Blog Hop / Follow Friday # 7

Laissez les bons temps rouler!  I'm from Louisiana and that means Let the good times roll! That's what I love about these BH and FF, it's a great time and you get to meet so many wonderful people.

Blog Hop Question: "Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"


My answer would be Blackberry Summer. I never read one of RoeAnne Thayne's novel. When I saw the cover and read the blurb, I really wanted to read this book.  It's an upcoming HQN release so it can be bought on their site as well as Amazon.

Blackberry Summer

Claire Bradford needed a wake-up call.


What she didn't need was a tragic car accident. As a single mom and the owner of a successful bead shop, Claire leads a predictable life in Hope's Crossing, Colorado. So what if she has no time for romance? At least, that's what she tells herself, especially when her best friend's sexy younger brother comes back to town as the new chief of police.
But when the accident forces Claire to slow down and lean on others—especially Riley McKnight—she realizes, for the first time, that things need to change. And not just in her own life. The accident—and the string of robberies committed by teenagers that led up to it—is a wake-up call to the people of Hope's Crossing. The sense of community and togetherness had been lost during those tough years. But with a mysterious "Angel of Hope" working to inspire the town, Riley and Claire will find themselves opening up to love and other possibilities by the end of an extraordinary summer….

Follow Friday Question:  Keeping with the dystopian and apocalypse theme that seems to be running rampant on parajunkee.com, I have one very hard question for you: If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

Oh, good one!
1. Bible
2. The Windflower - Laura London
3. Slightly Dangerous - Mary Balogh
4. Oh, lord, I'm still thinking Will add more in a bit.

Regan Taylor's AMERICA’S HERO

I’ve always been pretty lucky with my books because they come to me in dreams. I tend to dream scene by scene each night and then write it out the next day. I think what happens is, well you know how they say we only use 10% of our brains? I believe that when we sleep – dream – we tap into at least part of that other 90%. That that’s where our creativity comes from. If we write down our dreams we have a way to tap into it.

So, one day about two years or so ago I dreamt about this absolutely gorgeous guy who was the epitome of a hero. This was the first layer of the story. This guy was a Hollywood Hottie and he played parts in movies that were the epitome of my personal hero as well as one I thought could be anyone’s.

The second layer came from a poster I have of the Marine’s. You may remember oh, maybe 10 years ago there was a commercial for the Marine Corps where it shows two knights on a tournament field fighting. Their swords clash as they charge each other on their horses. The commercial shows a few other scenes finishing with the knight engaging in further sword play and then morphing into a Marine in his dress blues. It ends with a statement about how there are still knights who stand for the right with us today. My boyfriend, who flew 53’s for the Marine Corps, gave me a copy of a poster based on that commercial. Marine’s are our modern day knights.

So I went a step further and made my Marine Hero a woman F/A-18 pilot. Hence – He plays America’s Hero, she IS America’s Hero.

I happen to be lucky at the time I started writing the story because I was on vacation and each morning I’d wake up and write what I’d dreamt the night before. I finished the first draft in two weeks. There were, I knew, some issues to be addressed. I’m a stickler for accuracy, even in fiction and I wanted to be certain I was spot on.

Luck was with me because I quickly found two F/A-18 pilots who were willing to look over my flight scenes. MC and Razor (call signs) looked over my take off’s, landings, air combat maneuvers and Marine protocol. They also took the time to have my space shuttle sequences looked at for accuracy.

America’s Hero was fun to write and I was pretty lucky meeting and making some new friends along the way.

http://www.thedarkcastlelords.com/
http://www.regantaylor.com/
Blog url:  http://regantaylorsworld.blogspot.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkKgiBrwo-8

Blurb:

He plays America's Hero. She IS America's Hero.

When Hollywood Hottie Austin Quinn reads about Marine Corps Major Cass Winter's crash and daring rescue he decides to bring the pilot's story to the big screen. But the Major wants nothing to do with the actor they call America's Hero.

Excerpt:

“Yeah. I’ve watched you. No, not like one of your gaga fans.” She told him. “You aren’t that interesting, you know. You’re just a guy, a guy with long blond hair and amazing green eyes. I’ll give you the amazing on the eyes. They’re a color I don’t think I’ve ever seen before, and when they go from pale to that kind of dark mossy green like they are now, I’ll admit, if I was your normal kind of girl I’d be intrigued.”


“So you aren’t normal?”

“I’m normal. I’m just not into actors. I prefer guys with substance.”

“And I don’t have substance?”

“No, you—”

He cut her off when his lips swept across hers. She wanted to feel outrage, offended, but his lips felt so good on hers. Warm, inviting, like they were meant to be molded to hers.

And not just her lips, the thought of those lips moving down her neck, to her breasts, rubbing, not sucking or licking but rubbing across her nipples sent a shiver down her spine that ended between her legs. It didn’t end, it kept on pulsing through her, a wave of desire she didn’t think existed.

She’d been turned on by guys before, had some great sex, but this was a whole other experience, and it was just a kiss. A closed mouth kiss that left her wanting more. Wanting so much more that without thought she parted her lips, welcoming him into her mouth.

Then, when his tongue met hers, a quiver of desire shot through her again. “Quinn,” was all she managed before she brought her arms up around his neck, her fingers entangling in his thick hair. In turn he drew her into his arms, cradling her close, holding her like he cherished her above all else.

In the back of her mind she wondered if she had brought this on and then just as quickly pushed the thought away to simply enjoy the kiss. If there hadn’t been a loud, shrill bird call from outside the shack Cass would have pulled Quinn to the ground and demanded he have his way with her.

“What was that?” Quinn asked.

“A bird, I think. It didn’t sound like the merry men and their bird calls.”

“You think we should check it out?”

“Definitely. If we’re not alone we need to find out sooner rather than later. And, I think we need to think about finding some dinner, you know?”

“ Right.”

She handed him one of the pistols. “You know how to fire one of these?”

“Ah, sure. No problem.”

“If you don’t, Quinn, tell me. I don’t want to waste bullets and powder if you haven’t ever fired one.”

“And you’ve fired an old gun like this?”

Publishers, Editors, Agents, and Authors

I have a question. When has it become acceptable to insert 2nd person POV into a 3rd person limited POV? I’ve bought about 4 or 5 books in the last couple of months. All of them are romance novels. I’d sit down, get comfy and open to page one. Halfway down the page, the author (with the editor’s and probably the agent’s approval) inserted 2nd person into a 3rd person limited POV.

When I reached this point, I literally stopped reading. I sat there thinking, what is going on? I have been taught to never, ever, under any conditions to mix 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person POVs . There are times in literary works where some authors have mixed 1st and 3rd but 2nd? If there are, please point them out to me.

This one book, along with all the other books I have purchased over the last year had the same type mixture of 2nd with 3rd. So when did the rules change?


I have been reading since a young age, and I’ve been writing for many years. Throughout the years, I can honestly say, I don’t remember reading a romance book that mixed the POVs like they do now. And I don’t mean books are from small publishers either. I’m talking about large publishing houses like St. Martin’s, Pocket etc. So is this a new trend? A bending or rewriting of the rules? I wish someone would let me in on the secret cause all these years I’ve been following what I learned in high school, college, and via writing courses, books, etc.


So what do I tell my critique partners? Some of them use this mixed POV in their work. Is it right or is it like George Mason University says about mixing the POVs.


‘Writing from a specific point of view alters the reader's perception of what you write. It can be confusing to the reader if you shift the point of view in your writing (meaning starting in the 3rd person, moving to the 2nd person, then switching back to 3rd). ‘ http://classweb.gmu.edu/WAC/somguide/123person.htm


This particular comment is pretty much what I was taught in school and have since cemented in my writing career.


The only time I came close to breaking or bending the rules was when I wrote a novel with two POVs. One character was in 3rd person limited.


‘Definition: Third person limited point of view is a method of storytelling in which the narrator knows only the thoughts and feelings of a single character, while other characters are presented only externally. Third person limited grants a writer more freedom than first person, but less than third person omniscient.’ http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/glossary/g/limited.htm

The other character was in 1st person.

‘Definition: First person point of view is a point of view in which an "I" or "we" serves as the narrator of a piece of fiction. The narrator may be a minor character, observing the action, as the character Nick does in The Great Gatsby, or the main protagonist of the story, such as Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. In addition, a first-person narrator may be reliable or unreliable.’ http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/glossary/g/firstperson.htm

I did this on purpose. One chapter was in 3rd, the next was in 1st and it repeated throughout the entire book. I kept each POV in a separate chapter to prevent any confusion. By writing the book, I  knew there was a strong possibility that when I submitted this book for possible publication the publisher might reject it because of the mixture of the POVs. The book was contracted, and not to my surprise, the editor insisted I change all of the 1st person to 3rd person POV. No problem, I made the changes. I figured I would have to any way so no big deal.

But I didn’t mix 2nd with 3rd.

 If there is a new rule, would someone please tell me what this rule is because I really want to know. When I critique my writing buddies’ work, I want to know whether or not to mark a change of POV or to leave it alone. If major publishers, and yes, agents too, are accepting and publishing books with mixed POVs, I want to be able to pass this up and move on to something else while I’m critiquing.

Any comments are welcomed. Even readers. If you have problems with or don’t mind the mixed POVs, please let me know.

Wraith's Forest

by L.J. Leger

ISBN:  978-0-9834-1-0
Available on Amazon
  

Blurb:

Fairy tales and haunted woods lead us through L.J. Leger's Beauty and the Beast story of one girl with the weight of a village on her shoulders and the attention of a very unlikely soul.

Jenna is chosen for the coveted task of gathering the magical fruit to preserve the peaceful balance of the secret valley where she and many others live. During the harvest, one fruit is damaged and the task of healing the bruise falls on Jenna’s shoulders. She must enter the Wraith’s Forest, retrieve a magical blade from the specter who lives there so the valley will remain a utopia. But once she makes contact with the Wraith, her fear slowly disappears and her curiosity is aroused with more questions of why the Wraith is in the Forest and the true purpose for the harvest. If you love Beauty and Beast type fairy tales, Wraith’s Forest is the book to read. Perfect for Young Adults!

Excerpt:

He stood within the boundary of the trees. There he would stay. She knew the story too well. He was bound to the forest for eternity. As long as she stayed on the raised path to and from the valley, she would remain safe. She wouldn’t meet the same end as the men who had entered the trees only to depart them mindless, driven to insanity by the Wraith.

Jenna took a step. Her legs trembled. The Wraith moved with her. Another and another, he stayed at her side. The tattered ends of the robe twitched and swayed with each gust of wind. Once, she could have sworn she saw a blood red glow within the hood where his eyes should have been. Deep gray clouds flew overhead obstructing the sun’s light, and strong gusts shoved against her, causing her to struggle to move forward.

Vexed, Jenna shook her fist and shouted, “Leave me be.”

The wind, blasting harder than before, swept her words away. She broke into a sprint, hoping to reach the point where the dirt track opened into the valley. Once there, the Wraith would be gone. She sent quick, furtive glances to her left. His dark form glided even with her.

In an instant, her feet tangled with each other and she tripped. The path’s down sloping sides rose to meet her as she fell. She tried to stop, but she hit the ground hard. The breath whooshed out of her lungs. She slid forward until her head ended in the forest. Her hair, a snarled mass about her head, spread on the ground before her.

She laid there for a moment, her eyes half-closed against the pain slicing through her palms and knees. When she lifted her gaze, worn black boots under tattered robes appeared. White vapors escaped from along the seams. In the shadows of the trees, the Wraith stood but a foot away from her.

“I’ve done nothing to you. Leave me be,” she cried, rising on her elbows, trying to scoot back.

The Wraith leaned toward her; his gloved hand reached and lifted a lock of her hair. She shrank back, but stopped when his grip tightened on the ends. He reeled her closer. Frozen with terror and pain, she stared into the black gap in the hood.

She forgot to breathe.

A flash whisked by and she fell away from him. Between his fingers of his left hand, he held strands of her hair. She stared at the blonde tendrils shifting in the wind. A golden blade, shining with an internal glow, winked once before it disappeared within the folds of his robes.

Just as quickly, he too vanished.

The Vampire Relationship Guide Blog Tour‏ - Sex in Romance Novels

Today I have the great pleasure of hosting a stop on The Vampire Relationship Guide Blog Tour sponsored by Bookish Snob and The Romance Reviews.  The guest today is Evelyn LaFont.  Her book, The Vampire Relationship Guide is out and definitely one to grab while you can!  Thanks so much for stopping today, Evelyn!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stay away from many well-received young adult romance novels for one single, disgusting reason: I love sex scenes in the romances I read. I love foreplay, duringplay, afterplay; I love reading about sexual things I haven’t done, those I have done, or those must leave you to go do right now. I simply love sex in books.

Though I have read some sexless paranormal romance series and enjoyed them (the late Jennifer Rardin's Jazz Parks series comes to mind) I often feel like a romance novel without sex is like endless teasing that never lets up and never allows the reader to blow off any steam. 

While there are many readers who share my point of view, there are many others who don’t. There are some who don’t find anything satisfying about reading a sex scene and there are those who feel downright uncomfortable at the mere thought of doing so.

Luckily, the romance genre has never been better equipped to satisfy such a broad range of comfort levels and tastes. You can read books with sex, without sex, with graphic sex or with inferred sex. And the variety doesn’t end there. You can also read about different species or gender matches, like vampire/ human romance, shifter/vampire, male/male, female/female, succubus/human—the list goes on and on.

Generally, I don’t look at my penchant for reading romance as a political or feminist statement—I simply look at it as a damn fun read that gives me a perfect mini-vacation from life. But when I consider the fact that romance, more than any other genre that I can think of, works to accommodate all the different tastes and comfort levels of its readers, I realize that by doing so, the genre embraces the many differences that make this world so interesting and diverse, and damn if that isn’t pretty frickin’ empowering…and kinda sexy.

The book is available at Amazon. 

Author Bio

Evelyn Lafont is an author and freelance writer with an addiction to Xanax and a predilection for snark. Her debut novella, The Vampire Relationship Guide, Volume 1: Meeting and Mating is available on Amazon , Barnes and Noble and Smashwords .

Thanks so much for stopping by, Evelyn! 

On Sale for a LIMITED time! WRAITH'S FOREST!!!

My fantasy YA, Wraith's Forest written under my pen name, LJ Leger is live on Kindle!  If you love fantasy and YA, be sure and check this one out.

http://amzn.to/ehED02

Fairy tales and haunted woods lead us through L.J. Leger's Beauty and the Beast story of one girl with the weight of a village on her shoulders and the attention of a very unlikely soul.



Jenna is chosen for the coveted task of gathering the magical fruit to preserve the peaceful balance of the secret valley where she and many others live. During the harvest, one fruit is damaged and the task of healing the bruise falls on Jenna’s shoulders. She must enter the Wraith’s Forest, retrieve a magical blade from the specter who lives there so the valley will remain a utopia. But once she makes contact with the Wraith, her fear slowly disappears and her curiosity is aroused with more questions of why the Wraith is in the Forest and the true purpose for the harvest. If you love Beauty and Beast type fairy tales, Wraith’s Forest is the book to read. Perfect for Young Adults!

 
 

Follow Friday / Blog Hop #6 (Shakes head, yes, I'm pitiful!)

Hey hey! It's Friday and it's time for some fun!

First for everyone that stops by here, I thank you.  These FF and BH take alot of work and time but truly, they are so worth it. It gives each of us a chance to meet new friends and see old friends.

Q. Do you judge a book by it's cover?


For me, it is the cover and the title that tempt me to read the blurb.  If the blurb reads great, I'll grab the book.  I remember the first time I saw Harry Potter's book covers, I was like, O_o...not sure if I liked them.  Love the inside but the covers weren't really to my tastes.

Happy Follow Friday!!!

You can check out my website HERE to see what kind of books I write.
I have two other pen names,
L.J.Leger - Website
Jadette Paige - Website, Blog

Kindle Release

In about a day (hopefully by Saturday) my short story, Wraith's Forest will be out on Kindle.

I will keep everyone up to date about it.  It is listed as a YA fantasy and my pen name is L.J. Leger.

Once it goes live, I will make the HUGE announcement!!

Here's a taste of the cover.