Power Exchanges and the Women who Love Them

By Catherine Peace

Not talking BDSM. At least not today. I’m thinking more along the lines of switching the uber-traditional gender roles. It’s not a new concept, but it’s actually pretty fun to do (and probably how I end up writing beta males, but I’ve already written about that somewhere).

As most of you know, Decadent is introducing a new line of fairy tale retellings called Beyond Fairy Tales. There are still plenty of stories left, so if you’re interested in writing for the line, go here.

Now back to the regularly-scheduled post.

My retelling is based on the Brothers Grim tale The Water Nix. For anyone unfamiliar with the story, here are the basics: a brother and sister fall down a well and end up enslaved to a Nix, who makes them do really stupid chores like weave flax and chop down wood with a dull ax. While playing tenor sax. In a field of yaks.

The last two aren’t part of the story. Sorry. Got caught up in rhyme. 

Anyway….

I’m working on a science fiction story with a bunch of common romance tropes—*fake* marriage of convenience, slight enemies to lovers, and a couple others—and one of my favorite aspects is the power exchange between the hero and heroine. Though my heroine Shadi begins the story enslaved to the alien species Nyx, she’s certainly not a damsel in distress, nor is she incapable of taking care of herself. There are points in which she saves the hero, and points where they work together to take care of enemies they’ve made along the way. (Trying not to give too much away)

They remind me a bit of Giselle and Robert from Enchanted. If you haven’t seen it, go forth and enjoy Amy Adams as a princess and Susan Sarandon as the queen of all that is awesome who turns into a dragon at the end of the movie. Instead of Robert, played by Patrick Dempsey, being the one who saves Giselle, the tables are turned and Giselle does the saving. It’s awesome. I highly recommend it.

No one in this book bursts into song, though. That happens in my 1Night Stand, Complete Me, which is available at Decadent Publishing, Amazon, B&N, and All Romance Ebooks. In case you were curious.

About Complete Me:

   A romance author who needs to love…. 

   Best-selling romance author Claire Ergleston confines her passions to the pages of her books. When she receives a 1Night Stand date ‘to give her something to talk about in interviews,’ can she let herself be swept away? 

   A rock star who needs to let go…. 

   The past has a chokehold on former rock star Ty Krause. Instead of killer tunes, he kills time writing passable songs for a British boy band and his nights wishing he had the balls to say goodbye. In a last ditch effort, he signs up for 1Night Stand, thinking that a night of no-strings-attached sex will help him break the leash of his past. 

   From the moment Claire and Ty meet, sparks fly—but can they overcome their pasts or will their potential love story end on a sour note?

#completeme, #decadentpub, #1NS, #1nightstand, #lexcade 

Gotta Love the Guys with Rhythm

Everybody loves them some musicians.

Even if you’re one of those weird people who doesn’t like music, you cannot deny that there’s something undeniably hawt about musicians. Maybe you’re a lead singer lover. You love Billy Idol’s snarl, M. Shadows’ Texas twang, Chris Cornell’s pure sex voice. Okay that’s me. Or maybe you like the enigmatic lead guitarist like Slash or Mark Tremonti. Bassists? How about Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx or Hinder’s Mike Rodden?

Well, if you’re anything like me, you’re hot for the drummer.

I’ve always had a thing for drummers. Neil Pert? One of the best. Tommy Lee? Be still my Kickstarted Heart. Even Lars Ulrich before that whole Napster ordeal. For me, drummers are the backbone of the band, the keepers of the cadence, the primal glue that holds the music together. And then there’s all that aggression….

My super-big drummer crush right now is on Halestorm’s Arejay Hale. Granted, the guy is totally hot, but he is also a BEAST behind a kit. A BEAST.

SEE??? BEAST. There’s a reason his nickname is Animal…. *Drags mind from gutter* *Mind scrambles for purchase* Ty may not be a drummer, but he’s a hot-as-hell bassist and songwriter, and that’s more than enough for Claire. A romance author who needs to love…. 

Best-selling romance author Claire Ergleston confines her passions to the pages of her books. When she receives a 1Night Stand date ‘to give her something to talk about in interviews,’ can she let herself be swept away? 

A rock star who needs to let go…. The past has a chokehold on former rock star Ty Krause. Instead of killer tunes, he kills time writing passable songs for a British boy band and his nights wishing he had the balls to say goodbye. In a last ditch effort, he signs up for 1Night Stand, thinking that a night of no-strings-attached sex will help him break the leash of his past. 

From the moment Claire and Ty meet, sparks fly—but can they overcome their pasts or will their potential love story end on a sour note? 

About the Author: 

 Catherine Peace has been telling stories for as long as she could remember. Maybe even from the womb; no one knows for sure. Now, she writes delightful romances with enough spice to make Emeril happy when not masquerading as a normal person at the day job. 

Find Catherine at: Facebook Twitter Blog: Going from Nobody to Somebody Blog: The Pen Punks Reviewer for Indie Books R Us

Contest:  Enter to win a free e-copy of Complete Me, a $25 i-Tune gift card, and a Complete Me-inspired T-shirt. Hurry, contest closes on March 31st! Click the link below to enter!

Entry-Form 

All I want for Christmas is a…Beta?

Available HERE

By Catherine Peace

A lot of the time, Alpha Males command our attention. They’re the big, strong, take-charge men who rev our motors and are probably the reason fainting couches were invented.  Nothing gets us quite like the strong man who wants to sweep us off our feet and fireman-carry us straight into the bedroom.

But what about the shy wallflower who gazes upon us from afar, who maybe isn’t as take-charge as his more loud-mouthed counterpart. The Loki to our Thor, the one who isn’t as boisterous and might not make the first move, but will remain ever-vigilant to our needs once we’ve taken the time to drag him away from the wall?

Why should we love beta males?

Why not?

Exhibit A: The Walking Dead’s Daryl. 

Ladies, you know who I’m talking about. If you live anywhere near a television or Facebook, you know allllllll about Daryl Dixon. Probably more than you need to. The character has a rabid (sometimes frightening) fan base and multiple, dedicated groups who probably have pitchforks and torches at the ready should our favorite soft-spoken redneck meet his demise. Daryl drives the women crazy. He’s shown his nurturing side and his intense loyalty to the people he cares about. He often defers to Rick’s leadership (or to the decisions of the council). Daryl’s not a wuss. He steps up when he needs to, but more often than not he’s much more comfortable taking a supporting role than a leading one.

Exhibit B: Ted Mosby. 

His entire quest on How I Met Your Mother is to find The One. His wife. The mother of his children. He makes these grand romantic gestures (blue French horn anyone?), falls in love easily, is willing to make sacrifices for his friends and family, and wants everyone to be happy. He’s sweet, charming, considerate, caring, intelligent, and the only thing he wants out of life is to fall in love and have a boy and a girl while being a successful architecture professor (and pulling off red cowboy boots).  

So why should you choose a beta male this holiday season? They’re sweet, they’re cuddly, they definitely know how to treat a woman, AND they’ll totally rub your feet while you read your favorite book.

Want to try out a beta male? Why not Kiernan from This Time Next Year?

Blurb:

Vampire Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day. 

Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life. 

Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?

Available at:

Decadent Publishing

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance Ebooks

Bad Ass Biters

This Time Next Year available HERE

By Catherine Peace

As a connoisseur of sexy fanged men (and grateful for spell check because I can’t spell connoisseur on my own), I spend a lot of time considering certain attributes of the delicious vampires that inhabit popular culture. Three of my favorites? Ridiculously hot and devious Eric Northman, brooding and loving John Mitchell, and kindhearted and moody Louis du Point du Lac, on whom my hero Kiernan is based…. The point (get it?) here is that there are plenty to choose from. And I didn’t even get to the Vampire Diaries. (I don’t read the books or watch the show, but Ian Somerhalder, if you somehow see this, have your people call…um…me.)

But which of these badass biters would be the best 1Night Stand date?

The Contenders

Eric—Oh, Eric. This tall drink of True Blood is the show’s resident undead panty drencher. On the outside, he’s cold, calculating and ruthless, but as season two showed us, he’s got a much softer side that is just as gorgeous as the package it comes in. Plus his intense loyalty to those he cares about puts him in the front running for a successful 1NS match. If you can get past his deviousness and into his heart, a happily ever after is almost guaranteed. HEA potential: Extremely high

Mitchell—Anyone unfamiliar with this amazing and beautiful vampire from BBC’s Being Human is missing out. More than once, this hunk of Irish goodness almost made me late for work. He’s basically vampire perfection—he can be ruthless and cruel when he has to be, but he can also be tender and loving, quick with a joke, and kind. Essentially he’s a mixture of Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, minus the billions of dollars, abandonment issues, and alcohol problems. He’s also extremely loyal and has a lot of love to give. HEA potential: High

Louis—Louis…Louis, Louis, Louis. I’m partial to him for many reasons, one of which being we share the same birthday (October 4^th, which is also Anne Rice’s birthday). He’s broken, wracked with guilt over his brother’s death, and is in serious need of Madame Eve’s matchmaking services. If anyone deserves a happily ever after, it’s Louis, and I have confidence he would give as much—or more—than he gets, which is probably why there’s so much of him in Kiernan. HEA potential: Extremely high, if he can stay away from Lestat

Want a guaranteed happily ever after? This Time Next Year is available at Decadent Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Blurb:

  Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day.
  Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life.
  Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?

Add TTNY to your Goodreads TBR pile.

Find Catherine at:
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Going from Nobody to Somebody 

The Joys of Wedges

This Time Next Year available HERE

By Catherine Peace

Sorry, guys. I don’t mean shoes, although there’s a spectacular joy in those, too. No, today I’m thinking about the wedges that we, as authors, drive into our characters’ relationships. Be it a conflict of interests, a conflict in social statuses, or good old-fashioned hate turning to love, these plot devices help make our writing worlds go ‘round. They also tend to make us the devil.

For This Time Next Year, I depended on two: Moira’s hate/fear of Kiernan, and Kiernan’s self-deprivation, which keeps him from even wanting to attempt a relationship.  These wedges were introduced incredibly early in the story—Chapter 3 to be exact—and most often give us the smallest devil rating: 0-3 depending on your deviousness.

(However, wedges can be used in the beginning, near the middle, or even toward the end of a story. So you’ll have to adjust your devil rating accordingly.)

The above with Kiernan and Moira is an example of using a wedge in the beginning. It already creates tension and gives the characters something to fight for from the start, and readers something to cheer on.  

Sometimes, though, it’s fun to drive your couple apart. Maybe it’s an old flame coming back into the picture, or a secret that threatens the relationship?  Throwing these into the middle usually constitutes a devil rating of 4-7. If you’re really bad (an old flame AND a secret???), you can nab an 8.

So what does it take to get a 10 (or 11 if we’re on the Spinal Tap scale)? When the wedge you drive into the relationship results in a will they/won’t they cliffhanger. And especially if said will they/won’t they spans over several books *cough* Charlaine Harris *cough*. Heck, that might even nab you a 20.

However, it’s important not to abuse your wedges. Like with our beloved shoes, overuse can cause them to wear out, so only pick wedges that perfectly compliment your story. You definitely don’t want to commit a fiction faux pas.

Blurb - This Time Next Year

Vampire Kiernan Shaw has never forgotten the night twenty years ago when he’d been forced to stand by while another vampire killed a six-year-old girl’s parents in front of her. He’s spent the better part of the last two decades watching over her, protecting her and hoping for an opportunity to make amends one day.

Ever since surviving the vampire attack that killed her parents, Moira Curran has dealt with the resulting nightmares and abandonment issues the only way she could—by throwing herself into her biochemistry career, preferring a life of a hermit in her lab to facing the reality of her lonely life.

Madame Eve brings them back together for one fateful night. An immediate bond of sizzling chemistry and respect forms, but can it heal her fears and his guilt?

Buy links

Decadent Publishing

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

All Romance EBooks

Add TTNY to your to-read list on Goodreads! 

Find Catherine at:

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Goodreads

Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck

Buy This Time Next Year HERE

By Catherine Peace

I was the kid who read Mary Shelley just for the heck of it. I was the one who researched monsters for nothing better to do. So when I decided to write for 1Night Stand, I went to my comfort zone—vampires. Which is funny because when I was really young, I used to pull the covers up to my chin in fear of vampires, and I’ve always had love for a sword.

But my vampire slaying never came to fruition. Instead, thanks to Anne Rice, I fell in love with them. She presented a different kind of vampire—a more human, more relatable, sexy-as-hell kind. Love her or hate her, you have to admit that she’s done a lot for our favorite nocturnal, fanged hunters.

Since my reading of the Vampire Chronicles (including a very thorough reading of The Vampire Lestat), my fictional world has been filled with these creatures of the night. I loooooooooooove writing vampire stories, I love the society, the world, the rules, the rules I get to break, the interplay between vampires and humans. There’s a huge amount of material to tap.

And tap it I did.

Though This Time Next Year is a short read, I wanted to bring some of those aspects into the story to give it as big a feel as I could. I wanted to provide the biggest bang for your buck, so to speak, by giving as much detail as possible without overwhelming the story or the reader. Thanks to some fantastic editing from Miss Valerie, I got to do just that.

Googling vampire myths, I ran across a couple of things that I knew would translate well into the story’s flow. Rather than go ye olde route of “pain, bloodlust, etc etc etc,” I found the “comatose state” and “possible feral vampire” routes to be much more interesting. In some cultures, when someone is undergoing a vampiric transformation, they enter into a death-like state, which often leads to them being buried…well…pseudo-alive (hence vampires sleeping in coffins).

The feral vampires thing was the bigger one that I loved—LOVED—because it fit so perfectly into the narrative. Moira’s parents were killed by a feral vampire, setting the entire story into motion. This upped the stakes like nothing I could have come up with on my own. How do these fit in? You’ll have to read to find out!