Thursday, December 27, 2012

Ingredients for a 1Night Stand

Buy Intergalactic Heat HERE!

by Jessica E. Subject
I admit it. I’m a 1Night Stand addict. Not only do I write these stories, but I also buy them and read them. You can check my read and to-read list on Goodreads to confirm this if you want. The thing I like about this line at Decadent, is that the stories are all SO different. Of all those I’ve read, I honestly can’t say that I could compare one to another. Yes, they all involve a one-night stand between the parties involved, and with a little magic from Madame Evangeline, one night may lead to many more. But, the characters range from regular humans, to shifters, vampires, aliens, and more. And the dates occur all over the Earth and beyond. Some are more memorable than others, and all a treat to read. Hats off to everyone involved in this series.
So, I’m going to tell you how I create a 1Night Stand story. I’m sure every author involved in this line has their own formula for writing one of these stories, but here’s mine:

ONE – Take a character who feels out of place in society, whether born this way, or as a result of something that has happened in their life. This is a character who is not usually the life of the party, but content to stand back and watch. Or perhaps they might not even be at the party, content to be on their own. And sometimes, they just want to break free. Here are examples from my stories:
Frey (Celestial Seduction) – He’s an alien from the planet Ginnun. On his own planet, he is not supposed to feel emotions, but he does. On Earth, he does not look the same as us, with his blue shimmery skin, but he is able to create a human image to disguise himself.
Tamara (Beneath the Starry Sky) – She has Alopecia Areata, an auto-immune disease that has caused her to lose her hair. She wears a wig, but has lost her confidence.
Jewel (Unknown Futures) – She has acid burn scars all over her face.
Danyka (Satin Sheets in Space) – She is taller than most guys she knows and has radiant red hair, causing her to stand out in a crowd when she doesn’t want to.
Paige (Sudden Breakaway) – As a member of the Space Service, she lives in the shadows recruiting others, but she does not have time for a life.

TWO – Add another character or characters with issues of their own. This character is usually more outgoing, and in some cases, set up on the 1Night Stand by someone else. Here are the other halves:
Carrie (Celestial Seduction) – She is a pediatric nurse, but is also unable to have children.
Josh (Beneath the Starry Sky) – He is a former sci-fi television star with his own secrets making him want to leave the limelight.
Flavia (Unknown Futures) – She is one of only a few beings from Earth working on the Space Service space station. And she is very homesick.
Galan – An alien wanting to settle down. But he also has to think of his brother, and shipmate, Volan.
Jared – A former Marine who is now the guardian of his preschool-aged niece and nephew.

THREE – Add in an interesting location, whether it be a cave in the woods, a spaceship, a space station, or even a hockey game.

FOUR – Include intense attraction but some hesitation.

FIVE – Sprinkle in some of Madame Evangeline’s magic, and you have the beginnings of a 1Night Stand story.
I have five 1Night Stand stories out there now, with plans for more. And I’m so happy to say that you can find my first five in the print anthology, Intergalactic Heat.

Giveaway!!
For your chance to WIN swag from all five of my 1Night Stand stories, tell me what you think is an important ingredient in a romance story. Contest is international. Winner will be announced December 31, 2012. Good luck!

A date on a space station? Alien lovers? Madame Evangeline, owner of the exclusive 1Night Stand dating service is known to be magical in fulfilling the ideal dates of her clients, but she’s outdone herself this time, bring together beings from Earth and beyond. As long as applicants are willing to let go of their pasts and open their hearts and minds, she will find their perfect match, whether they be a former sci-fi television star, a nurse, an employee of the Space Service, a former Marine, or even an extraterrestrial. Because everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after…

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Excerpt from Beneath the Starry Sky – MF Contemporary Erotic Romance
She’d held onto so much hope for this date, and nothing had gone right. She still didn’t know who this guy was. Yet, he’d already rejected her with his expression. This is the last date Im going on, unless Im lucky enough for my hair to grow back.

His gaze never left her, making her even more humiliated. “You’re….”
“What? Ugly? Bald?”

He shook his head. “No, I was going to say my date. I’ve been so busy lately and Madame Evangeline had to send me a reminder.”

She paused at the Frenchwoman’s name. Could this hunk of a man really be her date? Didn’t matter. He wouldn’t want her now. “Well, surprise! I’m damaged goods, so you might as well leave and ask her for a refund.”

As she slumped to the floor, more tears streamed down her face. Why is life so unfair? She’d worked hard all of her life, never taking shortcuts or the easy way out. Not an outcast or popular, she’d been friends with everyone in school and college. And healthy. She’d taken extra care to eat properly in order to avoid being diagnosed with diabetes, like her parents.

Since that fateful day when she’d discovered her two, oval-shaped bald patches, she’d been dumped by her fiancé and lost all of her hair, along with any chance to find love and have a family vanishing. Kids were out of the question. Sure, their chances of inheriting alopecia were unlikely, but on the chance they did, they’d hate her for passing her faulty genetics on to them. She couldn’t live with that. She’d be alone. Forever.

Excerpt from Satin Sheets in Space – MFM Science Fiction Erotic Romance
She had her eyes closed, her lips pressed against his, when the sensation started. First, a tingling in her hands and feet, as he swept his digits deep inside her. The buzz spread up her arms and legs until it engulfed her entire body. She no longer sensed the ground below her.

The man continued to drive his fingers into her core with vigor, ridding her of the urge to pull away and find out what was happening to her. She landed with a thud, feeling returning to her limbs. Nothing stopped the man who held her, though. He continued to ravage her mouth, her jaw, her neck, keeping her pressed against the wall.

But something felt different. Gone was the hard brick pressing through her corset and against her skin. She reached behind to brush her hand along the surface. Soft. Almost like cushioned satin.

With a whimper, she pushed the strange man away. Where was she? What had she been thinking? This is the stupidest, most insane thing I’ve ever done.
The Prince Charming she’d had the fortune of being set up with peered down at her, his gaze intense and filled with lust. “My name is Galan, and we’re in my spaceship.”

At least she now knew his name, but wait…. Spaceship? She stared at the man, disillusioned. She could think of no other explanation for how they had traveled to a new location with the press of a button. Oh God, she’d been abducted by an alien. How would she get out of this situation? The first time she’d done something spur-of-the-moment, and she’d ended up being finger-fucked by an extraterrestrial.

Or was this some kind of elaborate stunt Josh had pulled off? But why? He was on his honeymoon, unable to enjoy his handiwork. Her body grew numb; a loud ringing pierced her eardrums. She could no longer think with the clouds invading her mind. Then she blacked out.

Bio:
Jessica Subject started writing to encourage her daughter to read. Now she writes to keep herself grounded. Although she reads many genres, she enjoys writing Science Fiction Romance the most and believes everyone in the universe deserves a happily ever after. She lives Southwestern Ontario, Canada with her husband and two kids and loves to hear from anyone who has enjoyed her stories.

16 comments:

  1. You write interesting stories in great settings! Keep it up!

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  2. Loved reading about your 1NS writing process! This one sounds great, too!

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    1. Thank you, Taryn! And I've got more in the works, too. :)

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  3. Love your imagination and excerpts, Jessica, especially this line: "Oh God, she'd been abducted by an alien"! :-)

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    1. Thanks, Leah! Yes, Satin Sheets in Space is one of my favs. It was a lot of fun to write. :)

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  4. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! The winner is Kathleen Grieve. Congratulations!

    I wish everyone all the best in 2013!
    ~Jessica

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  5. I love this series too!! It is one of my favorite guilty pleasures. I need to check out some of yours next :). Sorry I missed the giveaway. Your books look super super fun! delphinareadstoomuch at yahoo

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    1. Thanks so much, Delphina! I love this series as well. So many great stories to choose from. :)

      I have giveaways going on all the time, so be sure to stop by my blog for more info. I'm participating in a blog hop right now, and I have two releases coming up this month, so extra contests. :)

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  6. Yep, that sounds about right, and reminded me how much I loved each and every one of those characters.

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  7. Love this blog. What a great insight. Thank you

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    1. Thanks, Sheri! Now, this formula may be different for other authors, but this is how I do it. Working on my seventh 1NS story now. :)

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  8. Congrats, Jessica! Hot read and fantastic story!

    Happy sales!

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  9. I do. LOL I find it works best for me. ;)

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