Category: Books & Authors

Male Bonding in Romance

First off, thanks so much for having me as a guest on Muse Interrupted, Cindy. It’s such a thrill to be celebrating my debut novel and sharing my excitement with the blogworld.

One of my favorite parts of romance novels are those little glimpses you sometimes get of the hero is spending some one-on-one time with other guys. Most of the time, I’m like everyone else, desperate to read the next part when the hero and heroine are engaged in clever repartee—I’ve been known to skip over secondary romances in a book just to get back to the main couple. But those moments the hero spends with other men are ones I rarely skip.

Why?

I think it’s because I feel like I’m getting the insider view—a brief peek at what really makes the men in the story tick. The hero is usually relaxed in these scenes, just being himself and not trying to win the day. Although I love my heroes to be larger than life, I like to see them handling the smaller slices of life, too.

There’s usually some humor in those scenes, too, and I enjoy a few lighter moments—especially if the overall story is dark. An example? Okay, I’m going to steal from TV and not a book, just because I know it’ll resonate with most of you: Scenes involving Angel and Spike in the series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The push and pull between those two very determined male vampires is both fun and funny to watch, even when there are lives at stake. (Sorry, couldn’t resist the pun).

When it comes to my own writing, I find myself including some of that same interaction, in part to round out my characters, and in part for the sheer pleasure of it.

Here are a few moments between my hero, Lachlan MacGregor, and his friend Brian:

Lachlan wiped his practice sword with an oiled cloth and leaned it up against the stone fireplace. “This would be much easier had you begun training when you were a lad.”

“Yeah, well, I was too busy skateboarding and blowing my eardrums out with Pearl Jam, so that wasn’t an option.”

“Your combat skills need a lot of work.”

Brian deposited his sword and shield on the floor. Looking more like a walking sportswear advertisement than an immortal warrior, he used his arm to wipe the faint sheen off his brow and gave Lachlan a rueful smile. “All those years of corporate backstabbing and deep-sixing the competition don’t count, huh?”

“No.”

“But I’m young and I’m agile. You told me that when we started. And last week, you said I’d come a long way in five weeks. So why the long face?”

“Because you know just enough to get yourself killed.”

“Hey,” the former stockbroker protested, “I thought you said I had good instincts?”

“You need more than good instincts. You need skill.” Lachlan rubbed his shirt front to halt the trickles running down his chest. “And you need more bloody endurance. You should be training every spare minute.”

“No way. Unlike you, MacGregor, I have a life.”

“Read the cards, Webster. Things have changed.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. A year ago, the chances of being ambushed were one in fifty and now it’s more like fifty-fifty. But I’m already doing my bit. I work out with you three times a week. That’s more than most Gatherers can say.”

“Three hours a week is not enough.”

“Why not? I’m learning from the best.” Brian smiled. “Word on the Gatherer grapevine is that you once single-handedly took down a pair of martial demons.”

“Don’t believe everything you hear.”

“Oh, come on. You were ambushed by elite soldier henchies from the inner rings of hell and lived to tell the tale. I know it’s true, admit it. With you as my coach, there’s no question I’ll eventually own some demon ass.”

Shaking his head at the young man’s bravado, Lachlan strode into the kitchen.

I’m offering up a copy of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS to one lucky person today—all you need to do is comment. Do you have a favorite book or series that in your opinion does ‘the guy thing’ really well? Tell me about it.

 P.S. This is also a stop on my “Cross into Darkness” blog tour, so feel free to visit my website at www.annettemccleave.com for a chance to win the tour grand prize. If you’ve been following the tour from the beginning, here’s the clue….

Muse Interrupted clue: First word of the two-word answer is the Scottish term for valley.

Thanks for joining me today—I’ve really enjoyed my visit. Good luck in the draw!

***

To read the back cover copy of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS and Annette’s bio, please visit yesterday’s post. To learn more about Annette, please visit her website.

Tomorrow paranormal romance author Annette McCleave visits the blog! Annette is blogging about Male Bonding in Romance and is giving away a copy of her Signet Eclipse debut novel, DRAWN INTO DARKNESS. Here’s the back cover blurb:

For centuries Lachlan MacGregor has battled demon thieves for the souls of the dead, carrying out his pledge to deliver them into Heaven or Hell. But his greatest challenge as a Soul Gatherer is now among the living.

Struggling to connect with her troubled teenage daughter Emily, artist Rachel Lewis turns to her enigmatic yet strangely compelling neighbor Lachlan for advice. As Lachlan soon discovers, the young girl has fallen victim to a seductive demon—a specter from the past using the unsuspecting women to fulfill an ancient prophesy and settle a hellish score with Lachlan himself.

In the race to save Emily and avert a disastrous power shift among the deities, Rachel and Lachlan forge an uncommon bond. But how can Lachlan tell the mortal woman he’s falling in love with that the next soul he’s been enlisted to gather—and deliver beyond—is her daughter’s?

About Annette:

Annette McCleave is the Golden Heart® award winning author of DRAWN INTO DARKNESS, the first novel in a new paranormal romance series about Soul Gatherers—immortal warriors who battle demons to protect the souls of the dead. A former marketing executive, Annette is now a full-time writer and mother of one.

For more information about Annette and her books, please visit her website.

I’m returning from my Universe Dump Hiatus to announce that dark romantic thriller author Kylie Brant will visit the blog tomorrow. Kylie’s giving away a copy of her brand new release, WAKING NIGHTMARE. Here’s the back cover blurb:

With a serial rapist loose on the streets of Savannah, hot-shot detective Ryne Robel needs all the help he can get for his task force. And he needs it now, before another woman falls victim. But Abbie Phillips isn’t what he bargained for. Sent from an exclusive group of the best criminologists in the country, she’s smart, fierce…and distracting. She may be a brilliant forensic profiler, but Ryne needs answers, not pyschobabble and head games.

However, Abbie convinces him that head games are exactly what this elusive suspect is all about. The seemingly random acts of torture are actually calculated to match each victim’s darkest fears. And the stakes are rising. While they study the devious psychopath, he’s watching them—the next objects of his horrifying obsession.

Shiver me timbers!

About Kylie:

Kylie Brant is the author of twenty-five books for Silhouette Romantic Suspense and three dark romantic thrillers for Berkley. She’s a two- time Rita finalist and a five-time Romantic Times nominee. Kylie was a 2008 Romantic Times Career Achievement Award winner, and twice won the overall Daphne du Maurier award for mystery and suspense in 2004 and 2009. One of her books is included on Romantic Times magazine’s All-Time Favorites list.

For more information about Kylie and her books, please visit her website.

Tomorrow I welcome Kimani Romance author Dara Girard to the blog. Dara’s topic is Five Author Traits I Envy, and she’s giving away a copy of her June 2009 Kimani release, ROUND THE CLOCK, the fourth book in her Black Stockings Society series.

Back Cover Blurb for ROUND THE CLOCK:

Rebel made good meets good girl gone wild…

Anna Marie has spent too long trying to please everybody else. Now, thanks to an unexpected inheritance, she’s got a new lease on life. Her first step? Accepting the invitation to the Black Stockings Society. Still, the scandalous fishnets she receives in her first package must be a mistake. Anna Marie would never dare wear something so outrageously sexy to a meeting with her lawyer…would she?

In high school, Desmond Rockwell was a rebel barely aware of Anna Marie’s existence, or the fact that she had a major crush on him. But he can’t ignore the bold, seductive woman who has come to him seeking legal advice, unleashing a sizzling attraction that proves that some things are definitely worth the wait…

About Dara:

Dara Girard is an award-winning author of twelve romance novels, her most recent being ROUND THE CLOCK (Kimani Romance, 2009), the fourth and final book in her miniseries “The Black Stockings Society” about four women, one club and a secret that will make their fantasies come true. Her writing has been praised for its deft plot twists, witty dialogue and humor. She is also the author of a nonfiction book, THE WRITER BEHIND THE WORDS: STEPS TO SUCCESS IN THE WRITING LIFE (Ilori Press 2007). Dara lives in Maryland. You can find out more on her website.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I’m still being a blogger slacker, but I have a very good reason. What’s that reason, you ask? I can’t tell you yet. But I assure you, it’s a good one! (Other than that it’s summer). (Which qualifies as a pretty darn good excuse in itself!)

In the meantime, tomorrow please drop by to help me welcome erotic romance author Shelli Stevens to the blog. Shelli’s celebrating the release of her first Kensington Aphrodisia novel, TAKE ME. Please note that Shelli is camping and won’t be around to respond to comments until later in the week. But all comments for tomorrow’s guest blog will still qualify to win a copy of TAKE ME.

About TAKE ME:

After years as a slave to the pleasures of the powerful, Talia knows how to make a man mad with lust. But her pleasure counts for nothing—until a handsome, ruthless stranger appears. Ryder dares to look at her…to touch her…to awake in her a desire she’s never imagined. When he kidnaps her to learn her secrets, Talia vows not to let her passion take control. But soon she discovers that her captor’s intense gaze and searching hands can perform their own kind of interrogation, a sweet torture she finds impossible to resist…

Is it getting warm in here or what?

About Shelli:

Shelli read her first romance at the age of eleven. It wasn’t until many years later that she decided to pursue writing stories of her own. By then she acknowledged the voices in her head didn’t make her crazy, they made her a writer. She currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her young daughter and is actively involved in her local RWA chapter. When not writing you may find her enjoying the outdoors, spending time with friends, or wasting time surfing celebrity gossip sites.

Visit Shelli’s website.