Pirates

I admit it. I had a thing for pirates long before Johnny Depp played a very swoon-worthy Jack Sparrow. It all began when I read Johanna Lindsey’s Malory series in high school. It so happens that I used to babysit my cousins frequently and my aunt would let me raid her box of romance novels hidden in her closet after they went to sleep. She had the entire Malory series up at that time and I devoured a new book each time the kids went to bed. My favorite was the Gentle Rogue (don't you love the 80s Fabio cover?), which took place on a ship and the heroine was disguised as a cabin boy. So now you know how my love of pirates started, but more importantly, what is their appeal?

To me, the attraction isn’t the hat, the billowing shirts (although tight breeches are a plus), the scars, the drinking or the dirtiness of living on a ship. Instead, it is the attitude that a pirate has; the typical devil may care attitude. The attitude in which he takes what he wants and leaves behind what he doesn’t. It is the cheeky gins, the wicked sense of humor, the rough and rugged exterior (such as that sun bronzed skin and the windblown hair). Not to mention, the agility that a pirate must possess in order to climb the rigging, balance on a rocking ship, brandish a sword against the enemy or, well you know, rescue the damsel in distress. Let’s face it. I am a klutz and would go overboard, so he should have good reflexes.

I haven't seen Pirates 4 yet, but I hope to soon. However, I am in the middle of another great pirate-ish novel, Surrender of a Siren by Tessa Dare, and the hero, Mr. Benedict Grayson, is a privateer attempting to go respectable. Love it!

So in honor of a new Pirates of the Caribbean move out this past weekend and fabulous pirate romance novels everywhere, what are some of your favorite pirates?

Better Late Than Never

I'd like to say some dastardly villain plotted to keep me from posting on my week for the ACA blog, but that just isn't the case.  I just got off-kilter, plain and simple.  Once I figured it out though, I knew exactly what I wanted to talk about.

My last post was about the tortured hero, but today's post is about the other guy.  The guy we love to hate.  You know--the villain.  Turns out, the villain has to be as rounded as the hero, but bad--bad to the bone.  Even if the audience doesn't know why he's as rotten as he is, as the writer, it's important to have a reason for his bad behavior.  A great resource that covers character traits for both good and bad characters is The Writer's Guide to Character Traits by Linda Edelstein.

Let me clarify, I'm not talking about "bad boys."  We love those guys, and being the amazing heroine's we are, with enough looovve, we can reform "bad boys."  But, the villain, well, he's just plain nasty.

Yet, that doesn't mean the villain has to be bad looking.  Sometimes, the villain is too sexy, and women can get drawn in before they realize the danger.  Usually though, our heroine gets an inkling that something's not quite right and maybe it's the crazed look in his eye or the way he tries to control every little thing, she usually figures out he's a villain.

Here are a few of my most memorable, handsome villains:

What other villains do you love to hate?

Happy Writing!

Cherie
http://www.cheriemarks.blogspot.com
http://www.sherrycahill.blogspot.com

So I'm a hopeless romantic.......shoot me!

Yes, of course I'm talking about the Royal Wedding, who hasn't been for the past week? The preparations, the ring, the historical church, the famed city, the princes that have grown up before our very eyes, the sentimentality of their mother, the royal family itself, and the commoner.......wait, the commoner? Of course, Kate, the commoner, the one woman who has changed her life with the acceptance of marriage to her prince.

The fact of Kate being a commoner, and her and William's love story, only adds to the enticing quality of this tale. The woman that was normal, now isn't, and never will be again, but do you think that her loss of privacy will matter? Probably not, not since she married a man she has known for over 8 years, so she knows and has known for a while now, exactly what she was getting herself into. But even with basically NO knowledge of how to handle the press, I must say that she handled herself beautifully, and has always, since she has stepped out with her man.

What is the draw of all of this? What pulls in almost everyone to this story? What caused thousands upon thousands of people to cry, cheer and watch with tears in their eyes as this couple got married?

I believe it is because we all know we have witnessed a true Fairy Tale this past week.

A commoner, a plain, unassuming young woman somehow snagged the attention and love of a prince, and she said yes.

And, we all remember those tow-headed little boys, especially William, when we were growing up alongside of them. And we also remember the pain, the heartbreak when their mother passed. We all watched how they had to man up and take control of their future.

Now William has manned up and taken his wife, a beautiful, regal, and sympathetic woman who shows great promise in becoming another memorable princess, and duchess.

I watched Friday night (via DVR) this beautiful ceremony. I watched Kate, regally resplendant in her Grace Kelly inspired dress, as she greeted her handsome husband to be down the aisle. I watched William as he told her she was beautiful and then bit his lip, just like his mother used to do when she was nervous. I watched the royal sucession of vehicles back to the Palace. And then that kiss.......then another.

I watched and my heart felt heavy and full.......and happy.

Now to get us all teary eyed, I'm going to post this so that you can all read how beautiful it is.....





Five months ago, when Prince William announced to the world that he'd given Kate Middleton a ring, he made it clear that only one other woman mattered as much to him.

It's my mother's engagement ring." He told the press of the sapphire and diamond heirloom. "Obviously she's not going to be around for the fun and excitement of it all---this was my way of keeping her close to everything."

Nine days ago, while the rest of the world was fixated on their upcoming nuptiuals, Will and Kate took a boat ride to his mother's final resting place. The couple spent a quiet day at Lady Di's remote burial spot, and walking the grounds of the nearby arberetom where they had planted trees beside their mother as boys. "It was very important for William and Kate to visit his mum before the wedding day," a royal insider told a reporter for the mirror. "Diana is still a huge part of her boy's day to day life, and always will be." This was particularly true today, as William bit his lip nervously, standing at the altar with his bride, just as his mother did on her wedding day. It was a reminder of the millions who've watched the prince become a man, he's still his mother's son.





And what this all boils down to is this........

It is all about LOVE. Love is what Di gave to her sons. Love is what her sons had for her. Now Love is apparent in the Royal family again.

And it couldn't be more beautiful.

HUGS
Trish

Yeah, that's it. . . Vampires!

Okay. I’ve figured it out.
Vampires. . . that’s the answer.

And what, you may ask, was the question? It’s simple:

The world is full of selfish jerks, busily trouncing the heads of their underlings in a pathetic yet desperate attempt to feel big. So why, in the midst of all that testosterone, do girls gravitate toward MORE testosterone? Wouldn’t you think we’d go for the nice guy. . . the sweet guy? The captain of, say, the Chess Club? First chair in the school band? The one who’ll promise to love us forever and not run off with the next cheerleader who flashes a little sumpthin-sumpthin at him???

But no, we proceed to the nearest schmuck, blithely convinced that this jerk, THIS asshole, is the one we’ll be able to save. Never mind the fact that we’ve failed in our attempts on the last seven-- no make that eight-- assholes we’ve dated. Surely it’s time. Surely THIS will be the one. And so we climb on the back of his motorcycle, tell ourselves that the pink helmet he conveniently has strapped to the back was meant just for us and hasn’t been used by a hundred other girls before, and off we go to lala-land where we try (and fail) to convert this steaming pile of crap into the burning inferno we so steadfastly believe it can become.



And why? WHY? Because deep down, we are in search of our vampire. The man who was good, kind, warm and human. The man who was unfairly ripped from the mortal race, who has suffered in darkness until we cast our light of favor upon him. The one who can be redeemed only by the passion of a good woman. . . A woman like US!!!!

Sigh. Yes, I’ve figured it out. THAT’S why I love paranormals. Because they validate all those mistakes I made in high school. “See,” I point and say. “See, I was right. Edward Cullen does exist.”

“Um, you know it’s just a book, right?” says my husband, who was an excellent trumpet player in the school band.

“Just a book, indeed,” I sigh, taking his nerdy, decidedly un-evil hand in mine. “Come on, sweetie. Vampire Diaries is starting.”

So there you have it.
Vampires.
What do y’all think?

The Black Moment

Last weekend, my husband had a seizure. At the time, I wasn't sure if he was having a heart attack, a seizure or a stroke. All I knew for sure was I thought he was dying. It was the black moment in our romance story. I was crying and praying and yelling for someone to get me help. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't calm and it wasn't fun. I truly thought he was dying in my arms. Thankfully, he's alive and well, but at that moment in my life, it became very clear how much our love story meant to me. I'm not ready for it to end for years and years and decades to come.

So my question to my fellow Ass Cheek Angels and our followers, if you had to name one fictional couple you felt were the poster children for a great love story, who would that couple be? I'll get us started.

Heroic Hearts

What makes a hero/heroine? Is it their ability to save their loved ones from danger? Is it their physical strength or appearance? Do they have supernatural powers? Is it their profession?


No matter the setting for a story, all romances have something in common - the characters

put their hearts on the line for love. To me, a true hero or heroine is one who allows love back into their heart again after it has been broken. They take that terrifying yet thrilling leap and stand before another person, offering their heart in their hand with the hope that the one they love will take care of it, cherish it, protect it. Whether in the pages of a book or in real life, it is a surrender of the sweetest kind.

Here are some of my favorite fictional heroes/heroines:
In Julie Anne Long's THE PERILS OF PLEASURE Madeleine Greenway, after losing her loved ones, kidnaps the dashing Colin Eversea for the money, only to risk more than her life--her heart.

SOMETHING ABOUT YOU by Julie James, Jack Pallas isn't thrilled to be working alongside Cameron Lynde the woman he thinks got him transferred to a shit post in the FBI out of spite. When he learns that she did it to save his job, he does whatever it takes to protect the love of his life.

And my new favorite couple are Maggie Monroe and Rafe McBride from RAFE'S REDEMPTION by friend and fellow angel Jennifer Jakes. (I <3 Rafe, and that's all I'm going to say ;))

Werewolf or vampire, fireman or doctor, writer or dancer, actor or fitness fanatic - the human heart has an incredible capacity to love. It takes a few hits but keeps on ticking with the eternal hope that next time will be forever.

I'm blessed to know people who have put themselves out there again after a heartbreak and have found their happily ever after. It is inspiring. So who are your real life or fictional heroes/heroines who put their hearts out there for love?

LOSING IT......

Hello Angels! Today I want to talk about losing it. "It?” you ask.
Yes….IT! You know, the IT that we’re all born with, but hopefully, don’t die with. Virginity.

Now, there are many different forms of IT to lose and many ways to lose them. I’ve been privileged to have lost my virginity several times over in the last few years.

“How so?” you say?

1. A little over three years ago, I finished my FIRST novel.
2. Shortly afterward, I joined Romance Writers of America for the FIRST time.
3. A year or so later, I hooked up with Romance Junkies and entered my FIRST writing contest where other eyes could see my work (Besides friends, co-workers, and my mother, who thinks anything that comes from me is pure genius.)
4. Last year, I set up my FIRST website, after which I got my FIRST hit.
5. I also set up my FIRST blog.
6. Went to my FIRST RWA conference.
7. FIRST became part of a writing group of gorgeous, diverse, supportive, and talented women called the Ass Cheek Angels…thank GOD!
8. Read some of my work in front of a crowd for the FIRST time. (I would rather walk through fire than go through that again, but I know I’ll have to get used to it!)
9. And most recently had my “Pitching Cherry” POPPED by a 4’8” tall force to be reckoned with by the name of Cherry Weiner. (See latter half of #8…)

This got me to thinking how lucky I am to still be growing enough and expanding my world enough to be able to experience these wonderful firsts. Aren’t we lucky to live in a world that allows this?

Now, of course, this blog being what it is, and with my mind’s perpetual tendency to jump to more risqué subject matter, I got to thinking of my other FIRST and the way it happened a long, long time ago…in a kingdom far away…cough…no, not really. But it was on a back road somewhere in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. :O But, I digress!

I got to thinking how ‘unspectacular’ that first time was…for me, anyway…and started thinking about what type of person I would have chosen if I could pick ANYONE in the world to lose IT with. He or she, if you so choose, can be a real person, an actor, a character in a movie, or a book. (I do, however, draw the line at bestiality…you KNOW who you are!)

Now, I’ve always been drawn to older, more mature men. I’m not talking about someone who has to use a walking cane or anything like that, but, if I could do it over, I’d want someone with a little more finesse. A man who would have shown me how the first time should be done without all the trial and error it led to for years afterwards. Someone who wanted to please me, not just himself.

Ever since I thought of this topic on the way home from the conference yesterday, one picture keeps coming (no pun intended) to mind. Okay, you may think my choice is lame, and this may just be the product of total exhaustion I’ve experienced for the last week or so, but the one face that keeps popping (again, no pun intended) up in my head is the character, Cody Cullen, in the Hallmark movie, “The Christmas Card”. (Played by John Newton) He was a soldier…a loner… who longed to belong to some place and to somebody. Good looking, quiet, caring, and absolutely sensitive to the needs of a woman. I’m sure he would have treated me to a soul searing orgasmic experience I would have remembered fondly for the rest of my life.



So, what about you ladies? Just for kicks, let’s leave the hubbies out. Would you want it to be your teacher, your preacher, a stranger you fantasized about in an elevator? Would it be a character in a novel, someone from the big screen, or a television show? Would he be a real person like a president, or a professional athlete?

Expand your horizons, girls, and tell me who you’d like to lose IT with if you could make the choice of anyone you choose.
Have fun fantasizing….I sure did.

Lori

P.S. I was just kidding about the bestiality thing…just wanted to make y’all ask yourselves “WHO the hell is she talking about??? Did it work? LOL!)