The Hero Makes the Book

In my opinion the hero makes the book, maybe because I’m a chick (shrugs). I don’t think I’m alone when I say this, but when I read a story, I like to imagine myself in the heroine’s place and the hero is pining after me. Because of this, the hero has to be someone that I’m attracted too. Someone that I could see myself with given whatever situation the story is set in. It doesn’t matter, where the setting may be; outer space, a small town or a fictional city, I am there and he is all over me like white on rice.

This is the very reason that I like my hero’s to be strong willed, muscular and a little on the cocky side (snort). A little arrogance is always helpful. The more the female plays hard to get, the more he makes his intentions clear—he will have her and she can’t do a thing about it (shudders).

I’ve read stories where the hero is full of emotions and inner turmoil. Those stories really aren’t for me. A hero that cries at the drop of a hat or starts having all that chicky-inner dialogue “Does she like me?” and I put the book down. Now on the other hand if a hero can have the heroine wanting to drop her panties at the first hello, well, then we have a story worth reading.

In my science fiction series, Loving Dangerously, I created a race of humanoid aliens where the males are arrogant, cocky and used to getting what they want. They also have the warrior bodies to make any female melt—no matter how much she tries to resist (because as we all know, resistance is futile). I’m not saying my heroes are always perfect (what heroes are?), they are filled with imperfections and should learn to put their foot in their mouths sooner rather than later, in order to keep them from saying anything insensitive, but usually my heroines can forgive them (maybe because they’re drooling and going goo-goo-ga-ga over rippling muscles).

I love my heroes and hope you enjoy them too!

King Taio Xochis of Sonis ~ Taio is disgusted with the idea of owning a slave—until now. From the moment he sees her, he knows Eva is his for the taking. Torn between lust and duty, Taio knows nothing will stop him from protecting his little warrior.
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerously-Mine-ebook/dp/B00AO5CWSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355511533&sr=1-1&keywords=dangerously+mine

Captain Kane Epps ~ Kane Epps divides his life into two distinct parts—before the alien invasion and after. Before the invasion, he had a pregnant wife and a high-powered job. After the invasion, he’s left with only himself and his hatred for all things alien. He channels his bitterness by captaining a vessel of renegade humans—space pirates who don’t think twice about taking what they  need.
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Dangerously-Yours-Loving-ebook/dp/B00CZBHA4Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1369491547&sr=1-2&keywords=dangerously+Yours

And coming October 9^th, Rasha, Captain of the Sonis Royal Guards ~ Rasha, Captain of the Sonis Royal Guard, is a warrior through and through. He’s huge, sinfully sexy and could have any woman on Sonis—but the woman he wants is Jess. He’s very much an alien and Jess knows she should hate him or at least be wary, but whenever he’s around, she loses control. She tells herself it’s only sex—amazing, mind-blowing sex like nothing else she’s ever experienced—but there’s something about Rasha that shakes her soul. The feel of his skin against hers, the look in his eyes as he touches her—they make her want to believe it’s possible to find love and begin again.
Buy link: https://www.ellorascave.com/dangerously-hers.html

About me:
A. M. Griffin is a wife who rarely cooks, mother of three, dog owner (and sometimes dog owned), a daughter, sister, aunt and friend. She’s a hard worker whose two favorite outlets are reading and writing. She enjoys reading everything from mystery novels to historical romances and of course fantasy romance. She is a believer in the unbelievable, open to all possibilities from mermaids in our oceans and seas, angels in the skies and intelligent life forms in distant galaxies.

Now available from Ellora’s Cave

You can find out what else I’m working on by visiting my website: https://www.amgriffinbooks.com

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Just a quick note. I’ve joining my Diamond State Romancce Author “sisters” in Hot Springs this weekend, where we rented a large house on the lake for a writing retrea! The house is comfy, there’s a dock off the back of the house–the lake’s right there. Why didn’t I bring my swimsuit? Oh yeah, the temps are in the 70’s today. 🙂

I hope to get many, many new pages written this weekend. Keeping this short. Have to write! ~DD

Remember this book?

Based on Cowboy Lust‘s success, Cleis Press asked me to put together another anthology of sexy cowboy love stories—Cowboy Heat! If you’re on Facebook and Twitter, you may already know the lineup of stories, but if you’re not, here it is!

Mrs. Morgan and the Marshal – Emma Jay
Remember – Mia Hopkins
Cowboy Downtime – Cheyenne Blue
Coming Home – Megan Mitcham
Her Captured Cowboy – Layla Chase
Back Stage Pass – Cynthia D’Alba
Unfinished Business – Cat Johnson
At the Mercy of the Cowboy – Amber Lin
Cowboy Adonis – Michael Bracken
Denim and Lace – Robie Madison
One Track Cowboy – Delilah Devlin
Skin Deep – Randi Alexander
Drop Two Tears in a Bucket – Shoshanna Evers
A Cowboy for Delilah – Sabrina York
Shall We Dance? – Myla Jackson

I’m excited about this book! As soon as I know when it will be released, I’ll be sure to let you know!

I’m busy this week writing a story about an ex-Marine who’s trying to save a woman who has been targeted by a drug cartel in Central America. It’s fun, a thrill ride, and verra, verra sexy! As soon as I post this blog, I’m diving back into the story, which I’ve entitled Dangerous Liaison!

So, here’s today’s question…

Say you won a contest and could choose any piece of jewelry you wanted,
regardless of cost, what would it be?

Describing What Didn’t Exist

Hi, I’m Jill Hughey and I write a historical romance series set after Charlemagne’s death, so I am WAY back there in the 830s. One of the challenges of writing in the medieval period is that there were inventions and materials that we take for granted that didn’t exist, and objects that we consider mundane or disposable that were very important and special in the middle ages.

When you picture a saddle, it includes stirrups, right? I mean, how are you going to get on the horse if there are no stirrups? Good question. Imagine my surprise when, studying medieval horseback riding, I learned that some genius invented the stirrup AFTER the time period I write in. I never figured out how to show a reader that the saddle didn’t have stirrups. How would you do that, after all, without using the word “stirrup” and then completely jarring the reader right out of the story by explaining that there wasn’t one?

In my first book, Unbidden, I decided to use the lack to my advantage by making the heroine’s ability to mount a horse important. She has always been aware enough of her surroundings to make sure she has something to use as a mounting block nearby. When she meets the hero and he consistently helps her mount her horse she gets a little complacent, resulting in a situation where she needs a log or rock to get herself on her own horse, can’t find one, and is endangered because of it. She rails at him that this kind of dependence is exactly what she is trying to avoid.

Also absent in medieval times is an important part of most historical homes: fireplaces. In the middle ages, most homes had one central fire pit in the main room of the house and a hole in the roof to vent the smoke. Not exactly conducive to a private love scene on a rug in the bedroom. So, in my second book, Redeemed, I make that hearth an important place in the household my heroine is trying to set to rights and define her position in. When she first arrives, she notes that the fire seems to be the only thing functioning properly in the entire place.

Simple objects like needles were made from whatever materials were available. Peasants would use bone or thorn. Only wealthy people bought brass needles. In my third book, Vain, the heroine is a tailor — a member of the merchant class — who marries an aristocrat. She does not want to ask him for spending money, her need for it hasn’t occurred to him, and eventually she can’t afford to buy needles at the market. Of course, one of his friend’s wives notices and alerts him to the oversight, which creates the opportunity for him to start the conversation about money and home management that they really need to have.

Romance treads a fine line within the medieval period. After all, romance has to be romantic at some level, but, back then, existence for all but the very wealthiest was hard and dirty and not very glamorous. The heroine in the fourth story, Little Witch: Historical Romance Novella, yearns to escape her mundane life of farming and gathering. She leaves her family home, knowing she needs a life with more variety, more people, more everything!

I hope you’ll give my Evolution Series a try. Unbidden is free at most ebook vendors. I also have a book bundle that includes the first three novels plus a bonus short story. The links for it are included below. Thank you for the opportunity to visit here, Delilah!

Evolution Series Bundle buy links:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Apple/iTunes

If you’d like to keep up with Jill Hughey, she blogs at https://jillhughey.blogspot.com, is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jillhugheyromance, and tweets @jillhughey.

I’m very happy to be here on Delilah’s blog today.

Where Do Ideas Come From?

As a writer, I get this question a lot.   And it’s a hard one for me to answer, because I get my ideas come from my characters..

I start developing my characters first, then I play the what if and why game with myself and the characters.

For example: More Than One Night —I have the heroine out celebrating her thirty birthday with her girl friends.  Then I decided, what happens if I drop  the hero in at the same bar and my heroine’s rules are “No dating men.”  And then he asks her to dance, they flirt and by the end of the night they want nothing more than to spend the night together.

From there I went— What if:

The heroine leaves the next morning without saying good-bye. What would happen?

Would the hero track her down?  If he did, how would she react?  What happens after that?  Why is the hero interested in her?  How do her friends push her into acting out of character?

The first scene practically wrote itself and the book just flowed from there.

Another example is from my story in an anthology: Silver Screen Dom.

The original characters for this story, decided they needed their own longer story which left me wondering who the heck I was going to use.  A secondary character popped up his head—Michael.

That was all I knew, his name.  So I started delving into his character.

What if:

I go back to before Michael got this movie role?

What happened for him to get the role?

Does he have a leading lady in his life?

What is she like?

Answers flew at me faster than I could write, and the story was born.

As you can see, the what if and the why, play a big part in my ideas.   It helps me determine the conflicts, the motivation and the characters for the book.

I’ve heard it say ideas can be found anywhere, but for me I being by creating my characters, then putting them in a situation that is going to do nothing but cause them trouble.

Bartender Beth Grant has sworn off men after yet another failed relationship, but when a friend dares her to dance with a handsome stranger, she’s tempted by the fantasy.  Jake turns out to be dashing, charming and very rich, everything Beth avoids.  But she can’t resist, and one dance turns into an evening of exquisite passion.  Beth vows not to repeat a night like this, despite liking the mysterious Jake – a lot.

Successful business owner Jake Masters knows he’s met his dream girl the minute he lays eyes on Beth across the crowded dance floor.  But the next morning she disappears and all he has is her first name.  Jake vows to go to any length to get more than one night with Beth, and when he discovers she has a jaded past, he puts his heart and soul at risk to prove he’s the one.

Available at Amazon

Available at all other e-book retailers on Sept. 20th.

Michael Levin is a rising Hollywood start up for a career-making role.  The pressure is intense, but thankfully the leading lady in his life, Kelsey Pierce, knows just how to wield the whip and ease his tension.  However, when his potential co-star schemes to take Kelsey’s place in his off-screen life, Michael has to switch to Master mode, a role he’s more than comfortable with, and assume command.

Can Michael and Kelsey’s relationship withstand the strain, or will they survive the games and find long-lasting love?

Book will be available Sept. 24th at Amazon, your favorite e-retailer or at Sybarite Seductions.

I’m crazy busy here. How about you? I’d love to hear all about it.

I’ll catch you up on what’s happening in my life.

First, there’s little Siobhán… Adorable, right? And she’s turned all our lives upside down. I’m doing a lot of babysitting while mama takes care of her menagerie of animals and the other two girls. All of which cuts into my writing time, but I won’t complain. Ever.

Then there are the two horses we adopted from the equine rescue group, Brandi and Whiskey. No, the one on the right isn’t a baby. He’s full-grown, and doesn’t look like a pony so much as a tiny, tiny horse he’s so well-proportioned. The SIL is helping dad fortify fences so we can let them into different pasture areas. We have to arrange for a vet to come out this week. And then there’s the trainer we have to hire… But they are lovely and gentle. They both have sad stories. Brandi and her mom were starved when they were rescued. Little Whiskey was kept on a short rope and halter so long that the halter grew into his nose. We can’t wait to for the kids to be able to ride them.

As for the writing…

You probably already know I wrapped up the Crescent Moon serial. The book is available in its entirety on Amazon. If you read it, I’d love it if you’d leave a review. Those help other readers make their decisions about whether they should buy a book or not, so your opinion does count!

I finished revisions of a long, full-length BDSM-suspense novel set in the Louisiana bayou with a wealthy, ex-SEAL hero who arrives with his entourage of ex-military best friends to reclaim his crumbling plantation house and meets a home-town girl. Sorry folks, Her Only Desire doesn’t release until next year…

Based on editorial comments, I have a little more work to put in on Cowboy Heat, so all you authors out there who are still waiting on decisions whether you are in the anthology or not, you have to wait just a little while longer. I’m almost there. Promise!

I have three novellas to complete in the next three weeks–one military story, a cowboy story, and a calendar man story. Think I can do it? Cripes. I better start writing now!

On other fronts…

I’ll be at a writer’s retreat this weekend with friends from the Diamond State Romance Authors and my sister, Elle James/Myla Jackson! I need it! Time away from all the distractions at home.

On the 28th, I’ll be setting up a table at the Bismarck Craft Show to sell jewelry. And then there’s the Artist’s Studio Tour I’ll be participating in mid-October…

And I think there is a booksigning in Little Rock sometime in November, but I’ll have to post those dates later.

I think that’s everything. I hope you all are happy and doing well. I’m happy, but just a little out of my mind trying to keep all those balls in the air…  😉

On Co-Authoring

Co-authoring is something that I’d vaguely thought about, but never really in any great detail. That is, until, towards the back end of 2012, my good friend and fellow writer Lily Harlem suggested co-authoring something together. I explained I had a few projects on, so I couldn’t start right away, but I would definitely be interested. She was busy too, so we said we’d start in the early part of 2013, when all the Christmas and New Year festivities were over and done with, and life was back to normal.

The writing bug bit Lily, however, and in December she sent me a chapter that had just come to her, so she’d written it down. I managed to read it quickly, but knew I still wouldn’t be able to do anything with it until January. I was eager to try out co-authoring, but other commitments had to take priority.

Then 2013 arrived. I’d cleared my commitments and was free to start something new – hurrah! I read the chapter again and then bombarded Lily with a million and one questions about the process of co-authoring, how she thought it would work, our intended publisher, and so on. I was very lucky in that a) Lily had co-authored many times before so knew how it worked b) she was very, very patient with me and answered all my questions c) that our writing styles are quite similar, so that although we wrote from separate character viewpoints, our respective sections would still fit together well and d) we know each other well enough to give constructive and honest feedback that will be truly helpful, rather than trying to sugar coat anything for the sake of being nice.

And so we began. The chapter Lily had written back in December was from the female perspective and I was happy to write from the male perspective. I’ve done it many times before and enjoy it very much. We’d already agreed that if things didn’t work out, we wouldn’t worry too much about it, so I opened the document and began to write without thinking too hard. We had no plan, no idea what on earth the book was going to be about, really, just that it would be an erotic romance. Despite this, the words came. Fast.

After writing a chapter of roughly the same length as Lily’s, I skim read it and sent it back to her. And thus the mad email exchange began. Prior to this project I’d only written one full-length novel by myself and found it a learning curve, albeit it a fun and very satisfying project, but often I had to force myself to carry on and not procrastinate. With this book, however, it was totally different. It was full of surprises – because we hadn’t planned it, the chapters we sent back to one another were a total surprise, and we both had to think on our feet to work out where the plot would go next. We’d agreed not to rush one another for chapters as we both had other things on, too, and although we didn’t pressure one another, we still produced the words at lightning speed (for me, anyway!). I grew eager to read Lily’s next chapter, to see where the characters – which I’d quickly grown very fond of – would go next, what they would do. There was very, very little procrastination! None, really. Just lots of use of Google Street View.

The only thing we’d really planned was that the book would be longer than 50,000 words – to make it novel length. We did discuss how it would end, but never made a set decision, we just decided to keep writing and hope it came to a natural conclusion. We agreed that because Lily had written the first chapter, that I would write the last. That was the only time throughout the project that I felt pressure – and it was from myself, not my co-author. I had to write the last chapter, therefore the ending, therefore it had to be good, and satisfying! I put my fingers to the keys of my laptop and hoped that what came out would be good. When I finished the final chapter I read it again and made tweaks, then decided that no benefit would come of me staring at it – so I sent it to Lily. And waited with bated breath for her reply. Read the rest of this entry »