For those who were in the way of the two recent hurricanes, I hope you are yours are safe and well. I cannot imagine how terrible things are for so many. My heart goes out to all who've lost and been impacted by the storms.

While trying to come up with a topic for this month, I was fighting with something the characters in Claiming His Christmas Angel insisted happen, and I wasn't wild about it, which is how I came up with this month's topic. When I write, I strive to make my characters relatable. I want readers to believe they’re reading a true story about a real person. My goal is to mold and shape my characters into three-dimensional ones readers care about.

Because personal experience always makes the read more authentic, I tend to put myself in the character’s shoes when I write, or rather that’s how it starts out.

It happens EVERY damn time I write a book. No matter how much I try to remain in control, I’m forced to walk alongside the characters as they make their way down the path to their HEA. I wind up being the bard not the final say in terms of the book's direction. I know that sounds trite, improbable, and something you hear so many authors say.

After all, I’m Goddess when it comes to writing my stories, right? Wrong. I have no explanation for why or when a character decides to take control of their own story. But it happens, and I’m helpless to change their course, even if I think it’s going to fail to meet reader expectations when it comes to steam level. I say that primarily because to find new readers, I have to write as hot or hotter than I always have. Readers who love steamy reads are more apt to try historical romance if they realize there's a lot of open-door sex scenes in my books.

I used to think I wrote hot and steamy, but of late, I’m questioning that. According to current mindset on steam/heat levels, you get one flame per sex scene where at least one character has an orgasm. For example, Claiming His Christmas Angel is considered only four flames, because there's only four orgasms in the book (that sounds quite naughty doesn't it? LOL). I missed out on that last flame, because one of my "sex" scenes doesn't result in a character having an orgasm (At least I think they mean the character, they could always mean the reader! *eyes widening before laughing*). Thus, I don't get to count that scene as a flame, despite it being super hot, because it's DEFINITELY what I call a reader squirm scene.

All of which carries me back to characters ruling the roost. For those of you who’ve been reader fans for a while, you know that the number of sex scenes in my books can fluctuate drastically. Thus, I’m totally fucked if I want a book to qualify as a 5-flame read when the characters only do the deed two or three times. Why? Because the characters are the ones who’re in charge of the booty call.

Thus, I’m looking down the barrel of my upcoming release, Claiming His Christmas Angel, asking myself will readers rate the book steamy or just hot. Basically, all I can do is just shrug and say fuck it. So, when you’re reading any of my books, please blame the characters as to how much sex is or isn't in the book. I’m at the mercy of my characters, the hellions and beasts that they are. I’ve no control. Just no control at all.

It's almost here!! Just 10 days away! Grab your copy now so it's on your eReader at midnight and you can read first thing in the morning.

A Woman's Best Friend and Enemy

and it's about the invention of the over the shoulder, boulder holder or the bra as we call it today. *grin* If you enjoy bawdy vaudeville you might like the song, which you can view on Facebook by tapping on Bette’s face here.

Today, the lingerie market is worth more than $90 billion in annual sales. That’s a lot of boulder holders! Can we just say the guy who came up with Victoria Secrets has made millions off the insecurities of women, and the length they’ll go to, just to make their man happy. Despite those huge sale numbers, bras are they're STILL uncomfortable for most of us.

Do I sound bitter about Victoria's Secrets? I don't think so, but annoyed? Irritated? Yes. Primarily because a guy is profiting off of making women feel they're not beautiful enough without those sexy bras to please their significant others. They're about men.

Now I confess, if I had a body that was model-worthy, I would probably wear sexy bras, underwear, heels, etc. because I do think some lingerie is pretty. I love pretty things and anything that makes me feel attractive. I wouldn't do it to please a man, I'd do it for me! But I also know a lot of lingerie is not comfortable to wear. At least I've never found them comfortable. I don't find wire pushing under my boobs comfortable. All that ranting aside, bras have actually been around for two millennia or more, in one form or another.

Or... both...

Emma refuses to marry a man she doesn't love. In desperation she concocts a plan. To escape marriage, she'll pursue a torridly scandalous affair with a notorious Rake twice her age. The outrageous affair would definitely put an end to her unwanted engagement.

The Duke is sinfully gorgeous, and he knows it. But he doesn't know that he's the reason why Emma is refusing her match, or that he's been the spark for the comely maiden's most indecent desires.

When the damsel in distress shows up on his doorstop drenched in the most delightful of ways, she stirs his desire to protect as much as to possess the innocent maiden.

But he's always been more sinner than savior...

Writing on the Wall

First off, I wanted to let you know that Dangerous was selected for a BookBub Featured Deal on November 4, so the book will go on sale for just 99¢ sometime next Thursday or Friday. If you've not read this highly rated, award-winner, you should make a note on your calendar to pick it up as soon as it goes on sale. If you can snooze this email you can set a reminder that way. I do that constantly, and use Alexa reminders as backup. I have no brain these days.

The past month has been spent on research, marketing, and finalizing edits and proofing of Claiming His Christmas Angel. My research usually starts out with elves, dragons, shifters, dark romance, but it doesn't take long for me to click on a link that leads down a different rabbit hole. Then that erupts into more ideas like dark historical heroes who're Americans who come to England and snag a titled lady for a bride. Sort of a reverse American Dollar Princess theme, only the guys don't get the title. But they're the kind of dark heroes I love to write.

I've also been spending time thinking about Theo's and Ginny's story. It's constantly running through the back of mind. The biggest piece of it is weaving in the spy plot of the story. I've had some ideas that I've jotted down, but nothing that's really been juicy enough to entice me to sink my teeth into and run with it.

I've also been listening to audiobooks in "dark romance" and the romantasy genre, most of which been disappointing or DNFs. The ones that I have finished because the story was good have all been in first person, and I want to bitch slap some of these heroines who are whiny, immature, and their strength always caves in when the hero shows up. I keep hoping for a more mature heroine, but it seems I'm going to have to be the one to write it, and I'm working on that.

That's all the writing news I have, other than wishing I had more hours in the days.

That's all for now, so until Next Month!

Happy Reading,

xoxo

Monica