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Thursday, November 18, 2010

Writing Romance Is Like... A Horror Movie


Thanks for letting me stop by on my blog tour, Samantha!

Since November is the anniversary month of my first published book, I decided to go on a tour and chat and give stuff away!

The “theme” (I use the term loosely) is Writing Romance Is Like…
And every blog stop has a difference comparison that will give you some insight into who I am, how I write and my slightly weird sense of humor. Oh, and you can win stuff! Every commenter gets entered for a chance at a book from my backlist. And if you really want to have some fun: follow me around to all the stops on the schedule (on my website) get the answers to the questions (on the form on my site) and then e-mail them to me by December 15th to get entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com or MyBookstoreandMore.com. Come join the fun!!

And now…
Writing Romance Is Like… A Horror Movie: the worst part is when it looks like it’s all over…

I’ve hated horror movies since I saw Child’s Play as a teen. The idea of toys coming to life still freaks me out (yes, even Toy Story a little. Sorry Pixar). And I really hate that part of the movie where the bad evil whatever-it-is seems to have been bested. He/she/ it lays there apparently dead, so what do the main characters do? They poke him. They don’t run as fast as they can in the other direction. They don’t call for help. They don’t even arm themselves with a chainsaw or ax. They just sidle up and poke him.

And his eyes fly open and he grabs them. And he always has a chainsaw or ax.

I. Hate. That. Part.

I don’t do horror anymore. Ever. Seriously. I’m almost exclusively a romantic—movies and books.

But there is a part in romances I hate too. I hate reading and writing it. The Dark Moment. That moment when all seems lost. The hero and heroine will never be together. Someone screwed up and they’ll be miserable forever. Apart.

Now I say hate, but I don’t really mean it (oh, I mean it about the horror movies!). I totally get that the Dark Moment is key. We have to see them work it out, see what they’re willing to sacrifice, what they’re wiling to do. They have to overcome, forgive, and fight for each other. Totally get it. It makes the resolution—the I’ll-do-anything-for-you moment—rewarding, the Happily Ever After believable. It makes us all give that satisfied sigh.

Have you seen Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore? If not, there’s that moment at the end where she’s standing out there in the middle of the baseball field, in front of everyone, waiting as the clock counts down for the guy to walk out there and kiss her. And he doesn’t come. And he doesn’t come. The clock winds down. Her smile fades. Her heart breaks.

Man. Even though I know what happens, I hate that part.

(spoiler alert!) Then he shows up. He runs down the steps, jogs onto the field, strides purposefully toward her and kisses her. Really kisses her.

And I cheer every single time!

So, yeah, I get it. We need the moment of heartbreak to really love the happily ever after.

Still, I hate it. Because it gets to me. Much as that evil-come-back-to-life makes my night sleep deprived, tearing my beloved hero and heroine apart upsets me.

But I guess if it didn’t, that means I didn’t care about them and then I (or the author/ screenwriter/ etc) would have failed.

Hmm. Good point.



Join me at my next stop! November 23rd at JC Wilder’s blog! http://www.jcwilder.com/



Excerpt, Just Like That (one those oh-no-why’d-he-do-that? scenes)
Erin Nicholas
“Good,” he said again, as she reached for him. “Then I think you should call Matt. Tonight.”

She froze with her arm extended toward him. “Matt?”

“Matt Dawson.”

Her arm dropped. “What are you talking about?”

“Matt is the perfect guy for you.”

The pounding of her heart in her ears turned to a strange rushing sound. “You think I should ask Matt Dawson out?”

“Yes. Unless you want him to ask you. I know he’s interested. I’ll tell him—”

“No!” She was almost certain that she was going to vomit.

“He’d be an imbecile to not be interested, Dani. I’ll subtly hint that—”

“God, no,” she said firmly.

She was such an idiot. She’d thought Sam was talking about himself. One more second and she would have said something completely humiliating. “I’ll, um… I’ll take care of it.”

Of course, humiliation would likely be an improvement over the sick to her stomach, tight in the chest, stinging behind the eyes she was feeling now. There was no way she was calling Matt—or any other guy. Ever probably. But she wasn’t going to tell Sam he’d ruined her for other men. He was quite clearly done with whatever it was they’d been doing.

She wanted to bang her head against the side of his car, but thought that would be an obvious sign that she wasn’t okay. Instead, she calmly walked back and got into the car. On the way back to the church, Danika finally processed and admitted into her conscious mind the fact that Sam really was asking her to date another man.

“Do you want his home number?” Sam asked as he pulled up next to her car.

She looked at him quickly. He sounded a little sick himself. “No. I’ll be seeing him.”

“You will?”

Was that a frown she saw on her new matchmaker’s face? She hoped so.

“Yeah.” She held up her right wrist.

“Oh, right.” He did frown this time. “You’re going to ask him out during a checkup?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“I’ll wait until after the checkup.”

Another frown. “Next Thursday, right?”

“Right.” The frown increased. “Oh.”

Was that too soon? Or waiting too long in Sam’s opinion? She couldn’t care less.

She wrenched open her car door and got out, slamming it behind her, but unable to get rid of enough adrenaline.

“Dani are you…okay?”

She whipped around to find him standing beside the car, watching her worriedly.

He was an idiot, she decided. He was an idiot if he thought she could be okay with this. He was an idiot to think that Matt Dawson could replace him for her. He was an idiot if he didn’t want to be with her himself.

“You bet,” she said with forced cheeriness. “I’m fantastic.”

Something softened in his face. “I know.”

And she wanted to smack him.

He knew she was fantastic? Sure. Right. Of course. Because he was pawning her off on another man before she could get needier with him.

She was just fucking fantastic.

She tipped her chin up and met his eyes. “Goodbye, Sam.”

Then she turned and walked away. From Sam Bradford. Something she would never have guessed she’d ever want to do. But in that moment, he was the last person she wanted to be with. It probably wouldn’t last, but she was going to enjoy a few seconds of not wanting to cry, curl into a ball, or smash something.



More on Erin
www.ErinNicholas.com
NineNaughtyNovelists.blogspot.com
ErinNicholas.blogspot.com
http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/erin-nicholasm
http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/erin-nicholas

Wednesday, July 28, 2010



July 30, 2010 - Forbidden: The Sacrifice Print Release Party!

Buy Now in eBook

Order in Print

Join us on 7/30 with author Samantha Sommersby for a release party, chat and contest. The event starts at 12:00 pm Central and runs all day and into the evening. The contest portion of the event runs until 11:59 pm Central on 8/6. For those visiting from outside of the US, here is the time conversion link. We are in the Chicago time zone: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
Samantha will be talking about her newest book release The Sacrifice, book one in the amazing Forbidden series!



CONTEST INFO: Open to readers with US addresses.

Prize: Apple iPod touch 8 GB (2nd Generation)

RSVP and get 25 entries to the when you show up on the day of the event. If you don't show up and mention your RSVP AND ask a question, you won't be entered into the contest.

Be SURE to give your friends this link so they can RSVP too!

RSVP HERE!


Sam

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

The Sacrifice: #1 Amazon Romance Best Seller

I admit it freely. When I returned to my hotel room after a long final day at this years Romantic Times Booklovers convention to discover that The Sacrifice was #1 in Romance Books and #1 on the Kindle Bestseller list I squealed. I sent a text to my editor and BFF, then I promptly dialed the phone and shattered by husbands eardrum.

If you've yet to read The Sacrifice, this is the perfect chance. It's book 1 in the Forbidden Series (available in eBook now and print starting in July). Samhain, my publisher, is offering it for FREE this week on the Kindle and Nook. Pre-orders for the first few title in print have been discounted - so if you prefer print now is the time to order.

If you've already read the book, it's a great time to pop over to Amazon and review it. Reader reviews are lasting and will help others make a buying decision long after the book goes off sale.

Now I need to get my head out of the clouds and back to work. I'm having dinner with old friends tonight and really looking forward to it.

Sam

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Contest Today - Enter to win iPod Touch & Downloads

The Samantha Sommersby featured author Hunt contest is still going on
today over atAllRomance.com. You can click on the banner or link on
their home page and scroll to the bottom of the interviews to find
mine along with the special question. Send in the answer to the
question to All Romance and you just might win the day's free
download. Or, better yet, the Grand Prize of an iPod Touch! Pretty
cool.

Sam

Sunday, March 14, 2010

I'm really excited to report that Forbidden: The Temptation is a Top 10 Best Seller over at My BookStore and More and Under Fire just received a 5 star review from A History of Romance. Woo hoo! Since it just released recently, I thought I'd post the summary and link:

There’s a fine line between man and beast…one only the heart can cross.





Forbidden, Book 4

A year ago, Jacob Madison got more than he bargained for during a rock-climbing trip to Yosemite. A freak accident left him badly injured, at the mercy of the elements—and the wolves who rescued him. If it hadn’t been for them, he’d be dead. He’d also still be human. Now he’s back, hoping to find out who he is and what he’s become. Instead, he finds smart, sexy Allison Connelly.

A forensic psychologist, Allison is newly divorced and proudly standing on her own two feet…until an unexpected storm shears off the snow bank she’s standing on. She plunges down an icy ravine, thinking she’s heading for oblivion. Then she lands in the arms of a tall, dark Texan. Jake.

Brought together by circumstance and bound by passion, secrets from their past threaten their future before it can begin. And somewhere in the mountains lurks a rogue Were turned serial killer. Whatever the danger Jake’s inner beast poses to Allison, there’s only one way to protect her—unleash it. Even if it costs him her love.

This book has been previously published and has been revised and expanded from its original release.

Warning: This book contains raging winter storms, truly inspiring sex, a kick-butt heroine, and one very hot, dirty-talking cowboy…who’s sometimes furry.




On a personal note - my son is running in his very first track meet on Thursday. He's really excited about it and I'm excited for him. Track is something I know NOTHING about, so this will be a new experience for me. It sounds like he's going to be running the 300 hurdles and the open 100. We'll see. Regardless, I'll be there cheering him and the team on. He's been training every day after school with the team, which means he can't really start homework most nights until 5:30 or 6:00 pm. For three weeks now he's been burning the candle at both ends, late nights of homework, getting up early for school, and practice. He's holding his own and most importantly seemingly enjoying it. 

Go Cavers!

Sam

Sunday, February 28, 2010

28 Days of Heart #28 - Sea of Sin


Read hot romance AND support charity to boot!

This is one of the 28 Days of Heart stories being released through All Romance Ebooks during the month of February. All profits generated from sales of these titles will be donated to the American Heart Association to help combat the number one killer of women.

Only $1.99

In an ocean of lust, they discovered true desire…

For one week every year, Christopher Montgomery sets aside the responsibility that comes with being the commander of Pittsburgh’s Zone Six police district. He gets as far away from home as possible to indulge in a hedonistic vacation on a gay cruise in the Caribbean, where he loses himself in the casualness of encounters with much younger men. Then he meets Kieran.

Kieran Phillips doesn't know what he is looking for except to get away by taking a weeklong cruise friendly to his lifestyle, until he comes across the rugged detective. Then he can't help but throw a wrench into Chris’ plans for a decadent vacation full of casual encounters with younger men by showing him the benefits of age and experience.

Saturday, February 27, 2010

28 Days of Heart #27 - Sweets


Read hot romance AND support charity to boot!

This is one of the 28 Days of Heart stories being released through All Romance Ebooks during the month of February. All profits generated from sales of these titles will be donated to the American Heart Association to help combat the number one killer of women.


Only $1.99

A vacation drizzled in chocolate segues into something much more decadent

In a resort dedicated to the enjoyment of chocolate, all Veronica wants to do is escape a miserable breakup by spoiling herself with the dark confection. Then she finds she’s deliciously receptive to the flirtations of a rugged grad student vacationing there as well.

When she invites an exotic couple to join them for more than dessert, Veronica finds herself indulging in more than the brochure promised.