To Inspire Relationships

There are many reasons that I write: a love of stories, an affinity for adventure, and then there's the excitement of love. The most important reason I write now though is to inspire relationships.

I believe in love so much that I know even when we get our hearts broken it is sometimes the best thing that can happen to us. There is a mistaken belief that there can't be anything better out there than what we have now.

So, not true.

I'm not talking to those in healthy, mutually satisfying, relationships. You know how to makes things work—but romance novels aren't built on perfect relationships. Thank goodness, because imagine how boring those books would be. Instead think of those great romances novels we read that start out with a bad relationship in a hero/heroine's past.

You root for the heroine to overcome her insecurities, or perhaps you just want to throw the book when the hero seems more willing to let the heroine go than risk his heart. Oh, but what a thing of joy it is when they work together as a team to defeat their enemies and achieve their happily ever after.

That's why I love writing. Relationships are never easy. Some are worth saving and some aren't. Knowing when to hold on and when to let go is perhaps the hardest lesson any of us will learn in our lives. That's what romances teach us.

We deserve a great hero/heroine in our lives.

It's satisfying to put out a story where the heroine is broken hearted but overcomes her pain to catch her hero. Love can be worth the struggle when it's with the right person. I have to say, I'm so glad I never married my first boyfriend. He wasn't my "one."

That story from my heart has yet to be written. *sly grin*

Happy reading,

Mary Corrales

Twitter.com/Mary Corrales

Romance Author Lifestyle blog

Mary Corrales is a multi-published erotic romance author who writes in multiple genres including paranormal, contemporary suspense, fantasy, and futuristic. She loves to chat with readers on twitter and share tips. Follow her blog for her exciting guests and inspiring tips on writing.

The hero and heroine—making that connection

There is that defining moment in a romance novel where the hero and heroine finally make a connection. In my new release, Daughter of Night, I used a thunderstorm to help bring the hero and heroine together. Weather can be a useful writing tool and in this story, it was a way to force two people that didn’t really care for each other together in an unexpected situation that brought them closer. It’s those unexpected moments that are the most magical.

Here is a snippet from that pivotal scene from Daughter of Night, my new Historical fantasy romance from Mundania Press.

Blurb:

Their destiny began in ancient Anatolia.

Becuille is a daughter of Night and a servant to the Great Goddess, created to wield Her vengeance. Callileon is a prince of the Hatti, who may be the one she was sent to punish.

When love finds them, they are cursed by the gods and surrounded by tragedy, which even the Fates are powerless to change.

Excerpt, Rated PG:

Another terrace lay below the Upper Courtyard. Curious, she walked down, inhaling the scents of straw and animal smells associated with stables. A sudden forceful wind almost knocked her down and large raindrops fell from low-bellied black clouds gathered above the palace. A loud crack of thunder caused her to jump and lightning danced from the sky, dangerously close.

With nowhere else to run for cover, she ducked into one of the stables just before another dangerous bolt landed nearby with a loud crack. Turning, she was surprised to find Callileon kneeling in the straw, stroking the head of a panting horse. Becuille jumped back, startled to be so close to one of the frightening beasts.

“Inaras, I need your help. She is having trouble giving birth.” His voice rang of desperation and Becuille thought she saw tears shining in his eyes.

That he would shed tears for a beast touched her in a strange way. “I...I will go for help.”

His hand shot out, gripping her forearm in a strong hold. “No, there is no time. Please, Inaras...” His pleading gaze bore into her.

“I do not have magic with the beasts. I cannot help you.” She was in fact terrified of horses, remembering how the northern invaders had ridden down from the mountains on the backs of the snorting beasts, their hooves stamping, their large teeth gnashing. She still had nightmares about them trampling people to death underneath their dangerous hooves. But this beast did not look so threatening now, writhing in pain on the ground.

The animal's soft nose touched Becuille's hand, her soft brown eyes pleading for help. She experienced a pang of compassion for the suffering beast. Callileon’s distressed expression revealed how much he needed her. The prince would never beg her for help unless he had no choice. By helping him, she could gain his trust. “Tell me what to do.”

“I will need you to keep her calm while I help the foal out,” he said. “Stroke her head and talk softly to her.”

She gazed down at the horse and tentatively reached out, stroking the animal’s head. “Does she have a name?”

He caressed the horse’s head. “Blaze, for the splash of white on her head that looks like flames.”

“Blaze, you will be healed soon. Callileon here will help you,” she whispered, stroking the splash of white on her head. The horse let out a strangled neigh and attempted to move.

“You need to keep her calm,” Callileon said, giving her a hard look.

“I told you I have no talent for the beasts and the storm is frightening her.” Another loud clap of thunder shook the stable and a fierce wind wailed through the row of stables.

“Sing to her, Inaras.” Shouting over the noise of the storm, his voice strained with frustration.

She felt like a fool for not thinking of singing as a way to calm the beast. Singing a lullaby in the Cretan language, she gently stroked Blaze's head as she would a small babe in a cradle. The horse relaxed under the spell of her voice, neighing softly.

****

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Buy links for Daughter of Night:

Mundania Press (in ebook formats and trade paperback):

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Daughter+of+Night

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Of-Night-ebook/dp/B008OCANEO/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343182822&sr=1-14&keywords=kelley+heckart

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughter-of-night-kelley-heckart/1112220212?ean=2940015001952

Buy links on author website: http://kelleyheckart.com/daughter_of_night.html

Romance novels—Always a happy ending?

Do romance novels always have to have a happy ending? I was thinking about this the other day because some stories just don’t end well. I suppose then the stories wouldn’t be labeled as romance, but as tragic romance. Would romance readers want to read a romance that doesn’t end well? The Greeks had tragic love stories, one of which was Artemis killing her lover by accident, and then there is Romeo and Juliet, one of the most popular tragic love stories.

I have a book coming out that is part of a past lives series. This is a tragic romance because the first time the hero and heroine meet their story doesn’t end well. This has to happen so that they can be reborn and have their happy ending in the other books. I would compare this story to a cross between the Iliad and Romeo and Juliet. It’s a tragic romance set against the battle between the Titans and Olympic gods. My heroine is a vengeance goddess, one of the Erinyes, so that is a clue that this story can’t end well. Even though I knew I had to write a tragic ending, it wasn’t easy for me to do. I decided to add an Epilogue to give my characters the happiness they deserve, and also to please readers, and myself.

Personally, I don’t mind reading romances that don’t end well. Sure, it’s sad when someone dies and the romance ends in a gloomy cloud, but sometimes these heartbreaking stories stay with me longer than the stories that end well. Maybe it’s the cynic in me, but too many happy endings don’t satisfy me.

I realize a lot of romance readers would disagree with me. They need to have that happiness at the end of the romance novel. I don’t want to mislead readers so I’m thinking of putting a warning on this book since I normally write romance with happy, or happy for now endings. I wouldn’t want to get a bunch of hate emails. Or maybe I wouldn’t mind.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

A Greek vampire, Celtic kings, vengeful goddesses, an ancient faery curse…

All three books of my Dark Goddess trilogy are available in Print and Ebook. Set in Dark Age Scotland, I mixed history with a Samhain/Beltaine myth that revolves around an Irish clan and the goddesses Brigit and Cailleach.

http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

Imperfect Heroes

Does a hero have to be physically perfect? One of my favorite fairy-tales is Beauty and the Beast. I just read a book titled The Snow Bride based on this fairy-tale and fell in love with the hero who was far from looking like a Prince Charming. This hero had other qualities that made him loveable besides perfect looks. He treated the heroine with respect and risked his life to protect her.

I’m working on a story right now that has a hero with a crippled leg. A former warrior and king, his injury has left him bitter and filled with revenge. The heroine works with him to heal his physical and mental wounds. In another story I am working on, the hero has a brutal scar on his face that marks him as a traitor. In Of Water and Dragons, my hero has a scar from a battle wound that injured his eye so that he could no longer serve in the Roman army.

Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Those who can see past physical imperfections and into the heart of the person are truly gifted. In Celtic lore, a king had to pass certain tests to be king worthy. One of those tests was seeing past an old woman’s visage to the beauty within. A Celtic king had to be able to see beyond what others would see and not be fooled by appearances. But the Celts revered physical perfection in their kings—they had a law that stated the king had to be whole in body and mind. Proof of this is in the story of Nuada of the silver hand in Tuatha de Danaan legend. He could only keep his place as king by receiving a silver hand to replace the hand he lost in battle.

In modern society, we focus too much on perfect looks. It’s refreshing to see or read about a hero that isn’t perfect. If I had a choice between a selfish handsome hero and a caring scarred hero, I would choose the Beast over Prince Charming without hesitation. What’s inside a person is more important. Looks eventually fade anyway.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy romance author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

A Greek vampire, Celtic kings, vengeful goddesses, an ancient faery curse…

All three books of my Dark Goddess trilogy are available in Print and Ebook. Set in dark age Scotland, I mixed history with a Samhain/Beltaine myth that revolves around an Irish clan and the goddesses Brigit and Cailleach.

http://kelleyheckart.com/BookShelf.html

Growing up Paranormal

Now that I think about it I was probably a weird kid. From a very young age I was fascinated with the paranormal, especially horror movies and books. I remember staying up to watch the late night scary movies hosted by various strange hosts like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. My favorite movies were the classic horror movies, the black and white Dracula and Wolfman, and the 1970’s Dracula movies starring Frank Langella.

My décor in my bedroom included glow-in-the-dark models of Dracula and Wolfman. Not really normal for a girl, right? My collection of books included Stephen King, Robert McCammon, Dean Koontz, collections of short ghost/horror stories and Ann Rice’s vamps and witches. I was into vampires long before they became trendy and sparkly. I still have a fascination with skulls and keep my macabre collection out all year. It’s Halloween all the time for me.

Growing up a horror fan, it would seem natural for me to write horror. Not exactly. I did write some short horror stories way back when I became serious about writing, but they were never published, and for good reason. Somehow I ended up writing romance, which is strange because I didn’t read much romance growing up. I think what changed my mind was Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. It was a romance, but it wasn’t the usual formulaic romance. I decided to try writing romance and adding the elements I like—Celtic mythology, fantasy, paranormal, magic and otherworldly creatures like faeries (not the tiny, sparkly good kind), gods and goddesses, shifters and ancient vampires. All that time spent watching horror movies and reading horror stories was well worth it.

With my love of the paranormal, horror and Halloween, it was natural for me to be drawn to the ancient Celts, the founders of Samhain/Halloween and a people linked with the mystical realm. This is how I came to write Celtic historical romances with paranormal/fantasy elements.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Greek vampire, Celtic kings, vengeful goddesses, an ancient faery curse…

All three books of my Dark Goddess trilogy are available in Print and Ebook. Set in dark age Scotland, I mixed history with a Samhain/Beltaine myth that revolves around an Irish clan and the goddesses Brigit and Cailleach.

Kelley Heckart, Historical fantasy author

Captivating...Sensual...Otherworldly

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

My book page at Mundania Press:

http://www.mundania.com/author.php?author=Kelley+Heckart

My author page on amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Kelley-Heckart/e/B002BMOQ3C/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

A Tribute to Struggling Writers

Good day, all! I have a special treat for you.  In spite of concentrating my efforts on NaNoWriMo, I decided to "fix" this song.  I mangled it to make it work for writers. It used to be Big & Rich's "Big Time", but now it's Allison's "Big Time". I'm probably going to get sued, but I think this is something we can all agree on (except hopefully we do make the Times bestseller list). All together now, pretend you've just run into your favorite big name author at the coffee shop and you're telling him/her about your writing.

My clothes might be a little unkempt for your taste my friend
My computer cost a little less than watch you're wearin'.
I'm glad you stumbled in here on your book tour trip
Before you toss 'em, are you gonna eat those chips?

Well, I bet your life is beautiful
And you looked good on the Today Show
I'm doin' pretty good myself
Hey, pal, don't you know?

I stroke the keys
And I bug my muse for story lines
Cookies and cokes and Facebook pokes
Keep me feelin' fine.
And there's always a hunk
And a beautiful dame to save my plot line
In my simple way
Guess you could say
I'm livin' in the big time.

I know I'll probably never make the Times bestseller list
I'll probably end up with carpel tunnel in my wrist.
I don't mind that stuff 'cause I've got Nook and Kindle too.
To feed my ego and show the world what I can do.

I know you're really living
With that contract to fulfill
So if you feel like talkin'
Friend, I've got a blog to fill.

I stroke the keys
And I plot my next novel all the time
Cookies and cokes and Facebook pokes
Keep me feelin' fine.
And there's always a hunk
And beautiful dame to save my plot line.
In my simple way
Guess you could say
I'm living in the big time.

I'm having the time of my life
With agents on my mind
But everything will be fine.
Today, I'll type faster than yesterday.
Someday everything will go my way,
I'm living in the big time.

And there's always a hunk
And beautiful dame to save my plot line.
In my simple way
Guess you could say
I'm living in the big time.

You can get more of my zaniness at Have Novel, Will Edit or on Facebook.

Zombies, in romance?

Romance readers never fail to surprise me. I’m still bewildered about the popularity of male/male romances, not made popular by gay readers, but by heterosexual female readers. And now zombies are popular in romances. I can’t get the disgusting image of a brain eating, groaning, slobbering zombie out of my mind. This is not the ideal hero or heroine of a romance novel—at least in my opinion.

Can you imagine anyone kissing or having sex with a zombie? Eew. At least a vampire or a werewolf can hold a conversation and look normal enough to be a romantic lead. Blood drinking vs. brain eating—I would pick blood drinking over brains any day. There is too much of an ick factor involved with zombies. This may be something that affects me personally because I was traumatized by watching the original Night of the Living Dead when I was a child. Nothing frightens or disgusts me more than a zombie. “Barbara, they’re coming for you.” I hear this dialog in my nightmares.

I haven’t read any romances with zombies, but the only way for a zombie romance to work for me is if the hero and heroine are human and not zombies. Maybe zombies terrorize them or maybe they hunt zombies. But I don’t want to read about zombies having sex with other zombies or with anyone. Keep the zombies in horror novels and leave romance to the hunky vampires and werewolves.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'
http://www.kelleyheckart.com
http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!
http://twitter.com/CelticChick
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Technorati Tags: kelley heckart,nocturnal nights blog,writing romances,heroes,heroines,zombies in romance,romance heroes and heroines,trends in romance

Have you Discovered Steampunk? - Lila B's Book Reviews

Another month and another book.  I was planning on reviewing the Steampunk romance Steam and Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Page, but because of moving to a new house and turmoil at my "real" job, I only got through chapter 1.  But since I promised a Steampunk tale this month, I am reviewing a Steampunk novella I read just last month.


First off, let's hit the basics:  What the heck is Steampunk?


I ran into this word while perusing publishers' and literary agency websites.  Lots of editors and agents are calling for Steampunk submissions these days, so I did a little Googling of the term and found a few Steampunk romances to read.


Steampunk is:  considered a subgenre of science fiction or fantasy fiction.  Stories are set in alternate timelines or worlds where steam power is used.  The settings are often very reminiscent of the Victorian era (1830s to 1900s) with lots of anachronistic technology or futuristic inventions as they might have been envisioned by people who lived during the Victorian era.  Think Industrial Revolution -- lots of smog, coal dust, and pollution.  Fashion is lots of goggles, corsets, leather, etc.  Steampunk frequently involves flying airships like dirigibles or steam powered flying ships.  Steampunk tends to be less dystopian than cyberpunk but often deals with social issues, especially class (money) differences.

This month's book is:


Badlands by Seleste deLaney

Publisher:  Carina Press (Harlequin's online imprint)


Format: Novella, ebook


Genre:  Steampunk


Amazon blurb:


After a brutal Civil War, America is a land divided. As commander of her nation's border guards, Ever is a warrior sworn to protect her country and her queen. When an airship attacks and kills the monarch, Ever must infiltrate enemy territory to bring home the heir to the throne, and the dirigible Dark Hawk is her fastest way to the Union.



Captain Spencer Pierce just wants to pay off the debt he owes on the Dark Hawk and make a life for himself trading across the border. When the queen's assassination puts the shipping routes at risk, he finds himself Ever's reluctant ally.

As they fly into danger, Ever and Spencer must battle not only the enemy but also their growing attraction. She refuses to place her heart before duty, and he has always put the needs of his ship and crew above his own desires. Once the princess is rescued, perhaps they can find love in the Badlands—if death doesn't find them first...

Lila's Opinion:


First off, have to say I LOVE the cover.  That's probably what drew me to this book while shopping online at Amazon.  I'm a Kindle user so I downloaded to my Kindles (Kindle, Kindle for Mac and Kindle for iPhone)....I like Kindle.


The heroine, Ever is kickass.  I love heroines who can take care of themselves and don't need a guy to rescue them.  Ever is a captain of the guard that is charged with protecting the borders of the Badlands, an Amazonian like society south of the United States and near the nation of Texas.  The alternate timeline here involves a post-Civil War America where the country has splintered into a number of smaller countries.  The Badlands are ruled by a queen and female warriors, like Ever, protect the citizens from the male criminals that the other nations keep dumping over their borders.  The Badlands is a barren place bereft of much of the Steampunk technology that the other nations utilize.  


Captain Spencer Pierce is an airship captain (this seems to be a very popular occupation for the heros and heroines in Steampunk -- like the pirates of their worlds).  His goal is to buy the ship he flies from the corrupt Congressman Mason.  Spencer is from the United States and while he makes trips to the Badlands on a regular basis to drop off cargos, he'd never really met the inhabitants of the Badlands.


The story starts in the middle of the action and rarely slows the pace.  Ever's queen is killed and Ever is badly injured in the attack.  She must travel to the United States to retrieve the princess and heir to the throne to keep her country from dissolving into chaos.  Spencer happens to be making a delivery to the area when the attack occurs and he and his crew rescue Ever.  The pair strikes a deal.  Spencer will receive payment, which will help him purchase his ship, if he helps Ever complete her quest to save the princess.


deLaney's characters are very well drawn with just enough backstory provided to justify who they are and their character flaws without boring the reader or slowing this short story down.  Ever has some funny quirks and at first she considers Spencer weak.  Because of the society she grew up in, she sees men as little more than a means to satisfy her physical needs.  The romance develops almost gently and is very sweet considering the genre.


My only gripe with this tale was that it wasn't longer and I would have loved to see more of deLaney's world.  I eagerly await any more stories if this is part of a series.


Lila's rating for Badlands by Selena deLaney: 

Lila B's Book Rating Legend:

1 Heart = Skip it

2 Hearts = Check it out
if you can find a free copy
and you've read the back
of all your cereal boxes.

3 Hearts = I wouldn't pay more
than $4.99 for this read.

4 Hearts = Oh, yeah, that's the stuff.

5 Hearts = OH, MY GOD, LOVE IT!
Red it in one sitting, without eating,
without sleeping and with minimal
potty breaks.

Cheers,
Lila


About Lila Barton:


At age six, when her older brother her read The Hobbit to her, Lila discovered the exciting worlds of fantasy fiction. As a teenager, she found delight in the happy endings of romance novels. Now, she combines fantasy and love stories in a line of paranormal romance novels. If tales of demons, vampires, werewolves and witches titillate your sense, Lila's tales are for you. Lila lives in the mountains of Montana with her very own stubborn, alpha male.

Love and the Ultimate Sacrifice

Hey, it's Josh again.

Last week, I saw Tangled for the first time. This was a great little movie complete with a blond princess, amusing animals, and a clever romance. But after I left the theatre, one moment in particular keeps resonating in my chest. This movie illustrated my favorite part of romance, the most profound and meaningful part of any relationship: sacrifice.

Spoilers: I’m about to give away the ending to this movie.

At the end of this movie, Flynn Rider is about to die. As he clutches his fatal wound, he listens to Repunzel as she tries to get her captor to let her heal him. If she does, she will lose her freedom. After a few tense moments, Repunzel is allowed to go to him. She will give up everything for him. She will spend her life in captivity to save this boy.

I find this moment intense and fascinating. So much of romance is about sacrifice. In the smallest sense, it’s letting the guy or girl you love pick where you’ll go to dinner. Or maybe it’s about taking on an extra shift so you can get her something nice for her birthday.

If you want to go more epic, sacrifice is the moment when one character will give up what she wants most to save the a loved one. In Tangled, our princess hero craves her freedom, but she’ll give it up for the boy she loves. She goes to him, ready to sacrifice everything until he slashes away her hair, removing her magic and condemning him to death.

She will give up everything for him; he’ll give up everything for her. It’s beautiful, it’s wonderful, and it’s painful because this is love.

In our culture and life in general, love gets messed up with a bunch of other concepts. Love might get confused with friendship or sex. Love might be about meeting someone else’s expectations. But throw in some sacrifice, and it gets simple pretty quickly.

Are you willing to suffer or die? This combination simplifies the questions of romantic love. These people care about one another in a meaningful, fundamental, and nearly primordial way.

The same question of sacrifice arises in both of my upcoming novels. In Poisoned Star, Treya ultimately has to choose between her life and the boy she’s come to love. She knows that defying her masters will result in her death. For her, there is no question. There is no hope, so her decision nearly impossible.

Nick, the main character from Angels in Disguise, puts himself in the position where he will die for the woman he loves. He is part-demon and an angel’s light will kill him, but he exposes himself anyway because he must if he wants to save Jenny.

Love and the ultimate sacrifice, together they simplify a lot of questions whether it’s in one of my paranormal romances or an awesome Disney movie like Tangled.

Romance vs. Reality

Hi all, I am a new blogger here at Nocturnal Nights and will be posting on the 28th of each month about writing romances in the genres of fantasy, paranormal, historical, mythology, and whatever else comes to mind.

A little about me: I write Celtic romances for Awe-Struck, Freya's Bower and Noble Romance. My lifelong passion for Celtic mythology and storytelling inspired me to write novels with fierce warriors, bold women and otherworldly creatures. I also edit for a small press publisher. 

My current home is Arizona with my husband and two dogs. Three of my favorite things are men in kilts, sunrises and anything dipped in chocolate.

I look forward to getting to know the other authors and readers at NN. Now, on to my post for today:

Writing romance can be tricky, at least for me, when it comes to deciding how far to take the fantasy and where to draw the line at reality. Usually when I tell someone I write romances, I either get a snicker or a big smile. The big smile almost always comes from a man. And I understand why some people snicker at romance authors—some romances are trite and too ridiculous to be believable. But what makes a romance trite and ridiculous to some is appealing to romance readers. They yearn to escape from reality by reading about a hero and heroine that fall in love, and despite obstacles, have a happy ever after or happy for now ending.

The trick is to find that balance between romantic fantasy and gritty reality to write a compelling romance. How does a romance author write a romance that isn’t too realistic or too unbelievable?

I thought about this when I saw a commercial for the online dating site called Zoosk. With sexy music playing, two half-dressed lovers run to each other in the bedroom and smack heads, then the woman bumps her head on the bed frame and they fall over a chair. Not the ideal romance scene, but in real life romantic moments aren’t perfect. I try to bring some of that realism into my sex scenes. In one book my hero and heroine break the bed frame. This adds some humor and realism to the romance. Moments like that can also reveal something about the characters, how they act in an embarrassing situation. 

I also avoid using purple prose, especially in my sex scenes. (Purple prose is a term of literary criticism used to describe passages written in prose so overly extravagant, ornate, or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself). Every author should avoid the purple prose lure.

Another way to prevent a romance from being ridiculous is to avoid writing situations that are too unbelievable and can cause readers to roll their eyes. The one that bugs me the most is the virgin heroine who feels no pain and climaxes with ease her very first time having intercourse. No way. And this comes from experience. 

By keeping a balance between fantasy and reality, a romance can be convincing without losing the romantic fantasy aspect for the reader. After all, imperfect characters are more interesting and they can still have their happy ending.

Kelley Heckart

'Timeless tales of romance, conflict & magic'

http://www.kelleyheckart.com

http://kelleysrealm.blogspot.com/ Check out my long hair hotties!

http://twitter.com/CelticChick

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelley-Heckart/111838455604

Alpha Male = Chauvinistic Pig?

Hi! I'm Adriana Ryan, and I'll be posting monthly on Tabitha Blake's blog.

For this month, let's look at what romance writers have been blamed for since feminism came around: writing strong males and weak females, essentially setting the feminist movement back a century or so.

So, what they're actually saying is, an alpha male is always an ass. But is that really true?

Let's look at the traits that would make a man a chauvinist:

- Belief that a woman is 'below' him, or a second-class citizen

- Making comments or jokes about women being less intelligent

- Unable to be in a healthy, committed relationship with women

Okay, so these are traits that most women (and men) would find undesirable, and even anger-provoking, right? But is there even one modern romance novel that portrays the alpha male in this light? Is there a heroine in any modern romance novel that would put up with and forgive such behavior? After extensive reading of contemporary romance (hey, someone's gotta do it!), I'd have to say no. Which mentally healthy woman living in the 21st century would actually put up with this day after day (and I'm not talking about truly abusive relationships - that's a whole another ball of wax)?

What romance novels do is create a picture-perfect love scene. They show you a man who is not afraid of his masculinity, is so secure in it that he can fall in love and sustain that love through trials and tribulations. Can he protect his love interest? Sure. Will he put her down and make her think of herself as 'weak'? Absolutely not. Romance novels are simply an escape for the reader; a sort of paradise in this stressful, imperfect world of ours. They are easy to read, but hard to write. But most importantly, they come from the writer's utopian ideal.