Virtual Release Party: TEMPTATION EVE

“I can resist anything except temptation.” – Oscar Wilde

Temptation Eve, my first paranormal romance, releases November 13, 2009 from Cobblestone press. To celebrate, I’m hosting two month-long contests, giveaways & a special reader prize.

In Temptation Eve, opposites attract and passion is the ultimate temptation. But sometimes passion has a price…

Eve Templin has the reputation of an ice queen in the courtroom, but in the bedroom she craves the thrill of sexual submission. Past betrayals left her wary of emotional involvement with a Dominant, but she can't ignore the connection she feels with one in particular, incubus Alonso D’Agostino.

Alonso is everything Eve craves in a Dominant: Intelligent. Exotic. And insatiable. He is also one of her law firm's biggest clients and a notorious playboy. When he offers her more than a fling, will she risk her career for love?

VIDEO | EXCERPT

Now, for the PRIZES!

NOTE: All contests and giveaways last until midnight EST 11/30/09.

CONTEST: Countdown to TEMPTATION & WIN BIG!

Post my Temptation Eve widget online, then comment on the contest post to win some fantastic prizes:

FIRST PRIZE: $75 Limited Edition NARS The Love Set from Sephora. This set features the bestselling Orgasm Blush, Pillow Talk Lip Gloss, and a Sex Machine Lip pencil — the perfect gift for a night of temptation!

SECOND PRIZE: $20 Amazon Gift Card. For details, go here.

GIVEAWAY: Win NEW RELEASES from authors!
Visit my blog every Tuesday & Thursday through 11/30 for a chance to win new releases from authors like Crystal Jordan, Natasha Moore, Jeanne St. James & more! Click here for details.

FREE READ Get an Exclusive Free Read!
To thank readers who buy the book, I’m giving away a special 5k story from the world of Temptation Eve, plus a sneak peek at Book # 2 in the Nocturnal Cravings series.

INSTRUCTIONS: Email me your Temptation Eve purchase receipt (financial info redacted) by midnight 12/1/09.

TODAY’S GIVEAWAY (2 winners)

What’s your favorite guilty pleasure? Leave your answer in the comments on this post and you'll be entered in a drawing for 1 of 2 "guilty pleasure" prizes:

* $10 Amazon Gift Card
* Specialty Chocolate

N.J. Walters is LIVE on my blog today!

N.J. Walters, bestselling author of the Tapestries series from Ellora's Cave, is LIVE on my blog all day. She is revealing the "secrets" behind her new book, Alexandra's Legacy. Also, she tells us about the month-long scavenger hunt giveaway where readers can win their choice of 1 book from her backlist.

Don't miss the fun! LINK: http://michellelaurenbooks.com/blog

The Hottest Men in Scifi II: The Wrath of Khan

Today I’m continuing my countdown of the Hottest Men in Scifi Romance. If you missed last week’s installment, check it out over at the Liquid Silver Books blog here. I’m also giving away some PRIZES!

Before I give my final 5 picks, I asked author Paige Tyler to tell me who she thought was the hunkiest man in science fiction romance. Here’s what she said:

Paige Tyler: Garrick Carlisle (Valuable Cargo)

Why he’s hot:

“At 6'4" with blond hair, blue eyes and a body that would put the models on the cover of Muscle and Fitness to shame, he's completely gorgeous and utterly unique. The gorgeous part may be obvious, but why do I say unique? Well, you have to understand that in my book, Garrick is found by a deep space salvage crew, 700 years after he went into hypersleep!

To say that they just don't make men like him is an understatement. He is truly one of a kind - a fact the captain of the vessel that rescues him soon learns for herself, in the most erotic ways possible. But his looks aren't the only things that make him sexy. Not only does he know how to sweep a girl off her feet, he knows what to do with her when he gets her there! And get this, even though he's rescued by a whole ship full of women, he doesn't have eyes for anyone but his special captain. Now tell me that doesn't shove him up a few points higher on the "I-can't-believe-this-guy-is-so-hot" scale!

And, as if you need any more reasons, it turns out that Garrack will do anything to protect the woman he loves, even if that means flying a spaceship through a dangerous asteroid field, attacking a whole planet full of thugs, and coming face to face with the most feared pirate in the galaxy to do it.

Come on, now tell the truth, doesn't Garrick Carlisle just make you want to melt? That's the very definition of HOT!”

Now for MY picks. **Rubs hands together with glee.** They are...

#5 Jorlan en Sarr (The Stone Prince by Gena Showalter)



Why he’s hot: Sexy alien? Check. Slamming body? Double check.
This story is Pygmalion with a scifi twist: The heroine purchases a crumbling, fixer-upper that comes complete with a garden of pleasures, a series of erotic stone statues. One in particular, that of the enchanted Jorlan, tempts her. One kiss is all it takes to make her fall head over heels.

Jorlan is sexy, alpha and humorous as he adapts to life in the modern world and woos the headstrong woman who freed him.

#4 Kesuk (“In Ice” in the Sexy Beast anthology, by Crystal Jordan)

Why he’s hot: This is the first shape shifter on today’s list, but he definitely represents. Kesuk is a bear-shifter who lives on a planet of mostly ice. Although outsiders view his land as barbaric, Kesuk epitomizes the great things about his people: he’s a loving father; a tough but fair leader; and he has a soft spot for damsels in distress – especially when they crash their ships on his planet.

Watch it here:

#3 Barak Trace (Stolen Earth by Loribelle Hunt)

Why he’s hot: Obviously, I have a thing for sexy aliens. This sexy bad boy is dangerous, dominant and deadly. Even when he’s outnumbered, Barak never stops fighting – especially when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.

He first appeared in book one of the Delroi Connection (Invasion Earth) and I’ve eagerly anticipated reading his story since then.

#2 Zor Q’an Tal (The Empress’ New Clothes, Book # 1 in the Trek Mi Q’an series by Jaid Black)

Why he’s hot: There is a reason this book is a fan favorite– and a lot has to do with the 7-foot tall, built like a tank alien Emperor. While his behavior sometimes pushes the boundary between alpha and jerk, Zor is all about satisfying his woman. His love for her is evident throughout the book and he puts his life on the life several times in order to protect her. Who wouldn’t want a man like that?

#1 Kirek (The Quest by Susan Kearney)

Why he’s hot: Kirek is proud, fiercely independent and strong-willed enough to handle the outspoken female Captain who wins his heart.

I came across this book video on You tube. It was so good, I had to share. Enjoy!

Watch it here:

And now for the goodies!

CONTEST

Tell me: Which scifi hunk would you choose for a dream date & where would you go? Again, he can be from a scifi romance novel, TV show or film. Let your imagination run wild!

PRIZES: A Starstruck: Hunter pen and an autographed bookmark! (2 winners)

I will choose two winners by midnight 11pm EST on 9/24. Happy reading!

Contest UPDATE: Win PRINT copy of Crystal Jordan's CARNAL DESIRES

My September contest is now LIVE! Win a PRINT copy of CARNAL DESIRES, Crystal Jordan's sexy, scifi shifter anthology.

For a chance to win this book, do ONE or ALL of the following. Each thing counts as an ADDITIONAL ENTRY in this prize drawing. So the more you do, the more chances you have to win.

1) EMAIL me the correct answer to this question:

In Chapter 4 of my scifi romance Starstruck: Hunter (Available from Liquid Silver Books) what item(s) does Miranda break when she gets frisky in the bathroom?

Send emails to interactive@michellelaurenbooks.com with the subject "SEPTEMBER CONTEST."

2. POST about this contest on your blog/Myspace/Facebook or any social networking site. Email the link to your post to me at the address above.

3. JOIN my Yahoo Group.

4. SUBSCRIBE to my monthly newsletter, HERE.

**International entrants welcome!** Contest ends 9/30 midnight (EST). I'll announce the winner 10/1.

For more contest rules, please see my contest page HERE .

Happy reading!

HOT HERO INTERVIEW: Milo makes you BEG FOR IT **PRIZES**

Michelle Lauren: Milo, thanks for stopping by the blog today. Can you state for the record, your job at this company?

I was just promoted to Vice President of Mirage Advertising Agency.

ML: Why did you agree to this interview?

Actually Minx told me I had to do it. Not that I blame her. I work in advertising so I understand how important promotion is. She could have been nicer about the way she asked though.

ML:What’s the best part of your job?

Besides looking across the room and seeing Mya every day? Well, I love the challenge. Every account is different and it’s a true test of my creativity and drive to find the right solution for every client’s needs.

ML:How competitive are you?

I don’t think I’m THAT competitive. I just like to win. Who doesn’t really? I consider myself to be more “focused” and “determined”.

ML: I understand you and Mya are a couple. Isn’t that usually frowned on by employers? Why is your relationship allowed?

Mirage Advertising isn’t like other companies. Part of the reason we’re the best at what we do is because we think outside the box. We are professional of course but we’re not afraid to try new things or do things outside of the “conventional” methods.

Besides, I’m pretty sure James and his assistant Anya are an item too so it would be pretty hypocritical of him to disapprove of my relationship.

ML: What’s the kinkiest thing you've ever done?

Well, I’m really not that kinky of a guy. I love Mya’s curves and how soft she is and I don’t need anything like whips and chains to appreciate how feminine she is.

Although there was this time she did something to me with a frosted doughnut that I don’t think pastry was really designed for…

ML: What attracts you most to Mya?

I don’t know if I can even explain it. This is like astrophysics -type complicated, you know. I mean she drives me crazy sometimes but I love it. She’s stubborn, argumentative and occasionally scatterbrained. Of course she’s also creative, affectionate and intuitive. She’s a strong woman who appreciates a strong man. I don’t know how I’d get by without knowing she loves me.

ML: Milo, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. To get more of this hot hero, purchase BEG FOR IT.

CONTEST PRIZES:

Everyone who joins Minx Maone's newsletter by 8/31 will be automatically entered to win a FREE download of any one of Minx Malone's books.

Also, everyone who leaves a comment on this post is entered in a drawing to win ONE of three prizes:

(1) $25 Amazon gift card
2) A download of any of my books
3) An Ellora's Cave playing card deck

Winners announced in next issue of Minx's newsletter and contacted via email by 9/5.

Sneaking in Historical Detail by Victoria Janssen

Sneaking in Historical Detail
by Victoria Janssen

Detail is one of the keys to writing fiction in a historical setting. It's a way to show the reader that she's traveled in time. Things are different in the world she's reading about. Even simple differences spawn more and more changes. For example, the heroine of the story doesn't drive a car; instead, a male relative must drive her in a horse-drawn carriage. Instead of worrying about the cost of gasoline, she has to avoid stepping in horse dung and dirtying her silken dance slipper. All these details have to appear normal to the reader because they are normal to the characters in the book.

You don't need to include every single detail you've researched; in fact, you need less than you think you do, though sometimes that depends on your period; for example, romance readers are more likely to have a working knowledge of social mores in Regency England than in Moldavia during the same period. Still, a few telling details can reinforce the sense of time travel.



I use a few tricks to sneak in the details. Most of my tricks are used in tandem with story elements like characterization, so every detail does at least double duty. The thing I try to keep in mind is contrast. The historical detail contrasts with the present day.

First, if there's an opportunity to use a historical detail rather than a general detail, I do it. Especially if the detail involves something that's different now from then; for example, in my upcoming novel Moonlight Mistress (December 2009), which is set during World War One, a nurse is caring for a wound. She cleans the wound with Lysol, common in 1914 but surprising now, when Lysol is most often used to clean bathroom tile.

Second, it's easier for the reader to absorb details if they're included along with action and are meaningful to the point of view character, thus giving depth to characterization. An example from Moonlight Mistress, in which things have changed: "This hamlet reminded him of the ones they'd seen on their way into France, full of cheering people who gave them cigarettes and flowers and loaves of bread. Now it was devastated, all the people gone, gardens trampled, animal corpses bloating in the streets, houses and churches shot to pieces by the guns."



Third, if a character is visiting a new place, or visiting a place that has changed since they were last there, details are a necessary part of transition between scenes or locales. Another example from Moonlight Mistress: "Even in the dark, the hot, dusty streets were mobbed, three times as crowded as a normal night. Compared to that morning, the whole town felt alien to her. Boys hawked newspapers on every corner. Men stood and read the papers under streetlights and in the street itself, arguing vociferously, blocking wagons whose drivers cursed. Singing and pipe smoke, drunken cheers and angry shouts billowed from the open door of a beer garden."

And my last trick? Don't research it to death. As much fun as research is, eventually you have to write the book.


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You can check out my blog here.

Excerpts from my books.

Purchase link for The Duchess, Her Maid, The Groom & Their Lover. Moonlight Mistress is available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Beg For It *Virtual* Release Party

Welcome to the Beg For It Release Party! Thanks for stopping by to help me celebrate my very first release with Ellora's Cave. Everyone who leaves me a comment below will be entered in a drawing to win one of three prizes:

(1) $25 Amazon gift card
(2) A download of any of my books
(3) An Ellora's Cave playing card deck


In Beg For It, Milo and Mya are best friends, co-workers and rivals. They are also secretly in love with each other.

The only thing ad executive Mya Taylor loves more than winning is her best friend Milo Hamilton. Nothing has ever come between them until she finds out Milo is her chief rival for a new account.

Milo’s not sure when it happened but his secret crush has morphed into an obsession. He wants Mya in his bed, screaming his name, and he knows just how to make it happen.

When he proposes a friendly wager on the account, he knows the ultra-competitive Mya won’t be able to resist. She’s more than ready to lay it all on the line until she finds out how high the stakes are—the two of them. Skin to skin.

Suddenly, all bets are off…

When I was younger I always had a lot of platonic male friends. Guys seemed to be infinitely less difficult than girls, more relaxed, just more fun.

Fun without all the drama.

However as I've gotten older, even the idea of having close male friends has become something I can't really imagine. I find myself wondering if my husband will be jealous or if people at work will start to talk. It's no longer the relaxed, simple thing it used to be. When did things get so complicated?

As I was writing Beg For It, I couldn't help thinking back on some of those long ago friendships I used to have. Was I fooling myself in believing we were really just friends?

So I'm interested to get some other people's opinions. Do you think men and women can truly be just friends if they're also attracted to each other? Or do you think the attraction would always be in the way, even if you never acknowledged it, like the proverbial "elephant in the room"?


Minx

Romancing the Nerd: The Sexiest "Geeks" in Romance

Romancing the Nerd: The Sexiest Geeks in Romance

*This is part IV in my "Nerd is the New Sexy" series. See previous installments: The Hottest Geeks in Film ; The Nerd Next Door: TV Edition; and Four Reasons Nerds are Sexy.*

All July, I'm counting down the hottest nerds in romance, television and movies. Today, I'm sharing my picks for the sexiest nerds in romance novels. For a special treat, I'm also doing a fantasy casting call for who would play them on the big screen.

Also, I'm giving away PRIZES! So buckle up and enjoy the ride!

**UPDATE** Congratulations to Rebecca and Jasmine! You won autographed STARSTRUCK: HUNTER bookmarks. Email me HERE to claim your prizes.

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HARRY AMBREWSTER (The Nerd Who Loved Me; as played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

Fans of author Vicki Lewis Thompson will appreciate why I've chosen Harry as one of the sexiest nerds in the romance genre. The son of a scientist, Harry is a shy accountant at a Las Vegas casino where he meets love interest and showgirl, Lainie.

Nerdalicious^TM Factor(s): What's not to love about Harry? He's smart, witty, and great with kids. Far from being the "typical" paper pushing nerd, Harry isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and appoints himself as Lainie's protector when her ex-con ex returns to make trouble.

Also? Harry has a great sense of humor, as seen in the following excerpt from the book:

Excerpt:

"Happy populating." Dudley headed off across the golf course.

"Happy populating?" Lainie turned to Harry. "What on earth did you tell him?"

"I said this was your fertile time."

"My what?"

He shrugged and looked sheepish. "He picked up on the chemistry between us, so I decided to play on that to get rid of him. I said we wanted to give little Dexter a sister or brother, and your broken glasses were really no problem because I planned to keep you in bed with me the rest of our stay here, so whether you could see well didn't much matter."

"Oh." She wondered if he had any idea how a statement like that turned her on. "I guess we should go inside. I wouldn't want to make a liar out of you."

---

Dr. REUBEN WHITFIELD
("Reunion" in the Living Large anthology; as played by Brian J. White)

Nerdalicious Factor^TM (s): This was one of the first romance novels I read that featured a sexy, African-American nerd. Needless to say, I LOVED it!

Author Rochelle Alers did a fantastic job creating this character. Reuben is a former social misfit turned successful dentist with his own practice. During school, he was so intellectually-advanced that he not only graduated early but went by the nickname "the Scientist."

I loved that this was a reverse on the typical "ugly duckling turns into swan" story I see in fiction (those usually feature the nerdy girl getting a makeover into a McHottie). Reuben gets buff but he never forgets about his high school crush, a beautiful, plus-size woman. They meet again as adults for a ten year reunion, and the chemistry jumps off the page as seen below:

Excerpt:

"Reuben." His name was a breathless whisper.

"Yes," he whispered back, angling his head and moving his mouth over hers. He kissed Elaine without touching her. Kissing her was what he'd wanted since reuniting with her.

"Reuben? We shouldn't be doing this."

"Why not?"

"Because we're friends."

"Haven't you known friends to kiss each other?"

"Not like this, friend."

He chuckled deep in his throat. "Perhaps we can give a whole new meaning to friend."

You want to date me?"

"I do."

"Because you like me?"

'Yes."

Her lids fluttered wildly "Can we do this?"

"I believe we can."

---

OLIVER (The Accidental Virgin; as played by Wes Bentley)

**Sorry, but even going back through the book I couldn't find Oliver's last name. ** For those of you who haven't read this romantic comedy (emphasis on the comedy) by author Valerie Frankel, you're missing out on a treat. It's a slightly-older woman and younger man romance (he's 27 to her 32) - one of my favorite novel themes.

Nerdalicious Factor^TM (s): Oliver is the sexy computer hacker next door to the titular heroine, Stacy Temple. At first she isn't sure about him, but the more she sees him, the more drawn in she is. His sex appeal is subtle but intense; he's bold when he needs to be and is willing to fight to win her heart. The banter between them is great, too, as seen below:

Excerpt:

"I've had a few girlfriends, but I wasn't preoccupied by any of them."

"Is that how you know you're in love?" Stacy asked.

Oliver said, "Thinking about her all the time, imagining her reactions, trying to figure out what she'd think of things or what she'd say...That's love. That's the nature of love. When you're not with the person, you think about her. And when you are with her, you look at her and can't believe how lucky you are."

"I'm jealous," she said finally. "I don't have a working definition of what it means to be in love."

"You can use mine. To notice the signs."

---

NOAH BENSON (Starstruck: Hunter; as played by Justin Theroux)


Nerdalicious ^TM Factor (s):

Noah Benson is a favorite of the heroes I've written. His story is a twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers. I love sexy nerds with edge and he is definitely that.

He makes it on the list for several reasons: he's an astronomy buff and is amazing with his hands - in and out of bed. Definitely the kind of geek I love: smart, but dangerous.

The scenes between Noah and Miranda (the celestial star he inadvertently knocks to earth and later must protect for hunters) were great fun to write. There is vulnerability and guilt to his character that's balanced by his sense of awe, protectiveness and attraction for Miranda, as seen in their first meeting below:

Excerpt:

"Is this heaven?"

The question surprised a laugh from him. Noah shook his head. "Far from it, sugar. This is Neptune."

"Oh. What constellation is that in?"

His blood froze. "What did you say?"

She touched the bruise on her temple. "Something hit me. I must have fallen." Her expression morphed from confusion to terror as she stared at him.

"Where do you live?"

She pointed a trembling finger at the sky, cementing his suspicion: she was the star. His eyes closed. Of all the places she could have landed, why here?

"Where am I?"

"Earth. I guess you've heard of it?" he said drolly when she gasped. He got the feeling that she would have run if she'd had the strength. "Don't worry; you're safe with me. What's your name?"

"Miranda."

"My name is Noah. Whoa!" He caught her as she fainted. He scanned the area, realizing for the first time how exposed they were. "Come on, sugar. Let's get you inside."

He carried her up the fire escape to his room and settled her on the bed. With grim resolve, he focused. Ten years ago, he'd failed to protect a star. He would not repeat that mistake. He would protect this one no matter what. His lips ghosted over hers.

"You're safe with me. I promise."

Thanks to everyone for joining me! Visit my site Saturday, 7/25 for a special event in my Nerd Appreciation month: I'm counting down The Sexiest Comic Book Nerds. Don't miss out on the fun!

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CONTEST QUESTION:

Who is your favorite nerd in romantic fiction and who would play him in a movie?

Answer both parts of this question in the comment section of this post for a chance to win autographed bookmarks from my multicultural sci-fi romance, Starstruck: Hunter.

The post will be revised July 14, announcing the winners. I will also contact them via email. Happy reading!

Never, Ever Throw Anything Away

Okay, you can throw some things away especially if they get smelly; but I’m thinking about all those journals and diaries you kept as a kid. Come on, I’m sure there are a few readers out there who still have that locked diary containing an entry of that first kiss. Perhaps, many of you keep a journal currently.

Hello, I'm Mary Quast, I'm a romance author and I keep a journal.

I started writing a journal and keeping a diary way back in third grade. Yes, I still have it too. As I grew older, my mom encouraged me to write in a journal. She always stressed the fact my great-great-grandpa kept a journal at the end of the civil war and for many years afterward. His journal has been published and treated as a piece of history. If I had a dime for every time she said, “You never know…” I’d be rich.

Anyways, I kept a journal. I would write poetry, short stories, paste pictures or other’s works I found inspiring into my books. When I became an artist, I kept a journal just for recording ideas and drawings into. I’d even record special lyrics of songs. Some ideas were drawn or written on paper bags or napkins and I would paste the item into the book or rewrite it.

I also enjoyed writing love stories. In high school, my friends would ask me to write a little romantic tale of them with their latest squeeze. Funny, it got to the point where even guys were coming up to me and asking me to write a story for them. (Maybe that’s how I learned to write erotic.) Now my focus in this blog post is to tell you about the journal I kept when I was 16 yrs old and I dragged my best pal with me to spend a summer in England with friends of my parents.

The Godfrey family lived in Leicestershire. Peter was a poet/writer and Audrey was a school teacher. During “down times” when traveling, we’d see people and make up stories about them on the spot. It was a great game! Then we went to London. Keeping in mind this was back in the ‘80’s and Punk was THE thing; I kept my camera ready to capture some photos of London Punks.

Lo and behold, while traveling on the Underground a tasty young punk dressed in black leather stepped onboard. He was a portrait of black and white. Black pants, black jacket, white shirt, black eyeliner, black hair with a stark white stripe like a skunk. I was too busy drooling to take a photo, but he seemed aware of our gaze. When he left the subway, he spoke to us but we couldn’t make out his words. So he gave us a jaunty a salute before disappearing into the crowd.

We spent the rest of our stay working on a story about an American girl falling in love with a London Punk. In my journal I recorded the importance of names, places, industry, and thoughts of the English landscape. Upon returning to Michigan, our memories were soon packed into a box and eventually forgotten. I went to college to be an artist and writer; my friend went to college for media fields and ended up being an editor.

Now, in 1999 my dear hubby purchased a gift set of 80’s music on CD. When I listened to the tunes, recollections of being in England flooded my mind. I quickly retrieved the box of memories and the journal. I laughed as I read the wonderful romance story, but then ideas popped into my head. What if I changed this; did that? I called my friend and she said to run with my ideas. I then called her back at midnight to read the thirty pages I had written longhand in a new journal. She told me to keep running. So I did.

By 2003 I had a 122,283 word manuscript I called “Painted Soul”. At the end of writing this contemporary romance, I fell in love with the secondary characters and decided to give each his own story; thus the birth of the Soul Series.

Vanilla Heart Publishing offered me a contract in 2007. Painted Soul was released May, 2008, Tormented Soul, Feb. 2009 and Lonely Soul, May, 2009.
I’m currently working on two more in the series with ideas for four more. During my first book signing event at Barnes & Noble and seeing my books on the shelves, I took a moment to thank my mom for telling me to never throw a journal away.

My advice to you… never throw a diary or journal away, you just never know.

Now for a little treat, maybe even better than chocolate..
send me an email with "Tasty Sample" in the subject and I will send you the cover and first chapter from the first three Soul Series books. Feel free to check out my blog or website.

Author As Matchmaker

Hi, my name is Cassandra Curtis, and I am an incurable matchmaker. If my friends aren't available, I will happily latch onto acquaintances and try to fix them up. The matchmaker gene runs rampant within my family. A victim of my mum's, sisters’, and aunts’ machinations throughout most of my twenties, I do have sympathy for those singles who catch my attention.

Lucky for all concerned, I started writing fiction so I could pursue my genetic disposition, playing creator, and matchmaker with my characters.

I start out very low-tech and use an organic approach. My heroes and heroines develop using profile sheets that I keep in giant 3-ring binders. The basic information is filled out. Age, weight, height, hair, and eye color, married, divorced, if they have children, etc. I may or may not have a name for the character at this point. But when I close my eyes, I see them quite clearly.

The profile sheet helps me keep track of various physical attributes, but it also helps me dig deeper into the character. I become an investigator sifting through facts about my character's life, all in an attempt to answer a seemingly simple yet actually complex question. What makes this hero or heroine worth writing about? What makes them intriguing to a potential reader?

Often as I develop the hero or heroine, their complimentary match appears when I close my eyes and imagine the perfect foil for him or her. More questions crowd my brain. What are the two characters basic beliefs? Are they opposing in some way, creating the possibility for conflict? What things do they have in common? Did the hero come from a big family? Or was he an only child? How does his early childhood and teenage experiences play out in his adult life and how do those formative years impact his relationship with the heroine?

Has the heroine experienced the death of a loved one? A painful divorce? What are his or her core character traits? Do they have a sense of humor? What makes them different from the antagonist (if the story has an antagonist)? What do they use as a coping mechanism against the difficulties in life?

Friendships are important relationships in reality and when we place flesh on the bones of our character, we also should ask who he or she hangs with, if they hold any influence or sway over the main character.

As we continue to build the layers, we might take note of the hero or heroine's hobbies, likes, dislikes, and especially fears.

Another thing I do to delve deeper into my characters is play a game I call Writer's Duel. A few of my fellow romance writing friends and I challenge each other to a duel with scenarios we create. The person challenged must use the main characters from their current work in progress. The rules are 750 words or less, within 48 hours, and keep it PG13. Sometimes we include objects, like a trench coat, a jar of peanut butter, and a ladder. Those items must be incorporated into the scene.

Not only does the Writer's Duel reveal surprises about our heroes and heroines, it also forces writer's block back into the shadows.

Once the character is fleshed out, it's time to take them on a date. I play it out in my mind and take notes. Is he attentive? Does he fumble and act nervous? Does he show his attitude and make like a player? What is her body language during their date? Does she hold his eye contact? Or look shyly away?

Now, sometimes as I flesh out the hero, no heroine steps up and figuratively taps me on the shoulder. So then I have to make my hero do the catwalk. :wink:

I take all the sheets that pertain to the hero and I parade him in front of the heroines already in my binder marked Female Protagonists. Basically—I match make.

Sometimes it is the heroine who must take the parade route past an assortment of my heroes.

I'll actually pair them up and they go on a virtual date. When I say virtual date, what I mean by that is I sit down, write a few paragraphs, and see how the conversation flows, if certain traits come to the fore. I look for chemistry on paper. There are missteps. Like in real life, not every date is a winner. Some heroines go on several 'dates' before they find their hero.

So, the next time you decide to play fictional matchmaker, take your characters on a virtual date first. You might be surprised at what they have to say.




~ About the author ~

A former fine artist, journalist, and instructor, Cassandra Curtis writes paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary erotic romances. Ms. Curtis is also a founding member of the Midnight Moon Café and a member of both the World Romance Writers and Romance Divas.

The third and final installment in her bestselling Shifting Tides ebook series, entitled Soul of The Sea, will be available August 23, 2009 from Amber Heat, an imprint of Amber Quill Press. The complete Shifting Tides trilogy is slated for print release September 2009.