Jane Cousins's Blog, page 12
February 18, 2015
Writing a bitchy heroine - it's a very fine line.
Heroines come in all shapes and sizes. There are the good girls, the sweet girls, the nice girls. But even then - as an author you can't write a character too good/sweet or nice because they can come off fake, insincere and kind of sickening.
Real women... we're just not nice all the time. That would be boring and annoying.
Real women have baggage and hang-ups. We have flaws, foibles and quirks. Real women can be complete an utter bitches.
And quite frankly, they are the most fun to write. They say things most of us would never dare. They take chances. They hold their ground. They don't take any dis-respect. And they give as good as they get.
Who doesn't love a strong woman with a side serving of bitch?
But a character can't be a bitch all the time - that too would be boring.
I read a book the other day and the heroine was a tough, independent, temper tantrum throwing, bitch. Which was fine for the first half of the book but then I begun to grow tired of her an actively dislike her. All the male characters inexplicably fell in love with this woman - which made no sense to me - she constantly verbally attacked everyone and acted out like a small angry child.
As a reader I need to be able to relate to a character. I can be a bitch. I can be a caring empathetic person. Sometimes, when there's no chocolate available I can be both within a five minute time-frame.
All characters, just like real people, need to have layers, depth.
I'm writing a bitchy heroine at the moment. She's sharp, funny, overly practical, superior, hates to appear weak, and is a self proclaimed bitch.
But she's more than just that, she has a high maintenance annoying family, she's loyal, dependable, fighting her attraction to an unsuitable man and doesn't have all the answers, all the time.
She's human, well, no she's not, she's a Makura Princess being forced to choose a husband from a pool of grifters, conmen, pirates and liars - but you know what I mean.
Bring on the bitches I say - but not in your face, all the time. I don't mean make them weak, or make them cry. Nothing turns me off a story quicker than a supposedly strong kick-ass woman crying at the drop of a hat.
I mean make them real, make them relatable, make them like me.
Real women... we're just not nice all the time. That would be boring and annoying.
Real women have baggage and hang-ups. We have flaws, foibles and quirks. Real women can be complete an utter bitches.
And quite frankly, they are the most fun to write. They say things most of us would never dare. They take chances. They hold their ground. They don't take any dis-respect. And they give as good as they get.
Who doesn't love a strong woman with a side serving of bitch?
But a character can't be a bitch all the time - that too would be boring.
I read a book the other day and the heroine was a tough, independent, temper tantrum throwing, bitch. Which was fine for the first half of the book but then I begun to grow tired of her an actively dislike her. All the male characters inexplicably fell in love with this woman - which made no sense to me - she constantly verbally attacked everyone and acted out like a small angry child.
As a reader I need to be able to relate to a character. I can be a bitch. I can be a caring empathetic person. Sometimes, when there's no chocolate available I can be both within a five minute time-frame.
All characters, just like real people, need to have layers, depth.
I'm writing a bitchy heroine at the moment. She's sharp, funny, overly practical, superior, hates to appear weak, and is a self proclaimed bitch.
But she's more than just that, she has a high maintenance annoying family, she's loyal, dependable, fighting her attraction to an unsuitable man and doesn't have all the answers, all the time.
She's human, well, no she's not, she's a Makura Princess being forced to choose a husband from a pool of grifters, conmen, pirates and liars - but you know what I mean.
Bring on the bitches I say - but not in your face, all the time. I don't mean make them weak, or make them cry. Nothing turns me off a story quicker than a supposedly strong kick-ass woman crying at the drop of a hat.
I mean make them real, make them relatable, make them like me.
February 4, 2015
Three For The Bank Job (By The Numbers - Book 3) NEW RELEASE - 4th Feb 2015
Reigning Miss Kentucky and brainiac, Emeltine ‘Eme’ Hanrahan, is having a really bad day. When three nitwit bank robbers turn a simple ribbon cutting ceremony into a hostage siege, it will take all of Eme’s smarts to handle the robbers and save the hostages. That includes one gorgeous stubborn US Marshal, who is clearly unwilling to concede that Eme is anything more than a brainless bombshell in a tiara
The ditz in the tiara is not only ruining his bust, there’s a very good chance she’s going to get them both killed. Ben Riordan doesn’t know whether to cuff her or kiss her. First, she brains him in the head, then she gets them locked in the bank vault.
Eventually freed it quickly becomes clear that someone is gunning for high profile witness Eme, determined to silence her for good. Now Ben not only has to keep Eme safe whilst using her as bait to lure into the open a criminal mastermind he has to convince her that he can see past the tiara to the beautiful and brainy woman beneath.
The ditz in the tiara is not only ruining his bust, there’s a very good chance she’s going to get them both killed. Ben Riordan doesn’t know whether to cuff her or kiss her. First, she brains him in the head, then she gets them locked in the bank vault.
Eventually freed it quickly becomes clear that someone is gunning for high profile witness Eme, determined to silence her for good. Now Ben not only has to keep Eme safe whilst using her as bait to lure into the open a criminal mastermind he has to convince her that he can see past the tiara to the beautiful and brainy woman beneath.
January 18, 2015
What am I working on right now? Update time
Thought everyone might appreciate an update on what's happening on the writing front. Despite the fact that it is summer here in Australia (though you couldn't prove that by the temperature in Melbourne today) I am actually hard at work.
Currently I'm in edit/re-write mode for book three of the By The Numbers series - Three For The Bank Job.
A tale involving a bank heist gone wrong starring beauty/brainiac Eme Hanrahan (Sher's twin sister) who is reigning Miss Kentucky and US Marshal Ben Riordan. He's blinded by the tiara, believing she is a complete ditz and a bit of a kleptomaniac.
Fun, danger and misunderstandings will plague these two, including several days trapped in a bank vault together.
I had so much fun writing this one.
Will be chatting to my cover artist soon, so expect a publication date around early Feb 2015.
On the Southern Sanctuary front.
Book 6 - To Date a Disaster, is done/drafted. It's the story of Erik (brother to Locke & Hadleigh) artist and good guy but determined to remain single and Cara, long lost ancestor of the God of Chaos. She has just recently come into her powers and is causing mayhem & disasters where ever she goes.
Will be looking to publish end of April 2015.
Book 7 - untitled as yet. Am about a quarter of the way into writing this one.
Remember Devon - from To Trap A Temptress? The haughty Makura Princess who must wed a wily, sneaky Merrow?
Forced to move to the Southern Sanctuary Devon must endure fourteen blind dates before she can make her final choice.
Of course the prospective bridegrooms don't intend to make her decision easy. How bad can the dates be? Trust me, the shiftless royal Merrow Princes are more than up to the challenge of trying to scare Devon off.
Look for it on Amazon toward the end of the year.
Funny, Book 7 was going to be Eli & Rafe's story but Devon just muscled her way to the front of the line. She's a bit of a bitch like that, and that's why she is so much fun to write.
Expect the Maat warriors to come blazing back to the forefront in Book 8, though you will catch glimpses of them in Book 6 - To Date A Disaster.
Wishing everyone out there a great 2015. You guys keep reading and I'll keep writing.
Currently I'm in edit/re-write mode for book three of the By The Numbers series - Three For The Bank Job.
A tale involving a bank heist gone wrong starring beauty/brainiac Eme Hanrahan (Sher's twin sister) who is reigning Miss Kentucky and US Marshal Ben Riordan. He's blinded by the tiara, believing she is a complete ditz and a bit of a kleptomaniac.
Fun, danger and misunderstandings will plague these two, including several days trapped in a bank vault together.
I had so much fun writing this one.
Will be chatting to my cover artist soon, so expect a publication date around early Feb 2015.
On the Southern Sanctuary front.
Book 6 - To Date a Disaster, is done/drafted. It's the story of Erik (brother to Locke & Hadleigh) artist and good guy but determined to remain single and Cara, long lost ancestor of the God of Chaos. She has just recently come into her powers and is causing mayhem & disasters where ever she goes.
Will be looking to publish end of April 2015.
Book 7 - untitled as yet. Am about a quarter of the way into writing this one.
Remember Devon - from To Trap A Temptress? The haughty Makura Princess who must wed a wily, sneaky Merrow?
Forced to move to the Southern Sanctuary Devon must endure fourteen blind dates before she can make her final choice.
Of course the prospective bridegrooms don't intend to make her decision easy. How bad can the dates be? Trust me, the shiftless royal Merrow Princes are more than up to the challenge of trying to scare Devon off.
Look for it on Amazon toward the end of the year.
Funny, Book 7 was going to be Eli & Rafe's story but Devon just muscled her way to the front of the line. She's a bit of a bitch like that, and that's why she is so much fun to write.
Expect the Maat warriors to come blazing back to the forefront in Book 8, though you will catch glimpses of them in Book 6 - To Date A Disaster.
Wishing everyone out there a great 2015. You guys keep reading and I'll keep writing.
January 17, 2015
Hi, my name's Jane and I'm a reformed book snob.
Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about high-brow literature or only reading books that have spent time on the N.Y Times Best-sellers list. I'm talking about e-books.
Yes, I recognise the irony, being an e-book author, it's hardly surprising that I would take up the e-book mantle and make such a proclamation. But honestly there's a host of reasons for the change to my reading habits.
First. Once upon a time Hard copy (HC) books were edited to within an inch of their life. It was a rare thing to come across a grammatical error. Now a days grammatical/syntax errors abound, even in books that have spent months on the N.Y Times best-sellers list.
Scott Lynch's Republic of Thieves, springs to mind. The use of the word 'storeys' in this book instead of the word 'stories' did my head in completely. And it didn't stop there. I can only assume the American editor aiming for the UK/Australia market had read somewhere that adding a 'u' to most words would make them grammatically accurate. This is true to a point - honour, flavour, colour etc. It is not true for a host of other words such as 'evapourate'.
All I'm saying is that if publishers want the HC book buying public to shell out big bucks for a physical copy then they need to put their big editing boots on and spend some actual time getting everything right.
Second. The quality of books out there. I have read some woeful e-books that I have immediately tossed on to my teetering dnf pile but I've also read just as many HC books of late that I can say the same thing about. Where the gorgeous covers and exciting fresh blurbs have suckered me in only to find myself hitting a brick wall around chapter three, realising quickly that I have been played for a fool by the mass market publishing machine.
Genres that make money (my fave paranormal romance in particular) are flooded with dregs these days. And to be honest I'm not sure if all of them are deserving to be published as HC books. Or should continue to be published - I'm thinking here of the great Raine Benares series by Lisa Shearin but her very poor second series effort, The Grendal Affair.
Just as there seem to be more and more e-book authors that are going under the radar. Fantastic stories (okay, with maybe a few editing mistakes but no more than I'm seeing in many HC books these days), fresh and exciting. These authors, without the huge publishing companies behind them to generate publicity or push for word of mouth campaigns are lost in the back catalogue e-book wilderness.
And thirdly - price. Because it's such a crap shoot out there now, especially when it comes to a newly discovered author, I don't mind shelling out a few bucks to take a risk, but I really... really resent shelling out the cost for a HC book (seriously how and why are they still so expensive?)only to discover that it is essentially crap.
Lastly, the sheer convenience of the e-book reader. Going on holidays now doesn't mean loading my luggage down with ten books and still managing to run out of reading material half way through my beach holiday. It just means loading up my tablet and popping it into my handbag. Heavenly. (Though keeping the sunscreen oil off the tablet screen can be challenging)
So all hail the e-book - long may they reign. And doubly thanks for providing me with a format to get my books out there.
Yes, I recognise the irony, being an e-book author, it's hardly surprising that I would take up the e-book mantle and make such a proclamation. But honestly there's a host of reasons for the change to my reading habits.
First. Once upon a time Hard copy (HC) books were edited to within an inch of their life. It was a rare thing to come across a grammatical error. Now a days grammatical/syntax errors abound, even in books that have spent months on the N.Y Times best-sellers list.
Scott Lynch's Republic of Thieves, springs to mind. The use of the word 'storeys' in this book instead of the word 'stories' did my head in completely. And it didn't stop there. I can only assume the American editor aiming for the UK/Australia market had read somewhere that adding a 'u' to most words would make them grammatically accurate. This is true to a point - honour, flavour, colour etc. It is not true for a host of other words such as 'evapourate'.
All I'm saying is that if publishers want the HC book buying public to shell out big bucks for a physical copy then they need to put their big editing boots on and spend some actual time getting everything right.
Second. The quality of books out there. I have read some woeful e-books that I have immediately tossed on to my teetering dnf pile but I've also read just as many HC books of late that I can say the same thing about. Where the gorgeous covers and exciting fresh blurbs have suckered me in only to find myself hitting a brick wall around chapter three, realising quickly that I have been played for a fool by the mass market publishing machine.
Genres that make money (my fave paranormal romance in particular) are flooded with dregs these days. And to be honest I'm not sure if all of them are deserving to be published as HC books. Or should continue to be published - I'm thinking here of the great Raine Benares series by Lisa Shearin but her very poor second series effort, The Grendal Affair.
Just as there seem to be more and more e-book authors that are going under the radar. Fantastic stories (okay, with maybe a few editing mistakes but no more than I'm seeing in many HC books these days), fresh and exciting. These authors, without the huge publishing companies behind them to generate publicity or push for word of mouth campaigns are lost in the back catalogue e-book wilderness.
And thirdly - price. Because it's such a crap shoot out there now, especially when it comes to a newly discovered author, I don't mind shelling out a few bucks to take a risk, but I really... really resent shelling out the cost for a HC book (seriously how and why are they still so expensive?)only to discover that it is essentially crap.
Lastly, the sheer convenience of the e-book reader. Going on holidays now doesn't mean loading my luggage down with ten books and still managing to run out of reading material half way through my beach holiday. It just means loading up my tablet and popping it into my handbag. Heavenly. (Though keeping the sunscreen oil off the tablet screen can be challenging)
So all hail the e-book - long may they reign. And doubly thanks for providing me with a format to get my books out there.
December 3, 2014
To Bedevil A Beauty (Southern Sanctuary Book 5) - NEW RELEASE 3rd Dec 2014
Berry Malone’s life was currently ranking a D minus. Divorced, destitute and desperate. Returning home to the Southern Sanctuary to take on the role of local magistrate sounds like the perfect solution to her problems. A place to heal and recover. Regain her self-confidence as a single, empowered – sworn off men for life – woman.
Unfortunately, her interfering extended magical family, along with the local devious cats, have other plans for her. Plans that include shredding every article of clothing she owns and throwing her into the company of the new Chief of Police as often as possible. A man too irritating for words, with all his heated looks, intentional looming and flirtatious comments. So what if the man sends her hormones into a tizzy, Berry is determined not to be led astray by her untrustworthy instincts or magic ever again.
Ramsey Hughes is desperate to be declared mentally fit enough to return to his job as an undercover cop. If that means temporarily filling in as the Southern Sanctuary Chief of Police, so be it. Except the place is weird, and the inhabitants, even stranger. Then he runs across Berry Malone… naked, vulnerable and spitting mad. Damn, he loves to see her eyes spark with fire. Although she seems to be under the misapprehension that he’s some sort of smooth talking, playboy flirt.
With bullets flying and danger stalking them, the two must unite to survive. As they grow closer, Berry remains wary, resolved to keep Hotshot Hughes at arm’s length. She’s too smart to fall for another lying, no-good - can’t be trusted - man. All Ramsey knows is that he wants Berry Malone in his life and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her there, even if that means taking a leap of faith and believing that magic is real. And if that doesn’t work, then he’ll poke, prod and bedevil a beauty, until Berry Malone is willing to commit herself to him heart and soul.
Unfortunately, her interfering extended magical family, along with the local devious cats, have other plans for her. Plans that include shredding every article of clothing she owns and throwing her into the company of the new Chief of Police as often as possible. A man too irritating for words, with all his heated looks, intentional looming and flirtatious comments. So what if the man sends her hormones into a tizzy, Berry is determined not to be led astray by her untrustworthy instincts or magic ever again.
Ramsey Hughes is desperate to be declared mentally fit enough to return to his job as an undercover cop. If that means temporarily filling in as the Southern Sanctuary Chief of Police, so be it. Except the place is weird, and the inhabitants, even stranger. Then he runs across Berry Malone… naked, vulnerable and spitting mad. Damn, he loves to see her eyes spark with fire. Although she seems to be under the misapprehension that he’s some sort of smooth talking, playboy flirt.
With bullets flying and danger stalking them, the two must unite to survive. As they grow closer, Berry remains wary, resolved to keep Hotshot Hughes at arm’s length. She’s too smart to fall for another lying, no-good - can’t be trusted - man. All Ramsey knows is that he wants Berry Malone in his life and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her there, even if that means taking a leap of faith and believing that magic is real. And if that doesn’t work, then he’ll poke, prod and bedevil a beauty, until Berry Malone is willing to commit herself to him heart and soul.
November 13, 2014
Why reading a series out of sequence is impossible... for me a least.
Honestly, I think it's hard coded in my DNA or something.
I often come across a new author and read the reviews and no matter how many times the reviewers unanimously state that book 2 or 3 in the series, is the best book ever. And you should do yourself a favour and don't read book 1, because it doesn't live up to later books... well, I'm sorry. I just can't.
Even, if everyone states categorically that jumping feet first several books into the series will not affect the telling of the story in anyway. I 'have' to start with book 1.
Why? Good question. I think it has something to do with being an author. I know with my series I'm doing my best to add layers and depth to all my secondary characters with each book. Dropping little hints about their flaws/strengths/possible love interests.
I've created a whole world. Mapped out the streets (yes, I have), detailed a family tree and how everyone is interconnected (thank god for pencils and rubbers)
Each book is meant to pull you just that little bit deeper into my world.
And I can't imagine any author, not doing exactly the same thing. Otherwise, why call it a series? The characters, the stories, they must have ties from one book to the next... mustn't they?
So for me, at least, the only way I can read an authors' work is to start with book 1. And, sometimes I think that's to my own detriment. As the book/series fails to capture me right there and I can't progress on to book 2 or 3 (which everyone is raving about)
Which is totally my problem. Like I said, I think it's in my DNA or something.
Alternatively, and maybe I'm just being naïve here. Shouldn't the author be bringing their 'A game' to every single book they write? Even more so for the first in the series if they want to capture and keep a loyal reading audience?
How about you? Do you leap into a series? Or, like me, do you insist on starting with book 1?
I'm sure it doesn't matter in the end, either way. There's nothing more precious than finding an author you love and adding their books to your collection.
I often come across a new author and read the reviews and no matter how many times the reviewers unanimously state that book 2 or 3 in the series, is the best book ever. And you should do yourself a favour and don't read book 1, because it doesn't live up to later books... well, I'm sorry. I just can't.
Even, if everyone states categorically that jumping feet first several books into the series will not affect the telling of the story in anyway. I 'have' to start with book 1.
Why? Good question. I think it has something to do with being an author. I know with my series I'm doing my best to add layers and depth to all my secondary characters with each book. Dropping little hints about their flaws/strengths/possible love interests.
I've created a whole world. Mapped out the streets (yes, I have), detailed a family tree and how everyone is interconnected (thank god for pencils and rubbers)
Each book is meant to pull you just that little bit deeper into my world.
And I can't imagine any author, not doing exactly the same thing. Otherwise, why call it a series? The characters, the stories, they must have ties from one book to the next... mustn't they?
So for me, at least, the only way I can read an authors' work is to start with book 1. And, sometimes I think that's to my own detriment. As the book/series fails to capture me right there and I can't progress on to book 2 or 3 (which everyone is raving about)
Which is totally my problem. Like I said, I think it's in my DNA or something.
Alternatively, and maybe I'm just being naïve here. Shouldn't the author be bringing their 'A game' to every single book they write? Even more so for the first in the series if they want to capture and keep a loyal reading audience?
How about you? Do you leap into a series? Or, like me, do you insist on starting with book 1?
I'm sure it doesn't matter in the end, either way. There's nothing more precious than finding an author you love and adding their books to your collection.
November 2, 2014
Naming characters - how hard can it be?
Naming characters I think is a little like picking a name for a baby. Everyone has an opinion... which often entails wrinkling up their nose and saying "Really? I went to school with a 'insert name', and they were a real piece of work."
And I'm no less guilty of that syndrome. There are several names you will never see in my books, unless I need a bitch/bad guy to lay all the blame on... then automatically I insert my childhood nemesis's name into the slot. But never as the H or h.
So where do I get my inspiration for the names I have chosen? Invariably I'm looking for strong names or names that can be shortened to cool nicknames. From day one, or should that be Book One of the Southern Sanctuary series, I always knew Charisse would be the lead h in Book Four and that the H would nickname her Cyd (after Cyd Charisse)
Mostly when I'm looking to name my characters I tend to use a mix of friends names and cool sounding surnames as first names.
People have asked how I came up with the name Hadleigh for my Book One heroine.
Well, the answer is kind of embarrassing on this one people, but when I was younger I had a crush on the lead singer of Spandau Ballet, Tony Hadleigh. Plus, have always thought Hadleigh would make a cool girl's name.
And the lead H, from Book One? Vaughn was named in honour of the male lead character from the TV show 'Alias' - yes, another crush.
Names go in and out of fashion as well. Once upon a time the name Jane (yes, my real name) could often be found front and centre in a book as the heroine. Nowadays, Jane's in literature are the secretary, the plain girl or someone's elderly relative.
The real challenge lies in having to identify a lot of characters names early on in a series. That's where the planning comes, as I tested names and pairings thoroughly to see how they would look on paper.
Though it didn't stop my mother from calling me after she finished reading Book One, To Woo a Warrior, to tell me how she couldn't believe I'd included a character called Gigi. Wondering why I'd failed to remember that she'd gone to school with a horrible girl called Gigi, and that she'd been a real piece of work.
Sigh, like I said, naming characters... how hard can it be?
And I'm no less guilty of that syndrome. There are several names you will never see in my books, unless I need a bitch/bad guy to lay all the blame on... then automatically I insert my childhood nemesis's name into the slot. But never as the H or h.
So where do I get my inspiration for the names I have chosen? Invariably I'm looking for strong names or names that can be shortened to cool nicknames. From day one, or should that be Book One of the Southern Sanctuary series, I always knew Charisse would be the lead h in Book Four and that the H would nickname her Cyd (after Cyd Charisse)
Mostly when I'm looking to name my characters I tend to use a mix of friends names and cool sounding surnames as first names.
People have asked how I came up with the name Hadleigh for my Book One heroine.
Well, the answer is kind of embarrassing on this one people, but when I was younger I had a crush on the lead singer of Spandau Ballet, Tony Hadleigh. Plus, have always thought Hadleigh would make a cool girl's name.
And the lead H, from Book One? Vaughn was named in honour of the male lead character from the TV show 'Alias' - yes, another crush.
Names go in and out of fashion as well. Once upon a time the name Jane (yes, my real name) could often be found front and centre in a book as the heroine. Nowadays, Jane's in literature are the secretary, the plain girl or someone's elderly relative.
The real challenge lies in having to identify a lot of characters names early on in a series. That's where the planning comes, as I tested names and pairings thoroughly to see how they would look on paper.
Though it didn't stop my mother from calling me after she finished reading Book One, To Woo a Warrior, to tell me how she couldn't believe I'd included a character called Gigi. Wondering why I'd failed to remember that she'd gone to school with a horrible girl called Gigi, and that she'd been a real piece of work.
Sigh, like I said, naming characters... how hard can it be?
September 29, 2014
I like reading Erotica as much as the next person
Okay, that sounds a lot naughtier out loud than I meant it to be.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I don't have a problem with erotica (lots of sex) as long as the book has well developed three dimensional characters and a plot.
Too often of late I've come across books that claim they are erotica, but the reality is, the author has just strung a series of sex scenes together, with no/limited/or a nonsensical plot and characters who are one dimensional - in other words, horny.
I never took to the whole 'Fifty Shades of Grey' series. I did pick up the first book but couldn't get into it. The characters failed to grab me, I didn't like the writing and quite frankly I think there are a lot better writers out there doing erotica. Plus I've read the 'Story of O' - which I'm pretty sure is the inspiration for the 'Grey series' and is done a whole lot better.
But hey, it got people reading, so the series did manage to achieve something in my eyes.
One series that really caught me by surprise as it evolved (sometimes I think that should be devolved) into erotica is Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series.
I mean you read that first book where Anita has more than a few hang ups regarding sex and men. You'd never in a million years guess that fifteen books later Anita would be shagging over a dozen men at a time, be a big fan of auto-erotic asphyxiation and that somewhere along the way she had her gag reflex surgically removed.
I'm sorry - but I believe the CONSTANT sex scenes in these books now are often at the detriment of the storylines. I loved the first 6 or so books, strong plots, kick ass heroine but now, it feels like I have to wade through half a book of been there done that sex scenes just to get to the action.
Some authors are a class act when it comes to combining storyline and erotica - Lora Leigh, Eve Langlais (and kudos to Eve for all the laughs along the way) Emma Holly and a host of other authors who don't shy away from a sex scene but never at the cost of the plot or the development of the characters.
So why am I writing about erotica today?
Well several fledgling authors have sent me first drafts of their novels lately. And whilst I'm not going to provide comment on individual work there was a running theme in all of those drafts - erotica.
So here is just some general advice to all those authors out there thinking they can make a quick buck off writing erotica - research people.
Read the authors who do erotica well. They are the best teachers you can find; show casing intricate plots, how to keep it serious, how to keep it light and get some laughs without resolving to the wacky, how to create a H and h that the readers give a damn about and yearn to see win out over all the odds.
Like any book - even when it is erotica - you have to make the readers care, it's as simple and as complex as that.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I don't have a problem with erotica (lots of sex) as long as the book has well developed three dimensional characters and a plot.
Too often of late I've come across books that claim they are erotica, but the reality is, the author has just strung a series of sex scenes together, with no/limited/or a nonsensical plot and characters who are one dimensional - in other words, horny.
I never took to the whole 'Fifty Shades of Grey' series. I did pick up the first book but couldn't get into it. The characters failed to grab me, I didn't like the writing and quite frankly I think there are a lot better writers out there doing erotica. Plus I've read the 'Story of O' - which I'm pretty sure is the inspiration for the 'Grey series' and is done a whole lot better.
But hey, it got people reading, so the series did manage to achieve something in my eyes.
One series that really caught me by surprise as it evolved (sometimes I think that should be devolved) into erotica is Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series.
I mean you read that first book where Anita has more than a few hang ups regarding sex and men. You'd never in a million years guess that fifteen books later Anita would be shagging over a dozen men at a time, be a big fan of auto-erotic asphyxiation and that somewhere along the way she had her gag reflex surgically removed.
I'm sorry - but I believe the CONSTANT sex scenes in these books now are often at the detriment of the storylines. I loved the first 6 or so books, strong plots, kick ass heroine but now, it feels like I have to wade through half a book of been there done that sex scenes just to get to the action.
Some authors are a class act when it comes to combining storyline and erotica - Lora Leigh, Eve Langlais (and kudos to Eve for all the laughs along the way) Emma Holly and a host of other authors who don't shy away from a sex scene but never at the cost of the plot or the development of the characters.
So why am I writing about erotica today?
Well several fledgling authors have sent me first drafts of their novels lately. And whilst I'm not going to provide comment on individual work there was a running theme in all of those drafts - erotica.
So here is just some general advice to all those authors out there thinking they can make a quick buck off writing erotica - research people.
Read the authors who do erotica well. They are the best teachers you can find; show casing intricate plots, how to keep it serious, how to keep it light and get some laughs without resolving to the wacky, how to create a H and h that the readers give a damn about and yearn to see win out over all the odds.
Like any book - even when it is erotica - you have to make the readers care, it's as simple and as complex as that.
September 25, 2014
Kindle Countdown Bargain Price - To Woo A Warrior (Southern Sanctuary - Book 1)
US Kindle Countdown Bargain Price 25th Sept - 1st Oct
To Woo A Warrior
It was common knowledge that Hadleigh Valhalla was a complete failure when it came to men. Too blood thirsty. Too tall at 6.6ft and without a coy bone in her too voluptuous body. If there had been a ‘fun, flirty and feminine’ test she would have failed it hands down.
Thankfully she was much more suited to her role as an Enforcer, protecting her magically enhanced eccentric extended family on a daily basis from all kinds of nasties. It was a job she loved, much preferring to be out there beheading the baddies than dating any day of the week … much less stressful.
Except now there’s a new threat in town. Great Aunt Alma, the family match maker has returned to the fold and set her sights squarely on all the singletons. Hadleigh will do anything she has to in order to avoid Alma’s matchmaking manoeuvres, even if that means signing on as the newest member of the hit reality TV show ‘Paranormal Exterminators.’
Vaughn, Captain of the Goddess Maat’s elite warriors has a mission, to find and annihilate any and all magical beings that threaten to tilt the scales of justice into chaos.
A paranormal reality TV show provides the perfect cover. But there’s trouble on set. Their only female cast member has gone missing and they need a replacement fast. Enter Hadleigh Valhalla, the most luscious thing on two legs he’s seen in a century. From the moment he sets eyes on her he’s determined to make her his.
There’s only one problem, Hadleigh insists she has a strict no dating policy. Claiming she’d rather be fighting than flirting.
A series of mishaps means it’s a race against time for Vaughn and Hadleigh to discover just who is targeting the show and stop them before someone gets seriously hurt or dead. While doing so Vaughn intends to teach Hadleigh to break all the rules and prove to her she is just as much woman as she is warrior.
His warrior. His woman.
To Woo A Warrior
It was common knowledge that Hadleigh Valhalla was a complete failure when it came to men. Too blood thirsty. Too tall at 6.6ft and without a coy bone in her too voluptuous body. If there had been a ‘fun, flirty and feminine’ test she would have failed it hands down.
Thankfully she was much more suited to her role as an Enforcer, protecting her magically enhanced eccentric extended family on a daily basis from all kinds of nasties. It was a job she loved, much preferring to be out there beheading the baddies than dating any day of the week … much less stressful.
Except now there’s a new threat in town. Great Aunt Alma, the family match maker has returned to the fold and set her sights squarely on all the singletons. Hadleigh will do anything she has to in order to avoid Alma’s matchmaking manoeuvres, even if that means signing on as the newest member of the hit reality TV show ‘Paranormal Exterminators.’
Vaughn, Captain of the Goddess Maat’s elite warriors has a mission, to find and annihilate any and all magical beings that threaten to tilt the scales of justice into chaos.
A paranormal reality TV show provides the perfect cover. But there’s trouble on set. Their only female cast member has gone missing and they need a replacement fast. Enter Hadleigh Valhalla, the most luscious thing on two legs he’s seen in a century. From the moment he sets eyes on her he’s determined to make her his.
There’s only one problem, Hadleigh insists she has a strict no dating policy. Claiming she’d rather be fighting than flirting.
A series of mishaps means it’s a race against time for Vaughn and Hadleigh to discover just who is targeting the show and stop them before someone gets seriously hurt or dead. While doing so Vaughn intends to teach Hadleigh to break all the rules and prove to her she is just as much woman as she is warrior.
His warrior. His woman.
September 19, 2014
Loving an author but not everything they write
When you love an author, in particular a series that has endeared itself to you with every new release, then it's no big leap to assume that you'll love everything they write.
Your expectations are set then (and kind of high), how could you not love everything written by your new fave author?
So it's kind of a wrenching extra-deep twist of the knife in your back as a reader when you don't.
Thea Harrison comes to mind. I love her Elder Series (with a special soft spot for Pia/Dragos) but I could not even finish the first book in her Game of Shadows series. I just didn't like it, the story, the characters... and whilst if it had been a debut author I might have been able to battle on through, because it was Thea Harrison, I felt a little betrayed by the author.
Totally my problem, but dammit she set the bar so incredibly high with her Elder Series, I just wanted more of the same magic.
Same goes for Lisa Shearin. I loved her Raine Benares series but so far have been kind of underwhelmed by her SPI Files series, to the point I'm hesitating to pre-order the second in the series, when once upon a time Lisa's books were always at the top of my must-have list.
Which brings me to Jayne Ann Krentz; writing under 4 names, cross genres, trilogies that often don't get published in order, and several books of late that have been very samie (I know it's not a word, but you know what I mean) But with JAK, no matter what name is on the book you always get a well written story, with well developed characters and a nicely tied up ending. Even if the stories have been a little on the slow and boring side of late, still JAK delivers.
There are plenty more authors I can think of that I hesitate to buy every single book they write, even though I would state categorically that they are a favourite author of mine.
J.D Robb for example, her In Death series is a major fave... yet when she writes as Nora Roberts, I'm a bit on the 'meh', I'll wait til I see it at the library.
Gini Koch is another fave when it comes to her Alien series, but I couldn't finish 'The Night Beat' (the continuous information dumps were never ending) and I was only okay with 'Alexander Outland' (grew tired of how sarcastic all the characters were and how every time someone was sarcastic it had to be pointed out - tiresome).
But honestly, if you asked me who are my favourite authors Gini's name would still make my top ten.
So when you think about who makes your own top ten list of favourite authors, can you truthfully claim you've loved every single work they've written? Any surprises?
Your expectations are set then (and kind of high), how could you not love everything written by your new fave author?
So it's kind of a wrenching extra-deep twist of the knife in your back as a reader when you don't.
Thea Harrison comes to mind. I love her Elder Series (with a special soft spot for Pia/Dragos) but I could not even finish the first book in her Game of Shadows series. I just didn't like it, the story, the characters... and whilst if it had been a debut author I might have been able to battle on through, because it was Thea Harrison, I felt a little betrayed by the author.
Totally my problem, but dammit she set the bar so incredibly high with her Elder Series, I just wanted more of the same magic.
Same goes for Lisa Shearin. I loved her Raine Benares series but so far have been kind of underwhelmed by her SPI Files series, to the point I'm hesitating to pre-order the second in the series, when once upon a time Lisa's books were always at the top of my must-have list.
Which brings me to Jayne Ann Krentz; writing under 4 names, cross genres, trilogies that often don't get published in order, and several books of late that have been very samie (I know it's not a word, but you know what I mean) But with JAK, no matter what name is on the book you always get a well written story, with well developed characters and a nicely tied up ending. Even if the stories have been a little on the slow and boring side of late, still JAK delivers.
There are plenty more authors I can think of that I hesitate to buy every single book they write, even though I would state categorically that they are a favourite author of mine.
J.D Robb for example, her In Death series is a major fave... yet when she writes as Nora Roberts, I'm a bit on the 'meh', I'll wait til I see it at the library.
Gini Koch is another fave when it comes to her Alien series, but I couldn't finish 'The Night Beat' (the continuous information dumps were never ending) and I was only okay with 'Alexander Outland' (grew tired of how sarcastic all the characters were and how every time someone was sarcastic it had to be pointed out - tiresome).
But honestly, if you asked me who are my favourite authors Gini's name would still make my top ten.
So when you think about who makes your own top ten list of favourite authors, can you truthfully claim you've loved every single work they've written? Any surprises?
