Do Men Choose Differently than Women? By Kathryne Kennedy

The obvious answer is of course, yes. Men have different triggers that spark their interest. So I thought it would be fun to hand EVERLASTING ENCHANTMENT over to a young man and have him choose random sentences from each chapter that sparked his interest. These are definitely not sentences I would have chosen, so I found them fascinating...and am sharing them with you here today:

Quotes from EVERLASTING ENCHANTMENT

Ch. 1 Page 13: Surely her companion knew that baronets had the strength to rip them to shreds?

Ch. 2, Page 33: She studied him for a long moment, those golden eyes disconcerting in their intensity. "Your sadness is a weight I can almost feel. Perhaps that's what makes you so irresistible to women."

Ch. 3 Page 54: She glanced over at the were-vampire bat, who had returned to the wine cabinet and refreshed her glass.

Ch. 4 Page 79: He realized some of his opponents were nothing more than illusion, unable to hurt him as the greater power of Merlin's curse protected him, but since he could not tell what he faced, he must waste his strength on them.

Ch. 5 Page 89: Millicent didn't answer his question. She couldn't. No one had ever done anything like this for her before. It felt like a home. Could he even guess that she'd never had one?

Ch. 6 Page 111: He made no decisions. He followed the pattern Merlin had laid out for him. Why had it not bothered him until now?

Ch. 7 Page 121: Millicent twitched her whiskers in a grim smile and entered the tunnel, her sight quickly adjusting to the darkness.

Ch. 8 Page 144: "The duke treats his prisoners quite well."

Ch. 9 Page 160: He seemed to take for granted that he could outwit the spies, who were certainly a fearsome group of predators.

Ch. 10 Page 175: Iridescent wings twitched. "I never swoon madam. Lose my equilibrium perhaps. But never swoon."

Ch. 11 Page 207: "I would not call them warriors, Sir Knight. A motley horde perhaps, but not warriors."

Ch. 12 Page 218: "Ogres or no, we ain't goin' back," snapped Nell, yanking her skirt out of Millicent's teeth.

Ch. 13 Page 240: The door suddenly swung open and a liveried footman bowed to them, showing no surprise at welcoming a panther, sprite, and a sword-wielding knight.

Ch. 14 Page 261: Millicent shifted back to human with blood still smeared around her mouth.

Ch. 15 Page 276: She drew up the sleeve of her gown, the moonstone twinkling in the light of the wild magic dancing on the ceiling.

Ch. 16 Page 290: "Master -- it's not wise to leave behind loose magic."

Ch. 17 Page 305: Jackals, hyenas, and wolverines slinked into the light. Millicent had never felt so grateful to see her fellow creatures from the Underground.

Ch. 18 Page 315: And Gareth suddenly realized his pain wasn't all mental, that most of the blood covering his tunic might be his own.

Ch. 19 Page 336: In his time he would have composed poems about her.

Ch. 20 Page 348: The world spun. Millicent took a step, and fortunately managed to maneuver a chair beneath her when her legs collapsed.

Ch. 21 Page 358: Gareth blinked. The creature had a tail. A furry tail, with a ball of scraggly fur at the end. It stuck out of the back of his trousers through a narrow slit and waved jauntily at him.

Ch. 22 Page 366: If necessary, she would spend her entire life composing ballads to him, if it made up for the pain she had caused.


Did you note anything in common? That the male reader has focused on the action and adventure in the novel, a good deal of characterization...and just a touch of romance (which is fifty percent of the book). Fortunately, there was enough adventure to hold his interest. The parts he chose as the romance element were actually the deeper ones, the ones that delved into the souls of the characters. Neat stuff here to contemplate.:}

Until Next Time,
My Magical Best,
Kathryne

A New Look At Rejection

I am a huge fan of Law & Order Criminal Intent. Recently, I heard the Jeff Goldblum character say that rejection is God's protection. It never feels good to receive a rejection letter from an agent or editor no matter what stage you are at in your writing career, but his comment made me look at rejection in a new way. Instead of feeling depressed when you receive that dreaded email, try asking yourself what could God (or the universe) be protecting you against? Is this a good time in your life for writing deadlines? Perhaps a positive change is coming and you need the extra time to enjoy your promotion, baby, grandchild, remodeling project, move to a new home, etc. Is the editor of the line known for huge rewrites that you would not welcome? Or maybe that editor is about to leave for another publisher. If she took you on, you might find her replaced by an editor that doesn't like your style. The publisher may be about to sell the company or face bankruptcy. There is always the chance that you are close to publication, but still need to learn a bit more about your craft and this rejection is protecting you from embarrassment.

If you choose to accept that rejection is a form of protection, then put that dreaded email behind you and continue to write and learn more about your craft. When you receive your contract, it will be a distant memory.


Until next week,
happy reading and writing.
Tina Swayzee McCright

Introducing Shari Broyer

It is my pleasure to introduce Shari Broyer and her book Ether Man.

This quixotic story blends paranormal mystery, comedy and romance.

If you hear a voice in your head, you’re schizoid, right? Not Esther, she’s conjured up Ether Man, a being she can hear and sometimes feel. But when Irving, the EM, refuses to fully manifest, a frustrated Esther vanquishes him and books a singles cruise for herself and her BFF, Yolanda. Aboard ship, Irving reappears as a “stowaway”; Esther meets the man of her dreams; and Yolanda meets trouble. Now, Esther and Yolanda must prove their innocence in a murder case, and Irving tags along.

You can purchase her book at Amazon.

Shari Broyer has been writing since childhood. Her earliest award: a 1st place trophy for Creative Writing at 8th grade graduation. She writes in many genres and does not restrict her creative muses (she believes she has far more than the nine commonly known ones).

Formerly she was: Editor in Chief of Kent State University--Ashtabula's literary magazine, Kaleidoscope; Facilitator, Writers' Forum, Barnes and Noble, High Point, NC; host of Writer's Digest World's Largest Writing Workshop; published in various literary anthologies; top 100 winner, Writer's Digest 2000 competition--Inspirational category, etc.

Currently, she facilitates Writers Roundtable at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ; is Board member/Newsletter Editor for the Desert Rose Chapter of Romance Writers of America and is also a manuscript editor for hire (see her website http://sharibroyerbooks.weebly.com). She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and its local Chapter, Christian Writers of the West. When not feverishly writing or editing, she enjoys reading, swimming, mild hiking, the arts (theater, ballet, concerts, art galleries, art shows, museums, etc.), traveling, spending time with friends and family, and playing with her cat, Baby, who by the way, is featured on the cover of The Cat Who Would Be Black.

Writing With Emotion

If you are like me, Mother's Day brought with it a mixture of emotions. My daughter prepared dinner for my husband me Saturday night. Watching her cook, in the home she decorated, filled my chest with pride. Of course, we reminisced. I laughed while telling her husband stories about her childhood. Later, she gave me a coffee cup with a sun border. She had written the lyrics to "You Are My Sunshine" on the coffee cup. I remembered gazing into her eyes and singing that song to her when she was a baby. Tears welled in my eyes.

Today, my husband and I took my mother out for a late lunch. This time I remembered being the child. We pulled out our iPhones and shared family pictures stored on Facebook. All those yesterdays flooded back. My heart ached for my brothers living in different states. I don't see enough of them.

Holidays give us a chance to get in touch with our emotions and to be grateful for the people in our lives. As writers, it is our job to create worlds in which our characters feel those same emotions. If we do our job well, our readers won't have to wait for holidays to laugh, love and cry; they can open the pages of a romance novel.

Until next week,
happy reading and writing.
Tina Swayzee McCright

Cover Reveal

Although  my book is still at the editors, I've got a cover. I'm happy dancing. I am so excited. But even better now I get to perform an experiment. Do male covers sell better than female covers? I can't wait to find out.

Do you prefer men or women on the covers of your romance books?

5/2 Spotlighting Felicity Heaton, by Caris Roane

Hi, Everyone!
USA Today Bestselling Author, Felicity Heaton, has a new book out: CLAIMED BY A DEMON KING!!! I've been following her career for several years now and she's been rockin' the Paranormal Romance world with a variety of series including books featuring vampires, werewolves, angels and shifters.

About the Author - In her Own Words:
I'm a USA Today and international best-selling British author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In my books I create detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons!

If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, Larissa Ione, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy my books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of my stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.

* * *

About CLAIMED BY A DEMON KING

The moment the demon King Thorne of the Third Realm set eyes on the mortal huntress Sable, he knew she was his fated one. The fiery, dangerous female awakened hungers he had never experienced before, a dark craving and passion that has consumed him in their time apart. As the lunar cycle wanes, she enters his world again and nothing will stand in the way of him claiming his forever with her—not the relentless assault from the Fifth Realm or the dark elf male determined to seduce her out of his grasp.

Intent on achieving the coveted position of commander at Archangel, Sable leads her small team into the dark underworld and the Third Realm, to a war where her allies are the very creatures she normally hunts—vampires, werewolves, and demons. Her eagerness to lead the deadly mission has everything to do with winning her promotion, and nothing to do with the kingdom’s brash, lethally seductive demon king—a king who stirred fierce desire and wildfire heat in her with just a look and an innocent touch when they first met, and has been in her wicked dreams ever since.

As the gathering storm between rivals unleashes irresistible passion that flares white-hot and the heat of the battle brings life-shattering realisations, can Sable place her duty before her heart? Or will she surrender to her deepest desires and be claimed by a demon king?

For more information about Felicity Heaton and CLAIMED BY A DEMON KING, visit her website:  CLICK HERE!!!
 
Hope you enjoyed this glimpse of Felicity Heaton and her latest release.  Have a wonderful day and an even better night!