After finishing second round edits this week (yay!), I actually dug up my most recent wip, which has been languishing on the hard drive.

I discovered I’d missed this story!  And that I didn’t think it was too bad.
I also remembered that, as has happened so many times in the past, I really, REALLY like a couple of the supporting characters.
No…I mean REALLY.  As in TOO MUCH.  As in a little MORE THAN I LIKE THE MAIN CHARACTERS.
I plan on giving them their own stories eventually anyway (hopefully), but this is a pattern with me  It made me think of a post called ‘Second Bananappeal’ from a couple of years ago, and a keen observation by author Bernita Harris:
“I think it’s because w/the hero/heroine we, to a degree, write to trope based on reader expectations, and those restrictions don’t apply to secondary characters.”

Ka-ching.
They don’t have to be heroines.  They don’t have to be a heroes.  They don’t have to do the right things now or eventually, or necessarily worry about fixing the wrong ones.

They can just be themselves.  They don’t have to settle in or settle down.  They can carry their edges right to the end.  They don’t have to live up to certain expectations, sooner or later.
And yes, there are heroes and heroines who begin with these characteristics.  And while I know there has to be a character arc, sometimes the leads just arc too damn much, to the point that they’re barely recognizable as the same people by story’s end.

The supporting male doesn’t have to be handsome or even ‘manly’.  It’s okay if he hasn’t had his nose broken sometime in the past or if he has a hard time sticking with one woman.

The secondary female character doesn’t have to have a (secret) heart of gold.  She can be a piece of work without having suffered abuse/trauma in her past to justify bitchy behavior.  And she doesn’t have to be pretty/attractive/sensual/nurturing.

They can come and go and interact as they please in the story.  They don’t have to like small animals or children.  They can be mean.  They can fail without nobility.  They can give up.  They can even die.
And maybe that’s part of the attraction too.  We’re not quite sure what’s going to happen to them, and there’s a delicious ambiguity about that.

My favorite supporting character in the current wip is dark, surly, violent, dishonest, with no apparent redeeming characteristics.  In his first major scene, he beats the hell out of a guy, in part, for making him spill his drink—and then proceeds with his verbal seduction of a terrified young lady.
I can’t wait to give him his own story.

During the premiere of Jean Cocteau’s 1946 b&w classic, “La Belle et La Bete”, he sat beside Marlene Dietrich to watch the film and her reaction.  When she saw the transformation come over the hero, she reportedly cried out, “Where is my beautiful beast?”

Exactly.
Ever find yourself more attracted to your supporting characters than your primary ones?  Or in your reading, do you sometimes hate what they do to your beautiful Beasts?

This week’s gonna be the same as the last.  Comment on what interests you and ignore what doesn’t. If nothing inspires you, just say hello or talk about whatever is on your mind. (more…)

Ahhh… l’amour, l’amour.  The language of love.  I’m not talking about French.  I mean the  particular words and phrases that  are used in romance. They’re familiar to every regular romance reading and work as short hand, signs or signals.  Some times they achieve the needed affect.. But sometimes they cause derision.  For every person that finds the terminology emotional, hot and poetic. Someone else finds it ridiculous overwrought purple prose.  

I’m not even going to get into defining the differences. To be honest, as long as it doesn’t get too ridiculous, I  like reading that one protagonist stared at the other and felt like they “could drown in the depth of their eyes.”  Or that the mere shape  and fullness of heroine’s mouth just “begged for a kiss” as far as the hero was concerned, or (how about this old chestnut) the hero “stalked across the floor with panther-like grace.” Hey, works for me! 

Except when it doesn’t.  The  romance lexicon can be too confining, too familiar and clichéd. You begin skimming over the very terms that should be drawing into a scene or a characters emotions.  As a writer, you can try to tweak these phrases to make them fresh bearing in mind that nothing beats ‘clichéd’ except ‘awkward and stilted.’) 

But if you’re a reader—and we all are—there’s nothing for it except to switch up genres.  As a rule I think all writers should switch up genres. Sure, read in the genre you write. It helps you  to absorb, on a subconscious level, the tropes and language that is expected by readers/editors, so that when you sit down and write, it comes out naturally, and furthermore refined by your author voice.  Sometimes, though, all the refining in the world won’t help, if the original material has gone a stale.  Again, time to switch gears.   

For me, I’ve been reading a lot of non-romance lately.  Just yesterday I read a description of a kiss (from the hero’s pov) that I don’t think I would have ever read in romance. The power of the description wasn’t in the description itself, but that the male protagonist had been avoiding the female lead since that kiss, to the point of leaving the city for a few days.  From Steve Amick’s Nothing But A Smile: 

“He even wondered if Sal had confessed to her about the night she got drunk and weepy…and kissed him—or rather, to be more accurate, jammed her mouth against his and breathed until she sobbed.”  If this had been a romance hero, there’d have been the usual stuff about the feel of her full curves, and the trembling sweetness of her lips (sounding a bit familiar?) 

I think the author’s original description says a lot more about the characters and their emotions, than the usual all-senses-loaded, lust-thought you’d find in yer garden variety romance.   This is why it’s imperative to read outside your genre. It makes you think outside of the box, gives you other tools and language to use, or reminds you of stuff you already know, but forgotten.. I’m not saying to ‘copy’ what you read, but for me, with the above example, it underscored that not that every kiss and touch has to be fraught with frisson and passion, and that you can say a lot more with what you don’t state.   

I am so sorry for not posting sooner. My summer-brain is of no use any more.

I had final line edits due for THE COWBOY PLAN (due tomorrow but got them done today) then I took the boys to Six Flags–my brain had no more room in it–Sheesh!

It seems I can hardly ever even remember what day the week it is (if the dh is home in the morning, I assume it’s a weekend, past that…). I do seem to be getting more ideas, whether it’s for a current WIP or an idea for a new one, but I have been just drained. Some is the weather, it was around 104 most of last week–today it’s only like 94 and to be honest it seemed heavenly! 

How are your summer-brains been doing? Anyone else having trouble remembering things.

 Sorry nothing more thought provoking than major brain fartitis…

I was going through my books to see which ones I might be able to sell for a dime or two. Hard times and all, but I was having a problem. It seemed like each book had it’s own story to tell.

Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling…the pages were swollen from water damage. That was the first summer I spent in my apartment. I bought the kids a blow-up pool, gave them free reign with the water-hose–of course, making myself an easy target.

Disappearing Acts by Terry McMillian…I “borrowed” this from my mother. Now that I think about it, I seem to always do that. I’m starting to believe she left them out on purpose…

 Chance by Robert B. Parker…one of the many books my mother and I listened to on tape. Even got my daughter hooked. Weekdays all of us tired, but sitting in the living room gasping, ohhing, awwing with each twist of the story.

Her Secret Treasure by Cindi Myers…Hmm, I’ve been meaning to read that book. Bought it in hopes of becoming a Harlequin Blaze author….

Jewels of the Sun by Nora Roberts…this book got me through a bad break-up in  ‘03. I spent nights huddled up in a parka and gloves, outside smoking, reading the pages.  I bought it from a Thrift Store across the street from where I used to live–for 59 cents. The first book to make me fall in love with romance.

 Yes, I can tell you the plot. The actual story between the pages, but it’s hard for me to let go of the other one. Or even notes I’ve found in certain books. Selling my books is going to be harder than I thought.

What books do you own that have other stories between the pages? *And if you can, tell me about the book that made you fall in love with romance.*

WHOA! Just found this via a friend on Twitter. Definitely one of those “Why didn’t I think of it’s” :D

(Having received a well-deserved nudge from my editor, I’m abandoning any attempt at originality this week.  This is an old post from my website, but still near and dear to my heart.  Promise to be back next week!).~~Raine

We dearly love our romance heroines.
They’re strong. Steadfast. Capable. Good-hearted.
They’re generally beautiful, and even if their figures aren’t perfect, they turn out to be just what the hero wanted after all. They fall in love, and when it’s good they give their all—and when it’s bad they manage to survive, but the love still remains true in their hearts, never becoming bitterness, stalking rage, or set-his-Lexus-on-fire ire.
And just to spice things up occasionally, they’re endowed with a few extra pounds, rough childhood, bad previous relationship, clinging mother, pesky urge to suck blood, etc.

As long as she’s not TOO extreme, she’s still safely inside THE BOX. After all—we want to identify with her, don’t we?

But what if she were obese? A recovering druggie/alcoholic? A workoholic bitch? A woman who (gasp!) doesn’t want children? Intellectually challenged, a victim of incest, etc.? Don’t these people deserve love as much as the next person?
Or do we demand our ’shortcomings’ in very small doses, since it might interfere with the romantic fantasy, even if the result is still a HEA?

I’m not suggesting that graphic descriptions of dreary–even cruel–depictions of life should be a staple of romance. There’s no escapism in that.
But I’m wondering if a little more stretching of THE BOX might be in order more than occasionally.
Isn’t a large part of the appeal of the Cinderella story that the lowest of the low could find romance, riches, and a happily ever after? It wouldn’t have the same impact if her big problem was cellulite on the thighs, hammer-toes, or the occasional bad hair day.
Having a prince of a man fall in love with a beautiful woman makes a nice story. Having him fall for a penniless, parentless, dirt-poor, abused little waif is OH so much more interesting.
So why are so many heroines relegateded to THE BOX? And how much outside of THE BOX would you be willing to write/read?

Today I’ve got more of the same stream of consciousness multi-topic madness as last week. Comment on what you like, ignore the rest and if nothing piques your interest, just say HELLO!

EDITED TO ADD: MICHAEL JACKSON is gone. I can’t believe it.

(more…)

Due to the constraints of her blog tour–Candace let her latest heroine Alex Caruthers answer some questions for us.  Feel free to chime in with comments or questions and Candace will be stopping in to answer them!

1.  So Alex, I understand you Caruthers sisters are pretty special? Could you explain for those not “in the know” what a Guardian is and how many of you are there?

Well, it’s kind of a secret, but since you promised to keep this to yourself and you know we’ll have to kill you if you leak it out, I guess it’s okay to share. (I’m kidding of course. Sort of…) My sisters, Gillian, Mira, Claire, and myself, are Guardian Keys. We keep beings from other worlds, from causing harm on Earth. I’m in charge of keeping the dragons at bay. It’s a dirty, disgusting job, but someone has to do it. Of course, everyone on Earth thinks I’m some club-owning socialite. If they only knew…

2. It must be pretty exciting to have your own story, and I love the title, “Dragons Prefer Blondes”. Tell us about that. Did you get to give any input say, in the title or cover, or the actual writing or was this all Candace?

Our editor, Anne Sowards at Berkley, came up with that title. She’s quite brilliant that one. She kept Candace from trying to take over my story, and allowed me to tell it in my own words, which was very important to me. I wanted people to know the struggles of a Guardian Key. I will say that once I had her under control, Candace was quite good at helping me to dig deep and talk about the things that really mattered. Oh, and the title is a little inside joke about my hair color. When you read the book, or if you read my sister Gillian’s book, The Demon King and I, you’ll see what I mean.

3. So do you actually hook up with a Dragon in the book?

Ugh, as if. I kill dragons, I don’t sleep with them. Though, if I were tempted in that regard, that annoying warrior dragon Ginjin isn’t exactly hard to look at. And he does make an interesting offer, which I discuss in the book. There is a romance, and you’ll learn why I’m absolutely in state of adoration with the man in my life, Jake. Mmmm Jake. Sorry, um, what was the question?

4. If you were to describe yourself in two words, off the top of your head, what would those be?

Independent warrior.

5. I heard a rumor that you are big on giving people second chances. Is that true?

Sigh. I think most of us wish we could have a do-over in some part of our lives. I do have a habit of picking up strays, but they usually turn out to be the most loyal people in my life. They appreciate the opportunity to prove themselves, and I’m seldom disappointed.

6. I also heard a rumor about wedding bells. Are you getting married?

(Cough, cough.) No. At least not any time soon. (Not that I would exactly be disappointed if a certain someone happened to ask me. Are you listening, Jake?) I think those bells you heard about are for my crazy friend Aspen. Planning her wedding almost caused me a nervous breakdown, and you can read all about it in Dragons Prefer Blondes.

Dragons Prefer Blondes goes on sale July 7 from Berkley Trade. You can pre-order from Amazon.com, BN.com or Borders.com

A little more info on the blog tour:

From June 15 — Aug 1, Candace is doing a blog tour and you can check out the various sites on her media page. She’ll be talking about her books, writing and what’s going on in her life. All you have to do to be entered to win is post a message. This is also a great chance for you to discover new authors and other books! And if you keep up with the daily blogs you can enter the next contest.

Contest 4: The Treasure Hunt!
On Aug. 2, Candace will post a list of questions on her myspace/livejournal blogs. You can find the answers on the various blogs she’s visited the two months before on the tour. The first two people with all of the correct answers will win an Amazon gift certificate and a Grand Prize.

Back when I started writing (actually when I was 8 and then again when I was preggers with brat boy #4) I did it longhand. Had a notebook and a writing utensil–boom–a story was born.

The notebook was okay when I was just starting out, but now I don’t have time to write everything out and then enter it into the computer. Now, I have an Alphasmart and my trusty–getting rusty–laptop.  (The sync and transfer… oh so quick!)

Ames, set up a challenge just as school was getting out (I agreed to write 100 pages in June, I think other’s may have varied). I thought it was a good idea to keep my mind in the writing game. With all the kids home, multi-TVs going, along with video games, their computer and however much chatting they’ve got going (not to mention how the dogs freak out EVERY time the doorbell rings, which is often–sheesh!), it can be downright daunting to write.

As it stands, with the challenge, I have gotten 75 pages done and still have about a week left to go to reach the 100 page quota–YAY ME! (It’s amazing how easy it is to write 3.5 pages a day when you make an effort to sit a do it) The Alphasmart is a life-saver I have to say. I know I *can* turn off the computer Internet–and not open Solitaire or any other distraction–but that is one of those self-pacing, self-motivation things I haven’t managed to master.

I took it with me to the mechanics last week and wrote the entire time (maybe only 30 minutes, but still…) my car was getting inspected. I took it to my brother’s hs graduation (but didn’t have to nerve to use it during the 530+ kids crossing the stage–mostly because my 25-y-o brother was sitting next to me and I was afraid of him reading over my shoulder as I wrote *VBG*). I covet my friend’s netbook, but all the gizmos, gadets and aps, I fear, will once again distract me.

We’ll see….

…OH and… I should have my new cover (for THE COWBOY PLAN) to show you very, very soon. I *heart* it more than I can say!