEDUCED by Virginia Henley

This one is awesome because it also involved another of my favorite tropes: Girl disguised as boy. When twin siblings, Anthony and Antonia Lamb go out sailing, there's an accident and the brother is lost at sea. Antonia then disguises herself as her brother to prevent an evil cousin from inheriting. Things get crazy when the twins' guardian arrives and makes it his mission in life to make a man out of her. The best part? SHE ends up seducing him! (But in disguise as a random Italian partying woman) ...and he nearly craps a brick when he finds out who she is.

What are some other guardian/ ward tropes you've enjoyed? What ones make you cringe? Which tropes do you think I should cover next?