Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Jeanne Oates Estridge | When the Carpet Doesn’t Match the Drapes
Author Guest / September 13, 2018

We’ve all been told never to judge a book by its cover, but the truth is, that’s exactly what we do, especially when we’re shopping at an online site. Graphic designers work hard to create covers that, even in a size no larger than your fingernail, grab your eyes and don’t let go. So what happens when, seduced by that gorgeous cover, we buy the book only to discover that the story inside doesn’t deliver on the implicit promise of that cover? The author described the hero as an adorable beta male, but the alpha guy on the cover would make the head of a werewolf pack slink away in fear. The story was erotic paranormal, but the cover was a cutesy cartoon. The heroine of the story was a fiery redhead, but the cover model was a die-away blonde. The cover depicted smoldering lust between the H/H, but the story was cozy small-town love. The story featured characters with diverse backgrounds, but the cover models were all Caucasians. The book was part of a series, but the cover looks nothing like the other books in the series. Mismatches of this sort can create all kinds of issues for not…

Cynthia Eden | Let Your Inner Demon Out
Romance / November 26, 2008

“Let your inner demon out”—That’s what Cara Maloan, the heroine from my new Kensington Brava release, MIDNIGHT SINS, would really like to encourage all women to do. Cara thinks ladies should start living for themselves, doing what they want—and having one heck of a good time. Something you should probably know…Cara’s a succubus. Yep, she’s an immortal demon who gains power from sneaking into a man’s dreams and stealing his sensual energy. Hey—it’s a job, someone has to do it. 🙂 Cara is absolutely one of the most interesting characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of writing. She was fun—definitely fun—but, the lady also had her hang-ups. You see, she’s a sex demon at heart, but Cara wants more than fleeting pleasure from a man. She wants love, and love isn’t something that a succubus usually gets to experience. Ah, such is the twisted fate of my characters. When I write about my characters, I love to think in terms of opposites for them. Vampires with blood phobias…sex demons who want love…a vampire hunter who finds her perfect lover in—ahem—a vampire. Opposites. But don’t worry too much about Cara…I gave her a good hero. She just has to get him…

Candace Havens | Secrets and Siblings
Candace Havens / November 4, 2008

I grew up an only child, and I really liked it. (Smile) Except for the fact that I love to play board games and cards, and I didn’t always have a playmate. But I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of siblings. That’s why there are four Caruthers sisters and one brother in my new book “The Demon King and I.” I wanted to write about that interaction between siblings. I have first hand experience after watching my own children, but I also did some research by hanging around and learning to understand how my friends interact with their brothers and sisters. Take my friend Shannon’s comment about how one of her brother’s dresses. We were Christmas shopping a few years ago and she talked about how she bought him some decent clothes so he would wear something besides a t-shirt and jeans. It was her subtle way of telling him to grow up. I didn’t realize it, until just this moment but that sort of ended up in The Demon King and I. (Please, don’t tell her.) I watched as another friend interacted with her two sisters. That dynamic was very interesting because the middle sister, my friend, has…

Eve Silver | A Little Bit Dark….
Uncategorized / September 28, 2007

I wrote my first book when I was nine, the story of an unwanted teddy bear that found a new and loving home. Poor teddy! I guess even at the age of nine was a little dark, LOL! Years later, I tried my hand at romantic comedy (an abysmal failure). My next attempt was at a lighthearted, fun historical, the kind I loved to read. Only problem was, no matter how hard I tried, I just wasn’t funny. Everything that flowed from my imagination was creepy and dark and moody. So what is it with me and dark books? Whether I’m writing historical gothics or sexy, contemporary paranormals as Eve Silver, or speculative romance as Eve Kenin, everything I write is dark, dark, dark (with the occasional quirky humor thrown in). What is it about a dark, tortured hero that is so appealing? And why does the heroine love him when he’s so hard to love? In my historical gothics (DARK PRINCE, HIS DARK KISS, DARK DESIRES), the heroes are secretive and a little sinister. Terrible things have happened to them, and they’ve done terrible things in turn. Yet, the tortured hero captures the love of the heroine and the…

Jaci Burton | Genre Jumping
Romance / September 13, 2007

One of the questions I get asked most is whether it’s difficult to write in different genres. The answer is absolutely not. I love genre jumping. In fact, I think it would make me insane if I were to write in only one genre. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been writing in multiple genres since I started writing. It’s impossible for me to stick to one…flavor. I love so many. When I first started writing for Ellora’s Cave, I started in contemporary, then branched out into paranormal. Then I got this great idea about faeries so I started a fantasy series. Then came futuristics and…well, you get the idea. I can’t seem to stay with one genre, and I’m fine with that.Several years and multiple publishers later, I’ve pretty much settled on mainstream paranormal romance and contemporary erotic romance…mostly. And that was because I was given the wonderful opportunity to write for Bantam Dell and Berkley, and each contracted me for something completely different, which was like a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to write paranormal romance, and my writing roots were in erotic romance. Now I can do both. And I also write for Samhain Publishing where I can…