Lashell Collins's Blog, page 22
April 4, 2013
E is for Erotica!
When E L James published her Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, the world went a little bit nuts. Whether they were reading it or not, people everywhere had an opinion on it, and most (whether they were reading it or not) simply could not believe that an erotic romance novel had gone mainstream. Some even went so far as to dub it “Mommy Porn.”
Mommy Porn? Really?
I hate that term. Because the truth is, no matter how much we may love him, erotica didn’t begin with Christian Grey. Far from it! Erotic literature has been around for centuries. Wikipedia explains it this way:
Despite cultural taboos on such material, circulation of erotic literature was not seen as a major problem before the invention of printing, as the costs of producing individual manuscripts limited distribution to a very small group of readers. The invention of printing, in the 15th century, brought with it both a greater market and increasing restrictions, which took the form of censorship and legal restraints on publication on grounds of obscenity. Because of this, much of the production of this type of material became clandestine.
The 15th century. Wow! That’s a whole lot of erotica to catch up on!
April 3, 2013
D is for Dancing!
Okay, so in keeping with my secondary theme of romance during this blog challenge, D is for Dancing! That’s romantic, right?
Whether it’s romantically slow and cheek-to-cheek, a sexy, mid-tempo bump and grind, or a flirtatious, quick-stepping line dance – there is just something about a man who isn’t afraid to get on the floor and boogie. I get tired of hearing men say, “Oh, I don’t dance.” Don’t they realize that they are shooting themselves in the foot with that comment and their refusal to cut a rug? Guys, stop being too cool to groove! Women love a man who can dance, and it really isn’t difficult to understand why.
If a man moves well on the dance floor, it translates to a woman that he will probably be able to move well in other places too. Like the bedroom. I mean, let’s get real for a minute. They don’t call it “dirty dancing” for nothing. If a man demonstrates an excellent sense of rhythm while the two of you are moving to the beat, your mind can’t help but imagine what it might be like to dance with him horizontally, if you get my drift. Because, as many women will tell you when they’re being completely honest … rhythm is EVERYTHING!
Here’s a little of that ‘dirty dancing’ for your viewing pleasure…
April 2, 2013
C is for Chocolate!
Nothing says romance like flowers and chocolates, right? But why is that, exactly? Why is chocolate forever linked to romance and sex and why do women crave it so much? I’ve even heard some women state that it’s better than sex! In fact, I might have uttered those words myself a time or two. So just for this post, I went in search of those answers, and I came across some interesting stuff.
It turns out that there’s an actual reason why chocolate is connected to romance and sex. According to legend, chocolate has long been believed to be a love potion of sorts. An aphrodisiac, thought to enhance the sexual desire and gratification of both men and women. The Aztecs, who discovered the amazing food, were the first to capitalize on chocolate’s arousing properties and the conquering Spanish carried those beliefs about chocolate enhancing sex back with them to Europe. After that the rest, as they say, is history. Today, scientists actually acknowledge that there does appear to be a libido enhancing chemical present in the make up of chocolate, and that it boosts the levels of serotonin, the “feel good” chemical, in our brains.
And now I finally know why chocolate is given as a gift of romantic love on Valentine’s Day. Your lover is not simply giving you an innocent sweet treat to enjoy; he’s hoping to light your fire. And that’s a gift you can both enjoy!
April 1, 2013
B is for Bad Boys
Picture this: You walk into a semi-crowded room at a bar or a party, and you notice immediately that there is no shortage of tall, dark and handsome for your eyes to feast on. Lucky you! But the more you look, the more you begin to feel a little let down. Yeah, they’re cute and all, but…. And then boom! You spot him – the hot one in the corner with the piercing eyes, the cocky smirk, and the confident swagger. Yep. That’s right, I’m talking about the Bad Boy, because it’s day two of the A to Z blog challenge and B is the letter of the day! And in keeping with my secondary theme of romance, I thought I’d touch on this mainstay of the romance novel.
So, what is it exactly that women love so much about Bad Boys? They’re arrogant, reckless and sometimes even bordering on rude. Usually, they clearly care more about themselves than anyone else and they are altogether toxic. Yet, even though we know we shouldn’t, we just can’t seem to help ourselves. The dish is simply too tempting to pass up and some of us can’t get enough. Even when we swear them off we keep going back for more. We’re like moths to a flame, singed wings and all.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any new and fascinating insights into the mystique and appeal of the Bad Boy. All I know is that Bad Boys are confident, decisive, exciting and ruggedly masculine. And those are qualities that women have always found sexy and irresistible! But don’t take my word for it. Just listen to Gloria Estefan…
March 31, 2013
A is for Always
So it’s day one of the A to Z blog challenge (And oh, by the way … thanks Arlee Bird, for founding said challenge!!) and, for me, A is for Always. “Always and Forever” to be more precise. It’s the title of one of the sweetest, most romantic love songs ever recorded and, as you all know, my goal with this A to Z challenge is to stick to a secondary theme of romance. You should all also know by now that I am a total music junkie. I could not make it through a single day without the healing, sustaining life power that is music. Great music.
What you might not know about me is that I am a child of the ‘70s. (And the only thing that tops ‘70s music for me is ‘80s music, but that’s another conversation). Whether you were listening to pop (think Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music”), rock (like Kansas’ “Carry On My Wayward Son”), or the all-consuming Disco phenomenon, music was just funkier back then. And it didn’t matter if it was a tune you could dance to or a ballad worthy of tears. It was all funky!
“Always and Forever” was no exception. Written by Rod Temperton, the romantic ballad has an almost cult following among people in my age bracket. It was first recorded by the British-based, multi-national funk/disco band, Heatwave, for their debut album, Too Hot to Handle. It went on to reach #9 on the UK’s Single’s Chart, #2 on the U.S. Billboard R&B Chart and #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. It has since been recorded by several other artists over the years, from Luther Vandross to Kenny Rogers. But it is the Heatwave version, with amazing lead vocals by Jonnie Wilder, that will always stand the test of time, making it one of the most romantic songs in history. In my opinion, anyway. But you can click on the link below to give a listen and see what you think.
March 15, 2013
Blog Book Tour
So, earlier this week, I mentioned that I was in the process of setting up a Blog Book Tour for Pierced By Danger and I promised to keep you all informed as the information came to me. Well, here is what I know so far. The tour will run from April 15 – April 22 and will include a mixture of fun interviews and guest blog spots. The tour stops and agenda are listed below:
April 15 Guest blog and review
Lunar Haven
April 16 Interview
Cloey’s Book Reviews and Other Stuff
April 17 Spotlight
Sapphyria’s Steamy Book Reviews
April 18 Interview
Pembroke Sinclair.
www.pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
April 19 Spotlight
Romance Addict Book Blog
April 20 Interview
Roxanne’s Realm
www.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
April 21 Guest blog
Erotica For All,
April 21 Spotlight and review
Erzabet’s Enchantments
http://erzabetsenchantments.blogspot.com/
April 22 Spotlight and review
Faerie Tale Books
March 12, 2013
Just a Few Random Thoughts
So, a lot’s been going on the last few days. First, I posted my review of tfc Parks’ Rhythm in Blue from My Two Cents on my Goodreads page. Imagine my surprise when I get a notice that both tfc Parks and her alter-ego Brandie Buckwine (her pen name) enjoyed reading my review! I thought that was pretty cool. And I think it’s interesting that she’s most known for her erotic stories under the Brandie Buckwine name but, I came to her through her first romantic novel under the tfc Parks name. Well, however I learned about her, I’m just glad I did. I think I’ve found a new favorite and I’ll have to read more of her stuff sometime.
Another cool thing that I stumbled upon is the A to Z blogging challenge. Apparently, it began in 2010 with almost 100 bloggers and has been growing in participation each year since. Last year, there were around 1700 participants! The premise of the challenge is to post a blog entry each day of the month of April (excluding Sundays), and each post must correspond to the assigned letter for that day – day 1 = A, day 2 = B, day 3 = C, etc. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, I also thought it sounded like tremendous fun so, I think I’m going to sign up to participate! Only, if I do … I think I’ll add the extra challenge of keeping my topics related to romance in some way. I’m actually sort of excited about it.
Another thing I’m excited about is a blog tour for Pierced By Danger. I know, exciting, right? I’m really anxious to release book 2 of the Pierced trilogy but, I really feel like I need to give book 1 a little more time to find its footing first. So my hope is that a blog book tour will help it do just that. I’ve contacted a company called Bewitching Book Tours that specializes in this sort of thing and Roxanne, the owner, is currently in the process of helping to set up a tour for me!
I told you a lot has been going on! I’ll keep you posted on everything as it happens.
March 7, 2013
My Two Cents
So, I don’t often write reviews of the books I read. Not sure why exactly, I just don’t take the time unless it’s a book that’s really touched me in some way. But I’ve got this shiny new blog and not exactly sure what to fill it up with. Surely my random thoughts alone would certainly bore most of you. So, I thought I’d shake it up a bit and toss a review into the mix. Plus, I just finished a book that my heart and mind don’t seem to want to let go of yet. I can’t stop thinking about it so I thought, why not put my two cents out there? And don’t worry, it’s spoiler free! Here we go…
Rhythm in Blue by tfc Parks - 5/5
Ok, let me just start by saying, wow!
Typically, when I read a romance novel, I want to fall in love with the main characters. I especially want to fall in love with the hero. But while I did not fall in love Rick Rowland in this book (sometimes he can be a little unlovable), I sure did come away from this story caring about him a great deal. Lurking behind the haze of sex, drugs and rock and roll that Rick is constantly lost in, is a good and decent man. Flawed, like the rest of us, and constantly tormented by his demons. But a good man nonetheless. I worried about the consequences of the choices he was making and I felt myself really pulling for him as if he were a close personal friend of mine. I wanted his life to work out.
Shelby, on the other hand, I just wanted to throttle! I realize that she was very young and immature when they first met but, I spent most of the book wanting to shake her and ask her what her problem was! At first, I just couldn’t understand how she could misinterpret Rick’s actions and intentions so badly. Then, of course, we finally learn that she didn’t misinterpret anything, she was just young and stupid at the time (who hasn’t been) and made a huge mistake. A mistake that she allowed Rick to carry around with him for years. And the resulting pain Rick felt each time he saw her was palpable.
But don’t misunderstand me. I loved this book! In fact, to say that I enjoyed this book would be a huge understatement. I was OBSESSED with this story. From the moment Rick and Shelby met, I was completely obsessed. I could not put this book down. And when I was forced to stop reading in order to deal with “real life,” I wasn’t just be disappointed, I was fighting mad! I just wanted to keep reading!
There were a few editing/proofreading missteps in this one but, not enough to hinder my enjoyment of this story. Also, I really wish there had been an epilogue. I sort of felt left hanging at the end. Yes, they do get their HEA but, it would have been nice to see a glimpse of their future, and also to find out what happened with the band.
February 23, 2013
Technical Difficulties – Revisited
Ok, so … maybe technical difficulties are not blessings in disguise, as I mused last week. Maybe they are exactly what they are – a big honking pain in the … neck. I was going to say neck.
Yesterday I learned from a few readers (which is always good) that apparently my book was downloading “faulty.” A reader’s word, not mine. I like the word ‘faulty’ though. It’s very diplomatic, I think. Anyway, because of this faulty download, some readers were able to enjoy Pierced By Danger with no problems whatsoever. Others, it seems, were experiencing technical difficulties in the form of missing text. Parts of the story were just not there! Imagine my horror.
I don’t mind telling you that I spent most of the day yesterday awash in a puddle of tears. I don’t ever remember being so frustrated in my life. From my point of view, writing Pierced (the whole trilogy) came as easily as breathing to me. The story just seemed to flow out of me, as though it just couldn’t be contained anymore. And afterwards, I spent what seems like months editing and proofreading and perfecting, and having others edit and proofread in an effort to perfect before offering it to the world. It was (is) my baby. And offering it to the world is the biggest, toughest, most important thing I’ve ever done. And it’s been battered and roughed up now by technical difficulties.
The file was fixed. I spent over four hours last night tending to it and getting it re-uploaded to the KDP site, and was informed by one of those readers with missing text just a few hours ago that the new download is beautiful now. But I’m afraid that the damage may have already been done. Technical difficulties suck.
February 20, 2013
When the Page Goes Live
Last time I talked about the very real fear that grips your heart the first time you push the “publish” button. Man, that was scary. But just as scary, I have found, is the excruciating wait for the first few reviews to trickle in once the page goes live. All those terrifying thoughts that run through your head when you pull the trigger and push the button don’t just stop. Oh, no! They actually play over and over and over in your head, like an old vinyl record that skips. Whispering tauntingly into your ear, jeering and laughing at you. Making you just want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers up over your head until the laughter stops. And I really wish that I had an experienced, seasoned writer that I could go to and ask just one question: Is it like this every time, with every book? Will I always feel this sense of inadequacy and incompetence? Will I always feel this terrified that what I’ve written might be complete crap? Will I always feel like I don’t know what the heck I’m doing, and that I’ll never amount to the writer I envision myself to be?
Ok, so maybe that was more than one question. But if there are any fellow writers out there, please feel free to drop me a line. I would sincerely love to hear from you.
