I’m guest blogging about why I love romantic suspense at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews! There’s a chance to win a copy of Backlash.
“Everyone Deserves a Guilty Pleasure. Reviews by every day women, for every day women.”
I love cupcakes, especially those fantastically decorated concoctions you find in bake shops all over the place nowadays. They’re selling like hotcakes. ha. All kinds of colors and flavors. And like crayons and paint come with some pretty imaginative names. On a short shopping trip last winter I discovered a mall kiosk called Once Upon a Cupcake. I snacked on the Snow White, a delicious coconut topped vanilla cupcake. But I could have had Prince Charming.
What if we created our own designer cupcakes based on Character Archetypes? However we develop our characters, whatever methods we use, they are the most important part of any story. The Archetypes mentioned here come from Tami Cowden’s Archetypes for Writers and Readers Workshop. Any well developed character is multifaceted. But everything is based on something. We decide the why.
Chase Porter – The Warrior Archetype – Salted Dark Chocolate topped with Silver Icing.
The WARRIOR: a noble champion, he acts with honor…
Lily Wheeler – The Nurturer – Raspberry Vanilla with Cream Cheese Frosting and Pink Sprinkles
The NURTURER: serene and capable, she nourishes the spirit…
Seth Stone – The Lost Soul – Black Forest Cake topped with a Chocolate Mousse Icing
The LOST SOUL: a sensitive being, he understands…
Kate Logan – The Boss – Lemon Meringue with Lemon Butter Cream Icing
The BOSS: a real go-getter, she climbs the ladder of success…
Caleb Quinn – The Charmer – Caramel Apple Flavored Cupcake with Chocolate Mouse Icing
The CHARMER: more than a gigolo, he creates fantasies…
Sophie Monroe – The Crusader – Chocolate Cupcake with Mint Butter Cream Icing
The CRUSADER: a dedicated fighter, she meets her commitments…
Tami Cowden’s Archetypes for Writers and Readers Workshop is worth checking out. Also, check out this article to delve into character archetypes from a different angle.
Do you have a favorite type of hero? Heroine? What cupcake would you choose?
The Girly Girl Blog Hop
It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it. After all, every protagonist needs backup, be they crazy neighbor, quirky best friend, or stranded alien. But it’s a tough gig. Your character file is smaller. And frankly, your odds of surviving are greatly reduced depending on the type of story you turn up in. But while the job may come with less perks, if you do it right, you might just win recognition as Best Supporting Secondary Character.
So, in honor of secondary characters everywhere, let the Sensational Secondary Characters Blog Hop Begin.
Where would King Arthur have been without his Knights of the Round Table? Where would Calvin be without Hobbes? Can we even picture Robin Hood without his Merry Men? I met one of my favorite secondary characters as a teen while reading Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Diana Berry becomes Anne Shirley’s bosom friend on first sight. She’s privileged, pretty and amiable. The perfect kindred spirit for an orphaned girl with an overflowing imagination and talent for finding trouble. Adorable Diana is the perfect foil for Anne. But it is her immediate acceptance and steadfast loyalty to Anne that makes her special.
Minor characters can be playful, vengeful, fussy, or any number of others things as long as they remember their place. No novel can survive without them, but they’re not allowed to steal the show. In my romantic suspense, Backlash, my heroine Lily Wheeler has her best friend Kate Logan. She’s nothing if not loyal.
Here’s a sample. Kate is grilling the hero, Chase Porter.
“Is this the part where you ask me what my intentions are?” (Chase) returned the once-over glance. Spectacular from head to toe and born for high heels.
(Kate) ignored him. “I’d rather know how much trouble Lily’s landed in?”
“Nothing is going to happen to Lily.”
“And you’re basing that assumption on what?” She cocked a hip.
“On the fact that it will happen over my dead body.”
Her eyes stayed cool. “As reassuring as that statement is, I’d feel better knowing you have an actual plan.”
He ground his teeth together. “You’re going to have to trust me.”
Musical laughter filled the air. “Be thankful we have a history, and know if I didn’t think I could trust you, believe me, we’d be having a very different conversation right now.”
Because they did have a history, and because Kate loved Lily, he attempted an explanation.
I’m giving away one ebook copy of Backlash to a commenter. All you have to do to enter is tell me your favorite quality in a secondary character, leave your email address, and be entered to win. Click here to continue on your way! Thanks to Libby Mercer for bringing us all together.
What he’s sworn to protect, she’s willing to sacrifice to save those she loves…
When dedicated teacher Lily Wheeler interrupts a vicious gang attack on one of her students, she vows it won’t happen again. But her rash interference puts her in the path of a cold-blooded killer and the constable tracking him—a man she has little reason to trust, but can never forget.
Constable Chase Porter returned to Aspen Lake to see justice done, not renew old acquaintances. But when he rescues the woman he once loved from a volatile situation, he realizes his feelings for Lily haven’t lessened over the years.
Now, the dangerous killer Chase has sworn to capture has Lily in his sights. Can Chase and Lilly learn to trust each other again before it’s too late—or will old insecurities jeopardize their future?
I’m guest blogging today at the Regency World of Author Lesley-Anne McLeod today and having a blast. Even though I’m a contemporary writer, I love history. Stop by and check the history of the area that was the inspiration for my fictional town, Aspen Lake. Hear about fox hunts and cricket matches on the wild, barren 19th century barely civilized prairies.
Lesley-Anne is also a co-collaborator on The Storytellers’ Bouquet which you can download for free here. It includes four free short stories, including mine titled Waiting for Mason.
It’s the second last Monday of August. How did that happen? Harvest is in full swing here on the prairies. Wheat being one of our staple crops with the first attempts at planting dating back to 1753. Stats like that one always make me smile. When I was a little girl I remember thinking everyone’s grandparents had come from somewhere else. Mine were immigrants to this country by way of Poland, Norway and Sweden. It wasn’t until I started school and began learning about the long and rich history of our First Nations people and that of the first European settlers coming later at the beginning of the 18th century that I realized how new our roots were to Canada.
My romantic suspense novel, Backlash, takes places in the month of September. My fictional setting of Aspen Lake, being a resort town located at the foot of the scenic Moose Mountains, would still be surrounded by farmland. Frost is on the ground in the morning. Days are still warm. Nights are filled with stars.
I love to savor the approach of autumn. Warm enough to enjoy the beach during the day and cool enough for backyard fires in the evening. The air smells different. It’s heavy with dust of harvest, the scent of ripening fruit, and the bittersweet smell of brand new back-to-school supplies. We’re mixing the daytime summer fashions of shorts and flip-flops by adding jeans and light jackets to our evenings.
And let’s not forget the stars. So bright. A startling reminder of the vastness of the universe. With the sun setting earlier we have more time to enjoy them. I never fail to look up and wonder what others in past centuries have thought about as they gazed up at the same stars.
What is your favorite part about this time of the year?
I’ll sign off with this is a snippet from page 97 of Backlash. It’s early evening in the middle of September. Chase, Lily and Jason were involved in a incident earlier in the day. Lily is waiting for Chase to come by and let her know what’s happening.
Lily led Mike out onto her front steps and lifted her face up to catch the leftover heat from the setting sun. It didn’t help. The bone deep chill remained. She rubbed her arms, wishing for a sweater.
She wondered where Chase was and why he’d sent an emissary. “So, he’s with his aunt?”
Here’s What Reviewers Are Saying About Backlash!
5 Stars
“Chase and Lily are made for each other; they complement each other so well.”
“The description of the enforcer was so vivid that it seemed that I could actually envision the soulless enforcer in front of me.”
4 Stars
Ms. Good sure spins a tale of deceit and a trail of clues that lead right to a climax I never imagined.
Need some suspense to keep you up long into the night? Why not giveBacklash a chance. Immerse yourself in the strong sense of right and wrong, with a great cast of characters.Sunflower at Long and Short Reviews
A Rating
Add to that, this book is fabulous on the suspense side. Lots of high-stakes danger, really evil bad guys (super-creepy spider tattoo guy), and it kept me guessing how the author was going to resolve it all till the very end. Overall this was a fabulous book and definitely one that reminds me why I LOVE to read! Perfect entertainment and escape!
Christi Snow at Smitten With Reading
5 Stars
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW… could i say WOW anymore? You bet! I don’t have time to write my full review now, BUT if you enjoy romantic suspense with killer sexual tension and a smokingly HOT yet tortured lead, then y’all need to read this!!
I’m so excited! I’ve signed up for my very first blog hop.
http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/p/heros-blog-hop-hop.html
July 27 til July 31
And there are Prizes:
Grand Prize: Kindle Fire/Nook Color (or equal gift card)
Second Prize: $50 Gift Card
Third prize: Swag Pack
Join in the fun on Twitter starting tomorrow: #HeroHop
Stop by my blog between July 27 and July 31, leave a comment with my Hero Post and be entered to win a $5 Gift Card from The Wild Rose Press.
A little housecleaning before things get back to something that resembles normal next week! With the release of my romantic suspense, BACKLASH, things have been a little crazy around here. Add in the beginning of the long awaited summer and a complete kitchen renovation that extended into a total main floor update and all regular scheduled programming goes out the window. Crazy can be a good thing, but it’s always reassuring to get back into a sort-of-routine. Consider this my first attempt.
Carnivalesque: The Travelling Blog Show is on hiatus for the summer! BUT some of us are getting ready for our Carnivalesque Summer Reading Challenge: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. If you’re interested in following along and checking in for our thoughts as we read through you can go here. And if you’d like to join the challenge, feel free! We’d love to read along with you! Either way, please know we love to hear your comments!
Lucky for me, Jane Eyre came free with my Kobo ereader! So, I’m ready to read. I have to admit to never making it through one of the classics so I’m super excited for this challenge. As a longtime book club member I love reading books in the company of others. For me, it’s the only way to read books you might be hesitant about but really want to try. Looking forward to talking it out ups the chances of success.
Congratulations to Janet who’s my June contest winner for a $10 Gift Certificate to Amazon.
Also, you can win a copy of BACKLASH tomorrow at The Romance Reviews Sizzling Summer Reads Contest. You do have to be registered with Romance Reviews but I hear it’s painless. You will need to answer a little scavenger hunt question but that will be pain-free as well! There are over 400 prizes available with the Grand Prize being a $100 gift certificate!
Have a great weekend! My husband and son return from a bike trip to Holland on Saturday after a ten day absence! That’s going to the highlight of my weekend! I can’t wait to hear all about their adventure. Until then the sun is shining and the lounge chair by the pool is beckoning! Jane Eyre is waiting. And my in-laws have offered to cook us supper. Again. Life is good!
The Sizzling Summer Reads Party starts tomorrow (July 1) at 12:00am EST. There are more than 400 prizes up for grabs during the whole month of July. Grand prize is a $100 Gift Certificate!
You’ll have a chance to win a digital copy of my romantic suspense, BACKLASH, on July 7th!
It has been an amazing two weeks. I’ve gotten to meet a lot of great people and enthusiastic readers. I have one last stop. Today I’m at Kacey’s Konnections with a couple of thoughts. It’s your last chance to enter to win the $25 GC to Amazon so stop in and say hi!
What he’s sworn to protect, she’s willing to sacrifice to save those she loves…
Backlash is available from: The Wild Rose Press , Amazon – Print , Amazon – Ebook , Barnes and Noble , Bookstrand , All Romance Ebooks
I’m at it again and this time I’m talking about the plot inspiration for Backlash at The Caffeinated Diva Reads! I’m offering a giveaway with this tour, a chance to win a $25 GC to Amazon. Stop on by and say hello! Tour ends Friday.