A dead (literally!) sexy dark hero, a gutsy, desperate, and driven heroine in a historical Turn of the Century setting I can’t wait to return to (at the end of this month!!) all in one spine tingling setting – New Orleans! Gerardo Pascale first appeared as a villain in the original trio of my Midnight vampire romance series – a villain who quickly became my favorite character (I DO love a bad boy!!). He was just too good to waste. Scarred and in hiding, he’s been living undetected by the human world – until an unscrupulous bargain binds him in unholy matrimony to a woman carrying another man’s child. Here’s a tasty nibble from MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT . . .
Midnight Enchantment (Touched by Midnight - Book 4)
“Now, I may not be able to convince anyone that you are a . . . a vampire, sir, but, if I give this information to the newspapers, they will hound you unmercifully, and without access to your monies, you’ll have no means to flee the city.”
Silence as the dark night creature pondered this, unperturbed, and that alarmed Percy, as did the words that followed.
“And if I were to just tear out your throat before you could give that information to anyone?”
The casual way he presented Percy’s death made the lawyer’s blood run icy because it was no idle threat when dealing with a dangerous being who’d survived centuries by preying upon human lives, and would snatch his soul without a moment’s remorse. But prepared for that, too, solicitor told him, “The original papers are in a safe place with instructions to turn them over to the authorities should anything happen to me, and be assured, they might not believe what you are, sir, but they take murder very seriously.”
A frustration of rage pulsed from Gerardo Pasquale in palpable waves. Suddenly, Percy knew an instant of true terror as the solidity of Pasquale’s figure seemed to flicker before his eyes, becoming so faint as to be transparent, edges shifting, transforming into something else, something horrible, alien and monstrous, but exactly what was not quite clear. Standing frozen, Percy feared he’d made an irrevocable error in believing himself safe.
Then, to his relief, Pasquale assumed his human shape once again and with a deadly quiet, asked, “What do you want?”
“I want you to marry my sister.”
Hmmmm! A vampire in the family . . . How’s that going to work out? Not as planned, I guarantee!
While you’re devouring ME, I’ll be trying to stuff my entire wardrobe into a travel suitcase and sighing over my five-day agenda for a vacay in New Orleans! Warning: Pictures to come!! And maybe another NOLA-set book or two . . . historical, contemporary, suspense, paranormal? Which would you like to read?
Authors who write paranormals have the best possible job. We deal with making the impossible possible. We tame demons and dragons. We walk on the dark side of every imaginable situation to find that HEA. They are my favorite books to read and write because even your worst nightmare sometimes deserves redemption.
My first trip to the “Other” side was back in the 1990’s when my editor at Zebra (Love you, John S!!) met with me at a conference and asked if I would be willing to write a vampire romance. Maggie Shayne’s unique series had just hit big, and the genre was wide open for the first time ever. Would I? Would I ever! I had a three-book proposal waiting on his desk Monday when he got back from the conference and my “Touched by Midnight” series was born.
MIDNIGHT KISS, MIDNIGHT TEMPTATION and MIDNIGHT SURRENDER were something a little bit different. They were historicals that followed the same eternal frenemies from the 1500s to the present, two best friends who happened to catch the attention of a very bad, bad girl. One becomes her slave and the other, her obsession. That trio of unique books grew to nine total in the care of BelleBooks (originally ImaJinn, the first publishing house devoted to the paranormal formed by bestie Linda Kichline after we’d had lunch and discussed the need for an outlet for the books we both loved to read and write). They’ve been reissued in print and e-format so new readers can still sink their teeth in and enjoy!
At the moment, in honor of the WooWoo season, I’m reading through the series again, and loving every page – especially those devoted to Gerardo Pasquale, my favorite bad boy. Currently, I’m devouring MIDNIGHT REDEEMER, the first book of the series set in present day, and find myself wondering, Hmmmmm, there must be more to this story I have yet to tell . . .
And for those who love this spooky season as much as I do, here’s a list of scares HBO Max is offering to those brave enough to watch. I’ve seen 20 of them (Comes from having a horror-fanatic son). How ‘bout you?
Have a Happy Howloween, and don’t dip too deeply into that candy bowl!
I don’t know about you, but isolation has sucked . . . the inspiration out of me. For over a year, my creative mind has lain fallow, completely barren of ideas. The closed lid of my laptop has gathered dust on my work desk while I used my big screen monitor across the office to binge watch on Amazon and Netflix, play card, and post silly memes on FB. Fulfilling the obligations of the two social media blogs I participate in was the closest I came to creative thought. I just couldn’t muster the energy or enthusiasm to . . . write. I’m 45K into a romantic suspense so it’s NOT like I had nothing to work on. Just no interest in walking those five steps from one keyboard to the other . . . because I had nothing to say.
Oh come on! When does a writer have NOTHING to say?! Perhaps I just had nothing to excite my imagination. Bring in one of my critique partners and her also-a-writer sister who arrived unexpectedly to creatively ‘kidnap’ me.
Those who know me know I am the least spontaneous human in existence. Yet when my two visitors took me to lunch then suggested a trip to Chicago for a writing weekend, I shocked all three of us by saying “Let’s go!” Whose voice was that? Surely not that of one who never goes to the store without three lists. And yet I was packed within fifteen minutes, and with computer in hand, out the door, stunning no one as much as myself.
How to describe that weekend? A (masked) breath of personal and creative freedom from the weight of day-to-day sameness! We had our laptops fired up, our creativity firing on all cylinders, and . . . words, sentences, paragraphs, then pages appeared. We didn’t just write on our own projects. We worked on each other’s plot problems, talked PR, set up a book launch, and . . . we shopped. Hey, it was the Mall in Chicago! So – many – strange people! And so much fun.
And once I’d broken free, I couldn’t remain a prisoner. A weekend writers’ Retreat hosted on a lake by my local Romance Writers of America chapter. And now, two weeks of plotting nirvana at the home of one of my critique partners (along with Amazon and Netflix. We’re not savages! Inspiration has to come from somewhere!). That neglected W-I-P won’t know what hit it!
Moral of the story . . . inspiration needs to be fed. If not by personal contact, then by new experiences (Try one of those freebie 7-day cable trials! Bingeing 6 seasons of OUTLANDER over a weekend had that fire blazing!) If you’re leery of personal contact, take a walk outside! Stand on your porch (now that it doesn’t have 8” of snow and ice on it here in MI!) and breathe deep! Take an online writing craft workshop. Journal. Do writing sprints. Push that flabby mind until it cries “Uncle!”
And once you’ve dipped into that cool, refreshing well of inspiration . . . let the words flow!
And if you’re looking for something to spark ideas, try reading outside your comfortable literary carrel. Might I suggest sinking your teeth into something . . . paranormal . . .So happens I have just the thing, and on SALE, too! A weary vampire tricked into taking a human bride to keep his secret safe in Turn-of-the-Century New Orleans? For only $0.99 . . .?
Well, I’ve got packing to do and a W-I-P simmering on the back burner. And hopefully warm sun and a porch rocking chair waiting for my arrival.
(FYI, when I was searching for “well” graphics, most of them had that creepy girl from The Ring crawling out of it. Ewwww! That’s not the place I go for inspiration . . .)
He’s gorgeous, he’s suave, he’s snarky, he’s Italian, and oh, so sexy . . . and, he’s the villain! What’s an author to do when the bad guy is getting all the prime real estate scenes? It wasn’t planned that way but there it is. Every time he gets page time, no other character exists.
It all started in the first book of my Touched by Midnight vampire romance series. The hero was doing fine on his own until two old friends show up at his wedding, an icy, deadly blonde and . . . him. Gerardo Pascale. Dark, droll, and dangerous to this author’s pitter-pattering heart, the more I tried to vilify him, painting him as petulant, vengeful, and treacherous—a slave to the vicious vampire who made him, then turned him against his best friend, the more intrigued I became. Even after a final attempt at revenge against the friend he blames for his misery ends badly, Gerardo redeems himself on the last page, giving the reader, and me, hope that he become hero material.
Book 2, MIDNIGHT TEMPTATION. He’s baaaack! Sleek and sinister but with a heart unable to harden when it comes to the daughter of his friend and the woman he admires, Gerardo schools young Nicole on the ways of their kindin post-Revolution France, trying to seduce her away from her beloved with the mysteries he confides. And he steals the show. I don’t want to give toooo much away because MIDNIGHT TEMPTATION is on sale through the end of the month for only $.99! If you haven’t read the series, take chance and get to know this deadly charmer.
Her compelled gaze settled far back into the shadows, upon the figure of a man in stark silhouette. He jerked as if with some shock of recognition, then took one gliding step forward to the edge of lamplight.
Reflection played an eerie game upon his face, highlighting skin so fair it seemed translucent and hollows so sharp and deep they were like caverns. A face so startling, so unnaturally beautiful she came close to stumbling in her study. Beneath an arch of black brows, eyes of an icy, luminous blue entranced her. Even as she jerked her head away, she caught the impression of his smile, serene and sinister all at once.
Nicole had never seen the Devil, but on this night, she was sure he walked abroad. She was just as certain that he followed, safely back amongst the shadows. She could feel him, an essence so powerful it frightened her. The moment she crossed the bridge, the sensations faded, and she knew he was gone. But the fear lingered, lending a quickness to her heartbeats and an anxious panic to her mind.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Gerard appears again in Book 3,then finally in Book 4, MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT, he gets tragic hero standing. So, as I presumed all along, there was a good(ish) guy inside just waiting for the chance, if not to see the light of day, then at least find the love of the right woman.
What is it with villains? Does anyone else suffer this affliction? What makes them so . . . yummy? Their ultimate bad boy status? Their need for redemption? Their living on the edge devil-may-carelessness? Their unavailability? Or the wounds behind their darkness that we want to heal? Who are your favorite redemption-worthy villains?
Sometimes we don't realize how low our energy meter is dipping. We keep on keeping on, juggling all the "To Dos" in our daily life with blinders-on concentration, balancing work hours, writing time, appearances and promotions, family matters, and life on the run as if clocking it all on a FitBit app. Keeping up the pace because we don't dare fall behind. Because we're afraid we'd never catch up if we lose the momentum. Forgetting with that single-minded focus, that like even the best made machine, we can wear out if over-used without proper maintenance. Even now, in this New Year, we plan and plot how we’re going to best use every second to produce, but forget to include how we’re going to keep that mental and physical machine we abuse in tiptop shape.
I confess, I am a bullet train that will forget to stop in every station unless it’s programmed in. When I began as a writer, I’d take on every opportunity that came along without any clue as to how I was actually going to find the time to accomplish it. I hated to say no to anything or anyone. Finally, after years of frustrating my OCD/ADD focus, I learned to back away from outside pressures that urged me to take on more than I could handle, to weigh the value, both professionally and personally, before agreeing to take things on. Smug with that bit of control under my belt, I continued on my merry way, working, always working, while more and more was added on my non-writing plate: Two kids, a household, a full-time job, a divorce, a loss of a job, a sudden move across the state, a new job, a new household . . . but always working that same writing pace. Up at 4:30 a.m., coffee, scan social media, grab breakfast and more coffee, work on WIP, get ready for work by 8:00, use lunch hour to write blog posts or do PR, rush home to attend all those begging, hungry faces on two and four legs, back to the computer, watch one one-show, go to bed at nine. Weekends, up a 6:00 a.m. to start writing, afternoons for grocery shopping, cleaning, life maintenance, making meals, squeeze in more writing (at least six hours total) and to bed. No deviations, no outside interactions, finding excuses for doing anything social that would take me out of my overdrive hermitude (is that a word?) And start all over again on Monday. All fine and good when I was in my 30s and 40s, but diving into my 60s . . . my tread started wearing mighty thin. Finally, my boss stared at me and ask bluntly, “How can you do all this every single day and not be exhausted?”
I was exhausted. Running on caffeine and internal combustion pressure.
It wasn’t until I had knee replacement that I realized how bad things had gotten. I could not WAIT to have surgery and recover for three weeks (it was supposed to be four, but I agreed to go back to work early-what a surprise!). Three weeks of prescribed hedonism. Time to read all those books, binge all those shows, let others pick up the slack while I got to sit on the couch in my jammies with the pets and NAP! Like retirement but with PT, pain and drugs with no paycheck. I didn’t turn on my computer. I didn’t wonder what was for dinner. I didn’t think about deadlines or blog posts or legal pleadings or whether the roast was out thawing. It was my job to do one thing, recover.
Catharsis time. I needed time to recover. This from someone who never goes on vacation without a WIP. Who never takes a weekend “off.” Who works a second job (and sometimes third) while ON the first job. Who never takes a non-working vacation. I was tired. I seriously considered pulling the plug on my writing, dropping all my professional obligations to become someone who only has one 8-to-5 and no other stressors . . . for all of a weekend. Then I went back to work (a week early). I tried to stick to the same slothful routine but found myself glancing at my laptop, thinking up dialog during my morning commute. Getting up at 4:30 a.m. because I was wide awake . . . and now on Chapter 4. Because I can’t not write.
I just booked a trip to AZ in March to attend the Tucson Book Festivals. Lots of work. And I scheduled a couple of extra days for hot tubbing, swimming, walking in a botanical garden and shopping for things I can’t afford. I’m looking forward to waking up to the sun with my laptop, watching the desert oasis outside the window come alive with wildlife, just like I’ll come alive . . . and relax.
In 2018, I resolve NOT to get more work done, but to make more time for doing other things. To recover. To schedule just Me time on that To Do list (when did I stop making time to get my nails done. I really enjoyed that!). A trip to the Mall (okay, maybe that’s extreme!), drinking coffee with a sunrise instead of HP, napping with the cats on Sunday afternoon, reading a book in the daytime instead for that 5 minutes before I fall asleep. Going out to lunch with friends. Attending a workshop. Enjoying a walk. Listening to music. Things I never made time for because they didn’t seem important . . . until now. Now, I realize that they’re vital. Just for the health of it.
Here’s to a productive AND healthy New Year. If you see yourself in the above, start thinking about how to accomplish that.
Watch for MIDNIGHT ENCHANTMENT from my “Touched by Moonlight” vampire romance series, just $.99 from February 1-15!!
