Ranae Rose's Blog, page 26
February 29, 2012
Why I Write About Werewolves
My reasons probably won't be much of a surprise to those of you who are already fans of the werewolf / shifter romance subgenre. But sometimes, people who aren't into werewolf romance (or often, romance at all) will ask me about my books / latest book, and sometimes it's kind of unavoidable for the words 'werewolf romance' not to slip into the explanation. And as soon as those words escape, the feel of the conversation is altered. Gone is the simple curiousity, replaced by something that could perhaps more accurately be described as 'WTF?' Why would a grown woman want to write about werewolves, especially in a romantic situation?
And then it dawns on them. I can see it in their eyes - that one simple word that is surely the only possible explanation: Twilight. That has to be it, right? Twilight started the whole werewolf romance thing, and she's jumping on the bandwagon. Weirdness rationalized. Sort of.
But the truth is, my love for vampire romance is due to something more than a crush on Jacob Black (I was Team Edward anyway, LOL), or a desire to emmulate the popular Twilight series. I write about werewolves because they lend themselves, naturally and strongly, to being the best sort of romance heroes / heroines.
While werewolf characters possess human minds and bodies (well, most of the time!), they usually have personality traits one might assosiate with wolves / canines, like loyalty and bravery. Werewolves mate for life. Werewolves will do anything to protect their mates and those they're close to, no matter how dangerous the situation. Honestly, who doesn't like the idea of a hero who'll stay faithful to his mate 'till death does them part, and will do anything he possibly can to protect her (or him) in the meanwhile? I think it's clear why werewolves are beloved by so many romance readers - they have the qualities we'd all love to see more of in real people.
Oh, and then there's the fact that being a shape-shifter often results in frequent nudity, and consequent sexy situations. That helps too. ;)
Loyal, fiercely brave, sexy...what's not to love about a werewolf hero or heroine? :)
Lonely Alpha, my first (and so far only) published werewolf romance - but you can definitely expect more! 
And then it dawns on them. I can see it in their eyes - that one simple word that is surely the only possible explanation: Twilight. That has to be it, right? Twilight started the whole werewolf romance thing, and she's jumping on the bandwagon. Weirdness rationalized. Sort of.
But the truth is, my love for vampire romance is due to something more than a crush on Jacob Black (I was Team Edward anyway, LOL), or a desire to emmulate the popular Twilight series. I write about werewolves because they lend themselves, naturally and strongly, to being the best sort of romance heroes / heroines.
While werewolf characters possess human minds and bodies (well, most of the time!), they usually have personality traits one might assosiate with wolves / canines, like loyalty and bravery. Werewolves mate for life. Werewolves will do anything to protect their mates and those they're close to, no matter how dangerous the situation. Honestly, who doesn't like the idea of a hero who'll stay faithful to his mate 'till death does them part, and will do anything he possibly can to protect her (or him) in the meanwhile? I think it's clear why werewolves are beloved by so many romance readers - they have the qualities we'd all love to see more of in real people.
Oh, and then there's the fact that being a shape-shifter often results in frequent nudity, and consequent sexy situations. That helps too. ;)
Loyal, fiercely brave, sexy...what's not to love about a werewolf hero or heroine? :)
Lonely Alpha, my first (and so far only) published werewolf romance - but you can definitely expect more!
February 25, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Lonely Alpha
She leaned into the kiss, aware again of the renewed hardness in Jack's lap. He rocked his hips beneath her, causing the tip of his cock to grind against the seam of her sex. She gasped, her nails biting into his shoulders as she clung to him. They were already pressed as tightly together as two people could be, but she tried to get closer anyway. If they were going to risk their lives hunting down a psychotic killer, she wasn't going to deny Jack or herself this. Slowly, she reached below with her newly healed hand, wrapping her fingers around his shaft.
February 18, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Lonely Alpha
"You're my mate, and I'm yours – how can you think that I could ever let you go?"
This was all escalating way too fast. Jack was digging his heels into the ground like a stubborn mule, and she worried she'd give in, slump against his chest and tell him she was his forever. It sounded crazy, even to her, but the temptation was there, beneath the reasons why she couldn't do so. When she thought of saying goodbye to the Smoky Mountains and Jack, her heart nearly wrenched in half. She had to keep those thoughts in the back of her mind in order to keep arguing.
This was all escalating way too fast. Jack was digging his heels into the ground like a stubborn mule, and she worried she'd give in, slump against his chest and tell him she was his forever. It sounded crazy, even to her, but the temptation was there, beneath the reasons why she couldn't do so. When she thought of saying goodbye to the Smoky Mountains and Jack, her heart nearly wrenched in half. She had to keep those thoughts in the back of her mind in order to keep arguing.
February 15, 2012
Winners - Red-Hot Valentine's Blog Hop
A big thank you to everyone who participated in the Red Hot Valentine's Day Blog Hop Giveaway! Here are the lucky winners:
Grand Prize Winner ($60 G.C. to All Romance eBooks): Tammy Ramey
$10 G.C. to All Romance eBooks: Gabby (Kakuchou)
For the other authors' individual prizes, please check their blogs.
I've contacted both winners via e-mail, so if that's you listed above, check your inbox!
Grand Prize Winner ($60 G.C. to All Romance eBooks): Tammy Ramey
$10 G.C. to All Romance eBooks: Gabby (Kakuchou)
For the other authors' individual prizes, please check their blogs.
I've contacted both winners via e-mail, so if that's you listed above, check your inbox!
February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Day!
Hope you have a wonderful day! :)
February 11, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Lonely Alpha
"The bond between mates is the strongest bond on earth."
She trembled as he kissed her, long and hard, slipping his tongue past her teeth and deep into her mouth, like he was claiming her. She despaired, even as she enjoyed it. What had she gotten herself into? She had to go back to Nashville when this was all over. Of course she did.
She trembled as he kissed her, long and hard, slipping his tongue past her teeth and deep into her mouth, like he was claiming her. She despaired, even as she enjoyed it. What had she gotten herself into? She had to go back to Nashville when this was all over. Of course she did.
February 6, 2012
Red-Hot Valentine's Day Excerpt + Gift Card Giveaway
The Red-Hot Valentine's Blog Hop is live February 7th - 14th!
Leave a comment including your e-mail address to be included in two different drawings - one for a $10 All Romance eBooks gift card, and one for a $60 All Romance eBooks gift card. The $10 winner will be chosen from the people who comment on this post only. Each comment you leave on any participating author's post earns you an entry into the $60 grand prize drawing. With 13 participating authors, you can comment on each blog for 13 chances to win. See the directory of participating authors HERE. We're all offering sexy excerpts and individual prizes, in addition to the grand prize.
My red-hot excerpt is from my best-selling werewolf romance Lonely Alpha. Hope you enjoy!
****
Heat crept through her entire being as memories from her recent dreams flooded her mind. They'd been hot and intimate. She'd privately accused Jack of being shameless more than once that day, but apparently her sleeping mind was even more so. In her dreams, she and Jack had bounded through the woods as wolves and then – in their human forms – had tumbled to the ground together, their limbs entwining as he entered her, driving her down deep into the cushiony floor of pine needles as he made love to her. What exactly had caused the dreams, she wasn't sure, but they'd been startlingly vivid, almost real. And then she'd awoken in a sweat, lying beside a naked, half-aroused Jack. It was too much to bear. She touched the tip of her tongue to her lips and reached out with her unhurt hand, longing to feel his skin against her fingertips. At the last moment, she drew back.
It was crazy. She knew that, and yet, she wanted nothing more than to touch him. No, she wanted to do more than that. She wanted to climb onto him, stroke his cock to its full length and feel it slide inside her. She wanted to ride him until a fresh layer of sweat shone on her skin. She wanted him, bad.
Curling her wayward hand into a fist and shoving it into her lap, she eyed the wound in his side again. Fresh guilt surged through her. How could she be thinking such things when he was hurt so badly? Regardless of how shameless her desires were or how conspicuously absent her inhibitions seemed to be, he was in no condition for sex. The only thing he needed to be doing in bed was resting. But thanks to her unnaturally vivid dreams, she was crazy with lust – a state she rarely found herself in. She'd just have to work off the steam and let him rest. Allowing her gaze to wander to his groin again, she slipped a hand beneath her blanket, pressing her fingertips into the apex of her thighs. Her core tightened when she saw that his cock was fully erect now, and she pressed her fingers against her slick skin. She'd just found her clit when a distinct feeling gave her pause, causing her to freeze with her hand between her legs. Slowly, she raised her gaze from Jack's hips to his face.
He was awake.
She stared, knowing her eyes were wide and that her jaw had gone slack. Caught beneath his golden gaze, she was powerless to move. What blood she still had left in the upper half of her body flooded into her cheeks, creating what had to be a fantastic blush.
He said nothing, just continued to watch her with half-hooded eyes.
She sat frozen, enduring the silence until she couldn't take it any longer. She had to explain. "I had a dream." Her feeble excuse came out half-whisper.
A sound that could only be described as a growl rose from deep within his chest. "So did I."
Mandy glanced toward his groin again and a wave of longing swept over her. His erection hadn't subsided. If anything, it appeared larger than it had when he'd been asleep. Not that it had been inconsiderable then.
"Tell me about your dream."
"It was…"
His gaze never left her. "It was what?"
She couldn't help but respond. She'd been caught red-handed, and he surely knew what kind of dreams she'd been having. The hardness between his hips and his own words made her hope that he'd been having the same sort. She wanted to hear him confess, too. "It was about you." Her words tumbled out. "You and me. Together. In the woods. We were…"
"Making love?" he finished for her.
She nodded weakly. "Exactly."
"We musta had the same dream."
"Oh." What else was there to say? The skin between her legs was still tingling, tempting her to let her fingers glide over her aching flesh, seeking relief. Only now that he was awake and looking at her, that no longer seemed like enough. Even if she brought herself to climax – that would only take a moment, surely – she'd still want more.
Jack reached out with surprising speed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her unhurt hand out of her blanket.
Mandy gasped as he lifted it to his mouth, touching her fingertips to his lips. Slowly, he swept his tongue over them. They were already damp with her arousal. He drew them past his teeth, tasting. Her heart sped as a golden gleam flashed in his half-hooded eyes and the ghost of a growl rose from his chest. "You taste just like you did in my dream."
A fresh wave of heat warmed her cheeks, along with the rest of her body. His manly, woodsy scent was making her head spin, and that combined with the rough timbre of his voice threatened to send her over the edge.
He pulled her fingertips from his lips and reached for her.
****
Lonely Alpha is available from major ebook retailers everywhere, such as Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple and All Romance.
****
A fun, sexy Valentine's read - $0.99 at major ebook retailers everywhere.
****
For a chance at $70 in gift cards, don't forget to leave a comment including your e-mail address. And don't forget to visit the directory of participating authors HERE. The more posts you comment on, the more chances you have at winning.
Leave a comment including your e-mail address to be included in two different drawings - one for a $10 All Romance eBooks gift card, and one for a $60 All Romance eBooks gift card. The $10 winner will be chosen from the people who comment on this post only. Each comment you leave on any participating author's post earns you an entry into the $60 grand prize drawing. With 13 participating authors, you can comment on each blog for 13 chances to win. See the directory of participating authors HERE. We're all offering sexy excerpts and individual prizes, in addition to the grand prize.
My red-hot excerpt is from my best-selling werewolf romance Lonely Alpha. Hope you enjoy!
****
Heat crept through her entire being as memories from her recent dreams flooded her mind. They'd been hot and intimate. She'd privately accused Jack of being shameless more than once that day, but apparently her sleeping mind was even more so. In her dreams, she and Jack had bounded through the woods as wolves and then – in their human forms – had tumbled to the ground together, their limbs entwining as he entered her, driving her down deep into the cushiony floor of pine needles as he made love to her. What exactly had caused the dreams, she wasn't sure, but they'd been startlingly vivid, almost real. And then she'd awoken in a sweat, lying beside a naked, half-aroused Jack. It was too much to bear. She touched the tip of her tongue to her lips and reached out with her unhurt hand, longing to feel his skin against her fingertips. At the last moment, she drew back.
It was crazy. She knew that, and yet, she wanted nothing more than to touch him. No, she wanted to do more than that. She wanted to climb onto him, stroke his cock to its full length and feel it slide inside her. She wanted to ride him until a fresh layer of sweat shone on her skin. She wanted him, bad.
Curling her wayward hand into a fist and shoving it into her lap, she eyed the wound in his side again. Fresh guilt surged through her. How could she be thinking such things when he was hurt so badly? Regardless of how shameless her desires were or how conspicuously absent her inhibitions seemed to be, he was in no condition for sex. The only thing he needed to be doing in bed was resting. But thanks to her unnaturally vivid dreams, she was crazy with lust – a state she rarely found herself in. She'd just have to work off the steam and let him rest. Allowing her gaze to wander to his groin again, she slipped a hand beneath her blanket, pressing her fingertips into the apex of her thighs. Her core tightened when she saw that his cock was fully erect now, and she pressed her fingers against her slick skin. She'd just found her clit when a distinct feeling gave her pause, causing her to freeze with her hand between her legs. Slowly, she raised her gaze from Jack's hips to his face.
He was awake.
She stared, knowing her eyes were wide and that her jaw had gone slack. Caught beneath his golden gaze, she was powerless to move. What blood she still had left in the upper half of her body flooded into her cheeks, creating what had to be a fantastic blush.
He said nothing, just continued to watch her with half-hooded eyes.
She sat frozen, enduring the silence until she couldn't take it any longer. She had to explain. "I had a dream." Her feeble excuse came out half-whisper.
A sound that could only be described as a growl rose from deep within his chest. "So did I."
Mandy glanced toward his groin again and a wave of longing swept over her. His erection hadn't subsided. If anything, it appeared larger than it had when he'd been asleep. Not that it had been inconsiderable then.
"Tell me about your dream."
"It was…"
His gaze never left her. "It was what?"
She couldn't help but respond. She'd been caught red-handed, and he surely knew what kind of dreams she'd been having. The hardness between his hips and his own words made her hope that he'd been having the same sort. She wanted to hear him confess, too. "It was about you." Her words tumbled out. "You and me. Together. In the woods. We were…"
"Making love?" he finished for her.
She nodded weakly. "Exactly."
"We musta had the same dream."
"Oh." What else was there to say? The skin between her legs was still tingling, tempting her to let her fingers glide over her aching flesh, seeking relief. Only now that he was awake and looking at her, that no longer seemed like enough. Even if she brought herself to climax – that would only take a moment, surely – she'd still want more.
Jack reached out with surprising speed and grabbed her wrist, pulling her unhurt hand out of her blanket.
Mandy gasped as he lifted it to his mouth, touching her fingertips to his lips. Slowly, he swept his tongue over them. They were already damp with her arousal. He drew them past his teeth, tasting. Her heart sped as a golden gleam flashed in his half-hooded eyes and the ghost of a growl rose from his chest. "You taste just like you did in my dream."
A fresh wave of heat warmed her cheeks, along with the rest of her body. His manly, woodsy scent was making her head spin, and that combined with the rough timbre of his voice threatened to send her over the edge.
He pulled her fingertips from his lips and reached for her.
****
Lonely Alpha is available from major ebook retailers everywhere, such as Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple and All Romance.
****
A fun, sexy Valentine's read - $0.99 at major ebook retailers everywhere.
****
For a chance at $70 in gift cards, don't forget to leave a comment including your e-mail address. And don't forget to visit the directory of participating authors HERE. The more posts you comment on, the more chances you have at winning.
February 4, 2012
Six Sentence Sunday - Highland Storm
"Shall I press my dirk into my own heart then, so ye can say that ye did?" Her own heart leapt suddenly, and she fought the urge to cry out. "No," she said, as calmly as she could bear. She eyed the dirk as if it were a poisonous serpent. Should she toss it away from him? The thought of him plunging it into his heart made her feel strangely as if her own had been pierced.
The Party Girl's Valentine - A Surprise Party Girl Sequel
Okay, I've got a very Valetine's-y surprise for my Party Girl fans - Alyssa and Devin are back! You know how they hooked up at a bachelor party gone awry. Ever wonder what happened to them next? Well, that's the story I've told in The Party Girl's Valentine. I wanted to do something fun for Valentine's Day, and I thought there was plenty more to Alyssa & Devin's story to explore. Add to that the fact that I've received more reader e-mail and requests for more of Party Girl than any other story, and well, here it is. :)
All Alyssa wants is to spend Valentine's Day with her sexy boyfriend, Devin, who's promised her a night to remember, along with a special surprise. But party-planning duty calls, and first she must survive coordinating an important event for the most exclusive book club in town. Thanks to their bossy leader, an eccentric author and her high-maintenance cat, it's not going to be an easy task. She'll have to use all of her resources, including Devin. Will they be able to escape in time to salvage the most romantic night of the year?
An excerpt is available here at my website.
The Party Girl's Valentine is available now at major ebook retailers, such as...
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
All Romance
All Alyssa wants is to spend Valentine's Day with her sexy boyfriend, Devin, who's promised her a night to remember, along with a special surprise. But party-planning duty calls, and first she must survive coordinating an important event for the most exclusive book club in town. Thanks to their bossy leader, an eccentric author and her high-maintenance cat, it's not going to be an easy task. She'll have to use all of her resources, including Devin. Will they be able to escape in time to salvage the most romantic night of the year?
An excerpt is available here at my website.
The Party Girl's Valentine is available now at major ebook retailers, such as...
Amazon (US)
Amazon (UK)
All Romance
February 2, 2012
Romantic Moment in History: The Oldest Known Valentine Is Written
Valentine's Day (or close), 1415
Charles, Duke of Orleans, composed a Valentine's poem for his wife while imprisoned in the Tower of London, following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt.
His poem is believed to be the oldest known valentine, and is part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London.
Be ready for more Valentine's Day historical facts this month. :)
