• Regency,  Stressing the Heroine

    Stressing the Heroine – Masquerade with a Marquess a #Regencyromance by @cerisedeland #RLFblog

    Stressing the Heroine from Masquerade with a Marquess a regency romance by Cerise Deland.
    Author Bio
    Cerise DeLand loves to cook, hates to dust, lives to travel—and write! She is the author of #1 bestselling Regencies starring fab.u.lous lords and the sassy ladies they adore.
    About the Book
    Title  Masquerade with a Marquess
    Genre Regency romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings G, PG, PG13, R): R
    Sophia di Contini risks her life to sail to England alone and slip into the homes of those she suspects stole priceless treasures from her family during the wars. Discovered by Victor Cameron, she agrees to search for her art his way even though she’ll live in his house, yearn for his touch, pine for his kisses….
    Five years ago, Victor had to give up Sophia. Now he vows to keep her near him and to protect her from men who would destroy her. He’ll help her find her precious art even if he risks the chance she’ll steal his heart away…again.
    Stressing The Heroine
    Every heroine has a story. She has a background, a history, and a past. This interview allows us to meet a heroine and get to know her better, by focusing on how she handles being relaxed, or how she handles stress.
    The Heroine’s Relaxed Side
    This heroine is at a party. Considering her story, describe the party.
    Once Sophia was a spy working with a network of Italian patriots who wanted their country rid of the tyrant Napoleon Bonaparte. At a party years later in England, she understands exactly why each person has decided to attend. She understands their body language, what they say without words. She knows who is there to snare whom in their trap. She zeroes in on who she herself wants to engage…or lure…or trap. And why.
    How does the heroine feel about being this particular party, and what body language is she displaying that gives it away?
    Sophia goes to a masquerade ball, attired in a seductive costume resembling a Greek goddess. Although she’s not interested in conquering any man, she’s devoted to her own purpose, her own goal. She’s quick to assess who’s there, her eyes darting about the crowd, noting those who may have clues to the treasure she really seeks. She quick, silent, intent upon finding only one item.
    Is she more likely to mingle or remain aloof?
    To appear as if she has truly been invited, she knows she’ll have to speak to a few ladies and gentlemen. After all, because she wears a masque, no one will really know her identity nor learn it. But accomplishing her goal will mean she must remain aloof, gay but blithely unattached to anyone.
    If she drinks, what is her drink of choice at this party?
    While she adores a good red vino like those from her native Tuscany, she sips a bit of champagne. She’s careful, you see, to keep her mind as clear as her purpose.
    How much drink is her usual?
    Ah, but it is true that Sophia can drink many a man under the table. She’s done it often. To great success. In fact, during the wars, she learned many an elusive fact about Napoleon’s troop movements from his inebriated officers.
    The heroine figures out where the hiding places are and then goes there. Is it to hide, to avoid someone, or to go drag a friend back to the party?
    She snatches the right moment to disappear and search the mansion for the treasures she seeks. Off to the lord of the manor’s library and study, she quickly discovers precisely what she suspected he’d hidden. The very piece she seeks. She sighs, claps her hands, delighted at finding her prize.
    But another man has followed her. Entered the room. Sneering at her, he has nothing good on his mind. In fact, she remembers him well, the cad. And when he advances on her and threatens her, she’s surprised but ready to defend herself. And then…
    Is she likely to latch onto a friend and stay with him/her and ignore others, or is she the friend that others latch onto?
    She is shocked when another man emerges from the shadows. This time, it is the very man she has wished to ignore. The one man who has always made her heart pound and her girlish hopes of love and peace and family revive.But she has consistently learned for more than five long years, that such redemption is not in the cards for her. Not now. Not ever. Not even if Victor helps her escape this other terrible man. Not even if Victor is the only man she’s ever hoped to see again.
    If someone picked a fight at this party, how is the heroine going to handle it?
    As Victor Cameron comes forward to threaten her nemesis, she takes comfort in his actions but knows she will have to escape him, too.
    Is the heroine the one most likely to get tossed out of the party, or the one who does the tossing?
    And so, before any more people enter the library, before anyone attempts to throw her out because after all, she is uninvited, she tries to escapes Victor too. Without her prize, the very item she sought.
    But Victor who has searched London for her for so many weeks refuses to let her go. She’ll come home with him, he declares. There he will protect her and even save her from herself. And after he hears her explanation of what she really seeks, he declares he will help her.
    His way.
    Buy This Book
    Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01COO8MM2
    ARe    https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-masqueradewithamarquess-1996734-160.html
    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/masquerade-with-a-marquess-cerise-deland/1123498199
    Kobo  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/masquerade-with-a-marquess
    iBooks   https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/masquerade-wwith-a-marquess/id1091949971?ls=1&mt=11
    Author Social Media
  • Stressing the Heroine,  Suspense

    Stressing the Heroine: Heartbreak Homestead #suspense @SusanneBellamy #RLFblog

    Stressing the Heroine from Heartbreak Homestead (Hearts of the
    Outback bk 2) a rural suspense romance by Susanne Bellamy.

    Author Bio

    Born and raised in Toowoomba, Susanne is an Australian author
    of contemporary, rural, and suspense romances set in exciting and often exotic locations,
    and in Australia. She adores travel with her husband, both at home and overseas,
    and weaves stories around the settings and people she encounters.
    Her heroes have to be pretty special to live up to her real life
    hero. He saved her life then married her.
    Susanne is a member of the RWA and was a finalist in their 2011
    Emerald Award. She placed third in the 2015 Pan Macmillan short story competition
    with ‘Chez Romeo’. Mentoring aspiring writers, and working as a freelance editor
    keeps her off the street! She loves connecting with readers and fellow writers.
    Feed her a good single malt whisky and you’re a friend for life.

    About the Book

    Title Heartbreak Homestead (Hearts of the Outback bk 2)
    Genre Rural romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): PG13
    After her brother’s death, the last thing Lizzy Wilmot wants
    to do is to return to her family’s property but Alex Carter, his former business
    partner, needs her help to locate some missing files. Alex doesn’t trust Lizzy and
    the feeling is mutual but when they find themselves back at the homestead in the
    midst of a bitter custody battle for Lizzy’s baby nephew, sparks begin to fly.
    Who is trying to harm Lizzy?
    Can they both learn that trust will overcome heartbreak?
    Every heroine has a story. She has a background, a history, and
    a past. This interview allows us to meet a heroine and get to know her better, by
    focusing on how she handles being relaxed, as well as how she handles stress.

    The Heroine’s Relaxed Side

    This heroine is at a
    party. Considering her story, describe the party.
    Lizzy Wilmot-Carter loves barbecues and casual get-togethers
    with friends. Having taken on the care of her orphaned baby nephew, she now chooses
    functions that are child-friendly. There will be wine and beer and impromptu dancing,
    especially if Alex Carter is near.
    How does the heroine feel about being this particular party,
    and what body language is she displaying that gives it away?
    Amongst friends, Lizzy leaves aside her social mask, although
    she feels a powerful need to temper the attraction she feels to her ‘husband for
    six months’. Their sexual chemistry sizzles and she turns towards Alex, standing
    close but gripping her wine glass to stop herself grabbing him.
    Is she more likely to
    mingle or remain aloof?
    Lizzy mingles and enjoys both light-hearted banter and deep and
    meaningful discussions. She has many acquaintances but just a few close friends
    from work, and she prefers small parties with the latter.
    If she drinks, what is
    her drink of choice at this party?
    White wine in hot weather, red in the winter.
    How much drink is her
    usual?
    While Lizzy is an extrovert and a queen bee, she is also a team
    leader in the SES (State Emergency Service) and has a strong sense of responsibility.
    She doesn’t drink to excess in case she is called out to an emergency.
    The heroine figures out
    where the hiding places are and then goes there. Is it to hide, to avoid someone,
    or to go drag a friend back to the party?
    Before the death of her brother and taking on the care of her
    baby nephew, Lizzy would have sussed out assignation spots. Now, she is more likely
    to rescue a friend who has had too much to drink, or play hide-and-seek with friends’
    young children.
    Is she likely to latch
    onto a friend and stay with him/her and ignore others, or is she the friend that
    others latch onto?
    Lizzy draws others to her. Pre-Alex, she would be the one others
    latched onto. Now, she and Alex are drawn to one another, but Lizzy is also very
    good at getting a party going.
    If someone picked a
    fight at this party, how is the heroine going to handle it?
    She would throw a jug of cold water over them before using her
    sharp wit and getting the party back on track. But it would be a brave or foolhardy
    person to start anything when Lizzy is around!
    Is the heroine the
    one most likely to get tossed out of the party, or the one who does the
    tossing?
    Control is important to Lizzy, essential given her childhood,
    so if anyone is going to be tossed out, Lizzy will be doing the tossing.
    Will she know when to
    leave, or stay late and make a nuisance of herself?
    Lizzy will know when to leave. If she stays on, it will be to
    help clear up and have a one to one chat.

    The Heroine’s Stressed Out Side

    How does the heroine
    handle it if the cops or some other authority figure pulls her aside when she
    was blameless in a situation?
    She will calmly explain in a factual way, and maybe pull out
    her SES badge to show what she was doing there.
    How does the heroine
    react to hearing a scream?
    Level-headed and capable, a scream would galvanize Lizzy into
    action. She belongs to that (approx) 5% of people who are able to assess and act.
    This is why she’s a team leader with the SES.
    If she sees someone
    being assaulted, what is the FIRST thing that crosses her mind?
    “Pile of sh*t” attacking someone weaker or more vulnerable.
    If she sees someone
    being assaulted, what is the FIRST thing she does?
    She will call for help on her phone, which is always accessible,
    as she goes to assist.
    This heroine attempts
    to rescue someone and realizes that she is in over her head. The odds are
    against her and there is no way out. She is going to get her butt handed to
    her. What does she do?
    Lizzy will help anyway, but she will lessen the odds against
    her any way she can. Even if it means playing ‘dirty’.
    The heroine runs into
    the one person from her past she wanted to avoid. She can’t get out of the
    situation and must interact with him/her in some way. What does she do?
    Inconvenient emotions will be hidden behind an indifferent facade
    and she’ll employ her wit and sarcasm, if necessary, to show the world she can’t
    be touched or hurt in any way.
    Someone younger than
    the heroine is in charge of the situation, and they are handling it badly,
    perhaps bungling things. How does the heroine deal with it?
    Unless it’s life-threatening, Lizzy will offer ‘suggestions’
    in a way that allows the younger one to fix the situation while saving face. Afterwards,
    she’ll have a quiet chat with them so they learn from their experiences. Unless
    the person is a total dropkick, in which case Lizzy will flay them and put them
    in their place. Suffering fools is not one of Lizzy’s methods.
    The heroine is in
    physical pain but must bear up under it and keep going. What does she tell
    herself in order to get through the situation?
    “Just five more minutes and I can…(whatever is needed).”
    She understands mental toughness and, knowing pain is finite, she reminds herself
    that she has the will and the mental strength to get through anything. After all,
    nothing can be as bad as some moments in her childhood.
    What mentor’s words
    come to mind in a bad situation?
    Johnno, her SES leader: “Assess danger before acting.”
    What lesson from her
    past gets her through a stressful situation?
    Don’t show anyone how much they can hurt you, physically or mentally.
    Hide emotion and always keep control.

    Buy This Book

    Publisher Self published series

    Author Social Media

  • Erotic,  Stressing the Heroine

    Stressing the Heroine from Tempted By A Kiss a #romance by @TheAnnaDurand #RLFblog

    Every heroine has a story. She has a background, a history, and
    a past. This interview allows us to meet a heroine and get to know her better,
    by focusing on how she handles being relaxed, as well as how she handles
    stress.

    Author Bio

    Anna Durand is an award-winning writer, a freelance
    librarian, and an audiobook addict. She specializes in steamy romances
    featuring spunky heroines and hunky heroes. As a member of Romance Writers of
    America, she volunteers for its chapters to give back to the romance community.
    In her previous life as a librarian, she haunted the stacks of public libraries
    but never met any hot vampires hunting for magical books.

    About the Book

    Title Tempted by a Kiss
    Genre Erotic romance
    Book heat level (based on movie ratings): R
    Mel Thompson just dumped her cheating ex after two years
    together. Now she’s determined to understand the allure of casual sex by having
    a steamy fling of her own at a notoriously raunchy underground club. When her
    best friend, Adam Caras, catches on to her plan, he makes a surprising offer to
    derail her. If she wants a hot fling, he’ll give it to her.
    Who better than Adam, renowned lady-killer, to demonstrate
    the erotic pleasures of a one night stand? Sex could ruin their friendship, but
    after a soul-searing kiss, Mel fears one night may never be enough.

    Stressing The Heroine

    Every heroine has a story. She has a background, a history, and
    a past. This interview allows us to meet a heroine and get to know her better,
    by focusing on how she handles being relaxed, as well as how she handles
    stress.

    The Heroine’s Relaxed Side

    This heroine is at a
    party. Considering her story, describe the party.
    Mel Thompson has been dragged to a party at the cramped
    apartment of her best friend, Adam Caras. The place is filled to capacity with
    family and friends, including Adam’s rowdy firefighter buddies.
    How does the heroine
    feel about being at this particular party, and what body language is she
    displaying that gives it away?
    Mel lingers behind the bar, arms wrapped around herself,
    gaze scanning the room for Adam. She used to love parties, but now they make
    her nervous. Though she’s still confident at work, in her personal life she’s
    lost her self-assurance.
    Is she more likely to
    mingle or remain aloof?
    She’ll stick close to Adam, even avoiding his brothers and
    father, whom she’s known her whole life.
    If she drinks, what is
    her drink of choice at this party?
    Beer. She grew up next door to the Caras boys, and though
    beer isn’t her first choice, at a Caras party she’s not averse to tossing back
    a lager.
    How much drink is her
    usual?
    She drinks in moderation, never getting drunk. Well, maybe
    not never…
    The heroine figures out
    where the hiding places are and then goes there. Is it to hide, to avoid
    someone, or to go drag a friend back to the party?
    Mel longs to escape the party — especially when Adam’s
    buddies start referring to him as the Arsonist, a renowned ladykiller.
    Is she likely to latch
    onto a friend and stay with him/her and ignore others, or is she the friend
    that others latch onto?
    She wants nothing more than to cling to Adam, or hide behind
    him, but he keeps dragging her into conversations with everybody else.
    If someone picked a fight
    at this party, how is the heroine going to handle it?
    Anyone who attacks Adam, or harasses a woman, will meet Mel
    the Terminator.
    Is the heroine the one
    most likely to get tossed out of the party, or the one who does the tossing?
    Don’t mess with Mel. She may be nervous at a party, but
    she’ll boot out the troublemakers.
    Will she know when to
    leave, or stay late and make a nuisance of herself?
    She’ll try to sneak out early, but Adam will convince her to
    stay until everyone else is gone. He’s got an ulterior motive, but she’s
    oblivious to it.

    The Heroine’s Stressed Out Side

    How does the heroine handle
    it if the cops or some other authority figure pulls her aside when she was
    blameless in a situation?
    She’ll give them a tongue lashing, for sure.
    How does the heroine react
    to hearing a scream?
    Mel flinches, but then rushes to see if someone’s in
    trouble.
    If she sees someone being
    assaulted, what is the FIRST thing that crosses her mind?
    A man attacking another man: Too dangerous, run away.
    A man attacking a woman: Won’t let another woman become a
    victim.
    If she sees someone
    being assaulted, what is the FIRST thing she does?
    A man attacking another man: Call the cops.
    A man attacking a woman: Jump in with her stun gun to stop
    the assault.
    This heroine attempts
    to rescue someone and realizes that she is in over her head. The odds are against
    her and there is no way out. She is going to get her butt handed to her. What does
    she do?
    Call Adam on her cell phone.
    The heroine runs into
    the one person from her past she wanted to avoid. She can’t get out of the
    situation and must interact with him/her in some way. What does she do?
    When Mel runs into her cheating ex, Devon McCallister, she puts
    up a tough front to hide her fear while searching for a way out, one that won’t
    alert Devon to how scared she is.
    Someone younger than
    the heroine is in charge of the situation, and they are handling it badly,
    perhaps bungling things. How does the heroine deal with it?
    Mel started her own business from the ground up, so she
    excels at finding a diplomatic way to step in when someone else is screwing up.
    The heroine is in
    physical pain but must bear up under it and keep going. What does she tell herself
    in order to get through the situation?
    She remembers how resilient her late father was and takes
    strength from those memories.
    What mentor’s words
    come to mind in a bad situation?
    She remembers her dad’s corny advice, like “Crying
    doesn’t make you weak, Melly. Even a tough cookie can have a soft center.”
    What lesson from her
    past gets her through a stressful situation?
    Getting through her father’s death proved to her she can
    handle even the worst moments.

    Buy This Book

    Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1122930086?ean=2940156677351
    ARe https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-temptedbyakiss-1935885-149.html
    Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/tempted-by-a-kiss
    iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tempted-by-a-kiss/id1061465692?mt=11

    Author Social Media

    Blog http://www.annadurand.com/blog/