ABA AUTHOR INTERVIEW with RACHEL BRIMBLE

  

Kiki: What is your favorite genre to read in, and what is it about that genre that attracts you to it? If you like a specific mix of genres, please state that particular combination.

Rachel: My favorite genre to read is probably romantic suspense but I read all genres of romance except paranormal, as well as lots and lots of historical fiction and non-fiction. I’m especially drawn to the Tudor & Victorian eras.

I love romantic suspense because it gives that thrill of a chase or of time running out or woman in jeopardy type of feeling as well as the hero and heroine falling in love and evolving. Perfection.

And as for my history obsession – these two eras fascinate me. I’m not entirely sure why, but I like to think I lived in those times in the past, spooky!

Kiki: What is your favorite author to read in that genre, and why? Also, please tell me a little about the best book by that author you have read.

Rachel: Romantic Suspense – Nora Roberts or Tami Hoag and I love all of their books but the two that jump to mind though are Montana Sky by Nora Roberts and The Dark Horse by Tami Hoag.

Historical – Philippa Gregory – The Tudor Series or Sarah Waters Tipping The Velvet

Kiki: Do you have a Favorite Book of All Time? Of course, please tell us what about that book makes it your favorite.

Rachel: This is such a hard question for me – I LOVE books, that’s it.  I can’t say I have a favorite book of all time because I love discovering new and wonderful authors and books all the time. I have read Gone With The Wind three times in my life which is the most I have ever re-read a book so maybe that is my favorite!

Why? Because it is so epic, so involved. I admire the storytelling, the plotting, the characterization, everything.

Kiki: What is the best book you read last month, and would you recommend it to a friend?

Rachel: The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous by Jilly Cooper – this book is a huge 750 pages of pure British fun, romance and naughtiness. If you haven’t read any Jilly Cooper, pick one up today – they are such great books, I lose myself in them for hours!

Kiki: What are your reading habits like? For example, how many books do you read on average in a week, what format do you prefer to read in, what time of day do you read, and what setting is ideal for you to get lost in that book?

Rachel: At the moment, my reading time seems to be getting less and less – I am trying to spend every free moment writing right now so I mainly read for half an hour to an hour before I turn out the light at night. I am still very much in love with hardback and paperback books, but I am determined to buy an e-reader this year and will no doubt be converted.

My ideal setting to read? On a beach in ninety degree temperatures with a book in one hand and a chilled glass of something alcoholic in the other, LOL!

Kiki: If pressed, could you chose a favorite from the books you have written? Why is it your favorite?

Rachel: It is probably my first historical The Arrival of Lily Curtis – this is the longest book I had written at the time and the hardest. I was nervous about venturing into the historical romance genre but this book just had to be written. I love Lily (the heroine) and Andrew (the hero) so much – they were absolutely destined to be together.

I hope my readers agree!

Kiki: How do you become inspired to write?

Rachel: I treat my writing like a job so I don’t wait for inspiration to strike, I sit my backside down in the chair and make myself do it. Some days I can write a thousand words easily, and other days that thousands words feels like pulling a thousand teeth!

Kiki: What part of the story do you think is your strength to write?

Rachel: Hmm, not sure about which part – I enjoy writing the love scenes but I think my strength lies in dialogue. I can more often than not ‘hear’ my characters talking and the talking scenes write themselves.

Kiki: Please share with ABA readers something I did not think to ask you about.

Rachel: People often ask me if writing novels gets easier the more you write – I want to put aspiring writers minds at rest (or unrest!) and say it doesn’t! Each story brings new challenges and new discoveries. I love what I do and I hope I get better with each book. I am desperate to learn new skills and improve my craft. Writing is a craft, which means anyone can learn how to do it. But not everyone has the thick skin needed to deal with the inevitable rejection.

Rachel Brimble

Writing Romance – Past and Present

The Arrival of Lily Curtis

Blurb:

At the mention of an arranged marriage, Elizabeth Caughley feels her life is over at the age of three and twenty….so she hatches an escape plan.  She will reinvent herself as a housemaid.  Overnight, Elizabeth becomes Lily…

Viscount Westrop wants nothing more than his legacy to be passed to his own son one day.  Even though he feels insurmountable pity for the unborn child already, he knows how much pain a broken promise can cause and will do what is right.  But with the arrival of his new housemaid, his plans are thrown into disarray.  Lily is funny, feisty and the most beautiful creature on earth – Andrew is thunderstruck.  But if anyone suspects how much he wants to ravish her and endlessly love her, Andrew’s lineage will be in peril.  And he cannot let that happen…

Review Snippets:

The Arrival of Lily Curtis is a fun and entertaining read with characters that come alive… Long and Short Reviews, 4 books

Ahh, now this is what I LOVE to read in a well put together regency. Good story, characters, plot…everything worked. It all fit into place, clicked and made me smile, quiver and in the end I was left with a good feeling.  Seriously Reviewed 18/20

Buy Link:

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_138&products_id=4124

Author Links:

www.rachelbrimble.com

www.rachelbrimble.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/rachelbrimble

INTERVIEW: FRIDAY FAVORITES WITH SARAH BALLANCE

Favorite Genre(s): (can be a mix of them)

            I love romantic suspense!  There's just something yummy about the rush of danger and the fire of adrenaline all tangled in those first moments of attraction and – yummier still – lust.  When the characters have a lot on the line, the intensity is sublime. 

List of at least 5 Favorite Books in that Genre:

            A VOICE IN THE DARK by Jenna Ryan

            CRIME SCENE AT CARDWELL RANCH by BJ Daniels

            CHRISTMAS DELIVERY by Patricia Rosemoor

            RICOCHET by Jessica Anderson

SECRETS IN FOUR CORNERS  by Debra Webb

Favorite Author in that Genre, and Favorite Book by that Author: (Please explain why)

            I'm a Harlequin Intrigue addict.  It's not that I don't appreciate longer or darker books, but with six kids and everything involved in being a stay-at-home-mom and homeschooling AND writing, I just love to relax with these lighter, fast reads.  That said, A VOICE IN THE DARK by Jenna Ryan stands as an easy favorite. I absolutely love her voice, and there is nothing less than delicious about the chemistry between the leads in this book.  They SIZZLE!

Favorite Book of All Time:

            RUFFIAN: BURNING FROM THE START.  That book had an impact on me like no other. I read it when I was in the 10^th grade and immediately bought a second copy so I could lend one to my English teacher without letting the other out of my possession.  It's based on a true story but I don't recall if it's considered fiction or not.  It's beautiful, heartbreaking, and to this day I've not had a book bring me to such joy – or devastation – as that one.  My eyes were puffy for days.

Favorite Book Read Last Month:

            RIPPLES THROUGH TIME by Rosalie Stanton blew. Me. Away.  I loved it so much I did a whole write-up on my blog.  The story was amazing, but the writing style clinched it.  It's an insanely good read.

Favorite Book You Wrote: 

My romantic suspense, RUN TO YOU.  I love suspense.  I took a chance and wrote one, and people I don't even know are leaving excellent reviews. I didn't write a complicated story because I didn't want to get myself tangled up in it, so to have it resonate with readers is ridiculously fab.  I'm grinning like an idiot over here.

Give Us One More Favorite Thing Beyond Books:

            Please don't tell my hubby – it's the boat.  I gave him a hard time when he dragged that thing home from a point of abandonment in some guy's back yard.  He remodeled it from end to end with new everything, gave it a sleek new paint job, and (most shocking of all) got me in the darn thing.  Now I have to admit there is NOTHING more relaxing than getting out on the water – there's a whole other world out there.  It's serene even with all six of our kids in it, and that's saying somethin.'  Besides, there's something to be said about throwing the offspring overboard when they get annoying.  (With life jackets, of course.)  You just can't do that in a car, you know?

Sarah Ballance

Romance you've dreamed of … suspense to keep you up at night.

            "RUN TO YOU is practically flawless as a romantic suspense. ... What I truly loved about [it] is Ms. Ballance didn’t ask her readers to suspend their disbelief, or otherwise, feel stupid with the way events progressed. ... RUN TO YOU is a very intelligent, sensual romantic suspense, and one no one should miss.  - Denise, HEA

            "RUN TO YOU will have you guessing until the last pages. ... Ballance cleverly rode my mind like a wild Six Flags ride." - Miz C. Zampa, Miz Love Loves Books

            "I was quite impressed with Ms. Ballance’s rich prose and graphic imagery that allowed an excellent visual of each scene. ... The conclusion of [RUN TO YOU] is a life and death nail biter." - Lea, Book Lovers, Inc.

BLURB:

            Mattie James can't pinpoint exactly when she lost control of her life, but the moment she decided to take it back made the front page of the local paper. Desperate to dodge the fallout— and the tabloids—she jumps at the chance to spend an off-season week in a tiny resort community by the sea. Making the trip with her ex-lover is a complication she can live with; coming face to face with a dead woman is not.

The last thing Sheriff Wyatt Reed expected to find on the storm-ravaged beach was a beautiful blonde with a jealous sidekick, but one look at Mattie left him wanting more. Their first date takes an ominous turn when he gets the call that a woman was found murdered. With a killer on the loose and a troubling lack of suspects or motive, Wyatt has to put his feelings aside to focus on the case. But his vow not to become personally involved is shattered when he discovers Mattie's life is on the line, and this time the truth leaves her with a deadly choice . . . and nowhere to run.

BUY LINK:  https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=214

Author Links:

            Website:  http://sarahballance.com/

            Blog:  http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/ 

            Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Ballance-author/125956520788499#!/ 

Six Sentence Sunday

I recently stumbled across this wonderful blog, and just had to play along. To read more posts by other authors please go to http://sixsunday.blogspot.com/

Now, my six sentences from my newest release, Torn Asunder. 

“A single decision can forever change how it is we bear the rest of our lives. We

will not get the chance back.”

“Where and when?” She had heard the words come from her mouth and chose to let them be. There would be dreadful consequences in their future either way. Why not have a moment of pure bliss, utter happiness, before our lives are torn asunder for our remaining days.

Fraught with scenes of explicit intimacy, romantic spells and mystical shapeshifting, Torn Asunder is a unique blending of the age of manners with sexual magic.

Genres: Historical (Regency), Paranormal (Witches & Shifters), Erotic, Romantic Suspense

You can purchase Torn asunder in eBook and Trade Paperback online at retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks, Smashwords, and Excessica Publishing .

 http://www.kikihowell.com

Guest Post by Author, Leanne Dyck - Writer’s Block

Take Note

            Piss off! You heard me. Leave. I don’t want you around. I don’t have anything for you—no money, no booze, no nothin’. Isn’t it bad enough that I’m trapped in this tin piss can without you tormenting me? I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone. I’m just fine on my own, thank you very much. I don’t need your help. I don’t need your pity. If you stay, one of the two of us is going to get hurt and I can guarantee it won’t be me. So get the hell out of my house! Why are you still here? Are you deaf, dumb, and stupid?

            He found the note on the breakfast table. There it was beside his scrambled eggs and toast. He picked it up and read it out slowly. It was Saturday—he had the time.

            He smiled. Smiled—at such a note? Was he insane?

            Maybe. He did, after all, love a writer. That required some degree of insanity.

            Yes, he smiled. He smiled because he knew her writer’s block was over. The clouds had lifted. The sun shone. The birds sang. All was right with the world. His wife was back at work. She had once again found her muse.

            “Did you read it?” she enquired, with a kiss.

            “Um, yes, well, yes. I did.”

            “Well, what do you think?” she beamed inquisitively.

            “It’s rather, well, strong.”

            “Yes, I know, isn’t it? I’m not sure where it fits yet. Sometimes it’s like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. Only you don’t have to find all the corner pieces first. You just have to find a piece.”

            Yes, he had to admit, it did help to be a little insane.

***

Oh, yes I’m very familiar with writer’s block. So, familiar, am I, in fact, that I’ve devised ways and means to overcome it. These strategies have worked for me—I hope they work for you.

Release:  One word leads to another. So grab a pen and write the first thing that comes to your mind—how cute your boyfriend looks in jeans; what you love about your new job; the weather. Write.

While you write, don’t worry about word count, grammar or spelling. Simply allow words to pour out of your pen uncensored. The only goal here is to relax and release.

Pep talk:  It’s often beneficial to seek the advice of others who’ve faced the same obstacle. So, talk with or read the books of fellow writers to discover their strategies.

Helpful books are Steven King’s On Writing, James Scott Bell’s Plot & Structure, Nancy Lamb’s The Art and Craft of Storytelling.

Set goals:  As a member of a critique group, my self-imposed expectation is that I have something to share at each meeting. If I don’t, my peers will know. For me, this external means of accountability is a strong motivator.

Other sources of motivation may be a daily word count or a weekly blog post.

Change of scenery:  Sometimes unblocking can be as easy as going for a walk. Physical exercise allows my brain to work, while the rest of me is otherwise engaged.

If I consciously think about my writing at all, I focus on my reader.

I have to write—I don’t want, I can’t disappoint them. They’re counting on me.

I return to my project refreshed and ready to write.

All writers face it, you will overcome it—believe in yourself.

Author:  Leanne Dyck

Author Website:  www.oknitting.com

Author Blog:  http://sweatercursed.blogspot.com\

Book Title:  The Sweater Curse

Book Blurb: 

Aspiring knitwear designer Gwen Bjarnson is stuck in Purgatory. To escape, she must re-examine her life, journey through her past and right a wrong.

But which wrong?

Young and in love, she works to establish her career, except fate has different plans. One rash act and she loses everything. Never resting, always seeking, and yearning for what she can no longer have, Gwen faces the truth:  if she remains, others are destined to die.

How will she solve the mystery before it is too late?

Buy Links:  After Monday, January 10th you'll find the buy link here:  www.decadentpublishing.com

My review of 'Midnight Unseen' by D. McEntire

This is the fifth book in the Watchers series by D. McEntire that I have had the privilege of reading. And, I do mean privilege. She has done it again, another one that I couldn’t put down. In fact I only stopped when I did the first night because my ereader died. And, rather than writing myself the next morning after getting my boys on the bus, I finished reading Midnight Unseen!

I love how this series works first off. When the drama ends in one book, in the next story a new hero and heroine emerges, a completely new set of complications and situations, etc. However, the hero and heroine from the previous books are still there. They become the support group for the new hero and heroine. It is wonderful how you read a simple passage about one couple kissing and remember how they got together in a previous book. You become so attached to them.  And, Mrs. McEntire is amazing at creating this drama that keeps you reading, and reading quickly.

The book warning was right about the tugs at your heart by the children. McEntire does a great job of tugging at your heart strings in all of her books. This book it was the children, but in another it was animals and another a tribe, etc. Of course, in this book in particular, the ‘other element’ as I am going to call it was blindness of the heroine. And, the author did a fantastic, and I feel believable job of portraying her. Sonya is blind and a powerful force to be reckoned with at the same time. I loved her resilience and her strength. In fact, I found her to be an inspiration, and Tank so deserving of her.

Which leads me to the vampires. These are great vampires too, tough but a great camaraderie within the cell they live in. Each time one vamp finds his heart and his mate, the others are there for him. She does a great job of walking that line between keeping with vampire legend and mixing it up so it doesn’t get old.

I feel like this review is not doing this book justice. I am trying not to repeat myself too much, so if you want all the low down on this great series please take the time to read my previous reviews. That way you will get a more complete idea of how wonderful this series is. Or, just buy book one and start reading.

Links to my previous reviews of the Watchers series:
http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-review-of-midnight-savior-by-d.html

http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.com/2010/04/my-review-of-midnight-revelations.html
http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-review-of-midnight-rose-by-d.html
http://authorsbyauthors.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-midnight-reborn-by-d-mcentire.html

You can find links to purchase all of the books released in this series at either http://www.dmcentire.com/Watchers1.html or http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/d-mcentire

ABA AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH JOSELYN VAUGHN

Kiki: What is your favorite genre to read in, and what is it about that genre that attracts you to it? If you like a specific mix of genres, please state that particular combination.

Joselyn: I usually read contemporary or historical romance, historical fiction or literary fiction.  It depends on what mood I’m in and how much energy I have. I like contemporaries because I can relate to the people.  They are doing the same things and worrying about the same things.  I like historical for the clothing and the lifestyle and the historical events you can absorb from them.  I’m drawn to literary fiction for the richness of the writing and the description.  I hope that some of it rubs off on me as I read.

Kiki: What is your favorite author to read in that genre, and why? Also, please tell me a little about the best book by that author you have read.

Joselyn: My favorite romance author is Julia Quinn.  I love her characters and her dialogue.  My favorite book is Romancing Mr. Bridgerton with Colin and Penelope. When I look back on my high school experience I see a lot of Penelope and that probably endears her to me. And Colin is always eating.  It’s hilarious.

Kiki: Do you have a Favorite Book of All Time? Of course, please tell us what about that book makes it your favorite.

Joselyn: I think it would have to Pride and Prejudice because it encompasses all the things I like to read, but that may change tomorrow. (I hate the security questions that ask you that.  I can never remember what I put. J)

Kiki: What is the best book you read last month, and would you recommend it to a friend?

Joselyn: I just finished The Lady Most Likely, a sort-of anthology by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James, and Connie Brockway.  I would definitely recommend it. The stories are sweet and delightful. Every time I think of the drawings of the squirrels I start laughing.

Kiki: What are your reading habits like? For example, how many books do you read on average in a week, what format do you prefer to read in, what time of day do you read, and what setting is ideal for you to get lost in that book?

Joselyn: Before kids I read for myself a lot more, a couple books a week at least.  Now it takes me a week to read something would have taken a few hours.  I tend to read Kindle books on my Ipod Touch before I fall asleep.  The nice thing with the Ipod is that I don’t lose my place when I fall asleep and I can read without the light on.  That is probably the most likely time for me to get lost in a book.  The problem is that is keeps me up too late at night.

Kiki: If pressed, could you chose a favorite from the books you have written? Why is it your favorite?

Joselyn: Of the finished books, Courting Sparks is definitely my favorite.  Although when my current work in progress is finished, it may bump Courting Sparks out of the top spot.

Kiki: How do you become inspired to write?

Joselyn: My time to write is fairly limited, so when I have time to write I need to sit down and do it.  I can’t wait for inspiration to come.  Unfortunately, that means some days are like pulling hen’s teeth and other days are easier.

Kiki: What part of the story do you think is your strength to write?

Joselyn: I like to develop characters.  It’s so much fun to come up with well-rounded characters and set them free on the page.  In my current work in progress, the main character does her own thing and I have to try to keep up with her.  In Courting Sparks, Daphne’s cousin Peggy was a hoot to write.  She makes doing things over the top seem a little boring.  (She considered having sparklers in her hair for her 4^th of July wedding.)

Kiki: Please share with ABA readers something I did not think to ask you about.

Joselyn:Coming from a library background (I used to be the reference librarian at my local library), I have to do a plug for using your local library.  As authors, we can make friends with the librarians and have them help promote our books.  And as readers we have access to so many new books that we can read for free.  It’s absolutely astounding.

Joselyn Vaughn

http://joselynvaughn.com/

Courting Sparks Blurb:

Dusting off the ashes of a failed relationship, Daphne Morrow decides she is ready to date again. But when her scorched prom photos are discovered to be the ignition point for a small forest blaze, marking her as the prime suspect for the arson, she finds they’re not the only part of her past sparking interest. After a friend’s wedding provides a romantic interlude with her longtime friend Noah Banks, Daphne tries to explain away her attraction to him: the atmosphere of the wedding, his resemblance to her ex, his heroic efforts as a volunteer firefighter. Still, their desire just won’t sputter out.

When the arsonist strikes much closer to home, Daphne fears she must risk Noah’s friendship to find the culprit and clear her name. She’ll know their love is real if his interest isn’t put out by her need to uncover the truth.

Courting Sparks Excerpt:

Sandalwood and a touch of wood smoke.

The scents drifted from behind her and Daphne knew the man was sexy.  She closed her eyes as she stood on the corner of the dance floor and breathed deeply.  Maybe passing out candy bars for the Dollar Dance wasn’t such a bad thing.  Her Magic Eight Ball could be right. For once.

She tried to adjust the neckline of her fuchsia bridesmaid dress to enhance her cleavage, but the double-sided tape holding the mermaid-style dress in place wouldn’t budge.  

Sure, when you want the dress to come off, it sticks firmly in place.  She sighed.  She spun on her bare feet to greet the dream date behind her and stopped so abruptly her basket of candy bars tipped over, spilling chocolate at his feet.

“Noah?” she gasped.

A light blue madras shirt covered his broad shoulders.  His dark hair still damp from his shower.  She looked at him like she’d never seen him before. 

And she saw him almost every day.  He was the athletic director and she was an English teacher and the cross-country coach.  She was in and out of his office with student eligibility reports and questions about the team schedule.  Besides all that, they’d been friends since second grade.  She’d never had this reaction to him before.  What was different?

Noah bent to pick up the candy. His shirt pulled across his muscular shoulders as he reached for the scattered bars.  Daphne continued to stare at him. Water droplets clung to the hair on the back of his neck and she itched to brush them away.  She extended the basket for him to dump the bars.

“Fire call?” she said, trying to cover her stunned silence and hoping he didn’t notice her blushed skin.

“Yeah.  Out at The Willows.  Could have been really bad, but we were able to contain it.  Do I still smell smoky?”

Daphne leaned closer and breathed deeply.  His sandalwood cologne flooded her nose again. A touch of smoke lingered behind it.  She forgot to breathe out.

This was Noah, she told herself. Not George Clooney. Get a grip.

“Your cologne covers it.  How much burned?” she asked, stepping away to put some fresh air between them.

Noah shrugged.  “The flames kept smoldering in this heat. Hot spots were flaring up all afternoon.  Most of the trees are singed.  I’m not sure they’ll come back.”  He tugged at the front of his shirt as if he still felt the high temperatures.

“I can’t believe The Willows is gone.  No more hidden trysts out there.  Where will the teens go to make out now?”

“They’ll find some place.  They always do. There’s that place by the river, but the landowner is pretty adamant about kicking them out once a month.”

She hugged the candy basket to her chest.  Bittersweet memories of The Willows haunted her, now that Aaron was no longer in her life. They’d gone there to do all the things teens do in the shaded alcoves of the draping willow trees. The fire was a relief in a way, another reminder of him gone.

“Was Miranda angry I wasn’t here?” Noah asked.

She glanced at the bride twirling on the dance floor and pushed away the gloomy thoughts.  Good ol’ Noah.  He could always divert her depressing thoughts. “I think she’ll forgive you.” Daphne bumped him with her basket of chocolate.  “Not to dash your ego, but she didn’t notice.  She was so nervous before the ceremony, she peed every fifteen minutes.  I’m glad I didn’t pull bathroom duty this time.”

Noah laughed, the tone soft and deep.  “I don’t want to know.  Anything else happen?”

“If you’re asking if Max fainted, you owe me ten bucks.  He turned green during the solo, but his knees never buckled.” 

Follow Joselyn's Book Tour and comment to enter! She will be giving away copies of Courting Sparks and CEOs Don’t Cry. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. All of Joselyn's  tour dates can be found here:http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2010/12/virtual-book-tour-courting-sparks-by.html.

What Men and Women Really Want: Incorporating the Real World Into Your Erotic Writing, By: Liberty Kontranowski

Who doesn’t want to know the secrets to a steamy love life? It’s a pretty safe bet that
nearly everybody is searching for that magic bullet to take their sex lives from “meh”
to “woah!” in a hurry. And you, as an erotic author, can help your readers do just that.


Interestingly enough, a lot of the spice you’ll find behind closed doors starts before the
lights go out. While interviewing sex and relationship therapists for my tell-all book, “He
Said, She Said: What Men and Women Really Want in the Bedroom,” many were quick
to point out that things like communication, connection and affirmation between couples
were key to unlocking the sexual bliss that awaits them.


So how do you incorporate that into your writing?


Think about your characters. Are any of them in committed relationships? If so, try
writing a scene where they are connecting with each other by playing a game of Wii
Sports or swimming in their lap pool. Have them communicate with each other, joke
with one another and give each other flirty compliments. Showing this dimension of your
characters’ relationship can help your readers relate to them and see firsthand how that
connection can lead to high self-esteem and feelings of security in the relationship – both
factors that tend to transfer into high satisfaction in the bedroom.


As for your single characters, even a one-night raunchy hookup can be made “real” by
having the partners show their approval and offer affirmation. Yes, your characters are
probably physically attractive, but what is it about them that makes them worthy of the
conquest? Can there be more to the situation than just sex for the sake of sex? What if
one of your characters was once overweight and has been struggling internally with body
image issues for a long time. Then he or she meets the other character and finally has
that feeling of being wanted and valued. They feel sexy, they feel desirable, they feel
validated. You can do that for your characters and impart the importance of connection
without sounding preachy or contrived.


Other things that affect a sexual relationship are daily distractions. As a writer, you
can show the importance of your male character getting – and keeping – your female
character in the mood by engaging her in flirtatious word play, a fantasy situation or
simply guiding her blindfolded into the bedroom to keep her from compulsively picking
up messes or doing those other million and ten multi-tasking things that women are
always doing. You can also show your male character cooking a nice meal or doting on
your female character (or vice versa) to round out and enhance their sexual connection.


As with all writing, the keys to incorporating this kind of information is to show, not tell.


No need to info-dump how stressed out your female character is about the kids or how
spent your male character is from working 70-hour weeks. Just a scene with a trashed
kitchen (which can be cleaned up only to be trashed a short time later by an impromptu
romp on the counter or dining table) is all it takes to show your characters connecting in
real world situations that can lead to hot, erotic encounters.


When penning your next story or novel, keep in mind the challenges we face every day
in our lives and think about how they may affect your characters and how they react to
each other both in and out of the bedroom. Relating some of these experiences to your
characters will draw your readers in and keep them coming back for more…which is
exactly what a great writer wants!


**

Liberty Kontranowski is a freelance writer for eDrugstore.MD and the author of “He
Said, She Said: What Men and Women Really Want in the Bedroom,” available
download on Amazon for only 99 cents.


Link for ebook:


http://www.amazon.com/He-Said-She-Bedroom-ebook/dp/B004CYEU4M/ref=sr_1_2?
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“Premonitions and Curses” by Kiki Howell, A Short Story Inspired By History - Read Below

Author Note: I wrote this story in response to one of those moments when some part of history, here the witch hunts, makes you weep for those who suffered. So here is my fictional addition to history – an exploration into the turmoil of one wife and mother. Though I believe the witch hunts were born of fears used as excuses to victimize innocent people and create an illusion of power, the character’s gifts are a useful writing convention and whim of my imagination. I was imagining the horror even if one was actually gifted and misunderstood—innocent yet convicted.

East Anglia 1647

“They are coming,” she whispered in a voice rough from sleep. Thrown into consciousness by a dream, the sweat of her premonition chilled her hair, roused her. She got out of bed, literally, like one about to be hung. The horses stampeding toward the house in her dream still echoed in her head, vibrating in unison with the distant whisper of the same hoof-falls coming down the rutted road now.  

Her insights into the future had never been wrong before. For a brief second, she let herself mourn the life she loved, the one she’d been blessed with. The wool blanket tangled around her feet, caused her to misstep as she went to wake her husband. Margaret hurried despite the dread of death burning her lungs.

Her husband, asleep in a chair by the smoldering fire, his ebony hair glistened like the river at night. Each unruly curl also caught some light from the near-full moon shining through the thread-bare curtain over the window. Her love for this man overwhelmed her. Although pain still throbbed behind her eyes, she flung her body at her husband’s. Her hands landed abruptly on his chest sending a rush of air hissing from his lungs. Startled and angry like an animal roused, he glared at her with eyes as dark as his hair. 

“They are coming,” she repeated in the loudest, hushed tone she could muster through her dry throat.

“Who is coming?” he caught her arm as she tried to flee toward the back of the house to the small room where her three children slept.  Edward, Ella and May were all she could let herself think of.  There was no decision to make, no time to come up with a way to save them all. Her husband would fight for them no matter what she did to try to save him too. The truth almost too much to bear, she knew he would want her to save the children. They would beget the next generations.  She knew this to be true. 

As a seer, time proved no issue for her in knowing what could be. Many had tampered with fate, even she was guilty of such stirrings. Yet, tonight, fate reigned triumphant in the end. She had no time left to throw free will at it. The vision had come too late, so the sight gave her what would be whether she liked it or not. Destiny almost always found a way to put the players of life’s game right back where it wanted them. The mere suggestion of what she desired sizzled within her, like being burned at the stake before these men could hang her. 

At this moment, her future brought fear and comfort. The thought of saying good-bye to her children brought about a gut-wrenching sickness worse than death. Though, the peace of knowing those she bore into this world would go on to live full lives propelled her forward, kept her going.

Her visions always clear, she trusted. Tonight’s had been no different, but it had been tardy for a reason. Heaven would have her in one turn of the moon. Almost out of time, she yanked her arm from her husband’s sleep-weakened grip. Gnawing it off at her elbow would’ve not been above her to get to her babes, now almost men and women.

“I love you, more than I can ever say,” she whispered as she ran from him. 

Behind her, her husband, Matthew, stumbled and cursed as the cries of the men rang out in the night. Soon, they’d beat at the walls of their ramshackle home. Only worn and weathered wood separated her now from her nightmarish future. The horses’ hooves still stomped the muddy ground.  She could hear the sucking of the earth which protected her by slowing down the misguided men.

The gentleman outside were ruled by fears of their own, fears of things they’d never relinquish an ounce of their power to try to understand. Ever since King James had repealed and rewritten Elizabeth’s Witchcraft Act, the cries of witch had increased. Most tortured had no knowledge of the craft. These thoughts gave rise to fierce anger, constricting her muscles. Her energy brewed inside her as she swept into the bedroom. Even her beliefs, her gifts, what these men termed magic with a sneer, could not help her or hers now. These gentleman’s conjured up their own ideas of her, something far beyond the truth.

“Edward, Ella, May,” she dove into their arms, a circle of love trembling. Each of their breaths caught and held in one united front, a shroud of protection lasting a few more moments. A memory was made to last the tests of time. Of course, the sounds from outside had awakened them. Yet, she could see in her Edward’s eyes that he too had witnessed her dream. He, with gifts much stronger than hers, knew exactly the fate which would befall his mother.

“Mother,” his voice was low, but still held the distinct ring of his fathers. “I won’t let them take you.”

He rose to his full height above her, but her arm encircled his waist before he stepped to the door. The men outside beat on the front entrance. Her husband, she knew, stood rock solid and silent bracing the door with his back. She’d seen it in her dream. Therefore, she had only minutes before three men would begin to ram it. The thin wooden door would splinter and crack, slicing through her husband’s midsection creating a wound he’d not heal from. He’d die before she was hung.

“I have to save dad!” He tried to move, but her mother’s strength proved no match for even a boy his size at the moment. She breathed a beholden sigh of relief for the miracle of finding herself able to stop him. For the man dying for them, she’d do all she had to in order to save his children. Edward couldn’t save either of his parents now. He had a more important job to do. With insurmountable strength, she pulled him down in front of her. She ached all over, but held strong.

Margaret had already felt the rope around her neck, heard the cart move and observed the planks of wood fall out from under her feet. She’d been given the fate of dying twice in a way, having seen the force of her body falling snap her spine. This fate at least would bring an end to their tortures.

“Listen to me, all three of you. I love you with all of my heart and my soul. I long with every fiber of my being to stay with you, to watch you grow, to see you love…”  She stopped hearing the first crack of the wood of their front door. Her time was running out to make her children understand. “The dream of tonight’s events came too late. Therefore, what is to happen is unavoidable. Fate wins. There is nothing anyone can do other than to accept the inevitable as divine wisdom.” 

Looking into their contorted countenances, vengeance began to build like a rampant fire. Small sparks set her wrath to blaze over all in its path. She’d seen in her vision the anger with which she projected her malediction. A curse upon them powered by raw emotions alone. She could only hope if Edward had seen the same, he would understand and in time forgive her for her lapse in good judgment.  Because, at this moment, she couldn’t think better of herself. Her afflictions stopped her heart, stealing her last breaths. Yet, staring into these faces of her own flesh and blood, knowing their pain as her own, she moved closer to selling her soul to the devil himself to exact revenge.

However, she curbed the rising bile in her throat, and continued, as she should for them. “I will go with a full heart knowing that you love me. I will try to make you proud even in the face of what is to come. At least, I can change that part of the future.” It was a promise she wanted to keep.

“Mother, what will happen to us?” May cried.

“Rest well in the faith that I have seen you all in years to come. You looked happy, well-cared for...” Her voice gave out remembering the glimpse she had gotten into her children’s futures, at what she would miss.

She hugged her girls and kissed their foreheads in a rush as the door cracked again. Then, she took her son’s face in her hands. 

“Go out the window into the night. They don’t have the house surrounded. I don’t think they thought we would be awake to stop them at the door. Run with your sisters to the burrow. Hide there until the noise has died away. Keep running after that until you have found safety. All the fortune we have is in this bag. Make a life for yourselves. Don’t look back. Your job is the care of your sisters. Do it well for me. I will find you in your dreams. You know that. In the meantime, carry my love in your heart.”

She shoved the small bag at him. She’d stitched it herself. All the coins they had to their name were inside. Her son did as she asked, tears brimming in her young man’s eyes. Surely, he would understand, one day when he had children of his own, what a parent would do to save her young.

Margaret watched the three silhouettes flee into the night. Her tears flowed hot down her cheeks as the fog and the protective hands of the darkness enfolded around them. Seconds after the final crack of the wooden door, she heard the cry of  her husband’s demise. Guilt, loss and a hundred other emotions pulled her to the floor.

“Find the witch,” a deep voice, pitched high with cowardice, rang out through the house. Soon enough, rough hands seized her as she heard another yell about the children being gone. She was bound by rope. The twine cut into her skin as two horses and their riders were sent off into the woods to find her son and daughters. Her earlier visions had given her some peace to know they would not be found.  It was all she had left to hold onto. But, the longings of a mother to be with her children tainted her to her very core.

When they threw her into the cold horse-driven cart built to carry such things as food and animals, curses upon them all tried to make themselves known. Her fierce determination to be a woman her children could be proud of hovered, though at the moment her breaking heart felt darker than the sky above her. She begged the moon and the night for help as she tried to ignore the irreverence nipping at her. She hoped for her children, that in the future they would be free to show the world who they really were without fear. 

So mote it be.

The End

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