Start your week with some great laughs! 5 Stars

Note: Ms. McClellan was also my guest on 4/11/19. She shared some great tips:
Writing Romantic Love Scenes from Sweet to Steamy Hot

A fun read any time of the year! 5 Stars

I’m a sucker for a holiday romance, and Ms. O’Sullivan quickly tapped into my emotions with this Holiday Hunks story.
 
Brendan is an injured hockey player with a bad boy reputation. Paige makes ends meet by living with her parents and working a lackluster job. One of them is guarding a secret that involves the other. Good or bad, secrets have a way of complicating life.
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I’ve been an O’Sullivan fan for a couple of years. True to her style, this second chance romance is a pleasure to read. Her flair for witty dialogue and entertaining descriptions will keep you turning the page. The characters are believable, and the story is fast-moving. From the Hot Hunks Steamy Romance Collection, BRENDAN’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE gets 5 glistening stars.

​Katie O'Sullivan's Author Links:
Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page

​

​Staying Organized During the Holidays by Julie Howard
 
The holidays can be overwhelming. There’s so much to do. Shopping, cleaning, cooking, parties, visiting, families. Oh boy. And I need to get my tree up and decorations out of storage and… okay, now I’m getting stressed.
 
I thought the holidays were supposed to be warm and merry.
 
Well, they will be. But in the meantime, there’s a lot to do. How can we all stay organized, get our chores done, and enjoy the holidays without getting too frazzled?
 
I don’t have all the answers but I do have a tip or two. Here are my top five tips for staying organized for the holidays.

1. Make a list with five bullet points. Sure, we all have more than five things to do, but trust me, only five spaces. I’ll explain later.

2. Write down the most important thing (one thing) that needs to get done today. Sure, we all have more to do, but if nothing else, you will get that one important task checked off your long list. Celebrate each achievement.

3. Break up intimidating chores. Is your shopping list a mile long? Focus on the kids first, or one side of the family, or those gifts that require shipping. Need to tidy? Just do the kitchen today, and another room tomorrow. Need to do your Christmas cards? Do three, or five, but make your goal small and achievable. Sometimes it’s easier to break up a large task into pieces – instead of waiting until you have time to do the entire task.
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4. Be kind to yourself. People aren’t visiting to admire a clean house or enjoy a gourmet meal. They want to see YOU. Be present. If you need to order take-out pizza for a party, do it. The world won’t end and people will likely think you are pretty smart for not spending the entire day in the kitchen. Last Christmas, we ordered Chinese take-out for a small family get-together and thoroughly enjoyed how easy the dinner was. Take on what you can, and let go of the rest. People care less than you think about the details.
 
5. Do not try to think beyond five items at a time. Now that you’ve completed the first four items on this list, make another list of the next five things to do. The fifth item will always be to make your next list. By keeping your lists short, you will achieve a much-needed feeling of accomplishment instead of constantly feeling behind and overwhelmed.
 
Hope this helps! And happy holidays to you.
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Wild Crime released Dec. 4!
 
Tagline: How far will she go to discover the truth?
  
Blurb from Wild Crime:

"I'm a murderer. I'm a murderer. I'm a murderer."
​ 
Those three repeated words discovered in an old letter propel Meredith Lowe in a cross-country pursuit to unveil her mother's murky past. Danger stalks Meredith back to Hay City, Idaho as she peels apart the mystery: who is her father, and did her mother kill him? In finding the answer, will a growing love slip through her fingers?
 
Past merges with the present as the story races to its stunning conclusion.
   
Excerpt from Wild Crime:
 
     Her hair fell below her waist, ripped free of its ties and weighed down by the warm, lashing rain. The sky-blue dress, so carefully chosen for this night and tried on so many times in her bedroom, was ruined. One strap had torn from her shoulder and dangled down her back. Mud splattered the hem. Sweet Cantaloupe lipstick, a lovely coral that heightened the green in her eyes, was smeared like a bruise on one cheek. She ran.
     The high school gym behind her, decorated in crepe paper and curtains, vibrated with electric guitars and teen-aged hormones. Couples gyrated on the dance floor and then disappeared into dark corners. It was late and the Spring Dance was in full throttle. No one would miss her for hours.
     Before her, trees dripped moss, barely visible in the darkness. She envisioned the moss brushing her shoulders, low branches snagging in her hair, the possibility of snakes both at her feet and above; this made her hesitate. It would take one scream, one gasp, and he would find her.

About the author:
Julie Howard is the author of the Wild Crime series, and Spirited Quest. She is a former journalist and editor who has covered topics ranging from crime to cowboy poetry. She is a member of the Idaho Writers Guild, editor of the Potato Soup Journal, and founder of the Boise chapter of Shut Up & Write. Learn more at juliemhoward.com.
​
Website: http://juliemhoward.com
 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliemhowardauthor
 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116047.Julie_Howard
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Julie-Howard/e/B07D6CS4NQ/
 
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/julie-howard?list=author_books
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_JulieMHoward
 
 
 Buy links for Wild Crime:
 
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2W8j0Pt
 
iBooks: https://books.apple.com/us/book/wild-crime/id1482591716
 
Barnes and Noble: ​https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wild-crime-julie-howard/1134112545?ean=9781509228638
​

It's my pleasure to introduce Author Peggy Jaeger. Join me as she shares exciting details about her new release, DIRTY DAMSELS.

​DIRTY DAMSELS ( DotComGirls Series Book 1)
 
This isn’t your childhood version of Cinderella, folks, but a 2019 retelling of the fairy tale with a few modern twists.
 
Ella Jones is the CEO of an exclusive cleaning company titled DIRTY DAMSELS. With a $150,000 business loan and a sound business plan, Ella’s company has grown in leaps and bounds since she first started it in college. You know you’ve made it in the business world when someone wants to acquire what you’ve built, and now Ella’s fighting a corporate takeover. As she fights for her company, she also fighting not to lose her heart to the one person who could take everything she’s worked for away.
 
 
Blurb:
When I first saw Cynderella all covered in soot in that sexy maid uniform, I knew I wanted to be her Prince.
 
She’s a small and savvy businesswoman who’s built her cleaning company from the ground up. But now that Dirty Damsels is booming, I’ve been hired to arrange a hostile takeover.
 
But the temptation of having her was too much to ignore… We ended up spending one night together—a night neither of will forget. Now, I want more. I need more. I want to spend every night, skin-on-skin, with my beautiful Ella.
 
Problem is, when she finds out who I really am, she’ll never forgive me.

Excerpt:
The bathroom door opened.

In his tailored suit he’d been impressive and striking. With a white bulky towel wrapped around his waist, and the humidity in the bathroom sluicing off his damp torso, he was downright magnificent. Those wide and solid shoulders tapered down into biceps I could tell regularly attended a gym with him, and then into forearms corded with strong sinew and veins.

“I-I’m sorry,” I stammered. “I’m almost done. I’m sorry.” I blushed again and I cursed my fair skin. But really, how could I not blush and stutter when faced with this unbelievable specimen of hotness standing five feet away from me, all wet and hard muscled and gorgeous?

He moved like a panther across the rug, soundlessly stalking, as if playing with his prey, until he came to the opposite side of the bed.

He took one corner of the sheet in his hand and yanked it. “Do you have enough on your side?”

Speech was impossible because I knew I’d start blabbering again, so I nodded and tucked the sheet under the mattress.

“Hospital corners.” He nodded and then mimicked my motions. “I love a tight sheet.”

I couldn’t help but stare at the way his biceps swelled when he lifted the mattress as if it weighed nothing, and shot the sheet under it. Nor could I forgo glancing at the thick mat of black hair crisscrossing from one side of his pecs to the other and then down, disappearing below the towel. And I’d have to have been struck blind and stupid – which I’m neither – not to notice and admire the trim, tight waist and abdomen the towel was securely wrapped around.

At least I prayed it was securely wrapped.

I grabbed the comforter, shook it out and he helped me place it over the bed.

“Toss me one of those,” he commanded when I grabbed a pillow and began tugging the case on.

He caught both in midair.

The bed made, I turned to tell him about the platter of food, but stopped before the words could leave my throat. He’d moved without a sound again, coming to stand so close to me I could smell the citrus scent of the soap he’d used wafting off his body.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. I swear my body temperature went up ten degrees. I figured by now I resembled one of those cartoons where the character’s head turns beet red and then explodes upward.

“Thanks, Cinderella.” A devilish grin tripped across his tired face. “But I need to crash now, so…”

I truly could have stood there for the rest of the afternoon basking in his hotness, but I got the hint.

I nodded and made one last visual sweep of the room.

“Do you want me to close the blinds?” I asked, turning back just in time to see him drop the towel and slide – gloriously naked – into the freshly made bed.

Holy Mother of God. The man had a butt made for grabbing. Two perfect, round, and tight cheeks dipped from that narrow waist, leading downward to two thick and powerful thighs. Since his back was to me he didn’t notice my jaw hanging open to my knees while he burrowed under the comforter.

“Mmm…sure. Thanks, Cinderella.”

Even half asleep his voice made my heart skip a few beats and my girlie parts go zing.

Buy links:
 
Amazon: Exclusive to KU readers for free
Kindle version: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TBBPHM8
 
Print Version: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1640348409
​

Bio

Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go "What??!"
 
Social Media links:
 
Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger
 
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0
 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072?ref=bookmarks
 
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/
 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger
 
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mmj122687/
 
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger
 
You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber
​

     Happy July 4th!

     A Christmas in July Sale seemed perfect for CHRISTMAS ONE AGAIN.  Read it now for only 99¢.

     Please leave a review if you have time (Goodreads or Amazon) or let me know what you thought about the story by sending me a message on the Contact Page.

     Thanks so much for checking out my website!

     DK

I’m giving QUINN’S RESOLUTION 5 well-deserved stars. As with other stories by Katie O’Sullivan, she has a flair for capturing the charm and personality of her characters. I felt an immediate connection to the dramatic and believable plot.

And what a plot it is. Quinn MacDonald, the lead singer of an indie punk band, is in exotic Bali, Indonesia, shooting a music video. When Quinn’s unexpectedly called back to the states, he leaves the endless parties, booze, and women to his free-spirited band members. It’s the last time Quinn sees his friends alive. On November 30, 2016, Hurricane Nina hit Bali and music as he knew it died.

As the music industry taps into the hearts of the band’s fans and the demand for Quinn’s songs soar, he’s not ready to perform. He quickly learns the cold, hard truth—a contract doesn’t care about emotions.
 
But a chance meeting with Phoebe Snow, a gifted musician in a band of her own, will have you rooting for his return. Unlike Quinn, she works several jobs to make ends meet, and she longs to become a rock star.
​
The heat jumps off the page. This stand-alone novella from the Hot Hunks, Steamy Romance Collection will not disappoint.

About the Book:
Eight Strangers. Eight Unique Stories. All Stand-alone Novellas.

On November 30, 2016, Hurricane Nina hit Bali, Indonesia. In the aftermath of death and destruction, eight strong sexy men will realize it’s time for a change in their lives. A resolution of sorts. A contractor, a personal trainer, a millionaire, a stuntman, a rock star, a thrill-seeker, an army veteran, and a trust fund prodigal will all find a way to conquer their loss and learn to love.

This is Quinn’s story. Resolution: To find his way back to the music.

Quinn MacDonald had it made. With a record label deal and their first single skyrocketing up the charts, his indie punk band is finally getting a taste of rock and roll fame. Bikini-clad women and bottomless bottles of booze fill endless days… until their hotel collapses during a hurricane. He’s still under contract but as far as he’s concerned, the music died along with the rest of his band.

Life has never been easy for Phoebe Snow. Working three minimum wage jobs barely keeps a roof over her head while she and her band struggle to get noticed. But on stage, nothing matters but the music in her heart.
​
When her band plays a cover of one of his hits, Quinn is blown away. Can Phoebe be the inspiration he needs for more than just writing songs?​

About the Author:
Katie O’Sullivan is an award-winning writer, whose dozen published works include My Kind of Crazy, Ghosts Don’t Lie, Crazy About You, and the Son of a Mermaid series for young teen readers: Descent, Defiance, and Deception. A recovering English major, she earned her degree at Colgate University and now lives on Cape Cod with her family and big dogs, drinking way too much coffee and inventing new excuses not to dust. She writes YA and romantic suspense novels, as well as working as a full-time technical writer. Which explains all the coffee.
​
​​Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page

Writing romantic love scenes—and doing it well—can be challenging for any writer. Aspiring novelists, especially, struggle with how much to tell and how to tell it.

Even a “sweet” or mildly sensual scene isn’t easy. And unabashed writers with no qualms about “open door” encounters are likewise challenged to get a blazing-hot situation exactly right.

Writing any type of love scene takes skill, practice, and an understanding of the elements that make the good ones work. And setting a goal for the type of scene you want to portray is half the battle won.

Romantic Love Scenes Are Expected in the Romance Genre

By definition, romance centers on relationship development. And that means some degree of physical attraction is present, no matter how chaste or intimate.
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Other genres such as science fiction, fantasy, young adult, and speculative fiction—any genre or hybrid, really—often highlight a romantic relationship, but it’s not required.

Scenes Range in Degrees of Intimacy and Detail

I think of romantic scenes as sweet, sensual-spicy, or hot with varying degrees on the scales. Most authors and publishers categorize novels and specific scenes in similar terms.

Sweet love scenes

In the strictest sense, “sweet” means profanity isn’t used, and physical intimacy is limited to hand-holding and perhaps a stolen kiss or two. At the other end, a few mild swear words, a long kiss, warm hugs, or a subtle suggestion of deeper involvement may be included, but the relationship’s development in a sweet novel depends on emotional rather than sexual bonding.

Other terms for sweet include “clean” and “wholesome.” I don’t prefer them, however, because they suggest that normal human sexuality is dirty, unclean, or unwholesome.

Sensual-spicy scenes

Sensual-spicy means romance may be passionate, but it relies more on metaphors or hints, after-the-fact evidence, and emotional reactions rather than graphic details. On the tame end, if the lovers head for the bedroom, it’s a fade out, and the doors are closed. On the spicy side, the relationship’s consummation might be lengthy and explicit, but such a scene isn’t repeated.

The Twilight Saga is a good example of a sensual-spicy love story, especially in several scenes that take place in the final book of the series.

On Bella and Edward’s honeymoon, they hold hands on a beach under a full moon, and Edward leads her to “deeper water.” The next morning, we find that Edward has destroyed the furniture and pillows, while Bella is “totally and completely blissed out” albeit a bit bruised by Edward’s superhuman strength. She’s pleased by how they “fit together like corresponding pieces, made to match up.”

Later, Bella begs Edward for sex, though not in so many words. He’s refused to touch her after the first time for fear of hurting her. But he gives in, it’s a fade-out, and the next morning Bella’s shredded black lingerie and more destruction are evidence of exactly what took place.

Another scene takes place near the end. This scene is explicit, but the tame language makes it easy to miss without a close reading.

Hot sex scenes

These can be explicit but tasteful, detailed but restrained. The doors may be wide open, and specific acts and body parts might be mentioned. The scene may be erotic, but unless similar scenes exist, the novel itself is simply a hot romance.

Erotica and porn

Briefly, erotica exists within the same framework as any romance novel, but the sexual aspects of the relationship drive the character’s development and move the plot forward. Shades of Gray fits into this category.

Porn, on the other hand, places the emphasis on the sex with a plot that simply provides a framework and timeline.

Writing an Effective Romantic Love Scene

Less is more, even if you’re writing a super-hot, wildly sexy story. According to Jessi Rita Hoffman, a writer, editor, and writing coach, one of the most common problems is “the flaw of excess.” That’s a typical issue for many new writers, but it can mean disaster in a love scene.

Think minimalism.

Skip the adjectives and adverbs as much as possible.

Rough draft: “His big, deep-blue eyes bore right down to the very deepest sanctuary of her soul as his warm, full red lips pressed against her own and caused a shiver to spread over her skin.”

This might be what you see in your imagination as you write, but let your readers imagine, too.

Revised: “His dark eyes penetrated her soul as he pressed his warm lips against hers. She shivered.”

Think reaction more than action.

Focus on the emotions, the sensations, and the characters’ thoughts for more impact instead of describing the action in detail. One short, sweet kiss becomes a lengthy passage that builds suspense and keeps the tension going when the focus is on the emotional response.

Here, from Eclipse, the third book in The Twilight Saga, is a good example.

“His golden eyes were smoldering, just inches away, and his breath was cool against my open lips. I could taste his scent on my tongue.

I couldn’t remember the witty response I’d been about to make. I couldn’t remember my name.

He didn’t give me a chance to recover.

If I had my way, I would spend the majority of my time kissing Edward. There wasn’t anything I’d experienced in my life that compared to the feeling of his cool lips, marble hard but always so gentle, moving with mine.”

Think realism.

Your characters are human with all the flaws and imperfections that everyone has. Romantic love scenes aren’t perfect in real life, and they don’t need to be in fiction, either. Awkwardness, embarrassment, hesitancy, humor, worry, and silliness are all a part of life.

When it suits the characters or situation, don’t hesitate to let someone get a leg cramp during a first kiss, burp accidentally, fall off a sofa while things are heating up, or spill wine accidentally (or not) on someone’s lap. Misunderstandings happen, too, and how they’re worked out (or not) reflects the characters’ personalities and relationship growth.
​
Think simple language and choose terms carefully.

I enjoy reading well-written, interesting novels—romance or otherwise—with almost any intimacy level. And as a young adult, I read countless historical romances, but at one point I thought, “If I see the term “male member” one more time, I’m done!”
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If you want to use euphemisms (here’s a list), make sure they fit with your characters’ personalities, attitudes, and normal vocabulary.
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Don’t choose vocabulary that you, as the author, are comfortable with or the style you would use. Choose what your characters would use. For practice, try writing a scene in which a character describes the intimate experience to his or her best friend. Would they use specific terminology or only hint at what took place? Follow their example.

Think detail and what the story needs.

How far do you want to go? What kinds of details? If you’re writing a sweet romance, the rules keep you in check. But sensual-spicy and hot love scenes offer plenty of leeway, so write what the story needs.

In my own novel, Colors, the relationship and physical attraction between Autumn and her chef, Jory, is only slightly less important than the main plot. And although Autumn has filed for divorce and she’s separated, they’re avoiding physical intimacy until her divorce is final.

Despite a few slips, they maintain their agreement, and as their relationship deepens, tension builds. And when they finally come together, it’s a big deal. It has to be. With all the suspense that leads up to that moment, a fade-out would be out of proportion and a disappointment to readers.

A Final Note: You Don’t Want to Win the Bad Sex in Fiction Award

The best way to learn how to write well is to read what good writers have written. That includes romantic love scenes whether they’re sweet or blazing hot.

Take a close look at love scenes in popular novels and best sellers that match your preferred intimacy level. Take notes on length, details, language, realism, emotions, and reactions. What makes it good? What doesn’t appeal to you?
​
And take a look at some of the winners of the Bad Sex in Fiction Award. Most are explicit, but they demonstrate what to avoid in your own love scenes. Make sure your novel’s a different kind of winner. 

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