#RomanticFridayWriters - Challenge No 31- My story, 'The Long Cool Aphrodiasic'

Romantic Friday Writers write to a new prompt each fortnight. As Valentine's Day is close perhaps some of the stories will reflect this. My story this week is not particularly romantic, but tell that to the heroine. Her name is Eve. His name is Adnet (French for Adam). You might find some Biblical overtones within the story. It's here for your enjoyment. Click on the list below if you'd like to read more stories. Check out our next prompt - The Perfect 9.5. You're welcome to write for us. Check us out here...

    The Long, Cool Aphrodiasic.

Charles de Gaulle was not the nightmare she’d imagined. Money can buy anything, she thought, as she was escorted through customs to the waiting car.

She slipped into the limo as one born to the role - smooth, graceful, practised.

The fragrance of roses permeated the interior, but the most pungent smell was money and power.  She luxuriated in the soft leather and thought of Gerard.  

She’d left him wilting in the American midwest. Sorry Gerard.

 This limo must be worth more than Gerard’s miserable little cottage, she mused. Oh, but we had good times there, didn’t we Gerry? She trailed her fingers along the seat and sighed. Butter smooth. What a contrast to the cracked vinyl of Gerard’s old beat-up lounge. The colour was soft grey, the same shade as Gerard’s eyes as he begged her to stay.

Ah, but she could get used to this – crystal glasses, Verve Cliquot champagne in a silver bowl, shimmering lights of fairy-lit bridges and magnificent buildings. She sipped the golden nectar and relaxed into the romantic music.  A bit of a step up from Flatt and Scruggs.

The glittering box beside the champagne cooler tantalised her.

This is the Devil’s apple. He’s tempting me with baubles. Would she turn her back on her old life, embrace the new? Hell yeah!

She swooped up the box, aware that a sophisticated woman of the world might refuse the gift. But she wasn’t a woman of the world. He knew that.

Well if this is being bought, I like it. What a turn on. I’m ready to melt into his arms right now. Sorry Gerard.

Eve. Welcome to Paris. Adnet, the note beside the box said.

Oh my God!

She’d never seen anything like the sparkly jewel that lay on its bed of white satin.

The glinting diamonds dazzled.

I must try it on. No harm in that.

The necklet looked gorgeous as she tilted her compact mirror for a closer look.

I’d rather die than give it back.

She stepped from the limo into Adnet’s arms. His eyes glittered at his gift at her throat.

‘Thank you. It’s beautiful. I shouldn’t accept it.’

His arm circled her waist as he guided her through the restaurant to a private courtyard garden. He dismissed the maitre di, then laid his hands on her bare shoulders. She shivered. He pulled her close and kissed her.

The searing kiss said - you are mine.

She stepped into her fairytale.

©DeniseCovey2012

WORD COUNT:  411  FCA.

TO MAKE IT EASIER TO READ OTHER ENTRIES, CLICK ON THE NAMES BELOW:

All I Need is Love - or I used to...

I write a lot of different genres, which explains why I'm in 8 groups for the current Platform-Building Campaign, but primarily I see myself as a romance writer, I've even dreamed up Romantic Friday Writers so like-minded souls can practise their romance writing or get feedback on their romance WIPs. But romance writing is no longer straightforward or simply formulaic as it once was accused of being. Today romance comes in just about every guise known to man or woman.

Once upon a time a romance writer had a heroine coming up against a classic, alpha male, jump through some exciting hoops, then resolve everything by the Happily Ever After ending. Well, the alpha has become an endangered species, with the vampire becoming the new alpha male, at least for now. He wants to suck blood, mate for a very long life. Well, there's not just vamps, there's werewolves, zombies, and all sorts of paranormal monsters making appearances.

Anyone who's been writing and selling romance fiction for a long time would have had to change with the times. The earlier romances had a single POV (usually the heroine's), sometimes two (hero and heroine), and there wasn't much in the way of sub plot. My, haven't things changed! I just read an interesting post over at Nas Dean's Romance Book Paradise, where multi-published romance author Kate Walker was stressing how romance writing has changed from when she published her first book, 60 books ago! To continue her success, she changed with the times.

Romance-writing boundaries have expanded like a waistline subjected to too much junk food. Now there are multiple viewpoints, subplots aplenty, mystery, suspense and all types of paranormal activity - the whole spectrum from angels to vampires to shape-shifters. But some things don't change...

Love is still central. 

Nowadays romance books are harder to categorise. Some, like me, prefer the title women's fiction. Whatever you call them, these stories reflect the growth of the ever-popular romance genre and the expanding preferences of women (and men) who read them. We all want romance, don't we, and we crave more, just like in real life. 

Want to read more? There is a great article by Agent Scott Eagan on Romance Vs Women's Fiction. He belongs to Greyhaus Literary, who only accept submissions from romance writers.

He likes the traditional take on the romance genre where he says:

    

      • The relationship is the central plot arc of the story.

      • There is a happily-ever-after.

With women's fiction he says:  I have always tried to define this genre as a story that shows the female journey. 

If you write romance of any sub genre, it would pay to read the whole article. 

So if you've thought, romance, ugh, I could never write that, just know that romance has grown over the years and it's still the genre that at last survey, offers the best chance for writers to find publication. And that is encouraging for romance writers of any sub genre. 

• Can you spare another few minutes to tell me what you think? Do you write any sort of romance? 
• What is your favourite type of romance story?

Look out! Handwriting Tag! I've never been blog-tagged, have you?

G'day! As our fingers are made for tapping rather than grabbing a pen and paper these days, some bright spark came up with this tag. You have to actually WRITE IN PEN ON PAPER! Phew! Well, I actually love to write longhand (is that what it's still called?) so Tessa at Tessa's Blurb, I really don't mind being tagged. Unfortunately, there's always rules! Here is what I (and you if I tag you) have to handwrite:

1. Your name/Blog's name
2. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
3. What are your favorite letters to write?
4. What are your least favourite letters to write?
5. Write: "The quick, brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."
6. In CAPS, write: "BABOON, SPLENDOR, ONOMATOPOEIA, FLIP-FLOPS, HUZZAH!"
7. Your favorite song lyrics are?
8. Make sure you tag 7 people to join in on the fun. =)
9. Tickle your fancy and add a special quip for us to enjoy. =)

9. So I forgot this one. Back to typing. A quip: Well, not really, I'm in a rush. And I love to bend the rules. Here's a few lines from a bubbly little poem:

Can you hear the stream flow

Forever running free?

My laughter's in the ripples

And bubbles eternally

So there's nowhere to hide. I hereby tag the following lovelies:

1. Loveablehomebody Ashley Ashbee
2. Flutey Words - Aubrie
3. Helen M Hunt - Fiction is Stranger than fact
4. Selma @ Selma in the city
5. Francine @ Romancing the blog
6. Pamela Jo @ Theres just life
7. Inkcrush - Nomes

So, go on now. Accept the tag and get writing!

Embrace e-books embrace blogland - looking for authors!

Thanks to Francine from Romancing the Blog who put me onto this new e-Romance publisher who is actively seeking authors!

New Romance E-Publisher getting set to hit the Internet Spring 2011. Taking submissions NOW!

EMBRACE!


With two heat settings . . .

UK Based - Embrace Publishing is aimed at romance readers and writers.


http://embracebooks.blogspot.com/2010/07/welcome-to-embrace-books.html



Set up by editor at Salt Publishing (Jane Holland) who also targeted HM&B as an author. Her mother being the late Charlotte Lamb of M&B fame!


http://charlottelamb.blogspot.com/


There are two imprints:


Red Velvet and After Dark

Red Velvet guidelines: 50-60K (word count)
Sexy Sophisticated Romance
Categories: Contemporary, Historical, with feisty heroines and believable Alpha males. Contemporary, historical, paranormal.
No millionaires required. British settings and characters welcome, but not essential.
Sexual content required, but should not be overly explicit.
Same sex novels are welcome.etc.


After Dark guidelines:


50-65K

Hotter romance and erotica
Open to more unusual storylines within contemporary, historical, paranormal and same sex storylines.
Must include explicit sex, which in some cases may be central to the plot.

Novellas are welcome in both lines and across all categories, up to 25K

So Guys and Dolls get your manuscripts polished and press send!

Click on the badge on the top right of my sidebar for more details on submissions.


Good Luck!

Share Your Darlings Blogfest - July 1

Hey, yeah, I entered too many blogfests this week and it is all a bit confusing. Thank you to Michelle Gregory from beautiful chaos for hosting this one.



This is an excerpt from near the beginning of my WIP novel with the working title, Ruby. It is part of a scene where the MC’s meet. I was having a bit of fun with the Aussie/French connection. May be too corny, but at the moment I thought it met the criteria for the Share Your Darlings Blogfest, even if these darlings get killed off in the editing process…please read and enjoy a bit of escapism..

The moment Ruby laid eyes on him she knew she was about to make a mistake.


Ruby was comfortable in her body, she had been for twenty-three years, yet suddenly she felt someone had tripped her wires. Everything had gone beserk. She felt a stranger to these feelings coursing through her veins, surging through her from head to toe. Not only was she in a foreign country, she felt she was a foreigner in her own body.


She managed a tremulous ‘Bonjour, je m’apelle Ruby,’ while holding out a perfectly manicured hand. Michael saw that she was his fantasy come to life— a glorious mane of long red curls, mysterious green eyes, heart-shaped face, lips of an angel. He couldn’t drag his eyes away. He watched her lips move, imagining kissing them.

‘I’m a great fan of whales,’ she continued, looking up quizzically, and blushing fiercely as if she could read his mind, ‘but today is my first trip to see them in their natural habitat. It’s been one of the most exciting days of my life, without a doubt.’ She hadn’t realised this until she spoke it out loud. It was the truth. She nodded her head, then turned her gaze back out to sea. Sensing he was looking at her, she turned back, meeting his eyes.


He reached out his hand to her small one. Ruby felt little electric tingles filtering through their clasped fingers. Michael seemed to sense something too—he couldn’t resist bending his head and kissing her tiny hand. Was it a French custom? he asked himself, No, you clot; they kiss each other on both cheeks a million times! Better not go there.

‘I’m Michael Asher, your skipper,’ he smiled, ‘Ruby…I agree...whales have that effect on you. I’m out here nearly every day of the season and I never take them for granted.’ Letting go of her hand, he moved beside her so they were both leaning against the rail, gazing out over the ocean. They watched the beautiful creatures in a thrilling silence. There was no need for words, they’d made their connection. The whales were communicating for them.


Ruby loved how he’d kissed her hand. Was it an Australian custom? Somehow she doubted it. She’d heard that Australian men had no finesse, were dismissive of women. Yet he had made this sweet gesture, so gentlemanly, so sexy, so Sea Captain. She was shivering with delight. She looked down where their hands lay close together on the rail. His hands were burnished gold, no doubt from hours at sea. Hers looked so palely white beside his. She knew if she touched his hand, sparks would be zipping all over the place.


Rubbing her chilled fingers together, she wallowed in the sweet tension, never wanting this moment to end. She felt a primordial force drawing her to Michael, the whales, the ocean.


‘Look!’ Michael shouted, grabbing her hand again. ‘Over there!’ Ruby struggled to see in the failing light, but following his pointing finger she could make out some dark shapes turning in the frothy water, shapes silhouetted in the beginnings of a glorious sunset. The colours were magnificent – the sky had turned a soft pastel, with fluorescent orange stripes edging the clouds. Closer to the horizon there were transparent purples and a shade of jewel green Ruby had never seen before.

Ruby took it all in. She had to fight the urge to reach in her backpack for her camera but she decided this moment was more to be savoured in the flesh than digitally. She wasn’t risking losing the magic. Moments like these were rare. She took a ragged breath and with her green eyes wide with wonder, she leaned into the rail, side by side with Michael, drinking in the glorious sight.


‘These Australian sunsets will take some getting used to. I’ve seen some beautiful sunsets in France, especially in Nice,' she whispered in awe, 'but these Australian colours are different. Add whales and dolphins to the mix and it’s miraculous!’ Ruby knew she was gushing, but she couldn’t help it. She was blown away, her emotions heightened.


They both stared intently at the pod of humpbacks. Ruby’s heart was thumping with joy and delight every time their tails hit the water.


‘This is amazing!’ she shouted above the noise as other passengers came out to watch. ‘I don’t want this day to end, ever!’


Ruby felt her cheeks turning as red as her hair. She knew she sounded like a child, but she couldn’t help herself. Today she was on holiday, responsibilities cast aside. She wanted to scream out loud!


Michael glanced at his watch, turned to her, obviously amused at her enthusiasm.

‘There are many hours in the day yet Ruby. I’ve got to return to the bridge now. We’re getting close to port.’ He sounded regretful. ‘Maybe I’ll catch you before you leave the boat? Will you wait for me? Maybe dinner?’ His eyes searched hers.


‘Yes. Yes. Yes.’


Tipping his hat to her, he clattered up the ladder to the bridge. He had to stop himself from yodelling on top of his voice.

The First Chapter

Well it is scary watching that NaNoWriMo widget counting down and the day has nearly arrived. It's now Saturday 31st October 8.33 am. I've written my synopsis and am thinking about the first chapter. I thought I'd use my blog to write what I'm up to, a bit of an online diary thingy, as it's pretty much just between me and me and my little Foxy Lady up there (I love images as you might have noticed) watching what I write so intently and wisely and licking my tears of frustration away, so Denise, let's get this first chapter underway.

As I'm going with the Romance genre and am hoping to have a sweet little Harlequin book done by the end of November, I checked out a few 'how to write a romance 'books as you do. One of my foibles is I just keep checkin' out 'how tos' and never get around to the doing. I'm under no illusions that it's going to be easy to actually keep doing...

I found 'An Introduction to Romance Writing' by Sherry Anne Jacobs very helpful. She has some good stuff on the first chapter. What does she say? Well, I'm not too sure about plagarism in this case so Sherry and me are sharing stuff here. And, remember, I'm just talking to myself and Foxy. These are the bits I'll be paying attention to:

• the first chapter is the most important part of the book (we all know if we aren't rivited from the start and life is too short to read a bad book, we toss it and reach for the next one)



• get the hero and heroine out there so the reader can start caring about them. I'm in love with mine already, just gotta get other people to feel the same...



• hint at the basic plot of your novel, show don't tell of course



• set your tone (you can hardly help doing this) gotta have your own voice coming thru...



• show physical setting for your story. I like Elizabeth Adler's style here. The setting becomes a character. I have some dreamy settings on the go...



• get crackin' with that sparkling dialogue, hmmm, that can be tricky. Need help there! There'll be a lot of mumbling to myself and Foxy...



• get some conflict happenin' with that hero/heroine or what's the point? Don't we all just love a good to-do...



• trot out some subordinate characters (I'd hate to be one of those, wouldn't you?) But no man (or woman) is an island after all, although I could think of some exceptions...



• there is a need for 2 'hooks' - one at the beginning, preferably in the first paragraph, and the other at the end (and this is not a fishing trip, but I'll certainly be fishing for hooks! That's terrible! I do hope I improve soon...there's always hope!)

Well, if I can do all that, I'll have a crackin' good first chapter happening. I could even be dangerous. Wonder what the other NaNoWriMo 150,000 adults and 35,ooo kids are doin' today?

A footnote about post dates. Blogger has my dates mixed up and I can't fix the problem. I am sick of doing the post options thing, so I'll write the real date somewhere...If anyone reads this and knows how to fix it, I'd be grateful. Blogger help just points out the Post Options option...