Bringing the Heat (Part Two)

Last time I wrote about the different heat levels that the publisher assigns to books. So to continue in that vein, here’s an excerpt from the second book in the series, “Vanishing Act”.  This story is about Jamie’s best friend Linda, who becomes the subject of a stalker. But it’s also a tale about the relationship between Jamie and Malone and how they are still getting to know each other.

If you like this segment, you may also want to stop by Goodreads and sign up to win one of two autographed print copies. The link is below.  Hope you enjoy it.

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20600583-vanishing-act

Apparently Malone wanted to take advantage of the fact that I was so close. With one hand pressing me close, he pulled my robe open, drawing the sash free. Turning, Malone eased me onto the bed, moving me closer to the headboard. My body was on fire. I wanted to shed my robe and nightgown and feel Malone’s skin on mine.

His kisses were incredible. On this night he started with my eyes, lightly kissing the lids. Then he moved across my cheekbones with a little more pressure. His warm breath and lips were on the shell of my ear. Then he was nuzzling behind my ear, touching with his lips a spot so sensitive that I thought my heart might explode. It was as if Malone had discovered yet another level of passion and was ready to introduce me to it. I moaned as he pushed my arms up above my head.

He was still kissing me, moving his lips over to mine now, toying with me. I could feel his hands sliding up and down my arms, stretching me out on the bed. And then I realized I couldn’t move my arms. My eyes snapped open. Malone had a devilish grin on his face as he pulled back.

“What are you doing?” My voice was a throaty rasp.

“I’m just fulfilling a fantasy or two.”

He had used the satin sash from my robe to bind my wrists to the wooden headboard. I squirmed beneath him as the realization sunk in.

“Somehow I always pictured myself naked or wearing some sexy lingerie when I thought of this, Malone. Not dressed in a flannel nightgown.”

He sprawled beside me on the bed. Then with one hand, he slowly began to pull my nightgown up. I felt his hands everywhere. As he raised it above my hips, Malone resumed kissing me. And I sensed this was one fantasy I’d want to revisit. Now he moved the nightgown higher. Just the idea of him taking advantage of me this way was a rush. My body was thrumming like a guitar string. And Malone was a master musician.

“Jamie,” he whispered in my ear. He was beside me now, lightly kissing my face while his hands continued their explorations. “How long should I keep you tied up?”

“A minute,” I gasped “or for an hour or two.” In my wildest fantasies, this is the part where I would make a feeble attempt at escaping. But that wasn’t happening.

“I wonder how close I can get you,” he said as he drew patterns on my thighs with his fingertips, long slow circles and ovals.

“I’m already going to peak. The question is, how many times?”

Malone raised his head to look deeply into my eyes. “How many times would you like to peak, Jamie?”

“More than half a dozen will probably put me in the hospital, Malone.”

“Then you’d better keep count,” he said. 

Bringing the Heat

Bringing the Heat

During a recent discussion with my writer’s group, someone asked me what methods you use to choose the genre. I pointed out that sometimes the author doesn’t choose, the genre chooses him. Confusion was evident, so I gave this explanation.

I write mysteries. I never started out to write romance, but if I could work a little of it into the story as a subplot or minor diversion, that was a bonus. Then I wrote “Devious” the first book in the Jamie Richmond series. A friend read it and recommended Secret Cravings, a publisher she had worked with. I argued that it wasn’t a romance novel, it was a mystery. She argued that it was both. So on a chance, I submitted a query. A request for the manuscript followed. To my surprise, they accepted the book.  And they asked if I had plans for another story with the main characters. I could have left Jamie and Malone at this point, but felt there was more to their tale to tell. So I wrote “Vanishing Act” and sent that along for consideration. Secret Cravings grabbed that one as well.

While I continued to work on other stories, Jamie and her antics kept coming to mind. So I decided to take a shot at a third novel. “Fleeing Beauty” was the result and it brought a couple more characters to life and added more of Jamie’s backstory. I added a few more twists and turns and expanded on her relationship with Malone, which is still a work in progress. That story was released in October.

As I said, I never started out to write romance stories. And what happened along the way must have been the result of my subconscious mind. Because I never planned to get so heavy with the romantic activity.  So I’m going to blame this on Joanna. She’s a great friend who for reasons that escape me enjoys reading the early drafts of my work. On occasion she’s commented “I want to see more action in the bedroom” and “they’re crazy! They do it every day!” which seems to be what she’s hoping for. And that’s where I end up bringing the heat.

The publisher takes the story and determines what they refer to as the “heat level”.  I was unaware of this at the time I wrote any of these stories.  The rankings are right there on the website, along with an explanation.  For example, 2 flames includes some adult language, 3 flames is erotic with sensual and mild sex scenes and 4 flames is explicit with more adult language. There’s also a level 5, which is more hard core.

What surprised me (and it’s because of Joanna) is that the Jamie stories keep going up a notch. “Devious” is a level 2, “Vanishing Act” is a level 3 and “Fleeing Beauty” is a level 4. If I write a fourth book in the series and continue the trend, it will need a flame retardant cover!

But I’ll let you decide.  Here’s glimpse of the interaction between Jamie and Malone from “Devious”.  Next time, I’ll share a bit from “Vanishing Act”.

The first time on the sofa was wild. There was no chance for foreplay. We both wanted it too much for that. Clothes were flung so far that I didn't find my red bra until two days later.  It must have bounced off the wall and slid behind the planter. After the initial rush, Malone introduced me to the romantic aspects of each room in my apartment.  At one point after a warm bath together, I was on my stomach in bed and he proceeded to drive me crazy by slowly making patterns down my spine with one solitary fingertip. 

Each time after the first started out slow and tender. A kiss here, fingers stroking there. Malone was toying with me, bringing me to the edge of excitement now, his lips following his finger.  My whole body felt alive, energized with the reactions to his touch.

He kissed his way up my body, taking his time. A nuzzle here, another tantalizing kiss there.  My skin was singing. My face was flushed, probably as red as my hair.  At about the time I could actually feel my body starting to recover, he zeroed in on my breasts.

Now I can’t say this is true for all women. I can only speak for me. Maybe it’s because of the infrequency of romantic interludes. Or maybe it’s my age. Or maybe the moon was rising.

My breasts are small. I hinted at that before. There are fourteen-year old girls out there with bigger breasts than mine. To clarify the situation, all my bras are padded and yes, the cup size is A. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it’s what I’ve got and I’d never consider surgery to pump them up.  All I know is that when Malone starting stroking and kissing my breasts, it’s like there was a direct connection down below. I was immediately wet with anticipation yet again.

“What am I going to do with you,” I whispered my voice little more than a feathery gasp.

 “Whatever you would like, I’m open to suggestions.”

Now on Sale!

I'm a mystery nut. While other genres may occasionally distract me, it's mysteries that get my attention right off the bat.  There are some authors, like John Sandford, Lee Child and John Lescroart who spin a great tale and keep you guessing. I have rein myself in once in awhile or I'll race through the stories and miss a clue.

The local library has a big sale every other month where you can pick up used books for very reasonable prices. I tried to hit this each time, because it's a great opportunity to discover a new author. I'll check out the back cover, read a page or two of the story and see if they can hook me. That's how I've found some great authors like James Rollins and Carl Hiaasen. The former writes those fantastic Sigma Force novels and the latter...well, Hiaasen mixes in some extremely wacky characters with the Florida wildlife and the forces of Mother Nature. I stumbled upon his latest work, "Bad Monkey" and really enjoyed it.  Very entertaining.

Sometimes, I'll stumble upon an older book by Sandford or Child. These older works are just as good as the current ones. So that got me thinking about a couple of my own older novels.
"Fade Away" is part mystery, part thriller. It's about a recently retired soldier who gets injured in an industrial accident at a chemical plant. Although he recovers from his injuries, he ends up with some unusual side effects. A cross country chase ensues as he tries to track down the people responsible in the hopes of finding an antidote.

"Desperate Measures" is a mystery about a struggling author. He's a ghost writer for a young adult series who dreams of having his own books published. Following the latest rejection, he decides to write a book no one can put down. So he comes up with a "How to Kill Your Wife and Get Away With It" story.  Three days after he submits it to his publisher, his wife disappears.  Would a guy really go that far to get his book published?

Both "Fade Away" and "Desperate Measures" are available on Amazon for only $ 2.99.  Check out the links below.

Happy reading.

http://www.amazon.com/Desperate-Measures-Mark-Love-ebook/dp/B00AKY6WTY/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/Fade-Away-Mark-Love-ebook/dp/B009MOA8ES/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

Author Interview and Coincidences

I'm not a big fan of coincidences. When I'm writing, I might sneak one in occasionally if it fits the moment and my mood. But there's something about a coincidence that often makes me sit back and ask 'Really?' or some other words to that effect.

In my youth many decades ago, I got hooked on the mysteries of John D. MacDonald, particularly his Travis McGee series. These began in the late 60s and ran until the mid 80s. There were over 20 books in all.  McGee was not your typical cop or detective. He worked only when he needed to make some cash or to help out a good friend. McGee enjoyed life in Florida, the great outdoors, the company of beautiful women and a few close friends. He was a 'salvage consultant', so if you were conned out of your fortune and McGee helped you recover it, you split the proceeds right down the middle.  Once the caper was over, he'd resume his early retirement way of life.  I enjoyed his adventures and this character so much that I named my first son Travis.

This morning in my email, Travis sent me a link to a newspaper article, about the efforts to make a movie out of  "The Deep Blue Good-by" the first McGee book, which will star Christian Bale. That's not exactly how I always pictured McGee, but that's Hollywood.  The photo is taken from one of the book covers.

Now, you're probably asking 'what does this have to do with coincidence?'  I knew you would.  Well, turns out this morning my interview on Elise Abram's blog went live. I'd responded to her questions a while ago and forgot about my responses to early influences, which includes MacDonald.  Coincidence?  Or a psychic connection.   Do you believe in coincidences?


You can see the interview on the link below.

http://eliseabram.com/britbear/?p=444

A review: The Apple of My Eye

Somebody far wiser than me once said, "If you want to be a good writer, you have to read."  I've always taken those words to heart, to the point that I have been known to become so engrossed in a good book that my family will give up trying to engage me in conversations.

While I occasionally read from other genres, mysteries are what draw me in.  As a kid I read all the Sherlock Holmes books, then graduated to the Travis McGee series by the late John D. MacDonald.  As time went on, I started throwing a wider net, drawing in other authors who friends would recommend or I'd stumble upon at library sales and used book stories.  I'm a mystery junkie. Nuff said.

Recently a couple of the authors with Black Rose Writing offered to trade books. One of those, "I'll read yours if you read mine" kind of things.  This was done with no expectations, just a chance to dig into another book.  Yeah, that's like telling me I can only have one M & M.  Get real!

So I was able to obtain a copy of Mary Ellen Bramwell's romance/mystery "The Apple of My Eye".  Since that's the same category as my Jamie Richmond series,  the familiar territory sounded good.
Here's my take on the story:

Mary Ellen Bramwell delivers with this engaging story, combining true love and mystery with a delicate touch.  All of her characters are well drawn, particularly the young couple Paul and Brea who discover each other and the possibility of long term happiness.

But how well can you know someone? That’s one of the central questions to this story. Bramwell does an excellent job, raising all the questions and doubts that one might have when their peaceful idyllic life is disrupted. Her portrayal of Brea, the young wife and mother, is right on target. This is no one-dimensional cardboard character. She’s brought to life with all the aches and pains of the situation and a stubborn determination to learn the truth, no matter what the cost. Her plight draws you in and keeps the pages turning.

There is plenty of mystery involved here. And just when you think you’ve got everything figured out, Bramwell deftly slips in another curve. 

This is a very enjoyable read that shares, romance, mystery, murder and more than a few surprises.

So if you're interested in a great read, here's a link to the book.  5 Stars

http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Eye-Mary-Ellen-Bramwell-ebook/dp/B00NJ5CL9Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427057032&sr=1-2&keywords=apple+of+my+eye 

Fiction Readers Make Better People!

I have always been a voracious reader.  At times, I'll get so engrossed in a good book that the kitchen could catch fire and I wouldn't notice. As such, I've always believed that readers make better people. Particularly those who read fiction. It takes a certain imagination to get swept up in a good story. It definitely takes talent to write one that can draw your reader along for the ride. 

What I've always found intriguing is to get caught up in a story and learn new things along the way.  Guys like James Rollins, who writes those amazing Sigma novels, can weave espionage, history, religion and science together in such an engaging way that you don't realize you're learning something new. Rollins always amazes me.  It's no accident that it happens. You just never know when you'll pick something up.  If you haven't tried one of his books yet, I highly recommend "Map of Bones".  Stop by his website if you'd like to sample some of his efforts.

http://jamesrollins.com/

Anyway I was reading a business article the other day and was delighted to see a scientific study that supported what I always believed to be true: Those who read fiction make better people. Hey, don't take my word for it. Check out the piece in the link below.


http://mic.com/articles/104702/science-shows-something-surprising-about-people-who-love-reading-fiction


And just in case you hadn't heard it, today is PI day.  That's the mathematical PI. 3.1415 and so on.  Seems like it is causing a run on the bakeries.  Got a favorite?  Here's a shot of mine.