Bex Dane's Blog, page 4

Magnum Update

I am so freaking excited about Magnum’s book. I’m working on the outline and the character profiles. They are both so interesting and quirky, and total opposites so they push each other’s buttons a lot.

Mag’s a bad boy with trust issues and she’s suffering from good girl syndrome. The tropes are “my brother’s girl” and “fake marriage.” There’s also lots of “who did this to you?” and “where’s my wife?” It’s an interracial relationship. Mag is black (Cajun from Louisiana) and she’s first generation Chinese American. All my characters are going to be more diverse from now on.

It might be the best setup (meet cute) I’ve ever written. It won’t be a secret, it’ll be in the blurb, so I’ll share it here because I’m excited and can’t stop gushing.

Wren has been dating Mag’s brother, Gavin. She’s very poor and desperate. Her parents are ill and she works all day at their business just to make enough to pay food and rent. They have crazy high medical bills, so when her grandfather dies, Gavin convinces her to go onto the dark web and do some hacking so that it looks like her grandfather is still alive. It’s basically fraud, but she gets to keep receiving his pension and other benefits from both China and the US.

One day, Gavin is stressed and says that they have to get married within a week. He tells her the FBI is investigating them for fraud. She panics and agrees.

On the wedding day, Gavin doesn’t show. He stands her up. She’s crying in the rain when Magnum arrives. After a lot of discussion, Magnum ends up offering to stand in for his brother. It’s an “I volunteer as tribute” moment for sure. He marries her and signs his brother’s name on the marriage license.

After that, he slowly gets to know his brother’s beautiful bride and finds out things aren’t at all what they seem. His little bird, Wren, is in danger, and once again, he steps up to help her. Of course he does because a real man does not run away. Even if it terrifies him that he might really fall in love with his fake wife.

What do you think? Sounds awesome, right?

The first act is outlined and the character profiles are mostly done.

I’m working out the details now of the second and third act. Who are the bad guys? How will the Knight Security team come together and take Wren’s back? Will Magnum learn to trust and allow true love in his heart? Should I let the brother live? Ahh, such power in my hands.

Here’s a sweet video I made about the wedding day.

As usual, everything is subject to change. There’s no preorder yet, but follow my blog for updates. I’m going to document the whole process here. Tentative date is spring 2024.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. You can read all my books free in Kindle Unlimited and you’ll definitely want to reread the Knight Security books so far. (Vander, Steel, and Auggie)

Visit my Amazon author page to see them all.

The Amazon links in this email contain affiliate tags where Bex Dane may receive a small commission from any purchases you make on the Amazon website after clicking through from this site.

Until next time, happy reading,

Bex Dane

My Master List

Alexandra Sokoloff has a book (and a class and a Substack blog) called Screenwriting Tricks for Authors. The first step in a new project is to create a master list of movies and books similar to yours and write down what elements of those books and movies that appeal to you.

I’ve done this exercise with each of the 18 books I’ve written over 3 pen names.

As part of my first assignment, I’ve written a discussion of my master list and thought I’d share it here because it helps to share.

My Master List: Fight club, The Sound of Music, Kristen Ashley books, JB Salsbury books, Priest by Sierra Simone book

I have used Alex’s methods from day one with my first book (Rogan), and I still have the same books on my Master List. None of my books sell all that great, but they sell better the more effort I put into making them marketable and competitive.

I’m currently revisiting my Master List, reading and watching movies before I start my 19th book, which will be a Bex Dane Navy SEAL Knight Security book about a promiscuous male with a fake dating trope with his brother’s girl. His name is Magnum and he has appeared in the first three books as a faithful brother in arms. Not so faithful to the women, but he spreads the love around the globe.

Back to the list:

My top two movies are Fight Club and The Sound of Music. Fight Club because I like mistaken identities, bad boys with good hearts, and fist fights over gun fights, and subliminal statements about society and oppression.

TSoM because I like virginal heroines with alpha male captains who tell her what to do and she puts him in his place while also submitting. “Yes, Captain.” (with a wink). This movie also contains the subliminal statements about oppression. “Out there is a woman who will never be a nun.”

My absolute favorite author is Kristen Ashley, and I usually choose one of her books to role model my hero after before I start writing. For this next book, I’m reading the whole River Rain series, but the truth is that it affects me so deeply, I get obsessed, I don’t sleep, and with it being Christmas season, I’m getting a little off-balance.

River Rain on Amazon

The reason I started writing in the first place was because my reading can become obsessive and stressful, making real life difficult. I enjoy being lost in a book too much and the real world is hard too, so I’m always juggling that. I just need to remember to channel my emotions into the book I’m writing and that usually creates some balance. I’ve been happily married with three sorta happy kids for 18 years so it’s working for us.

I’ve analyzed my love for Kristen Ashley extensively over the years too and the main reason I love her is she instantly draws you into that female character.

One of her books starts with “All I wanted was a burrito from Chipotle.” (Then her ex lover walks in while she’s waiting in line). All her books just grip me right away. It’s like crack.

She has complicated and colorful casts of characters who feel like friends, vulnerable alpha male leads, deep, deep wounds that the characters work out together, and unique intimacy in the sex scenes. I adore her even though she’s becoming quite eccentric as she gets older and moves more into chick lit. I guess I’m moving with her. I will pretty much follow her into the abyss at this point.

Another author I love is JB Salsbury and I have determined that I love the fact it really feels like the couple will never make it. It seems impossible until at least 80% sometimes. The way she keeps the tension until the end is just mesmerizing.
JB Salsbury on Amazon

Priest is the forbidden love book from the male POV where he is just absolutely insane for the female. He is so lost, he’s like a teenage puppy and he’s filthy about it. I love it. Priest on Amazon

I’d like to learn how to make my books more like the books and movies above. Friendly female characters, desperate males, incredible tension until the end.

My style is over the top alpha male borderline controversial kinky adventurous stuff! I tried changing it and it failed, so I’m leaning into it! I find when I take more risks and dive deeper into the side characters, the books sell better.

I’m still exploring my Master List for my next book so I will update when I have more, but the process is very emotional for me as I described above.

I haven’t landed on the one thing that I want to add to the next book yet (besides the tropes mentioned above), so I’m floundering right now, but I know it will come eventually, so I’ll keep working on it.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Follow for more updates on Magnum and the KS boys.

View Bex Dane’s books on Amazon

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Looking for a sexy Navy SEAL to heat up your Kindle?

Steel Valor is live and FREE in Kindle Unlimited.
READ STEEL VALOR ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...
This action-packed romance will take you on a sexy adventure through Rome and Monaco in fast cars, helicopters, and circus tents. Steel is a chaotic military contractor who can't control his inner warrior. Brandy is a brave tightrope walker who brings him to his knees. Their journey is off-the-charts hot and unforgettable. Download it now and enjoy the ride.
Spoilerish Teaser:
"Kiss me, Steel. Make me forget."
He pressed his forehead to mine. "I can't be gentle with you, Brandy. It's too much."
"I don't want gentle. Kiss me hard."
He growled and grabbed the hair at the base of my scalp, tilting my chin up and positioning my mouth in the perfect angle to be kissed. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I���"
His mouth crashed down on mine, our lips moved together frantically, his tongue forced its way in. Yes! This was exactly what I wanted. To be kissed like I drove him crazy and he couldn't hold back.
One huge muscular arm wrapped around my waist and tugged until my back arched, and his massive cock, clearly hard, pressed up into my belly. He pulled my hair and deepened the kiss, his tongue circling mine in an epic ballet.
I didn't know if anyone could see us, but I didn't care. This kiss was everything. So intense. So urgent. But I could tell he was still holding back. I broke the kiss and moved my lips to his ear. "Tighter," I whispered.
He froze like he was processing what I'd said, so I said it again.
"Tighter, Steel. Till I know I'm safe."
READ STEEL VALOR TODAY (and then leave a review). I can't wait to hear what you think!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...

Steel Valor Sneak Peek

It's date night for Steel and his girl (who isn't really his girl yet). She gets to pick out a dress from a boutique in Italy. First draft is at 25K words.

"Thank you. I never would've picked this for myself but you are more brave than I."
"You should aways be daring. It's good to feel a little uncomfortable when you are wearing something new. That little bit of fear adds to the excitement."
"Okay well, I have a little bit of fear. That's for sure."
"Good. Come by tomorrow and tell me about your date."
Yes, by tomorrow I would know what the surprise was. My date would be over and I'd have a story to tell. "I will. Thank you again."

The Fall of Kabul

I need to write about this. My heart is heavy for the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.
It feels so personal even though it's miles away.
People are saying we wasted billions of dollars and lives in a pointless war, but that bothers me because the work of the military might seem pointless at times, but there are intangible benefits.
Our brave soldiers, marines, sailors, special ops (SF) teams represented America over there. They took the war to their soil so we didn't have to fight them here. They did keep us safe for 20 years.
We shouldn't discount this.
And the women of Afghanistan, already so oppressed. This sets them back so far. I hope they all escape and find freedom like the women in my books.
I'm also reminded of the musical Miss Saigon, which is mentioned in Rogan, and the fall of Saigon.
Soliders had to leave loved ones behind.
Hopefully this evacuation is going better but I think of our special ops teams flying in there so bravely and the valiant heroes who were shot down in the same type of helicopters over the same skies. (At least two teams of SF in helos were shot down over Afghanistan with large numbers of fatalities.) Everyone flying those missions today is thinking of their lost brothers.
Anyway, I shouldn't take on the weight of the world because I can't solve it.
I work through these feelings in my books to try to make sense of it all. I think I'm getting there by looking deeper into the minds of the men and women of the military and how they serve with steadfast purpose and honor.
Kabul has fallen, but I'm still very proud of the American military who were deployed there, not to mention thousands of PMCs and Army Corps of Engineers, Red Cross, NGOs.
We did so much there and it is not a waste. I don't know what the future holds for Afghanistan or our military, but they should remain proud of the job we did.
I will allow myself to feel relieved we are out after this huge evac op is completed.

Here is the Miss Saigon Song: https://youtu.be/fqqvXwSVgXg

Steel Valor Sneak Peek

From today's writing (first draft is at 22K words) :

All his muscles tensed and his fingers squeezed my scalp at the nape of my neck. His tongue teased my lips open and surged inside. A glimmer of fear passed through me but I was too distracted by our tongues. Did he like mine as much as I liked his? Was I moving it the right way? Should I make circles around his or just kinda stick it out and let him guide us? Who would stop the kiss?
All the questions fell away when his hands started moving. The kiss became effortless and secondary to the searing heat of his hands on my back, gripping my hips.
"Feels so good." He spoke while our lips were still touching and I felt it rumble against my chest.

Steel Valor Sneak Peek

From today's writing session, first draft:

"Being born into a circus family doesn't mean you have to live or die on the tightrope. You can choose better."

Steel Valor Sneak Peek

Work in Progress. Very likely to change, but still worth sharing.

"Freaks make the world go round. Who wants to be normal? Not me."
"Ha! You got that down no problem."
"You think I'm not normal?" He sounded offended.
"You are a seven-foot-tall freakishly handsome, freakishly strong, paranoid combat vet with money to burn and an unhealthy interest in a street urchin you met on your vacation where you were pretending to be a monk."
"You are not a street urchin."

Steel Valor Sneak Peek

From tonight's writing session (unedited and subject to change).

"Before you leave, let me take you out."
"Take me out where?"
"On a date."
Her jaw dropped to the floor. "You? With your…" She swept her hand up from my feet to my head. "And all that…" She made a circle and pointed at my waist. I assumed she was referring to my gun, but perhaps she was remembering our earlier conversation where I told her how huge it was.