Chloe Holiday's Blog, page 8

A little Aviator Speak while you wait for the new release!

It’s almost time! Heartbreaker Boy’s release is May 4th, and Fly Boy lands May 5th! In the meantime, here’s a little Aviator Speak.

“Flying by the seat of your pants” is a term coined from the time that avionics weren’t widespread, so instead of gauging speed of ascent or descent by watching a needle rise or fall, a pilot judged this by the pressure on their own backside: feeling heavy meant climbing, and lighter meant a descent. It’s actually possible to lose contact with the seat in a fast descent, and there are videos of pilots with unbelted dogs in the backseat “floating” into the air.

“The pattern” is a big rectangle in the sky above an airport, sort of like a traffic circle, which dictates direction for aircraft taking off and landing. Each will have a specific direction (right or left) and altitude, some of which is dictated by obstructions like towers and trees, or buildings on the ground.

“Going around” means that a pilot who earlier told the tower they intended to land, has chosen to abort it, return to the pattern, and try again. It can be from a flock of birds in the vicinity, a sudden loss of nerve in the case of a student pilot, or concerns about a crosswind. It helps the tower know what to expect, so they can efficiently space traffic.

“Prop wash” isn’t cleaner! It refers to the backwash of wind generated by the prop, which can be enough to throw rocks or fling papers all over the interior of a hanger, if someone’s too close to an open door. It’s very rude to start up your plane when someone’s near the tail, or to aim your tail at buildings or vehicles.

“Two-for-one special”: Student pilots need to log each landing, but they’re not always smooth. Sometimes, a plane can bounce or “porpoise” up again, then settle. This can be dangerous on occasion, and hard on gear, and is not the smooth, “greaser” landings one desires. The student’s CFI might snarkily tell them, “Go ahead and log both of those landings.”

“Forced Landing” has such a nice ring compared to “crash landing,” no? This is something one never hopes to encounter, though part of the training is to practice, right up to the point of being close, and one learns the procedures for landing in fields, highways, water, and trees to maximize the chances of survival. Some planes now come with parachutes which help keep the plane from disintegrating on impact, increasing the survival odds for both plane and occupants.

“Ditch” means a water landing.

“Dead-stick landing” means one performed without engine power. An airplane is still a big glider, and can sometimes go for miles to find the safest spot to land, but this requires exquisite control to feather it in slow enough to stop in time, but fast enough not to pancake down in a dead stall. My very favorite, off all the practice maneuvers, was an “engine out” landing.

“Zulu” time is the same as Standard Greenwich Time. This is the universal time that military and civilian pilots use when they file a flight plan, listen to an ATIS report, etc.

“Flying the beam” means flying IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) along a directional beam, as opposed to “flying the needles,” which means the pilot is manually flying, watching the instruments.

“Pan-pan” said into the mic will cut all chatter: it’s just one step below the “mayday” call for a true emergency.

“George is flying the plane” means that the autopilot is on.

Want to put Fly Boy on autopilot? Here’s the links for the new releases:

Lexi Noir Heartbreaker Boy May 4 https://mybook.to/HeartbreakerBoy

Chloe Holiday Fly Boy May 5 https://tinyurl.com/ycy7nzre

Second Chances

I LOVE Second Chance stories, whether romance or other genres. Fly Boy is a second-chance, small town story about reconnection and making things right.

In life, there have been so many times I wished I could have a do-over: taking a risk instead opting for the sure thing, taking back something I said to expunge the hurt feelings I inadvertently caused, choosing another path. I believe humans have a deep-seated need to analyze the past, so as not to make the same mistakes going forward, though some of us still do, again and again. A second chance story allows us to experience that healing vicariously, as well as savor the delicious “what if” regarding those paths not taken.

And the characters? They get an elusive do-over, that momentous crossroads:

“What do I do this time?”

Tough Heroines

I was thrilled this week to get similar comments from two early readers for Fly Boy:

“What I love about Holiday’s books are her strong and feisty female characters. They persevere no matter what…” and “One reason I adore her work is because her characters are always resilient. There’s no shrinking violet waiting for a knight to save her in Holiday’s books…”

It made me recall the early heyday of romance novels, back with the classic bodice-ripper covers and kidnapping rogues as heroes. The latter are still with us, now morphed into the Mafia kings and other alpha males of Dark Romance, but the days of the helpless numbskull heroine are mostly finished, thank heavens. The opposite now is the Action Figure Chick, who proves she’s a badass … because she curses, can kick high enough to incapacitate multiple men while wearing heels, or can shoot a gun—the proverbial “Man With Boobs.” I’ll confess it can be a guilty pleasure to watch this kind of heroine in a summer blockbuster movie, but for reading, I prefer a little more nuance and realism.

I do write about tough, resourceful women—or sometimes women on the journey to become so, in the case of Nicole from Helios and Farrah from Finders, Keepers.  It can be the hardest thing in the world on occasion, to keep soldiering on when you feel alone, or scared, or life has kicked you in the teeth—it happens to all of us, and my hope is that seeing the heroine win is inspiring to women who are looking for an escape from their own struggles.

It’s more than that, though. A relationship is not the “zero sum game” which was portrayed in the early romances, in which someone was Alpha and that meant the other was a doormat. I think ideas about masculinity now make it challenging for men—especially young ones. Be polite and open that door, or risk someone taking offense? Show sensitivity—but not enough to get dismissed and walked on! So, part of what I love in writing relationships is about the man’s struggles to reevaluate as he recognizes his lady love is not a fragile thing, but someone who is strong and determined, sexy and smart—and he’s not threatened by it.

A resilient, capable woman will deeply appreciate, love, and value her man, even if she’s not under his thumb—I daresay even more so.

Here’s to all the tough chicks out there, and the men who love them!

 

Trope Talk: Forced Proximity

I love “forced proximity” in novels, and it’s a staple of enemies-to-lovers stories, like that of Travis and Tricia in Fly Boy. It’s present in Submerged Hopes, when Nick the Navy diver must interpret ASL for Nerissa, the Deaf archaeologist, and in New Heights, when Carlos has to work with Sarah Ann, the woman he walked away from at the climbing wall. There’s a bit of it in Hard Truths, Helios, and even in the Valentine’s Day scene in Finders, Keepers, in which Caleb is the waiter for Farrah’s horribly awkward date with Justin, yet all of these are very different stories.

A forced proximity situation is really versatile, and can run the gamut from the kidnapping stories of Dark Romance, to bodyguard or working together stories, to shipwreck, plane crash, and snowed-in scenarios.

Forced proximity also works fantastically well when combined with enemies-to-lovers, because we get that initial delicious loathing. They can’t get away from each other, and we see their hatred soften into tolerance, then reluctant admiration. It’s so fun when characters are forced to confront the fact that they were wrong. Whether the next step is a torrid “we’re still enemies” affair that’s mainly sex at first, or a slower burn to friendship first, it makes for a great story.

I think part of it is that these usually aren’t simply trapping the future lovers together, but also forcing them out of their comfort zones. Shaken-up routines at the minimum, and sometimes characters are transported to a whole new location or job. What could make a person more off-balance than to be shoved into a situation not of their choosing, with someone they can’t stand?

Of course, this happens every day to us in life, and I think that’s the last part of the puzzle: for us, we will probably never like “that snake So-and-so,” but Romance lets us have that that happily ever after, and gives us hope that the good guys can win in real life, too.

Do YOU like forced proximity? What are your favorite tropes?

Doing it: Sex Scenes

If you want to be a writer, the issue of sex scenes is one you’ve got to think about. Skip entirely? How detailed? I’ve had a lot of people ask me about this: “How do you decide how graphic to be?” or say things like, “I don’t like sex scenes; they’re all the same” or “I like sex scenes but so many are just shoved in there” (I don’t think the double entendre was deliberate).

It is hard, at first: How much is too much? Where’s the line between sexy and steamy and trashy? OMG, will people think I’m writing about ME?!!! What if my grandmother read it? Or a teenager? A Sunday school teacher? A nun?

The truth is, sex has been around forever, and none of those people will be shocked or warped by what I write. Whether they’re willing to admit they read it is a different matter.

Ultimately, Gandhi is my guide, once again: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

So, I strive to make my scenes:

Different—not the same thing all over again. It’s a point of pride that several readers told me, with regards to A Boy & his Dog, “I’ll never look at [redacted] the same way again!”Meaningful, with emotional overlay, rather than just boinkageNo lofty “literary” metaphors for me, and humor is often present. And of course, all bets are off in my novel “excerpts” from works a character is reading, which are over-the-top, alliterative snippets full of purple prose, from such gems as Amok in Anchorage, Bothered in Boise, Blizzard Bliss, Torrid in Topeka, and Maximum Thrust. All my stories don’t contain them, because of the word limit for the All American Boy Series , and Fly Boy doesn’t either but my WIP (work in progress) does.Sexy but not trashy. This is in the eye of the beholder, of course. But the mechanics are well-known, so I tend not to do a long, detailed play-by-play, but rather just enough to get the idea across.Non-abusive. People like what they like, but I choose not to write scenes of abuse portrayed as “love,” since there might be young, susceptible readers. Gaslighting from a bad lover? That happens sometimes, but in the end they get their comeuppance.This can sometimes mean the devastation of a fast hookup gone wrong, or sex with the wrong person. After all, it’s the emotion I’m after. And safe sex is plenty hot, and in my work any gymnastics are actually feasible (of course, in Maximum Thrust, gravitational forces are altered…).

What do YOU think of sex scenes in general? Want to see more of / less of? I’d love to hear your comments!

Mailbag: How Cool is this?

I was thrilled to get this pic of a monument to military working dogs, specifically explosives detection dogs, like Mojo in A Boy & his Dog, all the way from Steve in Australia! It’s a from the EDD (Explosives Detection Dog) Tribute at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

It made my day to get it, from a fan on the other side of the world, and I’m very grateful for the Chloe Bros who enjoy my work.

Men who read Romance rock!

A Hill of Beans, or A Possum on a Stump?

How To Speak Texan: Southern Idioms in Fly Boy

One of the fun things about Fly Boy, as a native Southerner, was being able to use some of the fun idioms from down home. It’s a tricky process, to give flavor, while not going over the top, bludgeoning the reader with them, and I’m so grateful for my early readers, to help me dial that in!

Just for fun, here’s a quick guide (some of these made the cut, and there are others in the story not listed here):

A Hill of Beans: A piddly amount, not enough to help the situation. “That don’t amount to a hill of beans.”

As All Get Out: a modifier, meaning “hugely,” as in “funny as all get out.”

Cattywampus: askew, off-kilter. “It done knocked my picture cattywampus.”

Burnin’ daylight: wasting time. “Let’s hit the road; we’re burnin’ daylight.”

A Possum on a Stump: a fantastic situation, because dinner is right there for the taking, instead of having to hunt it down (note: no possums or other animals are harmed in this story).

Y’all: plural for “you,” whether that’s two or a whole stadium. It’s a contraction for “you all,” so that’s why the apostrophe is placed there. “All y’all” is redundant but used for emphasis. “All y’all need to step away from the last cookie, you hear?”

Might could: either “maybe” or “sure I will,” depending on context. “I might could use another beer, come to think of it.”

Do what? means “I beg your pardon; I didn’t hear that.”

That just dills my pickle: this is a good thing. This one makes me laugh but is just too inuendo-laden …

My druthers: my wishes, my way. “If I had my druthers, we’d skedaddle before that storm blows up.”

Fixin’ to: about to. “Let her be; she’s fixin’ to pitch a fit.”

Over yonder: over there. Often accompanied by a nod, “over yonder” can be close as across the room or in another town. Can be modified with “way over yonder.”

I hope all y’all will enjoy the story! 

 

How Do You Handle Being Burned?

In Fly Boy, Tricia must choose: Burn all her memories of Travis, or give him another chance?

Maybe people really can change.

But what if all the rumors are true?

 

Cover Reveal!

COVER REVEAL:  All AMERICAN BOY SERIES

Saddle up, Cowboys and Cowgirls! Welcome to Deacon, Texas, a small town in the plains of Texas where ranches flourish and cowboys are looking to lasso love with their fiery fillies and leading ladies.

Join us in this quaint town filled with B&B’s that embody the spirit of the west; where love can blossom and grow as big as the Texas landscape.

The All American Boy Series is proud to deliver brand new contemporary new adult stories by 8 authors in a shared world experience. All books are standalone but may include cross-over in characters or scenes.

Authors include:

Week One Releases:

Evan Grace City Boy May 3

Lexi Noir Heartbreaker Boy May 4

Chloe Holiday Fly Boy May 5

Week Two Releases:

Ashley Munoz The Wrong Boy May 10

MK Moore Good Boy, Bad Man May 11

Taylor Delong The Lawn Boy May 12

Week Three Releases:

Amanda Shelley He saved my Boy May 18

E.S. McMillan The New Boy May 19

Join us now and be in the know as this series releases in May 2022.

Series subscriber page: https://www.subscribepage.com/all-american-boy-series

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/allamericanboyseries

Konstantinos is a good egg, but …

The broody Konstantinos cover is no more! But he is a good egg, so you may still get him here and there. I hope you like the new cover.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!