So, What Do You Think?

I received the cover for Rules of Engagement, [warning: shameless promo ahead] which will be released February 1, 2008. At first glance, I really, really liked it. I still like it.

The BF saw the cover and asked, "When did you start writing African American romances?"

"Uh, I'm not," I replied.

"Oh," he said, still looking bemused. "Are you sure?"

I rolled my eyes, but he started me thinking.

So, what do you think? Is the cover misleading?

You know its time to clean when...

1. You reach for the remote and the spiders slap your hand.
2. You reach into the meat keeper in the fridge and the cheese is growing over the contents.
3. You look into the fridge and realize most of the contents are a mystery to you.
4. The dust bunnies chase the dogs out of the bedroom.
5. When you try to sweep the floor, the dust bunnies grab the broom and hit you.
6. You have to use a lead rope to guide guests into your house.
7. You have the remote in hand and can't find the tv.
8. Your clean clothes are more wadded up than the dirty ones.
9. The dog carries around the food bowl for fear of losing it.
10. When you realize your youngest child has been buried alive under stacks of Cosmopolitan from 1979.

Historical Facts and Fiction

I’ve been reading quite a bit lately about writers and readers who are disappointed by the latest historical romance novels they’ve read because the facts were not 100% accurate. Like most readers, I want the stories I read to be authentic. Like most writers, I strive to make sure my details are accurate (even though I don’t write historicals).

BUT, and this is a big one, if you’re reading historical romance, you’re already accepting a lapse of historical details. Let me explain…

Take the pirate novel. We all love the handsome swashbuckler, who is secretly a British Lord or comes from some kind of wealthy family. Through circumstance—either he’s disowned by his family for a crime he didn’t commit or he was stolen from his family as a boy and has no idea of his true heritage—this man has been robbed of his life and has taken to a life of piracy. This pirate captain is tamed by the feisty female who becomes his captive. All is revealed in the end and the couple can live happily ever after.

Okay. Stop. Before you take another step or read another word, think about this.

This is already a historical lie. Pirates were not long-lost lords who were restored to the bosom of their families. Nor were they well educated and cultured. They certainly didn’t bathe on a regular basis. And any young woman who was captured by one, I’m sorry, but her first thought wasn’t that he was handsome and she wanted to bed them. And don’t get me started on the rest of the crew.

Yes, there are pirate books out there that show the situation in a much more truthful light, but there are just as many that don’t—and we love them all.

I’m not saying that I don’t want accuracy in the period. I do, but I will forgive certain thinks.

Let’s look at the medieval romance next. I love books about knights in shining armor and the woman who tame them. But in truth, women of that time period had little rights, the men were gone a lot, sometimes years on end, and they weren’t particular enamored of personal hygiene. Do I want to read about an overbearing knight who treats the women in his life as if they were of no consequence? Only if he changes by the end of the book. Otherwise, he’s no hero in my books.

Once again, the details vary from author to author, from decade to decade, and from one historical period to another. Historical accuracy was expected more back in the seventies—The Wolf and The Dove by Kathleen Woodiwiss springs to mind. But again, as a reader, I’m willing to give the author some artistic license. I’ve read many medieval romances where the heroine takes the knight on a wild ride, while in truth, she’d probably have been beaten and locked away.

Then there is the Regency novel. This is a time period that requires quite a bit of study. Rules of Society were extremely important. But you know what? I’ve never understood the British Peerage. I'm never 100% certain who is over who, who should be called “My Lord” and who should be “My Lady.” Unless and author make a glaring mistake, I’ll never know. But I do love the era and how intelligent the ladies had to be to get ahead and get the man they wanted. Even within this genre you have the “true” regencies, which are very correct in the history of the times. Then you have the large books, which tend to stretch conventions somewhat. And you know what? That’s okay by me.

In fact, some historical language references, while correct, actually pull me out of the story, because they are something I have to stop and think about. A historical romance is not a historical novel. There is a huge difference. In a historical novel, the details should be 100% accurate. In a historical romance, while I want the details as real and accurate as possible, I don’t want it at the expense of the story.

So, pull out that next yummy historical novel, settle back, and enjoy. And if there are one or two minor details not quite right, ask yourself if it was because the author didn’t know the difference or if it was done for the sake of the story.

I know that everyone has a different opinion on this subject, but that’s okay. There are writers that appeal to all of us out there. Some are all about historical accuracy, while others relax the rules slightly. And then there are those whose books very few will read because they’ve just taken it too far, interspersing too much modernism in a book that is supposed to take us back to the past.

When I read a historical romance, that’s what I want, so the details better take me to another place and time where I can lose myself, if only for a couple of hours. If I want modern, I’ll read a contemporary.

New release day!

My paranormal time-travel book, Forgiveness, releases today.

It's a reincarnation love story with a time travel twist. James Benteen and Penelope Albright were lovers in 1876 America. But James caused Penelope's death. When he died (just moments after her) God offered him a choice: do penance for his sin or be reborn with no knowledge of Penelope and his love.

James chose penance, and in 2186 he's reborn as Jim, a dog who's also a shapeshifting human. He's paired with Penelope, who is a Guide with the History Patrol, an organization that sends people back through time to observe history and to retrieve tourists who used God's Portal (created in 2145) as a recreational device.

Each Guide is accompanied by a telepathic Companion, a shapeshifter who guards and aids them. Only Companions know the whole truth about the Patrol — that the Companion and Guide are reincarnations of two lovers, one of whom betrayed the other. Companions cannot be seen in human form until they can forgive the one who betrayed them in a former life or until they are freely forgiven by the one they betrayed.

The Guides are unaware that they have a previous-life connection to their Companion. As far as they know, their assignment is straightforward: find the Tourists, bring 'em home. Their Companion is there to help, give advice, and monitor until that moment of revelation when penance has been served and forgiveness must be given — or withheld.

In a way, it's God's way of giving people a do-over. Sometimes the do-over is positive, and sometimes ... well, don't let it be said that God doesn't have a sense of humor.

I wanted to do a book that was different, something that would be challenging for me to write and for readers -- well, I wanted something a reader could sink his or her teeth into and enjoy.

I hope I've done it....

Seasons of Seduction III--Coming Sept. 23

*
*
Just a reminder that the Ellora's Cavemen: Seasons of Seduction III anthology, featuring my story "Sunshine for a Vampire" is due out this Sunday, September 23!
*


I'm thrilled to be in a book with these five very talented ladies. This anthology is jam-packed with six very different, but very HOT stories. Check out the blurbs below to see what you can expect from this book!
*
*
The Pirate and the Pussycat
Lacey Alexander

When Leah gets an invitation to a Halloween bash, she has mixed emotions. At last year’s party, she met a man, fell for him hard and…never heard from him again. So this year she’ll take a new approach. Screw emotions—she’s going to find a sexy guy and do the dirty with him, no strings attached.

Arriving in her sexy cat costume, she spies a hot pirate and knows instantly that he’s the man she’s going to seduce. But can she succeed? Or will this naughty little kitty end up heartbroken all over again?
*
*
Panther’s Pleasure
Cathryn Fox

Sash has spent her life coursing through space. She’s never gotten sick before. But as they approach planet Lannar, she begins to feel very ill, and when she meets Kade, leader of Lannar, all kinds of things begin happening to her libido.

When Kade sets eyes on Sash he knows she’s his mate. How it’s possible that an Earth woman is the mate for a shape-shifting panther, he’s not sure. All he knows is that there is only one way to help ease her pain and make her first transformation easier. Through mating. And once will never be enough.
*
*
On Her Back
Renee Luke

Simone Harris is experienced when it comes to loss—most recently, that of her brother Jerold. But when his best friend Elijah, wounded in the same fray that killed Jerold, returns home, Simone tries to put her pain aside and offer him her support. She wants to give him anything and everything he needs.

Elijah Russell survived every night he spent in the desert—and, later, in the hospital—by invoking fantasies of Simone. On her back. Beneath him. Now, just being near her again is enough to make him forget his pain for a moment. But his heated emotions seem to be mutual, and soon those fantasies might become a reality.
Simone and Elijah both need time to heal, but it’s a lot easier to wait together.
*
*
I Was an Alien’s Love Slave
Charlene Teglia

Micki Sloane needs a hero and she needs him now. She’s got a deadline, writer’s block and no inspiration. What to do? Wish on a star.

Keelan Os’tana has been seeking his bondmate, the one woman who is on his wavelength—literally. He answers Micki’s mental call by beaming her up into erotic adventure beyond her wildest imaginings. Her options? Form the permanent telepathic bond with Keelan or go home and write for the tabloids. “I Was an Alien’s Love Slave” is a sure seller, but Keelan tempts her to live the fantasy instead.

*
Sunshine for a Vampire
N. J. Walters

Sunshine DeMarco is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed vampire who just doesn’t fit in with her own people. She doesn’t really like the whole vampire lifestyle—the opulent surroundings and overindulgence in everything from food to drink to blood. But even she has family and social obligations.

While attending a party for a special European dignitary, she finds herself captivated by a tall, dark stranger. One sensual dance between them leads to a passionate tryst in the host’s garden.
Reality intrudes and Sunshine flees, but she hasn’t seen the last of her mystery lover.

*
A Man of Vision
Kate Willoughby

For Cristoforo, sculpting marble is his life, but the price of creation is a libido that rides him like a demon. When he discovers his sculpting days are numbered, he hires a mistress to satisfy him night and day.

Modern-day courtesan Delphine arrives at Cristoforo’s villa prepared for the rigors of being on call 24/7. What she isn’t prepared for, however, is the intensity of her body’s response to Cristoforo. When she learns what is driving him so ruthlessly, she wonders if she can protect her heart…or if it’s already too late.

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!

I'll admit it, I don't have much to say today on my blog. I've had a terribly busy week in a half where everything just sort of piled on and today I've GOTTA get some R&R for my sanity. :) But, there's always a bit left in me for celebrating!

Today I’m celebrating some things all writers sometimes forget and take for granted. Many unpublished authors may find it amazing that a published author could ever take for granted the excitement of a new release coming out. It can happen, believe me. Today I’m dropping a little whoot for the new cover I just received for UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, the next book in my HOT ZONE series. UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER comes out October 9 at Samhain Publishing www.samhainpublishing.com. Here’s a blurb and an tiny excerpt to get your blood pumpin’!!!

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER (Book 2 in the HOT ZONE series)
By Denise A. Agnew
Available October 9 at Samhain Publishing www.samhainpublishing.com

She’s archaeology, he’s Special Ops, and both of them teeter on the edge of stepping into the HOT ZONE. She wants the adventure of a lifetime and isn’t willing to sacrifice it for any man…
Archaeologist Fredricka “Freddie” Bodine returns to her hometown for her twentieth high school reunion, unaware that her old crush, Keith Wallace, has blown back into town. A single memory is etched deeply on her brain—the high school prom where she shared an emotionally revealing dance with him. They’d both left town after graduation, feelings unresolved and teen angst firmly in place. All he wants is to keep the girl he loved and lost safe, even if she hates him for it…Keith doesn’t want her to travel to Los Diablos, an area near ancient ruins where his sister was killed years ago. As they grapple with family pressures and the exploding passion between them, their battle of wills may just lead them to the truth living in both their hearts.

Excerpt: Warning...contents may be a little hot to the touch.

“Freddie?”

She almost came out of her skin. She whirled to the left. Standing at the very end of the aisle, Keith Wallace stared at her with a furrowed brow.

“Oh—um, hi.” Her voice cracked and she cleared her throat. “I didn’t know you were here. Or even in town.”

“I didn’t know you were in town.” His voice, deep and overlaid with a sexy huskiness, had always melted her insides like the most delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate and stirred feelings she didn’t want to have.

As he sauntered toward her, she sighed. The gods could not be so cruel. Or maybe they could. The changes in him had only increased his attractiveness. Boy, oh boy, howdy, he’d matured like a fine Merlot, rich with nuances that made her mouth go dry and her heart do a silly two-step. At thirty-eight he defined disgustingly gorgeous man with a capital G.
When she’d left this town twenty years ago, she’d never considered that he’d still have this effect on her. She recalled his attractiveness at eighteen, mature for his age, brooding and intense. At eighteen she’d wanted to date happy-go-lucky guys with uncomplicated backgrounds. Sure couldn’t say that about Keith. Still, nature had matured his physique in all the right ways.

At six feet and probably two inches, he made her five feet five inches feel small. The navy blue T-shirt stretched over his broad chest and wide shoulders. Muscles rippled in his biceps and forearms. Jeans defined his hips and muscular thighs and made his legs look miles longer. His work boots looked well used and scuffed. Always rugged, his face had matured into angles and planes that screamed danger and forbidden sensuality. His mahogany hair wasn’t the tousled boy anymore, but clipped military short. Without strands flopping over his face, nothing hid the thoroughly masculine lines that screamed the proverbial dark and dangerous.
Her heart did a flop, a flip, and started thumping away so hard she felt the pulse in her ears.

Okay. So that reaction hadn’t changed in twenty years either.

When Keith hovered over her, staring down with those dark chocolate eyes, his frown showed genuine concern.

“What brings you here?” she asked.

“Came to pick up a book for my mom. Ernestine said you were here.” He crossed his arms, and then nodded at her huge book. “I heard you cursing. What’s wrong?”

Embarrassment heated her face. “It’s nothing significant.”

He came closer. “Oh yeah?” His lips quirked, and rare humor danced in his eyes. He glanced at the book lying open on the desk. “Sure it’s nothing?”

Freddie frowned. “I never was good at lying to you. This is—was—my favorite book in the library.”

“Was?”

“I used to check it out every once in a while when I was a kid.”

He moved nearer yet, leaning his hand on the side panel of the desk to look at the book. “A ripped page?”

She closed the book cover so he could see the photo on the front. “Archaeological sites in Mexico. Tikal. Or what my archaeology professor at Western used to say, Chicken Itza.”

He laughed, the low, rumbling sound sending vibrations through her stomach. She clenched her legs together in reaction. Holy, holy crap. A hot pulsing gathered in her loins. Talk about a record time to get turned on. Her mouth watered as her gaze traveled quickly over his chest.

**
Until next time, enjoy your day. :)

Denise A. Agnew

Cranky Commenter Winner!

And the winner is Cathy! Cathy, please email your snail mail addy to ann @ annbruce.net (no spaces) and I'll get the prize out to you.

Thanks to everyone else for making me not feel entirely alone!