A Thin, Dark Line by Emma Elliot

Title: A Thin, Dark Line
Author: Emma Elliot
Publication Date: August 30, 2012
Source: ARC from Publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):

 When Cormac O'Malley--Dogwood, Ohio's former bad boy and a man just released from prison--returns and shows up on her doorstep, librarian Eloise Carmichael hires him as a handyman despite warnings and misgivings. After a body is found at the library, Eloise becomes obsessed with the mysteries surrounding a murder that took place fifteen years ago. But as the body count rises and family secrets are brought to light, Eloise and Cormac realize the only hope for redemption--and love--lies in each other.


                                 Review

Don't forget to check out my interview with the author!

I knew after reading the summary that I had to read this book. Some summaries make you think, “eh, yeah it doesn’t sound so bad I’ll look it up when it comes out”, but then others, like this one, make you think, “how can I pimp myself out to get this book now?” 

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, I didn’t have to do any pimping. Why? Because the lovely ladies I had contact with at TWCS Publishing House were generous enough to give a poor reviewer a copy of this great book without my having to do any begging. Oh, and I was prepared to beg, ladies.

Okay, fine I’ll admit it: as soon as my eyes fell on the word “ex-con” I didn’t see anything else and that’s what made me want this book so bad. Big surprise, I have filthy fantasies about ex-cons. You can bet your ass if I read a summary about a romance with an ex-con I’ll want it – and some I wish I hadn’t wanted so bad because they suh-uck, especially the ones that try to  mix a romance and a murder mystery. With baited breath I started A Thin, Dark Line and…

Adored it.

Turning 30 has Eloise Carmichael convinced she’s stuck in a rut, and on a whim – and against the advice of everyone in her life – hires newly released ex-con (swoon!) Cormac O’Malley to be her handyman at the local library where she works.

I started this book convinced I had it all figured out. I was positive it would be revealed Cormac was wrongly accused and imprisoned for another man’s crimes. Um… yeah, not quite. He did in fact commit the murder he was accused of and that was the first thing in the book that surprised me – and I love that Elliot went that route. So often authors of romance/mysteries try to make the ex-con a good guy by making the story about proving his innocence and he just happens to fall in love along the way with (of course) the woman helping him. Huge points to Elliot for not going this route! The innocence route, that is.

I really loved how the author kept me guessing about who was committing the new murders in town. She had me guessing from one character to the next and it wasn’t until the end when Eloise has her confrontation with her father that it finally hit me who it had to be all along. The suspense was wonderful.

What I really liked about this book was the romance – or lack thereof. The book is labeled romance, but really, as much heat as there was between Eloise and Cormac, and as much as he was there for her and she for him when they needed each other, there wasn’t a whole lot of romance in the book. It focused mainly on the mystery of the murders, and no one was distracted by jumping each other. (Yes, I can’t believe I just said I’m glad there was no sex in a book. WTF?) Of course there are some moments between the two, but not as much as I thought there would be going into this novel. Again, another surprise.

If you’re looking for a good mystery with a little heat thrown in once in a while, then I definitely recommend you pick up A Thin, Dark Line.

*** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Follow the rest of the blog tour at these stops

Saturday, August 25 - My Fiction Nook - - Review, Interview and Giveaway

Sunday, August 26 -  Sherry Gomes Blog - Interview and Giveaway

Monday, August 27 -  Self Publish or Die Blog -  interview and review

Tuesday, August 28 - Passion for Pages Blog  - Review and Interview

Thursday, August 30th - Books and Kisses Blog - Spotlight Review/ Interview
Friday, August 31 -A Book and a Review Blog  - Interview and giveaway.  

Interview with Emma Elliot

Good morning, All! (I admit at this hour I'm probably still in bed enjoying the last few days of summer sleep in. Ahhh the joys of scheduled posts)

Today, along with a review of A Thin, Dark Line by Emma Elliot, I was lucky enough to get to interview the talented author....

Which character was your favourite to create? Why?

Favorite character? Hm, that's like asking me to choose my favorite child. They each came alive and took up residence in my head. I love secondary characters. Eloise and Cormac were such strong individuals, but no story takes place in a vacuum, and friends, family, adversaries are all part of the story. Clay surprised even me with how layered he was. Adriana constantly made me laugh, but also broke my heart a little. I didn't expect to like her as much as I did. I wish I had a Sal and Patrick, the entire Florenelli family actually, in my life. Robby and Harmon were inspired, in part, by the little girl I was a nanny for. I have several Jane figures in my life. Rounded, developed secondary characters are oft times some of my favorites. 

When you’re not writing, what else do you like to do?

My job takes up much of my time; unfortunately, more than writing does. I attempt to run, with an emphasis on attempt. I enjoy yoga and hiking, traveling and wandering the streets of foreign cities. I love the winter, so snow sports are my favorite, cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, etc. And reading. Curling up with a good book is my favorite past time. 

If you were asked to make a soundtrack for A Thin, Dark Line, what songs would be on it?

I really don't listen to music when I'm writing. I find it more distracting than inspiring. A close friend of mine, who is also an incredible musician, composed piano pieces for A Thin, Dark Line. So I've my own original soundtrack to listen to. 

If your book were turned into a movie, who would you choose to play the leading characters?

I'm really not familiar with any of the major, popular actors of today. I love actors like Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Tom Selleck, Sean Connery... The characters of A Thin, Dark Line are so distinct to me, though, that I would most likely have a hard time associating them with whoever was chosen, regardless of how well they played the part. 

Was there a part of A Thin, Dark Line that was difficult to write?

Writing A Thin, Dark Line was as much an emotional endeavor as anything else. Saoirse's story was probably the most wrenching to tell. Here was a woman for whom life dealt blow after blow. Each time her situation seemed hopeful, she was drawn back into a desperate, dark world most people cannot even imagine. Like Eloise, I wanted to hate her but found myself admiring her and wishing more for her than what she'd been allotted. 

Tell us about the day you found out A Thin, Dark Line was going to be published. How did you react?

The first publisher I sent A Thin, Dark Line to rejected the query letter immediately, so I was thrilled when TWCS asked to read the full manuscript. I tried not to get my hopes up, though, and told myself while at least they were interested enough in the first three chapters and synopsis to want to read the rest, it didn't mean they would publish it. 

It was on a winter's evening around the Christmas season when I received the email, and, terrified, I let it sit in my inbox unopened for about ten minutes. I finally worked up the courage to read what I was prepared to be a rejection, so when I saw "we would like to offer you a publishing contract" I didn't make it much further because I was crying too hard to see. My parents have always been incredibly supportive and encouraging, so my mother was the first person I called. Of course, she was frantic with worry when she answered her phone and heard me sobbing on the other end of the line. I finally managed to blubber out the news, and was torn between tears and laughter for the rest of the evening. It's only now starting to lose the feeling of surreality. 

Is there any part of you in your characters?

I think writing parts of yourself into characters is oft times unavoidable. Any reflection of myself in Eloise, or anyone else, was unintentional. But I am as passionate about books as she is, and as stubborn. I admire her strength of character and forthrightness and wish I had a portion of both. 

If you were stranded on a desert island, what five things would you want to have with you?

Sunscreen, since I'm very fair skinned; a well-stocked survival kit; an emergency locator transmitter for when I decided I wanted to be found; my collection of Mary Stewart books; and a rugged, intelligent, resourceful man, of course. 

Is there a certain book that has made a lasting impression on you?

My favorite book is "The Night Country," by Loren Eiseley. It makes a profound impression on me each time I reread it. It's a collection of archeological/anthropological essays, which sounds dry, but it is a brilliant, poetic pondering of the nature of man. 

As for someone I wouldn't mind emulating, I love all of Mary Stewart's books:  her seamless blending of subtle, classy romance and breathless suspense; the rich descriptiveness of places, so much so that the settings are entities unto themselves; the strong secondary characters. I wrote her a letter once--she's in her nineties now--and she replied with a handwritten note. I have it framed. 

What’s next for Emma Elliot?

I have a couple of different projects in the works right now. One is an historical, set in Wyoming territory, near Yellowstone in the 1870s. It revolves around a group of men who have banded together and are attempting to save bison from being hunted into extinction--and around the woman who stumbles into their lives. The other is related to A Thin, Dark Line.

The Spotlight

Who doesn't love exposure for their blog or book? It's what helps spread the word and gets people interested in your work!

I've decided to start a once a week run of The Spotlight were I will feature an interview with both bloggers and authors. Think this is something you would be interested in being part of?

Send me an email at passionforpages@gmail.com stating whether you're an author or blogger and a link to your blog or website. For authors, please also include the name of your book that you'd like featured, a link to it from either Goodreads, your publishers site or your own, and links to where it can be purchased. I will then email you the interview questions.

The schedule for The Spotlight is still something I'm working on--whether it will start this week or next. I will let those participating know when your spot day will be when I have the schedule worked out. 

Help spread the word, or even start a Spotlight of your own! Not only are you helping out fellow bloggers and authors, but you'll get traffic to your blog through them as well. It's a win win.

Ghostwriter by Lissa Bryan

Titile: Ghostwriter
Author: Lissa Bryan
Publication Date: October 11, 2012
Source: ARC from Publisher
Summary (from Goodreads):

Newly single, unemployed, and with her savings dwindling to an all-time low, Sara thinks things are finally looking up when she lands a job ghostwriting a popular politician’s biography, and rents the affordable island home of her favorite author, Seth Fortner, who mysteriously disappeared in 1925. Strange things begin to happen as objects break, go missing, and terrifying visions appear, making Sara wonder if Seth ever left, or if she is slowly losing her mind. She gets no answers from his family who closely guards the secret of his disappearance. Through an old trunk of letters Sara discovers in the attic of her seaside cottage, Sara unravels the mystery and becomes caught up in a tale of greed, lost love, and the horrors of WWI. Will she be the one to break the “Fortner Curse” by helping Seth conquer his demons, and heal both of their hearts in the process?

                                 Review

Move over vampires and werewolves, I’m in love with a ghost.

I said in my latest post that I’ve been in a reading funk. It doesn’t matter how good the books have been I just haven’t been able to get into them. Almost two weeks ago I received the ARC of Ghostwriter but haven’t had the heart to read it. Today I finally decided to take a peek at it. Now I only have one question. 

Why did I wait this long?

I read this book cover to cover in just a couple of hours. I couldn’t put it down, and when I had to put it down (blasted children and pets!) I needed to pick it right back up again so I wasn’t left wondering what happened next.

Ms. Bryan weaves a wonderfully creative tale of a lonely woman and a ghost haunted by his past.

I fell in love with Seth from the second he stopped trying to scare Sara off—actually I might have started falling for him a little before that. His story is so romantically sad that my heart hurt while reading his story through his old letters. I hated the way he was taken advantage of while he was living, how everyone in his life expected so much from him but didn’t want anything to do with him. It pained me to read how in love with Marcella he was and have it destroyed by the terrible things he witnessed in the war.

Sara, while a somewhat plain character, was enjoyable to read. There wasn’t anything about her that you could dislike. I liked how she grew a backbone and faced off with her ex and put her mother in her place. 

The love story that develops between her and Seth is both beautiful and heartbreaking. You fear what will happen when it all comes to an end. How can a relationship work between a human and ghost? How will she ever be able to leave him? How will he feel once he’s once again left with only his nightmares as he wanders the island that he loves so much? All those questions flew through my mind as I devoured this book. Not to worry though, you do get your answers.

It was the character of Ginny that surprised me the most. Ms. Bryan did an excellent job of throwing in that little twist.

If this debut novel is any indication of what’s to come from Lissa Bryan, I think we’re the lucky ones to have found another great author.   

  

Let's talk The Hunger Games

I'm not usually a fan of books turned movies. The movies never do the books justice and I get pissed off at the littlest things that they change or leave out.

Right now I'm in a reading funk. I have some books that I'm currently reading that are really great, I just can't seem to get into them for more than a couple of pages. And it has nothing to do with the book itself (like I said, they're pretty great) it's just me.

So I decided to take a reading break for a few days. I was out and about on the 18th and passed by a huge display of The Hunger Games movie. I stopped. I looked. I picked one up and inspected the cover. I put it back and moved on. Five minutes later I was drawn back to the display and repeated my previous actions and then...I added the movie to my cart!

What?!

I don't know why I did it. I can count on one hand how many movies based on books I've seen. I rarely watch them let alone buy them. Maybe it was because Jennifer Lawrence looks almost exactly like how I pictured her. Maybe I just wanted to see how they portrayed my beloved Gale. I don't know why I bought it; I just know I did.

Early hours Sunday morning, while the house was still quiet, I watched it. And...I'm almost ashamed to admit this, but.... I liked it!

I chalked it up to not having my coffee, being over tired and probably falling asleep during half of it and dreaming my own movie version. So I watched it again. And still, I liked it. O_o Yep, that was my reaction to my liking this movie.

Even though they left out parts (because when don't they?) I think should have been in there, it was still a good movie version. They came fairly close to nailing how I pictured both Katniss and Peeta. A little off on my version of Gale, but still not bad. Woody Harrelson was all wrong for Haymitch, in my opinion, but he didn't screw it up too badly. And Donald Sutherland as Snow? Again, the last person I would have picked...that one I'm still out on. I'm not sure how I feel about him. I think he's a fabulous actor, I'm just torn how I feel about him having this part.

Does this mean I'll give more movies based on books a chance? Probably not. Will I see the rest of The Hunger Game series? Possibly.

Fingers, toes and eyes crossed they don't screw them up. 
  

Watch Me by Lisa Renne Jones

Title: Watch Me
Author: Lisa Renee Jones
Publication Date: August 21, 2012
Series: Stepping Up #1
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Summary (from Goodreads):

 Twelve young dancers are competing for the dream. Only one will win. But with sabotaged sets and flooded living quarters, the "Curse" threatens both competitors and crew. And unless she can turn this train wreck into a TV triumph, producer Meagan Tippan's dream will be the Curse's last victim….

Enter security head and former Special Forces soldier—and all-around pain in Meagan's butt— Sam Kellar. He's a nightmare…and the stuff that X-rated dreams are made of! But as tensions between Meagan and Sam become increasingly explosive, their only choice is to get it all out—and take it all off!

                                 Review

Watch Me is the typical Blaze book – hot, fun, sexy…and predictable. But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying it! I love all things Blaze.

  

I usually buy all my Blaze, but while browsing Net Galley I saw a new one from Ms. Jones and had to have it, like, now. I loved her book If I Were You and cannot wait until the squeal.

I’m a sucker for reality TV as well, and although I never got into Dancing with the Stars or You Think You Can Dance, one of my favourite movies is Center Stage so I do enjoy things that center around dance.

Meagan Tippan is an ex-ballerina, turned news producer turned reality show producer. She’s your typical heroine – smart, beautiful, successful. I like strong female leads in the books that I read and Meagan fit that. She liked being in control, was good at it, and didn’t take shit from anyone. My kind of woman.

Sam Kellar is a former Special Forces (hello uniform, definitely my kind of man) turned head of security for Meagan’s show. He’s also your typical hero – sexy, smart, successful, and damaged. In Sam’s case his damage is physical rather than emotional. No surprise, Sam also likes to be in control and is very good at it as well. Put two stubborn, control freak leads together and what do you get? Sexual tension so thick it’s liable to suffocate you.

The plot isn’t very original, but like I said earlier, that won’t stop any Blaze fan from enjoying it. It’s well written and Ms. Jones is a great storyteller, she knows how to give her readers what they want. 

.5

 

 

 

 

Where There's A Will by Karen Kelley

Title: Where There's A Will
Author: Karen Kelley
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Source: Publisher via Net Galley
Summary (from Goodreads):

 When good girl Haley Tillman is stood up (again), she prays for a dating miracle— and then slams the front door in its face when it appears! Ryder is half angel, half mortal, with powers to do whatever the hell he wants. When he hears Haley’s prayers, he is bound and determined to answer every single one of them.


                     Review
  

I have been sitting here for several minutes having just finished Where There’s A Will, trying to decide how I really feel about it. I read the book in one sitting so that has to count for something. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. I thought there were some really great parts, but there were also parts that I just thought were completely…lacking.

I think the plot is fairly unique – at least to me since I rarely read anything involving angels. But dirty angels who answer prayers to get laid? Yes, please. Ryder had me wanting to get down on my knees and, uh….pray. Well, not pray at all actually, but if that’s what will get a hot cowboy ringing my doorbell I’ll pretend to pray to any God he wants! Loved me some Ryder in his black Stetson.

Haley was one of those characters who I’m sure most women could relate to when it came to her confidence and insecurities with her looks - but the thing that I didn’t like about that was the author made her pretty near perfect. There was no reason for her to feel the way she did. She had the “perfect” body. Yes, I know that even women with the great figure can have hang ups, but it would have made a difference if the author had made Haley have some kind of flaw. Cellulite on her thighs. A pooch. Flabby arms. A toe that was half the size it should have been. Anything to make the character have a “reason” to feel the way she did about herself – besides her family which pissed me off and I hated right from the start. Ugh! I hate interfering, controlling families almost as much as I hate dominating, controlling men. The way she kept putting herself down and repeating the same things over and over again made me want to scream, but yet you can’t help but sympathize with her because you know exactly how she’s feeling.

I think I’m so conflicted about how I feel about this book and what to rate it because it took me a while to really get to a place where I thought the book found its groove, but once it did it took off from there I really enjoyed it. The sex was hot and when reading erotica that’s what I’m looking for. But there was also a great plot line that made the book more than just about getting laid by a hot half human/half angel.

I guess it comes down to the bottom line: it makes me want to read more by the author. When a book does that, even when I’m confused by how to feel about it, you know it’s a winner – maybe not a first place winner, but a winner nonetheless.

.5

 

In My Mailbox #2

I know I don't do this too often (obvious since it's only my second time) but I just had to share what I found over the weekend!

After reading Schmidt's book Risking It All I wanted to read more of what she had written. So I went on the hunt and discovered she only had one previous book out, Last Call, and a short story in this collection of four short stories- only it wasn't available to order anymore. Boo! But while browsing yard sales over the weekend, I started rummaging through a box of books and found this! In perfect shape, too! The books Gods were smiling down on my Saturday, for sure. I'm so excited to read this.

I also picked up the first two books in The Vampire Diaries series. I'm a huge TVD (show) fan, so I'm interested to see how the books differ from the show.

And my review for Where There's a Will will be up on the 15th.

Whistle Down the Wind by Sibelle Stone

Title: Whistle Down the Wind
Author: Sibelle Stone
Publication Date:
Source: ABG Reads Book Tours
Summary (from Goodreads):

Arrested for using her magical powers to protect herself, Catlin Glyndwr faces the hangman’s noose. Descended from a long line of elemental witches, she can control the wind and weather. But the worst thing that can happen in 1664 England is to be charged with practicing of witchcraft. Especially when the accusation is true.
Sir Griffin Reynolds is visiting his closest childhood friend before embarking on a secret mission for King Charles II to the New World.

When his friend becomes deathly ill while interrogating a beautiful woman accused of witchcraft, Griffin accepts her offer of help. In exchange for her freedom, she’ll heal his friend.
When Griffin and Catlin embark on a journey to Virginia to save the colony, they succumb to the temptation of a white hot passion that blazes between them. But a Dark Druid stalks Catlin, and if he can’t possess her and her magic -- no man will.

A beautiful witch discovers there’s more than one way to be wicked.

                                   Review

(Don't forget to check out Sibelle Stone's guest post where she lets us in on her secrets to writing great sex scenes.)

Usually I’m not a fan of historical romances. I can’t get into the way the characters have to speak with the milords, ‘twis, ‘twas and ye. It also doesn’t help that any historical romances I’ve read seem to be written the same way no matter who wrote them. A Duke falls for a poor servant girl; Lord Whoever seduces the naïve country lass. And then there is the way the sex is written! Petals of her sex, the heat in his manhood. Ugh!

But Whistle Down the Wind caught my attention because of the paranormal twist to it. I’m actually fascinated by the idea of witchcraft. When I was younger I think I watched The Craft a million times. So even though historical isn’t my thing, paranormal is and since I’ve never read any historical paranormal romance I thought I’d give it a chance. And I’m really glad I did!

I thoroughly enjoyed Catlin and Griffin’s story. I love for once I wasn’t reading about a girl who needed rescuing. Catlin is a strong female character who knows her own mind and what she wants and doesn’t need a man to take care of her – mainly because of her being a witch she can care for herself. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t want to be taken care of though.

Griffin is the usual hero: a decent nobleman who has indecent thoughts about the little witch. But even though he is the typical described hero I still really liked him as a character. He was charming and sexy and a little bit of a bad ass. And I loved the way he flirted with Catlin – the splashing water and chase? Adorable!

And I adored little Bitsy. Her innocence and sass was just the right amount for a character.

I was a little disappointed by how fast Griffin and Catlin fell into bed as soon as they were out of the watchful eye of her sister. It just felt a little rushed. I think the timing could have been better which would have added even more heat to it.

All in all, I think Whistle Down the Wind was a really great read. It definitely changed my opinion of historical romances – paranormal ones, at least. 

 
August 6  Over A Cuppa Tea   Review
August 7 Amy's Booket List Review
August 8 Passion For Pages
August 9 A Buckeye Girl Reads- Author Interview
August 10 Reflecting Bookworm  Author Interview
August 11 Truth, Beauty, Freedom & Books- Guest Post
August 12 Nette's Bookshelf Reviews Review 
August 13 Bookmaven623   Guest Post/Review

BUY LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Nobles  
 

Author Sibelle Stone

Today, author Sibelle Stone stops by and gives us a lesson on writing sex scenes. Pay attention, people. You never know when this could come in handy.

Romance authors face one of the most challenging obstacles a writer can face. We often include scenes in our books that show the consummation of a relationship. We write about sex. Sometimes graphically, sometimes with a great deal of innuendo. It depends on the author the type of book and the story.

But what we really do is describe something that you can pretty much bet most of our readers have done. And they probably consider themselves at least fairly good at it, if not an expert. So, how do you craft a love scene so that it’s fresh, new and interesting?

Who Are These People and Why Should I care?

·        Establish your characters first, put them together for a reason, (a good reason) and then let them have at it.

                          

·        Sex scenes should still be advancing the story. Consider why you have this scene at this point in the story.

·        Consider why you are putting this in? Is it because you think by a certain page the relationship should be consummated? Or, does this advance the relationship to the next level?

·        Is there chemistry between the characters? If they’ve been fighting for fifty pages and then suddenly fall into bed with each other, the reader is going to wonder why.

Slap and Tickle

·        Sexual Tension is fun, seduce the reader with a series of encounters and build anticipation for the love scene. We enjoy banter, because it builds a relationship with talking. Talking to each other when you are falling in love is a good thing. That’s how we learn if this person is truly a mate we want to commit to long-term.

·        Tease the reader. Set up situations that bring the couple together, and not always under stress. Even in an intense book, the characters need to stop and take a deep breath once in a while.

·        Focus on Emotion and making the reader care about the characters. Keep asking yourself – What is the character feeling? How do I show this?

·        Give hints  – nudity, bath scenes, lingerie.  Create sexy situations, and it doesn’t have to be a nude scene. One of the sexiest women ever, Elizabeth Taylor, did more with a slip than most women could with pasties and a garter belt.

Using Tools (From Your Writer’s Toolbox – What did you think I was talking about?)

·        Where?  Use your setting whenever possible. In Whistle Down the Wind, I sent my couple on a long sea cruise. Well, it probably wasn’t that romantic to travel by sea in the 17th century, with small, crowded ships, horrible food, (with insects in it), scurvy and the stench of many people crowded onto a small vessel. But, that’s not the part I wrote about. I created sensual scenes of playful lovemaking, and some seriously sexy stuff. Put your couple together in situations that invite opportunities to make love.

·        How? 

Avoid clichéd phrases and euphemisms (and “Oh God!” is one of those).

Don’t use Part A fits into Slot B because the reader knows where those parts go.

Medical terms are boring, but be historically correct. Find out what people called their parts and use the names. Do the research.

Know your audience and their expectations. A “hot” really is different from a “steamy”. “Red hot and steamy” - well - you get the idea.

It’s not a football game and we don’t need an announcer.

·        Sex is funny, use humor to provide comic relief. Imagine if aliens dropped in to see a human couple... coupling. They’d probably fall on the floor laughing.

·        You can leave some things to the imagination or be explicit – it’s up to you.

·        Vocabulary – use words that incite the imagination and are provocative

·        Dialogue enhances a love scene and can show emotion. Pillow talk is fun.

Whose Bed-Head Are We In?

·        Single or Multiple (POV)? It’s your choice but be consistent. Or you can alternate POV of hero and heroine. What does he really think of her?

·        What are we learning about this character?

·        Who has the most to lose? That’s often our POV character.

Expectations

·        Know the boundaries of the genre you are writing.

·        Know what the Editor/Publisher likes.

·        Be aware of what YOU are comfortable writing

Writing these scenes can be challenging but a good love scene can also emotionally engage your reader.

                                                   

Sibelle Stone is the pseudonym for award winning historical romance author Deborah Schneider. Sibelle writes sexy steampunk and paranormal stories, filled with mad scientists, dirigibles, automatons, and creatures that would scare the panties off Deborah. In her spare time Sibelle enjoys dressing up in Victorian ensembles, modding play guns into something that looks a bit more sinister and wearing hats.