Well, gang. The Cat Master has a new idea. Not sure where it will take me, but I'm going to play around with it. In the meantime, I'm still working on the rewrites to my early manuscripts while waiting to hear back from Siren on their edits to Small, Medium, & Large. My agent still has Wildcat, and I need to get started on the guest blogs for Stud. Which is to say, the s**t will probably all hit the fan at once!
I'm enjoying the life of a full-time writer. This rewrite is going well, and the day is over before I know it. I was up until 2AM on Saturday night, putting the finishing touches on the first love scene of the book.
Which brings the question: If a book doesn't get to the sex before Chapter 12, do you throw it against the wall? A friend of mine once told me that if there isn't sex in the first three chapters, she stops reading.
I don't know about you, but it seems to me if the sex happens that soon, then there isn't enough conflict keeping our hero and heroine apart. I like to develop a little sexual tension first.
I've been accused of having my characters fall in love too soon--or hold out too long. That may be true in some cases, but my take on the whole romance novel thing is that these people should like each other, fall in love, and then something external makes their lives hell, rather than the hero being a pompous ass.
But, maybe that's just me. I prefer funny, likeable beta heroes to the more aloof alphas who never crack a smile. Where is it written that a man has to be a jerk to be heroic? I have no idea, but I do know that type of hero is why I quit reading romance and began writing stories about nice, sweet, funny guys with great buns.
Like this one.
Enjoy your Monday!
13 comments:
I want to take a bite out of those!!!!!! I like stories with action. I don't think there's a real set rule. It all depends on the plot. And what you're in the mood to read. If it's a Erotic Romance, Paranormal or Contemporay something you might be reading from Ellora Cave. Then I suppose you'll expect the sex to happen quickly and often and maybe there's a Story in there somewhere. But I truly get bored with those books real fast. The author needs to have a good voice, and speak to me. And I want strong hero's and heroines(Hot Badasses are OK if that's what there jobs require)and very likeable secondary characters, interesting, intriguing and exciting plots, with a good storyline, conflict, sexual tension, suspense something with meat, heat and a complete HEA. I can't handle if my favorite character gets his heart crushed to dust in the end. I've throughly enjoyed the Cat Star Chronicles. They may not have been Alpha's. But they had other had so many other great qualities. And it's funny, I feel your female characters have been the tougher characters and were in need of taming and purring by your Beta men. Just keep doing it the way you do it. Don't question your talents so much. We'll keep reading.
What Donna said. Also, you could introduce an "Alicia" character who gives our Hero a HOT, recreational Blow Job in the first three chapters.
Wow, great buns! Is that a new kind of jock strap? (Puts on Locker Room Reporter Hat and Credentials, hits the front door...)
Speaking of jockstraps,'they just don't look comfortable. Oh and on the sex thingy & alphas VS betas. I'm w/ Donna on that too. Some a$$hole-ness is okay if they get knocked down a bit by the female. But I'm not to much into total jerkiness. But I have read a few series where a main character was a total a$$ but you always knew there was a reason or back story that wasn't out yet but was coming so in that case the attitude would be explained. OCD moment coming I'm ready to read stud now. Did I mention NOW ;)
Good rundown, Donna, and thanks for the vote of confidence!
Alicia character? Hmmm.... must give that some thought...
Won't be long now, CherylF7. Less than a month!
Laughing!! A Alicia character with her Diva Donna Sidekick. We'll offer a BOGO deal. And I think that's now what we'll call Denver Bronco's TEBOW Jockstrap. That guys has balls the side of footballs.
My w/V word: OOSING
Does this word fit here?
Good summation Diva Donna.
Always, an author's voice has to speak to me in order to be a fan. There are some wildly popular authors that I don't connect with at all....
I like both alpha and beta heroes but the heroine can't ever be TSTL. That's wall-banger material for me. She has to have a spine, self-confidence, humor and able to hold her own with the hero whether he's alpha or beta. They can both make mistakes but they better own them:)
How soon their attraction surfaces depends on the storyline but if I'm checking out the page number of the book wondering when they're going to get it together, it's too late and pulls me out of the story with annoyance.
An instant encounter can be HOT as long as it's followed with substance so I won't say "never" to that but generally my preference is as Donna has stated -- great sexual tension, characters I can love, conflict, suspense with meat, heat and a complete HEA.
I, too, have read stories where it was w-a-y too much too soon and it puts me off. Even in the fantasy world of romance there has to be elements of believable interaction between h/h including "love at first sight" ~ it has to have time to develop.
You already know I thoroughly enjoy the Cat Star Chronicles but you may be surprised to learn that on equal ground is "If You Could Read My Mind" that you wrote as Samantha R. Michaels. It was a fabulous erotic paranormal and incorporates all those traits we've been talking about.
What say you YAH-YAH's, have you read it? You know, the book with the lambs on the cover;)
I agree, Nancy. So much of it depends on the story and the characters involved. Sometimes the quickie sex works and sometimes it doesn't.
Glad you enjoyed the "lamb" book! I've sold a few of them since I've been published as Cheryl Brooks, but not many.
I feel positive that the majority of your fans don't have a clue that you wrote a book under the Samantha R. Michaels name. Really, how could they?
I know it was discussed at one point but don't know if the question was answered - is it an option to epublish "If You Could Read My Mind" for Nook/Kindle? And at the same time at least connect the Cheryl Brooks name as a aka?
Since I hold the rights to it, I could put it up as an ebook, but that was written in an older format, and I'm not even sure I still have an electronic copy of it. I might look into it someday.
It's on my website as one of my books, and on the blog. Not sure how many people notice it, though.
*grin* Yeah, I know. I went to your web site to check;) It was the last item under the Books tab and I think it could use more description. There's not a word telling about the story...other than it's a hot read (which is fine) BUT it needs more IMHO.
LOL! Actually, there are a LOT of things that need work on my website. Guess I could put the blurb on there, though, couldn't I?
Okay, Nancy. The blurb is up!
I must say that I agree with all the other Yah-Yah's. It all depends on the plot where the sex scene happens. I'm fine with it being further into the book as long as there's a lot of sexual tension, a great storyline, and likable characters to keep me interested.
Very nice buns!
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