Bunnysmacked

Funny thing about being a writer. Sometimes you can be sitting there, minding your own business, and out of nowhere, a plot bunny comes up and smacks you silly. No, seriously. You don't have to think or strain or plot, because that furry little mofo knocks you over the head so hard you can't do anything but write what it tells you.

I was attacked by a rogue rabbit just before Christmas. It was vicious. It was historical. It was lesbians.

I'd been in the middle of another book, so I really didn't want to touch it, but it was tiny and cute, so I bent down for a closer look and ...

WHAM!

That little sucker got me. I was mortally wounded. I'd fight to get away and it would coo at me, say things like, "I already have the perfect title."

WHAM!

It got me again. I'd pull away only to have it suck me back in with beautiful promises. All the while, it was beating me to a bloody pulp.

And then, all those beautiful promises were fulfilled. The damn story was written. It was nothing I'd ever really planned on writing and everything I never thought I could manage. Selling her Sin is almost ready for a publisher.

So now, I'm putting the final touches on my first historical and my first F/F. It's a wonderful bunny, and  I hope you all like it. Just be careful. It bites.

Life with Wings

It’s no secret I love writing winged creatures, angels being my current winged thing. Thinking how they might use these extra limbs as part of their everyday lives, what movements would be natural to them, what kinds of gestures and phrases would come from owning a pair of them launched some very interesting side trips into creativity.

Evangelos is my angel in Embracing Eternity, and his wings sparked an unplanned nervous habit. When he’s tense, he preens. It’s an interesting visual, this beautiful creature, a bit off-balance, trying to get himself centered, so he pulls one of his wings forward, curving it around his body, and he begins tending his feathers. I can see him stroking them, one at a time, in long even movements, letting the details of getting them just so focus him on the moment at hand.

I can see preening as an intimate act between angels, something lovers would do for each other, but poor Evan is alone. Something that would normally promote loving atmosphere is instead something he has to do for himself, a temporary fix that might force his nervousness back, but not really eliminate it.

The addition of wings definitely added a special dynamic to Evan’s scenes and gave me a chance to show his vulnerable side.

What kind of mannerisms might you have if wings were a part of your everyday life? Tell me and you can win a copy of Embracing Eternity, the third book in the Heavenly Lovers series, available November 2 from Ellora's cave publishing. 

Evangelos has loved Philomela since before time began. He’s dreamed of having her in his arms and his bed. But she never once looked his way. Instead, she chose a Fall that transformed her into a monstrous creature. He never forgot the one he loved, and he’s determined to bring her back home.

Cut off from the power that fed them, Meela and the other Fallen angels became demons, thriving on vice and preying on Creation. Hell holds too much pain and Meela wants nothing more than to give in to the temptation Evan offers. But a demon has no place in the arms of an angel.

Meela knows Evan’s determination to save her will be his downfall, because Lucifer wants to feast on the power of angels—and she’s the perfect bait.

Miss the first two books? Risking Eternity and Forsaking Eternity are available in a single print volume. Heavenly Eternity, available November 2 from Ellora's Cave Publishing.

Voirey Linger

Amazon | Amazon UK | B&N | Ellora's Cave

What's so sexy about angels?

I'll be the first to admit that angels, God and heaven aren't usually what you'll see in erotic romances. But I've never been good at paying attention to rules, so when I sat down to write, I jumped right into the middle of all those no-nos.

There is an unwritten rule that angels have to be kinda bad boys and demons have to really be the misunderstood good guys when it comes to angel stories. There should be a distinct divide between the angel and any real hints of heaven and hell, and if heaven or hell is mentioned, it's not like we humans think it is.

Yeah, I missed those rules too.

Here's the thing, I love the stark and unmistakable dynamic of good against evil. There is no mistaking what is bad and what is good in my stories. The teams and field of play are clearly defined. It's everything else that gets confusing.

Enter the fallible character, the angel forced to test the boundaries, throw away the rulebook and fight for what he knows in his heart is right, even when everyone around him is telling him he's wrong.

To me, this is when things really get interesting. Just because the heroes are angels doesn't mean they are perfect. Their uncertainty, the struggle to find their way out of a confusing situation and possible repercussions that are far worse than just dying bring the tension up and make my brain go into overdrive.

But why angels and demons?

It probably has a lot to do with a very religious upbringing. I learned to read by following congregational songs in the hymnal, and I'm pretty sure I was reciting Bible verses before I knew my alphabet. But as I grew up, I also learned to question what I was told was right and wrong. Once I was old enough to reason things out, I was encouraged to think for myself instead of blindly following what someone else told me was right.

I value that lesson more than any other. It's one thing to know the legalities of right and wrong, another entirely to understand the morality that makes something truly good or evil.

In the end, that is the lesson I most wanted my angels and demons to learn. Something isn't right or because someone else says it is, or because you can get away with it. It's right because it at its core pure and generous, with no greater purpose than to make the world a better place for someone else.

Are you an angel fan? I'd love to hear what you like about them.


The third book in my Heavenly Lovers series is coming soon from Ellora's Cave. Watch for it!

 

Voirey

Guest Blogger: Voirey Linger

Bio:
Voirey Linger writes stories dedigned to ruffle your feathers. Her second angel book, Forsaking Eternity will be available February 25th from Ellora's Cave Publishing, and this summer she will be launching a new series of erotic shorts called The Mansion series. She's also the founder of The Summer Reading Trail, a collection of free reads from authors of all genres. For more information about Voirey's stories or the Summer Reading Trail, please visit her Website at www.voireylinger.com.



Thanks to Paranormal Romantics and Annie Nicholas for having me today.

Someone recently asked me why I wrote angels. I didn’t really have a good answer for her. I grew up a pastor’s kid, so angels were always very real to me. I think that might be one reason I was never happy with the angel books I read. Most of the creatures being written as angels just didn’t feel like what I knew as angels, and my sense of what is angelic was so strong that I couldn’t suspend my disbelieve long enough to actually enjoy a story.

To me an angel isn’t a paranormal creature, it’s a divine being. There is a big difference between the two, a whole world of tricky morality with worse ramifications than simple death. This world gave me the perfect place to test my angelic heroes.

Renatus is an angel who exists in accordance with the letter of the Law. In fact, he’s one of Heaven’s legal experts, one of those who helps judge sinners. But recently, he was thrown for a loop. He’s been tempted by something he’s always thought of as forbidden. Now he wants to explore that illicit need. He can’t do it in Heaven, where the angels will be watching, so he comes to Earth with one goal in mind: To find a male lover.

Watching Renatus try to justify his choices, to maneuver for loopholes, was almost fun. Every time he thought he had things figured out, some new bit of information had to be factored in. Through it all he worked to make sure he would have a sound defense. And through all that finagling, he was growing more and more seduced by Adam.

I definitely enjoyed taking creatures with such a defined moral code and putting them in situations that were less than wholesome. The results were hot and sexy reads that were packed with conflict and action. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing them.

There are some things an angel shouldn't do…

Renatus is a legalist and knows the rules better than most. But knowing the Law doesn't stop him from imagining the press of a hard, male body against his, or remembering one forbidden kiss that left him hungry for more. He leaves Heaven to mingle with mankind, hoping that satisfying curiosity will quell desire. He finds Adam, a college professor who has given up on love.

Adam once dreamed of finding the perfect man and settling down. His dreams and trust were shattered when he found out the truth about his ex. Meeting Renatus seduces Adam into taking another chance on love. But Ren is keeping secrets, and the only promise he will make is that he will leave.

Now the Most High has commanded Renatus to retrieve the Law of Men and Angels, and a vengeful demon is circling, waiting for her opportunity to strike. Staying is impossible, leaving unbearable, and Ren wants to succumb to temptation, forsaking eternity for a life on Earth with this man.

You can read an excerpt of Forsaking Eternity here (link: http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419933226.htm ) and as a little teaser, to let you see where it all started, I’m giving away one copy of Risking Eternity (link: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8389-655-risking-eternity.aspx ) to a commenter.

Winner will be picked tomorrow.