I think most people will agree love and romance are different. One can definitely be in a loving relationship that lacks romance. How often has one heard someone comment the spark has gone out of a relationship or that the fire needs to be rekindled? Does that mean the relationship dead or the love has vanished? Possibly. But the chances are what is lacking isn’t love but romance.
So, what is romance? Romance is acts or gestures that create a feeling of being wooed or special and enhances feelings of deep or intimate affection plus a whole lot more. Truth is, there exists no simple answer to define it. Most default to describing what it looks like in action. Most also would agree romance is different for men and women. A woman may swoon by having a surprise bouquet of flowers sent to her job while a man may be blown away by having his significant other bring him an icy, cold beer during the big game. This is not to say a man wouldn’t appreciate flowers or a woman a nice tall one. Romance means going beyond or exceeding the normal bounds to express tenderness. It expresses the appreciation of another person and blooms exhilaration. Romance fuels passion.
Romance doesn’t have to be grand or expensive gestures. Opening a door, holding an umbrella over, or even a wink all can be romantic. And they’re all free—unless the person has to buy the umbrella or the door being held is to an establishment with a cover charge. That’s why it’s puzzling that a man would take a date to an inexpensive greasy spoon with ripped, pleather seats when he could make PB&J, pack a blanket, and take her to a sweet spot under the stars. (Disclaimer to my fellow southerner who know timing is everything. Doing this in the wrong moth will get you swarmed with lovebugs—not romantic—or eat up by mosquitos—or worse if you’re down on the lower bayou. Plan wisely, or at least, have a pistol handy.)
Romance involves thought. Treating him to a birthday dinner can be romantic. Taking him to a seafood buffet because you forgot he’s allergic to shellfish would be crappy, and thus, a failure in the romance category. Of course, some smart aleck will argue that if she remembered to bring an EpiPen this still could constitute romantic. But no, it still would be an “epi fail”—sort of like this joke. Romance must consider the other person’s thoughts, feelings, and health.
Readers of romance look for these elements and connections in stories. Often if a romance novel is a flop, it’s because the author has incorrectly defined romance and instead focused on meaningless gestures that do not deepen the bond between characters. This occurs in the real world, too. But if one was to really think about it, being romantic isn’t all that complicated. Follow the heart, and it all comes naturally.
Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.
Enjoy sports romance? Check out my new adult romance, Defending the Net, being released in November. It is the second in my hockey series and guaranteed to melt the ice. Preorder now at: https://books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.
Missed the first in my hockey romance series? Don’t worry. Out of the Penalty Box, an adult romance where it’s one minute in the box or a lifetime out is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.
Copies of all my books and stories are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.
NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and updates about my writing projects, giveaways, contests, and reveals first? Click on http://bit.ly/2zJjUdb and signup today.
If you enjoy reading this post, please share it with your friends and family. There’s never too many people in the bayou. Spread the word.
Quite a bit, actually. Whether we like it or not, people make assumptions about us based on what we wear.
I’m currently wearing a white short-sleeve T-shirt and a pair of black capri leggings with a hole just above the knee. What does that say about me? I like comfort. I’m relaxed at home. I’m not concerned about seeing people. Maybe I need to buy some new capri pants. 🙂 Or maybe, that I’m a writer on a deadline.
I have at-home clothes and clothes I wear when I go out into the world. It’s funny how my wardrobe changed after I quit my day job back in 2005 to write full-time. Over the years, the selection in my closet has dwindled. Now, it mostly consists of comfortable clothes. There are a lot of leggings and T-shirts—both short and long-sleeved in my closet. I tend to find something I like and buy it in multiples and different colors. Saves on shopping. These days, I even wear leggings when I go out, just not the grubby ones with the holes in them.
And we all know that everybody’s crazy about a sharp dressed man. Just ask ZZ Top.
Which brings me to Luther Henderson, the hero of Drakon Unchained, the latest book in my Blood of the Drakon series. He is the head of security for a member of the Knights of the Dragon, a secret society that traps and uses dragons for their own gain. Most of the men he works with wear your typical black combat-style clothes. Maybe they think it makes them look tough. Maybe it’s for ease of movement. Maybe it simply helps to hide the bloodstains.
But Luther wears custom tailored suits. Custom because he’s tall and extremely well-built. Nothing off the rack is going to fit him. Over the years, he’s discovered that him wearing a suit puts people at ease. They relax around him and tend to forget just how dangerous he really is. It’s a mistake they often regret as Luther doesn’t hesitate to use it to his advantage.
Drakon Unchained
Blood of the Drakon, Book 5
Victoria Marshall is living a lie. She works for a member of the Knights of the Dragon, a secret society that traps and uses dragons for their own gain. As a child, she made an unlikely friend—a drakon. He went missing, and she’s spent the past twenty years searching for him. The only thing distracting her from her mission is Luther Henderson, her boss’s new head of security.
Luther is also living a lie. One, if discovered, could lead to a fate worse than death. He’s attracted to Victoria, but can’t fully trust her, doesn’t know if she’s truly innocent or a true member of the Knights. It’s not only his life at stake, but those of the people he loves.
As they’re thrust deeper into the dangerous dealings of the Knights, they each have to share their secrets in order to survive.
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
When ideas are flowing fast, it’s all I can do to write fast enough to get it all down. I need a clone. LOL. I love when I’m deep into a story, and the story is going well. When I write, I connect with each moment in the story. Connect with the characters and walk with them as they go through whatever happens in the story. The book drives me to keep writing. I’m eager to see what happens next right along with my characters. The adventure of it all is such fun, and I love it.
Each book has its own personality and quirks that are unveiled as you write. It’s like getting to know someone you just met. Of course, you have impressions from what you view of them, and you are either proven right or wrong once you get to know them. Then as you get more familiar with that person, you get more in-depth with them and learn so much about them.
That is how I view a book—a new person I want to know so much more about. So when I write, that is my goal—to take a reader from that initial first impression they get when they read the blurb to making them become a part of the story. To make the reader become part of the fabric of the story. I love getting to do that when I write. Taking a journey of a story then bringing a reader along with me.
Seducing a God
When a God meets a woman who is a decadent distraction, he finds himself being seduced.
Taige Crenshaw has been enthralled with the written word from time she picked up her first book. It wasn’t long before she started to make up her own tales of romance.
With interracial and multicultural novels set in today, in alternate dimensions, or in the future, she writes with adventure, fun sassy heroines, and sexy heroes.
Always hard at work creating new and exciting places, Taige can be found curled up with a hot novel with exciting characters when she is not creating her own. Join her in the fun, frolic, interesting people and far reaches of the world in her novels.
NEWSLETTER! Want to get the latest information and from Taige’s writing projects, giveaways, contests, reveals and more. Click on http://bit.ly/taigenews and signup today.
Hi Delilah Fans! Fires across the western states this summer are worse than any previous year, and that’s what they’ve been saying every summer for quite a while now. Terrifying!
That’s what I envisioned when I first started writing my House of Rae series. Set forty years into the future, the stories dive off into a time where big changes are underway as humanity struggles to survive in a climate-changed world. But guess what! Sex is the answer.
Today, I’m sharing the first book, Salvation, for FREE with the coupon code CQ96Q at Smashwords, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/491247. The coupon expires August 26, so don’t wait around to nab your copy.
Three people propel this intense story, two of them former lovers—Lu and Rae—who can’t get past their unhealed wounds and one of them—Josh—a young man programmed to kill.
Salvation
In the year 2056, Josh Carter sets out on his mission. The young terrorist’s assignment: destroy the Kansas City House of Rae, flagship establishment of a flourishing prostitution trade catering to women. Primary Brotherhood target? Rae Stewart herself.
In the decades since water sources began drying up, fire ravages the countryside and a mysterious ailment called Brown Death spreads its horror through the population. The nation’s strained resources have shifted away from war to focus on food, water, and healing energy centers supported by psions who channel energy from dance centers, sex houses, and meditation rooms.
Lu Hardin helped discover the healing power of sex energy and tries to protect Rae from her own worst instincts despite the failure of their long love affair. But he can’t stop her from welcoming Josh Carter who Rae hires as a pleasure partner. Lu’s gut tells him the kid is a plant.
Rae Stewart brushes off Lu’s warnings. A hardheaded business woman, she knows a good thing when she sees it. Josh Carter is just what her clients enjoy—young, virile, and angry. It’s her attention to such detail that has taken her successful franchise worldwide. Besides, she hasn’t been this excited about a man since, well, she’d rather not think about Lu.
Strict training has kept Josh pure, but he’s willing to sacrifice his virginity in order to fulfill the mission. Yet despite his revulsion as his body responds in overwhelming ways, a tiny voice starts to grow in Josh’s head questioning the mission.
Salvation takes the reader on a headlong rush through a future world not so distant from the present. Who will be saved?
About the Author
Lizzie Ashworth lives in the wilds of the Ozark Mountains with three cats, two hound dogs, and too many deer in her yard. She’s been writing her entire life and wants her readers to know how much she enjoys sharing her naughty stories.
Follow her for free erotic short works, hot photos, and the occasional rant on her blog at http://lizzieashworth.com/.
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A Deadly Business
There is nothing quite so deadly as the business of revenge…
Just ask me. I know, because one of the most terrifying men in the world wants me dead for revenge.
My name is Marissa Hayes. I was recruited by the CIA because I had what they wanted—a degree from Wharton School of Finance and experience in complicated money transactions. Under the name of Lauren Chapman I spent three years playing a role in one of London’s top money managers. My target? One of their clients, a man named Stefan Maes whose money came from providing illegal arms to terrorists, funding cartels and raping Third World countries of their resources.
I was close to sealing the deal for the CIA, giving them enough information to take Maes down and freeze almost all of his money, when my cover was blown. That’s a damn scary thing, because when people like Maes get hold of you, death is the most pleasant thing that can happen to you. Lucky for me, my handler had an escape method already planned. He whisked me out of London through back alleys and down seedy streets until I was safe on a boat and then a plane.
Safe!
What a joke!
I thought I was safe when the relocated me to a sleepy little Southern town on the west coast of Florida—Arrowhead Bay. Nothing much happens there, although it does get a lot of tourists. I changed my hair, my makeup, my style of clothing…My name is now Marissa Hayes and I run an art gallery. A far cry from being a spy for the Central Intelligence Agency.
I was sure I was safe and secure in Arrowhead Bay. After all, it is the home of the international security agency, Vigilance, whose agents are all former Special Ops of one kind or another. And then there is Justin Kelly, one of their top agents, who has been teaching me defensive boxing while we dance around a sizzling sexual attraction. He’d defend me with his life, although of course, who could find me? Right?
But Maes’ right hand man, who hated the fact that I rebuffed all his sexual advances, blew my cover with his boss. Now Maes, who had lost a huge chunk of his empire, was out for blood. He wanted my head on a stick and my other body parts scattered to the winds.
Of course, nothing is for certain, and when two of Maes’ agents find me in Arrowhead Bay, I know it won’t be long before Maes himself arrives. Time to get the hell out of dodge, at least until the danger has passed. Vigilance has sent me off to a private Caribbean island, with a bonus—Justin as my bodyguard.
As I write this I am sitting in a private villa at Rosewood on Princessa Key, a luxury resort on a private island, where Justin and I finally gave in to our feelings for each other. But right now Justin is on the phone with Vigilance, where he has received frightening news. Maes has disappeared.
I keep telling myself he can’t find me here. Right?
Right?
A Deadly Business
Her life in beautiful Arrowhead Bay seems like paradise. But for former CIA operative Marissa Hayes, it’s a deep cover she’s forced to live under after daring to take down a powerful enemy with strong terrorist ties. Out of necessity, she keeps her emotions as guarded as her life, even as she finds herself drawn to Justin Kelly, the most arousing man she’s ever met. But when Marissa must find a new place to hide, the able-bodied Vigilance agent is the first man she turns to . . .
Justin can’t get close to Marissa, if he hopes to keep her alive. Which only makes sharing a villa with her at a remote island resort all the more challenging. The passion rising between them is exquisite—and excruciating. Even more so when terrorists infiltrate the island, putting Marissa in the crosshairs. Now Justin will do anything to protect the woman he cares about more deeply than he dares to admit. . . .
I recently published two linked erotic romances with spanking themes. My original plan had been to go through a publisher I’ve worked with before, but staff felt the setting would be a hard sell and asked me to do a major rewrite. Instead, I self-published His Purchase and another I’ll talk about later.
The heroine of His Purchase is a professional softball player with a load of emotional baggage. I’d given her that career because as the mother of two sports-loving sons, I logged a lot of time at baseball fields. No research necessary. Besides, I love baseball.
After exchanging emails with the above mentioned publisher, I couldn’t help but wonder if I’m in the minority when it comes to loving both erotic romance and baseball or softball. I’m guessing the reaction would be different if my hero was a football player or rodeo rider, part of the macho mystique, but I made my heroine the jock in a male dominated sport.
Is that a no-no? Are romance readers turned off by female jocks especially one involved with a sport traditionally considered male? Although I understand why that publisher needs to keep a close eye on the bottom line and might have made the same decision if I was in her shoes, I’m hoping readers are open to more than traditional roles for the sexes.
As I mentioned, His Purchase is a spanking story. In other words, it falls under the power exchange umbrella. Because of the fictional world I created, my dominant male hero fully believes he has the right and responsibility to physically discipline the submissive heroine. Despite her physical skills, she accepts that she will be disciplined if the man in charge decides she needs correction—which he does more than once.
I was fascinated by how my characters handled her untraditional career while living in a society that condones and encourages spanking females. I think they pulled it off but it’s up to readers to agree or disagree.
Vonna
His Purchase
Alia is an Other, just another woman with few rights living in a world controlled by Society rules. At least her considerable athletic skill will save her from a life of drudgery. She knows her rare physical talent will be exploited but considers it an acceptable tradeoff for being able to do what she most loves in life. In addition, she’ll have a roof over her head, food in her belly, and hopefully an end to feeling like a failure.
Kade is an Elite, a wealthy and powerful man who has never questioned his privileged place within the Society. As the new owner of a professional women’s softball team, he’s determined to get the ultimate performance from his players. Never one to turn down a challenge, he knows how to bring his sexy but strong-headed latest acquisition into line.
Despite the team owner’s domineering presence, Alia has no intention of bowing to the commanding man’s insistence she keep nothing from him. She’ll perform to the best of her ability. What she doesn’t dare do is let him inside her head and heart where vulnerability lies.
Kade refuses to accept her resistance. He purchased, not just her talent but everything about her. She doesn’t yet know how far his control reaches, but he will teach her. Her correction begins the first day with a firm hand repeatedly applied to her backside. He spanks her bare bottom until it turns red then insists she display what he’s done. When she continues to defy him, he takes her in hand again, this time adding a butt plug. Despite her shame, she’s turned on. Changed. Desperate for more than just his finger or toys in her.
Everything changes for Alia. She spends her nights in a locked barn stall with the other players, must wait to use the bathroom, eats what’s put before her. She wants to hate the man who has done this to her, but there’s magic in his firm hand. He knows how to arouse her. Maybe he even cares about her.
It doesn’t matter because she’ll never trust him with her deepest secret. If keeping something so private from him displeases him, she believes she has no choice but to live with the consequences.
His Purchase includes spankings and intense sexual scenes. If you’re uncomfortable with such material, please don’t buy this book.
Hi. Imagine you’re doing some research for a new book and your friend has arranged for you to see the inside of a fabulous, luxury penthouse to help you envision your setting.
When you get inside, you find the sexiest man you’ve ever seen sitting in a chair. Blindfolded. Tied up with rope. And totally naked!
Hmm. Yeah. Could happen! 😉
The idea was inspired by a photograph my friend Evangeline Anderson posted on FaceBook quite a while ago. (Check out her FB page. She has some really fun and sexy stuff there!)
When I saw the picture, I immediately sat down and wrote a scene! I was so excited about it, I shared the idea with Jayne Rylon and Avery Aster and that’s how we came up with Mentor, the fourth book in our Penthouse Pleasures series.
The image above is a cropped version, but you can see the whole thing by clicking here!
And you really should go look because he is sooo sexy! 😉
Elle slid the key card into the slot and pulled it out, but the door didn’t unlock. She tried again but was still greeted with a red light.
Red. Stop. Walk away. That’s what the universe was telling her.
This wasn’t meant to be.
Or… was it telling her to try harder?
She wouldn’t give up on writing this book. That’s why she’d come up here in the first place. She’d decided it was long past time to finish the story she’d started and this was the first step. Everley had arranged for her to see the inside of one of the infamous penthouses in Beekman Place—the setting for her erotic romance story.
She pulled her shoulders back, deciding she would find a way to get into this place and look around. Everley had told her the new owners would be moving in this coming weekend, so this might be her last chance. She tried the key card a third time, and when it still didn’t work, she dug through her purse and pulled out her cell, then started to dial Everley, determined to show her friend she was committed to succeeding.
Before she could dial, she heard the door unlock. She stared at it, the green light blinking at her.
“Come in,” a deep voice said, and she realized it was coming from a speaker in the wall.
She grasped the handle and pressed it down, then pushed the door open tentatively and peered inside. Dazzling sunshine filled the large room beyond the foyer. Large windows spanned the wall facing the door, and continued around the corner to the left. A fabulous view of the water glittering in the sunlight took her breath away.
She saw that the place was furnished with high-end contemporary furniture—glossy walnut cabinets and tables, and leather couches and armchairs—which was odd because Everley had told her the place was empty until the new tenants moved in next week.
She stepped inside and let the door close behind her. She slipped off her shoes and walked past the marble-floored foyer, her stocking feet sinking into the plush carpet of the large room beyond. Now she could see the whole first floor of the two story open concept penthouse.
Her eyes widened as her gaze caught on a plain wooden chair facing the windows. In the chair was a man, his arms bound behind him.
Her heart stuttered as she darted forward to help him. But then she stopped cold as she realized he was stark naked.
And blindfolded.
His muscular arms were pulled tight behind him, the rope around his wrists threaded through the back of the very simple chair. A chair that didn’t fit the sumptuous luxury of the penthouse she’d barely had a chance to appreciate.
But now her focus was totally on him.
He was leaning back in the chair and seemed totally comfortable being naked and tied up, even with a stranger in the room. His head was turned toward her.
His face, what she could see of it, was exceptionally handsome. His chin rough with dark whiskers, neatly trimmed. His thick hair combed back from his face. His lips full, his nose perfect.
And his body was… breathtaking.
At this angle, his thick, muscular thigh blocked her view of his more intimate parts, but she got an eyeful of his tight, hard ass.
His body could have been sculpted by a master artist. It was perfect.
Utterly and intensely sexy.
And, God help her, she wanted to touch it.
“I’ve been waiting for you, baby. Come over here.”
His deep sexy voice took her breath away.
“You wanted to try something different. So here I am.”
His words startled her. Had Everley set this up?
Everley had been worried about Elle ever since she’d broken up with the jerk. Everley didn’t know the whole story, but she’d noticed how withdrawn Elle had become and had made it her mission to get Elle back in the saddle again. She’d even offered to set Elle up with one of the two sexy guys from the seventh floor that Elle couldn’t help drooling over every time she saw them. But Elle wasn’t ready to put herself in a vulnerable position again.
When that hadn’t worked, Everley, who knew Elle was the adventurous sort, had urged her to try something totally different. Something spontaneous and wicked.
Like fuck a complete stranger.
Oh, God, had this been a ruse to get her up here? Not to see the penthouse, but to do something wild and crazy?
Here she was being handed a chance to have sex with a stranger—a perfect sex God from the look of him—in a way where she felt safe. The guy was tied up. That meant she would be in total control.
As a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of erotic contemporary and sci-fi romance, Opal Carew writes about passion, love, and taking risks. Her heroines follow their hearts and push past the fear that stops them from realizing their dreams… to the excitement and love of happily-ever-after. Her books have won several awards, including The National Readers’ Choice Award (twice), The Golden Leaf Award (twice), The Golden Quill (4 times), CRA Award of Excellence, JABBIC (multiple time) and Silken Sands.
Missed the first in my hockey romance series? Don’t worry. Out of the Penalty Box, an adult romance where it’s one minute in the box or a lifetime out is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.
