Cerise DeLand's Blog, page 60

Can Bad Boys Be Good? Welcome Kathy Kulig!

Can bad boys, I mean really bad boys, be redeemed and become heroes? That question will be answered, at least for demon Dante Akanto, in my new release from Ellora’s Cave Damned and Defiant. Readers love the Alpha male and many times there’s a tortured side that makes these Alpha guys lean toward a dark side. I asked a few friends to come up with a few movies where the bad guy was redeemed. Redemption stories can be very powerful stories and creates lots of conflict in a romance novel.
One on my favorite movies I think is a great example of bad boy redeemed is Pitch Black with Vin Diesel as Riddick. He plays a dangerous criminal marooned on a sun-scorched planet with deadly creatures that come out when the sun goes down. He’s their savior as the survivors struggle to fight for their lives. Another movie is Return of the Jedi . Darth Vader has been the evil villain throughout the series, and in this movie, he becomes a father trying to save his son. Other characters and/or movies: Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean, The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, Tim Robbins in Shawshank Redemption, Megamind and Marko Ramius in Hunt For Red October. In National Treasure 2, Book of Secrets, the bad archeologist sacrifices himself to save others, even the Terminator performs an act of heroism in one of the remakes.
When I planned the three-book story arc for Demon in Exile I knew Dante Akanto wasn’t the worst of the bad guys, Gwyllain, the demoness and ruler of Anartia was the ultimate evil villain. But I planned to have Dante as a continuing antagonist throughout the series until I got reader mail. Readers wanted to see Dante find love. Readers cared about him, the bad guy.
They sympathized with him because of HOW he became a demon. Over a hundred and fifty years ago, he was dying, betrayed and murdered (almost) by his ex-wife. Demons from an alternative world rescued him and gave him immortal life but for a price. He had to do the demoness’s bidding. He retained his human side which is shown during various crises.
Then in book one, Desert of the Damned, Dante does one heroic deed and readers get a glimpse of this human side. I believe it was this point readers found hope that he could be redeemed. What ordeals does he have to go through to get there? What choices? And at what cost? That’s the rollercoaster ride Dante is faced in book three. Demon and mortal in one Alpha body struggling on two war fronts— an alternative dimension and Earth. Check out Damned and Defiant to see if love and courage can conquer the demon.
Damned and DefiantParanormal Erotic RomanceEllora’s Cave, Release date: August 15ISBN: 9781419940804Book 3 in the Demons in Exile series.  Blurb: Mortal women surrender to Dante’s seductions. He is a Drone, an immortal who feeds off their lifeforce energy—the chi that keeps his kind alive. When his dimension is on the edge of destruction, Dante must seek the help of one special woman.Haley Moore is a Sha Warrior—a mortal with excess lifeforce energy. She has always had a strong attraction to Dante and when they meet again he thinks luck is on his side because his quota of chi energy would be obtained after one scorching scene with this mortal. But the problem is that he is overwhelmingly attracted to her and once with this woman won’t be enough.Haley tries to draw out the man buried deep within the demon. Their fierce, undeniable passion unravels his plans and threatens her life. Can Dante bear to abandon her when he leaves Earth forever? Dante will have to choose whether to return to his world or to give up his immortality and share his future with Haley.
Excerpt: (Copyright 2012, Kathy Kulig. All rights reserved.) The skinwalker—part man, part coyote—shifted into his human form as he gazed upon the young woman, his quarry. She removed her clothes and dropped them onto the cool, desert sand. She gave him a lustful glance as if she was the one controlling the seduction. “Nice trick with the coyote. Are you a magician?” Her words were slurred. But the trance hadn’t taken hold.“Something like that,” he answered. He felt a flush of heat on his face. How the hell was she still aware? Something wasn’t right. This Kithra was different than the others, and he wasn’t sure why. He slid his hands over her arms and sparks skidded across her skin.“I love the desert at night,” she added as her eyelids flickered. The air around her body crackled with electricity, her short, blonde hair stood out from the static. Not his usual choice for Kithras. He preferred ones with long, dark hair like the Drones from Prygos. It had to be her level of energy that drew him to this one.“Yes,” he murmured, then waved his hand over her face, deepening the trance with little effort. He extended a finger and ran it down the side of her cheek, her neck, between her small breasts and cut diagonally across her flat stomach to her narrow hips. When his finger skimmed close to her pubic area she shivered and moaned. She was a slight creature with an athletic build. He preferred his Kithra to have a few more curves but she would provide adequate chi for his needs. Pointing to the blanket, he smiled when she complied and stretched out on it, her arms and legs spread.Dante Akanto gave her a knowing smile, stepped back and paced around the naked woman. He watched her hands slide over her breasts and rub her pussy. “Fuck me, Dante.” She writhed on the Navajo blanket, deep in the sexual trance, almost ready for the offering. A rush of hot, sexual sensations surged through him and his cock hardened. No! He had to fight his urges or he’d risk killing her during the collection.Beside her, a campfire blazed, keeping away the night creatures of the Arizona desert. She moaned, teasing him with her sultry movements and her scent. The look she gave him made him ache with a desperate hunger. The woman’s sexual appetite could yank her out of the trance if he wasn’t careful. Dante swirled the energy field around her, easing her deeper into his spell. Her eyes glazed over.Better. Finally, this Kithra was becoming receptive to his influences. Her energy level was high and hard to manage. Probably a Sha Warrior. Lucky for him to pick a mortal with so much lifeforce. He’d meet his quota after this collection. Moving over to his Harley, he removed the rest of his clothes, cowboy boots, leather pants and hung them over his bike.Naked and fully aroused, he stood over her and stroked his cock. The woman was quite beautiful. Was she purposefully downplaying her appearance by wearing worn jeans and a baggy T-shirt? What struck Dante the most was her eyes. Large and golden brown, they shone with intelligence, but also appeared dark with despair. Like a polished jewel that had lost its sparkle. He sensed a toughness within her, a fear maybe, brought on by a life of tragedy or loss.Don’t get personal with your quarry.He’d seen her walking along the highway alone. Young, attractive, fearless and carrying a backpack. A traveler? Homeless? He didn’t know. She was the perfect Kithra or quarry. She accepted his offer for a ride, with a little telepathic influence on his part, and he’d driven her out into the desert. No one would see them here.She’d laughed when he’d swung the bike off the road, heading into open desert. While he made a campfire, she’d taken his Navajo blanket from the saddlebag and spread it out by the fire. Now naked and in trance, he craved to take her as a mortal man would take a mortal woman, but he couldn’t. She didn’t need to be naked for the collection. And tonight it was making his task more difficult.Dante had to make his quota of human lifeforce energy to the demoness of Anartia. The immortals needed his offering to maintain their world. If he failed, he’d be replaced—destroyed—by Gwyllain, or her consort Tarik, the rulers of Anartia.The woman watched him with hunger and lust in her eyes. The need to climax was great. His cock ached. But he’d have to wait until the offering. Stay in control. The more he teased and prolonged her orgasm, the better the harvest of chi. She whimpered as she watched him work his cock.Straddling her body, he knelt on either side of her waist. Dante leaned forward and stroked her breasts, then eased his hand over her belly and between her legs. The woman sucked in a breath. The aura around her body told him she was close but he wasn’t ready to harvest her energy yet. As he rubbed her clit, cream coated her folds and moistened his finger. He plunged inside her pussy and shoved deep. She cried out, raising her hips off the blanket. The scent of her arousal was mixed with the scents of the desert—the earth, the sage and mesquite. He loved the desert, and he loved taking his Kithra here. The distraction of its beauty helped him control his own desire.“Fuck me or lick me. I can’t wait any more.” She reached down and grabbed his cock and squeezed him.Damn, it felt good. But he pulled her hand away and pressed both arms above her head. He couldn’t risk having her touch him like that. It’d been so long since he’d had the pleasure to seek release with a human.Leaning forward, he brushed his lips over her nipple, then bit gently and rolled his tongue over the erect peak. He repeated the tease to the other nipple and she moaned in pleasure. “So good,” she breathed.“Yes.” He didn’t even know her name. No matter. She wouldn’t remember him after the collection. “Stay still,” he ordered.“Yes.” She nodded and stopped writhing but he still ached to drive his cock into her. A vibration surged through him as he prepared for the harvest. Opening his mouth, he held his lips close to hers without touching. She parted her lips as if anticipating a deep kiss and her chi energy flowed in a stream of light from her mouth into his. She cried out as the orgasm shattered her but he held her down. His cock throbbed and his balls tightened, his body tensed, aching for release as the chi energy rushed into him. Control, control. He had to slow down or he’d drain her.#I love your blog, Cerise! Thanks so much for having me as a guest!!!All the best,Kathy Kuligwww.kathykulig.comwww.kathykulig.blogspot.com

Golden praise for ROPE ME IN, a quatre, western!

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10088-rope-me-in.aspxJumping up and down about this lovely review of ROPE ME IN over at The Romance Studio!  
Here we go: Cara has moved back to Bravado to rebuild her life. She is interested in the MacRae brothers. She has watched them and when their package gets delivered to her address she wants to personally deliver it to them in the hope that she can check out their house and the boys. Before she gets there, a huge storm has set in and the road starts flooding out. Luckily, she is fairly close to MacRae land and the entrance when her truck gets washed in to the bank. The MacRaes are out looking for a bull and they see and rescue Cara. Cara spends some time with all the brothers at dinner and things progress as she stays the night because of the storm.I really loved the characters in this story. Cara, Will, Jed, and Harry are all really well-written, complete characters. They drew me in from the very beginning. They all have different personalities and different tastes. The MacRae boys know what they want and they prepare for it and they go after it with a determination that cannot be stopped. I loved how different the brothers were and how united they were in their pursuit of Cara. I loved the interactions between all of the characters and how they handled certain situations. The sex was explicit and fairly frequent. At first there is not a lot of BDSM or ménage. It is in the story and it was enjoyable. At first Cara spends time one on one with each brother and builds relationships with them individually and as a whole. I liked the way that was done. This story focuses primarily on the relationship but there is enough going on in the story that it holds your attention from the beginning. I really enjoyed the plot and the way that it was written. The setting was great and I want to know more about the town and what is going to happen in it. This is the first in the series and I am excited for more.
Overall rating: 
Sensuality rating: Explicit
Sequel, coming soon!Reviewer: Lexee
August 8, 2012

http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/ropemeindeland.htm

David Russell's new EXPLORATIONS!

Buy Link: http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=product/author&au...
Explorations By: David Russell Published By: Devine Destinies. 
Janice is newly divorced, and hungry for liberating experiences. This she cleverly engineers through the swimming pool and life-drawing classes. The delicious encounters leave her hungry for more.
Excerpt: She lived in an area, which had been somewhat rundown, but which was now undergoing a great trendy facelift. Fashion boutiques, especially proliferated—something new sprung up in every street one missed walking along for a few weeks or so. There was a kaleidoscope of styles, including retro. The windows positively smooched and glittered with the samples, poster-sized photos of lovely svelte models, none of them over clad, beamed down everywhere as if to say d’youwannabe like me? She had always sustained executive smartness, crisp black suits and stockings, starched cream blouses. But now she needed a spark. Those young things she passed on the street—they weren’t really all that special.
Janice was determined to make full use of the fitting room—a complete outfit from white silk underwear to a dark-green two-piece suit and a range of items in between.The changing room was spacious, and had a thick navy blue curtain. She had just got into the underwear and was putting on a cream blouse. As her fingers closed on the first button, a gust of wind rushed into the boutique. It swept up thecurtain so that, for a few seconds, she was in full view.
The young sales assistant, slim, smooth, a bit Latin-looking, dressed in black, lost his composure in a split second. His face registered a cocktail of embarrassment and delight. But he instantly recovered his cool, turned his eyes to the correct angle, slanting away from her, and restored the curtain to a decorous drape. The open door, or whatever had admitted that gust of wind, had obviously been dealt with. Elated, Janice made her purchases—all was well, she was safely within her credit limit. But the changing room experience aroused thoughts of being an eye-catching, crowd-stopping image. When she saw Halle Berry coming out of the sea, she ached for that to be her. But how to become what she wanted to be?
In some way it would have been nice to have an affair at work, but she was oh so proud of her detached efficiency, as well as suffering from being under surveillance, in spite of her relative seniority in the firm—those CCTVs could be far more benignly employed!
Review

This short is all about rediscovering oneself – mentally, physically, emotionally and sexually. Janice and Cedric, who have both been in stale relationships, cross paths a few times before deciding that they both want more from themselves, for their lives. Determined to take a risk Janice makes her move, leading to sexual explorations with Cedric.
I liked Janice. I think she represents a lot of women who find themselves in a position of not being where they want to be in life or even who they want to be. Her feelings rang true, making this story seem more real and her risks even more worthwhile. I also like how Russell writes from Cedric’s point of view as well. I like being able to see where each character has come from, and how each character reacts to the same situation. I found Explorations to be a great read and very satisfying!
Anna James

Need your shot of Regency romance? Free: LADY STARLING's STOCKINGS

At Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/83hlkgpJust finishing up a few days of NBR (Nothing but Regency) reading, I'm plugging my own—and it is free everywhere!
LADY STARLING'S STOCKINGS has a suspense twist to the romance and, as with all my others, it is not only a scrumptious romance, but historically accurate to the day and month!
Lady Starling is a widow living in Naples right after the British have reclaimed that city from Napoleon. A spy for the British Crown, she must find a traitor in her brother's household. Alas, her contact does not appear! She frets until an old acquaintance appears at a masked ball. Monsieur Noir, as he calls himself, is more than merely a courier for the Crown. He is her oldest friend and her first lover.
Find them both at Amazon, Smashwords and ARe. For Free!

And while you are at it, you may also enjoy all my other Regencies:

Desiree Holt does Northanger Abbey in Classics redone!

Yes, the series that's gotten all the international attention is now
available. Get your copy of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen and Desiree
Holt @ total-e-bound.com. No matter what your ereader, you can find the
format here, including downloading directly to your Kindle. Just go to
http://www.total- e-bound.com/ and click on the Clandestine Classics banner
at the top of the page. This series has been written about in everything
from The WAshington Post to The Wall Street Journal and been discussed on
every major network in the States and the U.K. And Northanger Abbey IS ONLY
$2.96. That's right, only $2.96.

The series takes readers of such classics like “Jane
Eyre<http://www.csmonito r.com/tags/ topic/Jane+ Eyre>”
and “Pride and Prejudice” from polite parlor conversation to naughty
bedroom banter. The series includes a sadomasochistic version of Charlotte
Bronte <http://www.csmonito r.com/tags/ topic/Charlotte+ Bronte>’s “Jane
Eyre,” a steamy bedroom take on Jane
Austen<http://www.csmonito r.com/tags/ topic/Jane+ Austen>’s
“Pride and Prejudice” and “Northanger Abbey,” and even gay-love renderings
of Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle<http://www.csmonito r.com/tags/ topic/Arthur+ Conan+Doyle>’s
“A Study in Scarlet” and Jules
Verne<http://www.csmonito r.com/tags/ topic/Jules+ Verne>’s
“Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.”

Blurb:
When Catherine Morland meets John Thorpe and Henry Tilney in Bath, England,
she is thrilled by the attention both men pay her. But she soon realises
what a social climber John is and the very handsome Henry is the man who
lights the sparks inside her. When Henry’s father invites her to visit
their country mansion, Northanger Abbey, she is delighted to have more time
to spend with Henry.

As the days pass Henry introduces her to a whole new world of eroticism, a
world beyond her imaginings. A world where sex knows no boundaries and even
her deepest, most secret fantasies, can be played out behind closed doors.

This is the story of the initiation into life of the naïve but sweetly
appealing heroine, Catherine Moreland. A woman who suddenly finds herself
an enthusiastic participant in the darker side of sexual activities. At the
same time she finds herself embroiled in a real drama of misapprehension,
mistreatment, and mortification, until common sense, humour and a crucial
clarification of Catherine’s financial status, resolve her problems and win
her the approval of Henry’s formidable father.

Great writing or FAB Sex? Can't I have both, please?

http://www.jasminejade.com/m-560-cerise-deland.aspx
Recently a high profile blogger in the romance world stated that "we" readers are willing to put up with so-so writing if the love story is satisfying.I had to re-read that. Many times.If we agree that the definition of "satisfying" is one the blogger would have to clarify and I note for you here that she did not define her term, then we can move on to her general statement and critique it.Are you willing to read a mediocre work to get a high from the romance or the erotic aspects of it?My answer is no, I am definitely not willing to "put up with" poor writing.And while some readers might be looking for a quick fix or the Happy Hump, I am looking for a great story along with my HH. Specifically, with romantic suspense, I am looking for the crisis and plot structure and an intelligent mystery that tell me I am thrilled. With historicals, I am looking for the accuracy of time, place and milieu as well as dialogue. With contemporary cowboys (especially because I live in cowboy country), I am looking for accuracy of character, dialogue and contemporary issues like Mexican cartels, gun-drug-prostitution and drought issues.Yes, we all know that the indie side of the industry (as another industry blogger has put it) has shown us that the lack of gatekeepers has permitted, if you wish to call it this, a "race to the bottom" in quality. (Not my terms.) But it is still possible to see what an author is offering in quality and what a house is doing in terms of finding and editing talented authors.How to find quality writers and their stories?1. FREE is the new price point to find new authors, even those who are print/traditionally pubbed.I must get 3-5 emails per day and ever so many Tweets announcing these offers.I do take advantage of some, not all, of these. Some do not interest me, along the lines of: So little time, so many authors, etc etc.But for those that do intrigue me, I bite. It is easy to download and very quick to ascertain if this author has what I want for my limited time of enjoyment each day. Confession?
I have downloaded quite a few books that I have deleted within 5-20% of the book.I can tell ( and so can you) if an author understands POV, bad grammar, poor dialogue, info dumping and lack of research.I can also tell a lot about the publishing house, too. If I find a house has poor formatting (which drives me up a wall), or no copyeditor. Worse, many houses will sign on authors who are frankly very new. Especially in erotica houses, I find most of their books offer up just a lot of Happy Humps. Great, if that is what you want in your reading. But I could go to a BDSM club or rent a few porno flicks and get a similar high. All in how you want your entertainment delivered I guess. But for me, reading is a time to be quiet, serene, become entertained and perhaps informed, to be regalled by wit and fine prose. Reading for me is an experience that brings me a HIGH which comes from stimulation of the brain, not simply the thrill of the fire down below. I want to know why people belong together in bed and out.So I will say This Reader wants quality with her romance and erotica. I want to read and be absorbed. I do not want to have to figure out the POV, or if this dialogue is his or hers, or where we are in terms of place or time!
Worse, I do not want to do the copyediting, putting in the comma at the right place or closing the dialogue with double quotation marks or fixing (as I recently did with one book that is still on the NYT list, all her misused ellipses! !!!)2. Sales at 99 cents and more are the new new upscale pricing points that denote other authors worth trying.I will certainly spend 99 cents to try an author who is new to me.Stats show this is true of millions of others.What we are now seeing in sales analyses across many vendors is that anything up to $2.99 really sells a book, an author and has significant impact on his/her backlist. Any price point above $5.99 is not useful. Publishers have learned this and offer, often for limited times, their books at lower rates. Many offer the first in a series at a lower rate.3. Trading books too is a great way to find new authors. Dubbed Word of Mouth, this is a great litmus test for good and really really bad.Now Word of Mouth is easier with the profusion of tablets/devices and lending programs. This means that I can discover new authors whom my friends and family like—and do it quickly.Heretofore, this was possible only if I bought the book and gave it away after finishing or told others to borrow it at the library.  Both either involved time or money.  Now, with the challenges to the library systems in the USA, this too becomes problematic.Recently, a good friend of mine and I hooked up our iPads to each other's and gave each other more books than my eyeballs will ever read in this lifetime. But let me just say, her recommendations (and some of them were negative ones) were intriguing. Yes, I was intrigued by her negative reviews of some she gave me and those books (I use the term very loosely) along with the blogger's statement with which I began this post inspired me to write this ditty.4. Reviewers really do not tell me about the quality of the writing and we know some of the old truths such as "everyone's a critic" and "what's good for the goose, is not..." often good for the next goose.In fact, I find only a few reviewers whose assessments I trust. And I do mean people not sites.So what is your take?Do you demand good writing with your fiction?Or will you take something other and call it worthwhile entertainment?This inquiring mind wants to know!

4 Recommendations for Hiring Cover Artists!

A great cover artist is worth a fortune!
IN GREAT SALES FOR YOUR BOOKS!

Yes, I write for five different publishers. Yes, I have self-pubbed my own books in between my publishers’ releases for me (and hired talented designers to package those products for me).  But also, I used to be in PR and advertising for many decades and have mucho experience hiring and directing designers for everything from logos to billboards. So here are a few recommendations for you if you are bewildered by the plethora of designers from which to choose.
For erotic romance, cover art is The Big Deal, isn’t it? The way the book will be sold to thousands of readers. While trends come and go, the best package for a book to sell is superbly rendered art. And while the self-pub and digital industry grows, so too do the pool of graphic designers whom we love to love.
What are the markers of a great designer?
For me and I daresay for this industry, those markers are all of the following:1. A knack for finding evocative photographs.Great photography begins with selection of a good subject, but it must also include an understanding of high resolution.Do bookmark those designers’ websites who create book covers and visit their sites repeatedly. By looking at their wares, you will begin to note what you especially like, what speaks to you and you will learn why.Not all designers do work suitable for every sub-genre. Some are adept at all genres.Note their own clientele and who returns for more of that designer’s art. Repeat business is the mark of success.FOR A LONG TIME COMIN', my buddy Nicole Austin, found this marvelous specimen of military Delta Force manhood.  Yummy, oui? 
2. A talent for using the basic art or jpeg in the most appropriate manner for the type of book it is.This includes an understanding of the theme, setting and the author’s VOICE in the book.(Hint: A good description of your Voice in the cover sheet request is vital here!)This talent includes taking a much-used jpeg and cropping it correctly for the feel and tone of the book. One jpeg might be great for a Regency romance, but cropped differently, or magnified in a certain way, and that picture may be used as a basic for a Regency mystery!
3. An understanding of dimensions and how and where to place the author’s name and title in slugs that enhance the basic art.In other words, balance is a wonderful art form in itself. The title and author’s name should be legible, proportionate and the font should complement the period, Voice and genre of the novel.
4. A deft hand at the artistry of cutting, cropping, outlining and resolution. Taking a couple from their original background, dropping them into another, changing the color of their clothes or removing them (yes, I asked one artist to do this for me and she DID beautifully!) requires skill and devotion to art. 
Cutting off the heroine’s wisps of hair or shortening the hero’s nose is not quite what the doctor ordered. So this last talent, I do believe, is the whipped cream on the cake!
Giveaway: I also show you here my 3 self-pubbed novels, each of which was rendered by a superbly talented artist. For one person who comments here about the values of a superb artist or who gives the rest of us a warning about a boo-boo she encountered, I will give you one of my self-pubbed books. You will choose!1.     LADY STARLING’S STOCKINGS, Regency erotic romantic suspense2.     A LONG TIME COMIN’, contemporary erotic romanceIS THAT A GUN IN YOUR POCKET?, contemporary erotic romantic comedy and suspense

TIE ME DOWN, new cover love for shibari master, # 2 in my series KNIGHTS IN BLACK LEATHER

YUM, YUM.
Lickilicious, oui?
Rancher Case Turner is a shibari master and his ideas to tie down luscious attorney Samantha Marlowe are useful for...um...binding arbitration!
Release date at Ellora's Cave, TBD!

Sassy 7 Readers convention like no other!

Ever attended a convention with BDSM demo, sex toy demo and male strippers?Say wha? Did not hear you. I know you've attended lots of conventions in your day. My 9-5 type conferences focused on financial planners. Stock brokers. Team bonding. TOTAL SNORES, right?But I have one for you that you won't EVER FORGET!The Sassy Seven's Naughty Sleepover in February in San Antonio at The Menger Hotel.And for ladies who want to have a great weekend, laughing and learning about stuff that perhaps you've not known too much about before, this is your weekend. In a safe environment. Controlled. Only with other women.Women who read erotica.Women who write it.Women who enjoy getting away from their significant others and maybe taking home a bit of knowledge to spice up their love life.And if that cake needs icing, we have all of this:
GIVEAWAYS of books and bling.A great little city that you can safely walk in. A hotel, historic and comfortable, as well as affordable.The Alamo across the street, just in case you need a shot of history with your strippers, BDSM demo, line dancing, fun games and Tex-Mex dining. A conference fee that includes 4 meals and one Chocolate Extravaganza.Authors to schmooze with.Editors to pitch your story idea to!Sassy Seven babes who are giving away tee shirts, books, bling of their own!Raffle baskets.(Yes, you will need another suitcase cuz your carry-on will NOT hold all this!)And love.So what are you waiting for?Got to http://sassyseven.com 

A Few of My Favorite Things: Plots and a giveaway!

Some plots just trip our switches.  To launch a new blog series about my favorite things, I thoughtplots the best place to start.What are mine? My Marriage of Convenience plot,
Regency style!

http://tinyurl.com/8a8b9y7 I love a marriage of convenience. People who decide or who are forced to marry for a reason neither likes, but for some other reason must give in to is one where I get to savor a conflict that many experience.Some wed for fortune. Others because they are blinded by fame. Others because they mistake friendship for love. And still others because they mistake lust for love.Working out these troubles in a romance is a joy to read for me. A joy to write for me, too.Here are a few of my favorite buddies’ plots. And yes, all are members of the Sassy Seven! http://www.sassyseven.com First up, Desiree Holt! (http://www.desireeholt.com)“I like a kickass woman who meets an alpha male in a thriller of a story. As they fight over who protects whom, they fall in lust and then in love."Another favorite is when old friends reconnect after many year."My pal, Regina Carlysle (http://reginacarlysle.com) says, “My favorite all-time plot line is friends who become lovers. I just think it's sweet and I love seeing two people realize they are 'more' than what they'd thought.“Call me a sap but I also love stories where the heroine is insecure about one thing or another and through the love of the hero, she learns that she is GREAT just as she is. So many times, writers believe their heroines should be 'picture perfect' but let's face it, nobody really IS. I love to see the heroine re-discover herself and like who she is.“I also love stories about heroines/heroes who have had some tough knocks in life but through the love and acceptance of hero (and often his friends and family) she finds home and support.” Friend Brenna Zinn ( http://www.brennazinn.com) declares, “I like the angst. Woman can't stand man.  Man feels the same way.  Angst is high and there's loads of sharp banter.  But their attraction is as strong as the angst and they can't deny their feelings.  They give in to lust, then quickly find they can't be without each other.  They are two halves of a whole.“My second favorite is where the man truly loves the woman and I get to read through all of his thoughts and feelings about her.  He does what he can to step up to the plate and win over the woman of his dreams.”Sassy 7 buddy, Nicole Austin (http://www.nicoleaustin.com) says, “I love stories where the hero and heroine are total opposites, they just clash, but all that intense clashing creates undeniable passion. A passion neither can ignore for long. Where there's smoke.“I adore a kick ass heroine who is equal to the alpha male in every way. They don't need to be coddled or taken care of. In fact, they are more likely to save his ass when he does something stupid.My favorite have to be heroines who go against societal conventions. Whether it be in a historical where the woman refuses to be quiet and demure while sitting and doing needle work all day or a modern story where she's going against rules set for her by men, such as the corporate glass ceiling. She not only crashes through that ceiling, she obliterates it so other women aren't limited by the damn thing.“Yes, the common denominator is strong women! IMHO, there's nothing worse than a whiny heroine who can't take care of herself and must have a man do it for her.”Oh, AMEN, Nic!Now, what are your favorite plots?Tell us! And to one who comments, I will give away one of mine of your choice!!!And do Get Naughty with all 7 of us Sassy ones at our NAUGHTY SLEEPOVER in February. ( http://www.sassyseven.com )