If you’re curious about the Carina Press editors, then head on over to the blog. I interviewed my editor, Alissa Davis, here — and other authors are interviewing their editors too. Of course we’re asking each of them what else they’d like to see for Carina!
Author: Joely
Hidden Object Games
As part of my “vacation” I’ve been playing a bunch of computer games, mostly hidden object games from Big Fish Games. I love being able to try the game for an hour and decide if I want to buy it or not. It’s usually pretty obvious within the first few minutes of a game if it’s “for me” or not.
Sounds familiar, I bet. Agents/editors know within a page or two if the project is right for them.
There are tons of hidden object games out there, but there’s only a handful that I’m going to be willing to buy. It’s taken me awhile to discover what kind of game I really enjoy — what kind of game is going to compel me to buy it past the one-hour trial.
First, the game has to have really good graphics. I love the haunted castles with spooky hidden nooks, or the ancient civilization sites where I really have to check behind every stone. But good graphics alone are far from enough.
(Good, even beautiful writing, isn’t enough to make an agent/editor/reader pick up your book.)
The overlying story has to be appealing to me, too. Usually I’m on some quest: free the ghosts, stop the lord of the mirrors, find my father, mentor, children, etc. But even a “find my children” game — which sounds very compelling — can fail to snag my attention.
(Have a compelling hook or premise to drive the story from the very beginning.)
The lead character of the story driving the game has to be interesting to me. I don’t care if it’s a man or a woman, and I obviously don’t get as much internal thoughts, etc. as a reguar book, but a well-written hidden object game makes me forget that I’m not really in this fictional world. I’ve passed on several hidden object games where I just didn’t care for the main character.
(The protagonist must be compelling in some way, even though flawed and hopeless at the beginning.)
If I like the graphics, the story, and the main character, I can still end up bailing on a game. There’s one I can’t remember the name of off the top of my head, but it had gorgeous graphics and a cool story, but I was absolutely lost. I didn’t know how to get to the other rooms. I didn’t know what to do. I stood in the front “room” of the game clicking, confused, and frustrated, until I finally closed the game and deleted the files without purchasing.
I like to be led through a game. Yes, I know it’s lame but I like the sparkly hints that tell me where to investigate. I’m playing this game for fun and I don’t want it to be too hard — but I also want it to last much longer than an hour (to justify buying the game). I want to know and trust that the journey is going to be clear for me. I’m not going to get down in some basement dungeon and quit out of frustration because I have no idea what to do next.
Now BFG does have blog walkthroughs for many of their games, which helps, but if I have to refer to the blog walkthrough every single time I enter a room just to figure out what to do, I’m sorry. I’m not buying.
(Make a promise to the reader in the opening scene of the story and carry that promise through all the way to the end on a journey they won’t want to forget. The reader trusts you never to take them down the wrong path and leave them.)
So now I have good graphics, a storyline that intrigues me, and a lead character to guide me. The game can still fall part between the hidden object games and the puzzles. The games I love the most are the ones where I keep items from each hidden-object portion of the game, even if I have no idea what they’re used for. e.g. In the opening section of the game, a key is one of the 10 items to find. Then the key is what opens the rusty iron gate. In another section, I find a glove. Later, I have to use the glove to reach through thorns.
I don’t like hidden-objects just for the search. e.g. a bunch of items that have nothing to do with the story, and it’s not crucial that I find a particular item. I want those objects to all be tied to the story in some way. The game I played last night was so danged creepy — one of the hidden object scenes involved row after row of old dolls, some clothed, some not, some with holes in their heads, missing eyes, some with huge creepy eyes that kept looking at me. It was hilarious — I could hardly stand to look for the objects! Which made that game so very very cool (Return to Ravenhearst if you’re interested).
It’s sort of like reading a mystery and finding a bunch of red herrings. I love that aspect of a hidden object game. Great, now I have a can of bug spray in my inventory. Where in the heck am I going to use that? It makes me anticipate and plan — which I love.
(Drop elements into the story that tie to the theme, enhance the atmosphere and tone of the story, and drive the plot.)
What I don’t love is when I find a bunch of stuff in my inventory at the end of the game….that I never used. I can’t stand it! Did I miss a section of a the game where I was supposed to use the shovel? Ack! How did I finish the game? Should I go back? But no, I finished…
(Always tie up as many loose ends as possible even when the climax of the story and the main characters are resolved. Careful readers make note of every little detail and will feel betrayed if they don’t mean something!)
Lastly, we have the puzzles themselves. They’re sort of like plot or turning points of the story. They’re “gatekeepers” to moving on to the next room. I don’t want the puzzle to be so hard that I have no idea how to even start — or I’ll simply look up the solution in the blog walkthrough and move on. Yes, I cheat on occasion!
(I also read ahead to the next chapter — or even the end — to make sure the book isn’t going to fail me.)
The puzzles are more interesting if I’ve had to gather items throughout the game to beat it. e.g. there are three marbles that I’ve found all over the mansion and now I have to use them to beat the next level. The puzzle itself should tie to the game and the story it’s leading me through. The elements should mean something to the game. e.g. in one ancient civilization game, I had to stack golden skulls on a scale to balance it. Why use regular old weights when you can use skulls? How cool!
I don’t care for puzzles that have absolutely nothing to do with the story itself. e.g. a jigsaw puzzle and the final image is a contemporary-looking photograph, while the game is a creepy gothic. The image is an underwater ship — cool — but not if it has absolutely nothing to do with the story of the game. Don’t show me an underwater ship just because it’s cool.
(Elements of the plot should reflect the theme over and over, every element tied back to the premise, driving the story toward the climax in a logical way.)
I know it’s a great game when I immediately hope there’s a sequel in the same world. My wish for BFG is that they’d have a way to search by the creator of a particular game. e.g. if I know team A creates the kind of game I like with the graphics, etc. then I want to buy more by team A. Right now, I’m relying on “look and feel” to tell me when I might want to buy.
(Branding is important. Make sure readers can find you!)
Weekend in Review
Now that spring is here, it seems like we’re “springing” too. Saturday, we’d made plans to take Uncle J (That Man’s younger brother) and Aunt BB to my family’s favorite Mexican place. We’ve been eating at this place ever since I can remember. It was our reward place after going to the dentist. Anytime we had to drive north to Kansas City (even last year as we were driving to a funeral) we made plans to stop for lunch or dinner at this restaurant, El Sambre’s in Clinton, MO.
My sister is alive today because of this restaurant. When she was three, she choked on a chip. The rest of us didn’t know — we were talking, etc. — but the owner heard her, rushed over, and gave her the heimlich.
Anyway, we’d talked it up so much to my New Jersey SIL that she was determined to make the 1.5 hour drive north and visit my Dad on the way. However, they ended up not being able to make it — but that didn’t stop US from going. Oh, no. Once we make plans to hit El Sambre, we go!
We met my sister at Dad’s place and we all drove up in our van for a delish lunch and shoe shopping in Clinton. We spent a little time touring Dad’s current “hobby” — raising quail. The kids got to hold one that was one day old, and petted some of the older birds carefully held in my Dad’s hands. Of course no trip to Papa’s would be complete without petting the horses. He has a lovely vegetable garden started already, which totally made me jealous. I’m all ready to move to the country. NOW. I want chickens and a garden!!
But we dragged ourselves back to “civilization” and rushed over to our other inlaws’ (oldest brother) to see That Man’s parents. Guess which monster inadvertently sat in dog/cat poop outside? Yes, that would be Middle Monster. I swear she did it just so she could change into something out of the bag of clothes her cousin had given her.
Sunday was church early and then a trip to Lowes to pick up weed and feed, etc. for the lawn. Oh, and laundry. Tons of laundry. We still have 2 loads to fold and one waiting to hit the washer, plus the actual lawn work.
We also watched The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (while folding). I have to say, I’m not a Clint Eastwood fan. I had a hard time getting into this movie and I just didn’t really care about what happened to any of the characters until at least the last third of the movie.
We tried to watch Zombieland but the NetFlix DVD wouldn’t play for some reason — it was all speckled, even after we cleaned it (and the Western played just fine).
For the first time in a long time, I read in the car instead of writing, and finished Kim Knox’s Breaking Chance. I took my laptop but didn’t ever get it out of the bag. Watching the movie, I did a ton of cross-stitch, currently working on The Bramble and the Rose with Old Maid of the Heart silk from HDF. Oh, and I bought my first Heaven and Earth Designs this weekend (yes, I am totally insane — these are MASSIVE!!): Calling the Crows. I just couldn’t help myself. All that black and red, and the crows…totally made me think of Seven Crows, part of the SFR world I’m building!
I have a huge HDF order on its way, including some perforated paper. I may try my hand at making a bookmark — and if I can get my meager art skills to cooperate, I may just do one with Maya glyphs on it! I didn’t realize how hard it is to find cross-stitch with Maya influences. I do plan to buy Ink Circles’ Mother Maya, but otherwise, I couldn’t find anything with the real glyphs like I wanted. However, I do have a cross-stitch program I bought from Needleprint, so I’m going to try and design my own.
If it doesn’t look horrible, I’ll giveaway one here on the blog.
Friday Snippet: The Bloodgate Guardian
Since I’m not writing new material this month and June is not that far away, I decided to start teasing you with snippets of The Bloodgate Guardian, coming this June from Carina Press.
You’ve been seeing bits of this story under several different names for quite some time. The original first draft was my first NaNoWriMo project in 2007, then titled Night Sun Rising. Over a year went by before I got around to the first round of Revision Xibalba. I spent a lot of time expanding the book, adding subplots and tons of characters. However, I kinda went overboard, and ended up cutting those subplots out. Can you say too many characters?
Now the story is leaner, tighter, and concentrates only on Jaid and Ruin (yes, he got to keep his name!!). Ironically, exactly the story I ended up with in 2007, just revised, polished, researched, etc. Not to worry, though — those subplots I spent so much time on will become the fertile soil for the next book. *winks*
So, here’s part of the opening scene of The Bloodgate Guardian, Chapter One.
He never hated his magic until it compelled him to kill.
From the broken shadows of his temple, the priest watched the encroacher attempt to work his doomed magic. Brilliant ruby pooled in the pocked basin of the altar and overflowed, streaming across the hand-carved stone in vibrant filigree. The blood glowed like molten rock hot from the earth’s heart, releasing magic into the night.
The once all-powerful priest shuddered, his skin crawling with the caress of power. His nostrils flared to catch the tantalizing scent of sweet copper. Such temptation. He tightened his grip on the starved jaguar pacing within him. Such power.
The city once known as the Mouth of Creation had kept his secrets for a thousand years. Now he must kill this man to protect that forbidden knowledge. Keeping to the shadows, the priest called out, “As Gatekeeper of Chi’Ch’ul, I command you to leave my city or die.”
The man whirled and whipped the bloody heart behind his back. At least this one’s victim had been a goat and not human. “Nobody else should know the name of my dig. Who are you working for?”
The priest stepped into the moonlight, and the other man recoiled. With the jaguar prowling the cage of his body, he knew all too well the image he made: eyes gleaming like golden lamps, jaguar spots dotting his arms and blending with the tribal tattoos on his upper body, angular cheekbones and sharp forehead compounded by the stark topknot pulling his hair back from his face. The man had discovered the city, unburied it stone by stone. He could not help but recognize a priest of what had once been a grand and powerful nation. “My city has already been destroyed. Would you destroy the world as well?”
“I have powerful, rich friends,” the man said, backing away slowly. “Name your price.”
So be it. Small golden lights began buzzing around the priest and his bones throbbed with magic. “Nothing you can offer will stay my hand. As long as I live, these sacred waters shall lie still and silent. My curse demands your death. The Gates must remain locked until the Return.”
Ignoring his threats, the man smiled with elation. “We were right! I knew it. After all these years, I finally found the center of the world!”
The balls of light blazed brighter. A golden swirling wave obliterated his vision. Bones cracked and twisted. His scream of pain rumbled bass, a jaguar’s roar piercing the night.
Tail lashing, the jaguar crouched in a pile of torn denim. The sharp stink of his prey’s fear burned his nose. It had been a very long time since he’d hunted. The big cat knew his purpose. He was only called forth to kill.
The foolish man turned toward his modern equipment stationed on the nearby boulder, presenting his back to the jaguar. “Jaid, don’t come here! Don’t trust anybody and don’t let the codex out of your hands! Especially don’t give it to Venus Star!”
The jaguar growled a threat. If this person possessed the codex, he must die too.
Whirling, the man ran up the peninsula that extended over Lake Atitlan. He slung the goat’s heart out over the water and threw his weight off the side, angling toward the beach instead of the lake. Effortlessly, the jaguar leaped after him. The man gasped in pain and rolled away, narrowly escaping the slashing claws.
Wet with rain, a sudden gust of wind swept across the shore. Clouds boiled across the sky to hide the moon and stars. Thunder rolled through the night and the ground trembled. Lightning split the sky, winds increasing until the trees thrashed and waves whipped the surface of the lake.
A shape formed in the darkened waters. Thrashing, bulging outward, a hand rose from the depths. Water broke, cascading down the sceptered arm, which was white and blotched with spots of age and disease.
The jaguar clamped his ears and tail tight to his body and terror rippled through his fur. Oh, stupid human fool! Why had he opened Xibalba, with no wards to lock the demons beyond?
Shuddering with horror, the man whimpered. “Where are the golden plumes? The jade feathers? This isn’t Great Feathered Serpent!”
The jaguar swiped at the man’s abdomen. Jerking away, the man screamed and fell backward into the lake. He thrashed helplessly, then sank like a stone through the Gate as a Lord of Death crawled onto the beach with another demon right behind.
Snarling, the jaguar slammed into the first demon, trying to knock it back through the Gate. Even weak as a newborn babe, it refused to go back to the Place of Fright. The other Death Lord crawled out of the lake clutching a small hunk of flesh. Cradling the now-cold heart to its mouth, the demon feasted, while the other sniffed the air. His gaze turned unerringly to the goat carcass above.
Every drop of blood would give them power. Power that could destroy the world.
Inspiration: Movie Review
One of the things I’ve been trying to do is watch more old Westerns. That Man enjoys watching them (much more than something like Star Trek, although he’s watched several with me), but mostly because I was so impressed with Firefly. I know it’s basically a Space Opera Western, and I loved how familiar it made the world feel despite the science fiction.
That’s one thing I think I need to work on. I can worldbuild all day long and I love it, but I don’t think my worlds are always immediately accessible.
So thanks to Netflix, we just watched Once Upon a Time in the West. It was ranked as one of the top 100 Westerns of all time, and starred some big names like Charles Bronson and Henry Fonda.
I have to admit that we were confused quite a bit. It was hard to figure out how the characters were related and what was happening. For example, at the beginning, three characters arrive at a train station and basically take it over. This scene goes on and on, with the characters sitting around, waiting, flies buzzing, wind blowing, etc. Literally, at least 10 minutes were spent on this, and we had no idea what they were waiting for.
Then Bronson’s character arrived and it was a shoot out. Why? I have no idea. Was Bronson a bad guy? Who was he looking for?
The other characters were introduced in the same way. Gah, so confusing. And oh, the long, meaningful stares and looks. It became hilarious by the time we got to the last huge showdown. Oh, look, a stare! Now closer! Get a good shot of Fonda’s nostrils!
For all the loooooong stares and our confusion, we really did end up enjoying the movie (although I wouldn’t watch it again). Bronson’s character was especially well done with the harmonica and what that meant, but we didn’t learn WHAT THAT MEANT until the last 10 minutes of the movie! Very nice static trait, though.
The part that sticks with me is the ending. Jill McBain, the widowed prostitue who’s struggled to keep her dead husband’s land, ends up falling in love with Bronson. It was very subtle (more meaningful stares, snickers) and she actually has a sexual relationship with Fonda’s character to save her own skin. But in the end, Bronson walks away.
I guess a lot of old Westerns end this way, with the moody cowboy/hired gun riding off into the sunset alone, but yeah, it didn’t do much for this romantic heart. More, I just wasn’t satisfied with the ending. How was Jill going to manage Sweetwater Station by herself? She had dozens of workers to keep, and we know women didn’t do “business” type work back in those days. Yet both of the men she’d come to rely on left her.
I couldn’t help but translate this to a science fiction setting. Think about it: a colony, with an older, established woman trying to make a go of it against bandits and the land itself. She doesn’t know who to trust. The men she counts on walk out on her. How is she going to rally her workers even if they don’t respect her?
Ah. Inspiration. 🙂
Guilt and Ulterior Motive
First, I want to get something off my chest. I hate feeling guilty. I especially hate making MYSELF feel guilty over something that’s stupid.
I’m talking about Vicki. I was really making myself feel guilty because I wasn’t getting the progress that I wanted. Any other month (e.g. look back at May, Nov, and Dec. last year) I could have written 50K no problemo. Way back in 2007, I wrote 50K in 11 days.
I used to worry about never finishing a book (I’m glad the 2005 archives are gone!!) but I know that I can and will finish. I can file something and bring it out again later and finish it (e.g. Conn, Victor). Yet for weeks, I made myself open Vicki’s file, whispering the fear–the lie–that if I filed her, she’d die. I’d never finish.
I tortured myself with that fear. Daily.
Writers write every day, right? How many times have we heard that? Typically, I’d even agree. Write 1K a day and finish 3 books a year, I know I’ve said that many times before.
But there’s no need to flail myself with guilt when a book isn’t going the way I want. I could have put the book aside in March and moved on, instead of forcing myself to keep stabbing away at its lifeless corpse, because that’s really what it felt like.
Don’t get me wrong – if Vicki had been contracted, I would have been stabbing MYSELF to finish. But she’s not contracted. I’ve made no commitments. It was just a book for me (right now), a personal challenge. So why beat myself up?
So, note to self and any of you that might flail yourself with guilt about writing: If it’s not feeling good, don’t do it! If you’re leaving scars on your Muse, put the @#&%* whip away!
We pick up enough scars each and every day just by being writers. Bad reviews, rejections, opening up the dark scary places and peeling back layer after layer to reveal the horror and truth within. Don’t make that scarring worse by tormenting youself with “shoulds” and “but the rule is….” or “but everyone else…”
There. I feel better.
Now then, what do I mean about ulterior motive? I’m declaring April my personal brainstorming month. I’m not going to set a single goal for writing or finishing a single project. I’m going to brainstorm. I’m going to write snippets of dreams and secrets that characters whisper to me. I’m going to write in my journal. I’m going to go picture hunting. I’m going to watch movies and read more books and cross-stitch. I may even draw pictures! Gasp!
One thing I’m learning from the harder exercise program I started in March: listen to my body. Or in this case, listen to my Muse. Gregar has never failed me before. I’ve worked him hard and long, for years, with only minimal breaks. I already have THREE contracted stories coming out this year.
Yes, but but… the shrill, annoying voices start. Keep the pipeline full! What about next year? If you stop now, you may never start again. Quitter! Failure!
Now there’s a very good reason my Muse carries a wicked ivory rahke, because I just borrowed it to slit that nasty little demon’s throat. My greatest strength is my drive and my determination to succeed at all cost. But that drive can also be my greatest weakness.
I have to learn to listen, both to my body and my Muse, before something tears or simply breaks.
So I hereby declare April to be my fun month. I’m going to try some new things, build some new ideas, and just generally have a good time. I will not write hard on any single project — but if I get an idea for a short freebie, I may allow myself to finish it.
My ulterior motive: MayNoWriMo. I’m hoping that with an “enforced” writing restriction this month — and lots of fun idea time — that May will be a huge output month. I’m being sneaky with my Muse and telling him no writing this month. Just laugh, tell jokes, be that wicked smirking Blood I love so well. Because next month, he’d better be the vicious Shadowed Blood again.
May, June, and July will be finishing whatever project I settle on for MayNoWriMo. Top contenders at this time: Vicki, Deathright, and Maya#2 using the subplots I axed from the original Bloodgate story.
Writing Cycles
This is something I’ve been thinking about off and on for years, and the past few weeks have made me think about it again.
I’ve talked before about the writer’s journey — how each day can begin with a call to adventure, is fraught with peril, and yes, most of the time, requires passage through the Inner Cave.
But there’s another cycle I’m thinking about now, more like a life cycle, specifically for a computer program (my Evil Day job). There are stages of coding, just as there are stages of writing. I might spend weeks on a design, meeting with the business area to hash out the requirements and then building an outline or “synopsis” of the solution I’m going to deliver. The longer we spend on business requirements and design, the better the final product will be.
Granted, not all projects — or books — require detailed analysis and design. But for large, complex projects, a solid design is crucial. Typically, the person writing the design may not even be the final programmer. Components may get handed off to others to code, and they need to be able to read the design document and understand how their piece fits into the cog.
For some projects, the requirements and design stage goes on and on and on. Lord, I just want to CODE, I need to go go go! I’m tired of the endless meetings and reviewing spreadsheets. Let’s do something. Anything. Go!
That’s the stage I was at when I started Vicki, even though I hadn’t done any of the normal “business requirements and design” that I normally do for a book. After heavy revisions in January, I needed to just sit down and write. Just go. Grab the words, write freely, don’t worry about spreadsheets. Just go!!
And it was fun — while it lasted.
That’s really the point I originally started with. Like moon phases and hormones, I think there can be cycles for a writer too where we just naturally do one stage of the process better than others. Sometimes, I can write 1K, 2K a day, for weeks, and feel energized at the end of each day. Other times — even though I love the story as much as any of them — I can’t get but a paragraph, and it’s agonizing. I can’t concentrate. I don’t WANT to concentrate. I’d rather clean toilets or fold laundry — anything! — than write, even though I love to write, I need to write.
But if I’m paying attention, a different cycle of the writing process is usually sparking. e.g. if I don’t feel the words coming fast and strong, maybe it’s a good time to plot. Or brainstorm.
Or maybe I just need a break before all circuits melt. 🙂
I’m still sitting in a pretty good position for this year. I have three contracted works in various stages of production. That kind of work takes very different muscles from simply wallowing in a lovely draft, where the words are mine and mine alone. When I get the editor’s file, it’ll be a drop everything and MOVE sort of push to get that work done and returned as quickly as possible.
Not a good time to be writing deep in the zone on a new book. That’s what really started the sputtering on Vicki–I received revisions on The Bloodgate Guardian, and I just never got my flow back.
As much as I want to be writing new words right now and finishing Vicki, it’s just not happening. Because I didn’t do a thorough design (plot) at the beginning, I don’t have much story left, and the book hasn’t broken 30K yet. I’ve discovered some wonderful things, but they need work. Lots of work.
So last night, I sat down, opened Vicki’s file (the first time in days, honestly), and typed out every note and dream I’ve had in synopsis (telling) form. It was a brain dump. Even writing about the scenes I envisioned, I did not get the burn to write. I didn’t slip into story (showing) mode once. That tells me more than anything that it’s time to set Vicki aside for awhile.
Don’t worry – that seems to be my process for writing contemporary erotic. I did the exact same thing for Conn and even Victor’s books. I had about 15K written in loose chunks for Victor long before I sat down last year to write his complete draft. I have a good start for Vicki in a few months, after I let her story stew just a bit longer on the back burner.
So what’s on the writing plate this month? Honestly, I’m not sure. I seem to be in an idea-generating cycle. I’m hearing voices of characters, very very clearly, who have no business talking right now.
e.g. Shannari was really blaring in my head yesterday. I’m like, hey, your story is DONE. Why are you bothering me? But she just kept talking about the dream, how real it was, how easy it would be to slip there and never come out, because HE’S there. Of course, I thought she was talking about Gregar, but then…
I got the chills on my arms that told me maybe she wasn’t talking about herself after all. Maybe she’s trying to help me understand someone else. *shivers*
Anyway, if I seem disjointed this month and jumping around like a duck after a June bug, that’s why. The ideas are coming hard and fast — so I’ll be jotting them, brainstorming, while I wait for the editor revisions to come.
Interview at Book Lovers Inc
I was thrilled to be interviewed by The Geeky Booklover over at Book Lovers Inc. If you’re wondering why letters played such a big part in Conn’s and Rae’s story, then hop on over for a chance to win a signed print copy of Dear Sir, I’m Yours!
Winner: Launch Vicki’s Line
Thank you to everyone who helped me brainstorm Vicki’s new fashion line. I didn’t end up using your recommendations, but talking about it helped me come up with the idea I’m going to use (for now):
Bound by Madame, with a swirling V on her label
The winner drawn from comments is: Marie! I think I already have your address, and I’ll drop you a note once I get your signed Dear Sir, I’m Yours in the mail!
Thanks, everyone!
Dear Sir I’m Yours Review
This is an incredible back-and-forth dual (duel!) review of Dear Sir, I’m Yours, between The HEA Lover and The Geeky Lover at Book Lovers Inc. They get into characters, go way back to the free prequel Letters and free sequel Take Me — what an incredible, detailed review! Plus they had some awesome things to say about Conn. *winks*
Conn… *drools* Sorry about that, Conn is just perfect. When I read Letters I was intrigued by him. He had so much power about him, he really is a Dominant. I was under his spell! I still am in fact. I loved him even more after reading DSIY, he’s perfect! He took his time to explain everything to Rae. And such a wicked mind!! Spank me Conn Spank ME!!
Haha, I love it. It made me laugh out loud!
Overall Impression:
The HEA Lover: I want to say: Go read it!! This is an amazing story, and if you are, like me, a newbie to BDSM you will enjoy the ride. The characters are so attaching I didn’t want to leave them. Letters is a Free read, every one should at least try to read Letters. If you love letters you will love DSIY. You won’t regret it, I am VERY happy I listened to Susi’s recommendation, it was a perfect book for me. I cannot wait for Victor’s book to be out, I’m so excited *bouncing* I feel like I didn’t do justice to how amazing this book is.
The Geeky Lover: Agree with all the above. If you alway thought you are to vanilla for BDSM this book will change your mind. It’s such a lovely emotional story that will take your hand and approach this topic in a way that will leave your heart touched and body overheated. Take a look at Letters if you are unsure and believe me, you won’t regret it.
Thank you so much, Book Lovers Inc! I’ll have an interview with them on April 5th, so watch for the link!