Lori Devoti, paranormal romance and urban fantasy author

This may seem like a strange question, but it is one I encounter a lot. Maybe not in the actual question form, but from people who think they know the answer and oh so obviously don’t. In fact, even writers who say they write romance don’t always know what makes a romance, at least when looking at the term in the genre romance sense.

I, like many published romance authors who are members of Romance Writers of America (RWA), judge RWA’s big contest, the Rita. I haven’t started my entries this year, but in the past I have received books entered as romances that just weren’t. In fact I have received books that had zero romance in them. Yes, there was a boy and there was a girl….uh and that is where it stopped. (An aside…the Ritas have a box for judges to check that says either “not a romance” or “wrong category”. If a certain number of judges check the box for one book, it will be disqualified from that category.)

So, what makes a book a romance novel?

Romance.

Not a clear enough answer? Okay, I’ll go a little deeper, but first let’s clarify a bit. My definition is for today’s genre romance. It is not for classic romances written two hundred years ago, or even literary books that might be romantic. This is for genre romances.

Okay, so there is romance. Someone (in mainstream fiction this still means two people) falls in love. But and this is huge, not only do these people fall in love, but the story of their romance is KEY to the novel. How key will vary by sub-genre (in romantic suspense the romance plot may take up less than half of the book), but if you yanked the romance plot out of the book, the story would fall apart. You would not have a book that stood on its own. Period. No way around it.

This does not mean any of the cliches you hear about romance is true. The hero and heroine do not have to meet on page one–although since the romance is one of the, if not the, key plot line you can see how this might be a good idea. The hero doesn’t have to be rich or dashing. The heroine does not have to be a virgin or feisty. You just have to have a romance!! And that romance has to be important to the book! Very important!

Oh, and if the book is a GENRE romance there had better be a HEA (happily ever after). In murder mysteries the reader wants the killer caught. In romances we want the love to last. Just the way it is.

And that, people, is about it.

One last word of warning. You can not tell a romance by its cover or what is written on the spine. You may in fact pick up a book that says “romance” on the spine. This does not sadly guarantee that what you are reading is in fact a romance. What it does guarantee is that the publisher and their marketing team think the book will SELL better as a romance. Yep, that’s right at times books are labeled or packaged just to sell the book. But you now will know if you are reading a romance, right? And how? Because there will be romance important to the overall success of the book in it!

So, I’m behind, but I finally got my vampire romance short story, Lost, formated and uploaded here on my site. And now you can download it for free.

I hope you enjoy it!

To kick off 2010, I have two short stories coming out! The first, Lured, is a werewolf story for Nocturne Bites.

Theo Malone was an alpha, not a lone rogue who needed to fight to claim a female as his own. Still, something about Annie Cartwell called to him. Unclaimed and unaware that she had been turned into a werewolf, she was vulnerable to other wolves…and irresistibly attractive to Theo. His wolf had never reacted so strongly to a woman before—and Annie’s new inner wolf had the same hunger for him. His scent made her feel safe, his touch soothed her…and the thought of Theo awoke fantasies of being claimed by him like she’s never had before.

But while they both longed to fully give in to their desire, Theo and Annie must struggle to control these new feelings. For someone set up Annie as bait, and no wolf was safe until he was caught.…
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The second is a vampire story, titled Lost and it is FREE. Look for it at Book View Cafe and here January 6th!
After a car crash that may have taken her friends lives, Rachel Daniels finds herself lost on a cursed mountain. Her only hope to escape the place and save her friends is the man she finds wandering through the night; except Cameron Renault is no ordinary man. He’s a vampire and Rachel’s nightmare may have just begun.

Then in February, The Hellhound King, book 5 in my Unbound series will hit stores, and Romantic Times Magazine gave it a Top Pick!

Devoti hits a home run. Sparks fly between Raf and Marina, and the story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Devoti makes a supernatural world seem as if it really exists. —Alexandra Kay

All Raf Dolg wanted was revenge. Marina Adal–part witch, part elf princess–had betrayed him once, condemning the handsome hellhound to an elfin dungeon. But once the lithe and seductive Marina is in his hands, Raf realizes that the long-haired beauty is also a victim of betrayal–a pawn in the plans of a cruel elf lord and of the destiny tying her to the throne of Alfheim. Together they face the treachery that nearly tore them apart as well as their own divided souls. Bound by their love, the two outcasts must band together if their passion is to stand a chance…

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Also coming this year, Amazon Queen, book 2 in the Amazon Ink series.

Amazon queen Zery Kostovska has never questioned tribe traditions. After all, these rules have kept the tribe strong for millennia and enabled them to live undetected, even in modern-day America. Zery is tough, fair, commanding–the perfect Amazon leader.
At least, she was. A new high priestess with a penchant for secrecy and technology is threatening Zery’s rule. Plus, with the discovery of the Amazon sons, males with the same skills as their female counterparts, even Zery can’t deny that the tribe must change. But how? Some want to cooperate with the sons. Others believe brutal new leadership is needed–and are willing to kill to make it happen.
Once, Zery’s word was law. Now, she had no idea who to trust, especially with one powerful Amazon son making her question all her instincts. For Zery, tribe comes first, but the battle drawing near is unlike any she’s faced before…and losing might cost her both the tribe and her life.
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So, word is out that very soon Barnes and Noble will have their own eBook Reader available for purchase. No news that I’ve heard as to price but there are plenty of rumors of various cool things it might do (although none of them include finishing WRITING my current WIP, so for now I’m holding back my unbridled enthusiasm).

Anyway, this news was of particular interest to me on the heels of Ninc last weekend where there was a LOT of talk about eBooks and what their growth means for authors. Right now, excuse me if I mentioned this already, people tossed out numbers of 1 to 5% of the total book market being E. But with expectations of that going up to 50% in the next five years.

And what does that potential growth depend in large part on?

An affordable eReader.

So, I’m curious. How cheap would be cheap enough to send you off to buy your own reader? And if price isn’t your major holdup, what is?

For me actually it’s the whole format thing. I don’t want to buy a reader to find out six months later my books are obsolete or don’t work on some new reader I want. I also don’t like the no forward thing. I share books with my mom a lot. If I bought ebooks in any volume I would want to be able to continue to do this without feeling like a book pirate. Oh, and then there is the price of ebooks. I can’t get over feeling an ebook should cost less than a normal book. And if I add that all together–possibility of books becoming obsolete, not being able to share them and them costing the same as a print book–I just can’t see why I would want to buy a reader just yet.

How about you?

Always like to share. :)
Here’s a free eBook. I have no experience with this author, but here is the blurb…

Some believe Bedford, Maine, is cursed. Its bloody past, endless rain, and the decay of its downtown portend a hopeless future. With the death of its paper mill, Bedford’s unemployed residents soon find themselves with far too much time to dwell on thoughts of Susan Marley. Once the local beauty, she’s now the local whore. Silently prowling the muddy streets, she watches eerily from the shadows, waiting for . . . something. And haunting the sleep of everyone in town with monstrous visions of violence and horror.

Those who are able will leave Bedford before the darkness fully ascends. But those who are trapped here—from Susan Marley’s long-suffering mother and younger sister to her guilt-ridden, alcoholic ex-lover to the destitute and faithless with nowhere else to go—will soon know the fullest and most terrible meaning of nightmare.

Get your free book here.

By Jeri Westerson

In my blog tour to promote my latest Crispin Guest Medieval Noir novel, SERPENT IN THE THORNS, I’ve been talking about medieval myths, that is, those tired saws that many people believe about the Middle Ages. Two of my personal favorites have got to be chastity belts and iron maidens. Though they sound like something that would go together, trust me, they don’t.

First, let’s talk that ultimate of contraceptive devices, chastity belts.

We owe the Victorians a lot for what they preserved of the medieval period. They were in love with it, partly due to authors like Sir Walter Scott for his tale of knightly chivalry, Ivanhoe, and partly because the chivalric code came to mean a lot to proper Englishmen of the time. Archaeological digs turned up new and interesting finds. Architecture in the form of castles, monasteries, and churches were preserved from permanent decay. With this surge in interest in all things ancient—including an abiding interest in the classical—the Middle Ages became the next target, and many histories were written. Sometimes these histories were quite valuable with new insights and impeccable research (and there are even some that are still used by scholars today). But many more of these “histories” were romanticism at best, pure fantasy at worst. Their “idea” of the Middle Ages as a sweepingly romantic period run by Dutch-boy coifed Arthurian knights meeting maidens gowned in velvet with pointy sleeves in sunlit meadows—a veritable Rivendell of sunbeams and blossoms—often tipped the scales into the absurd.

Along with this (and with the Victorian ideals of marriage and fidelity) comes the Crusaders in need of keeping the homefires burning…but not burning quite that much! To dampen a few of these homefires, knights, it was said, created these metal devices in which to encage their wives to ensure their fidelity. Like a Maidenform girdle…in metal. This might discourage anyone—except for, perhaps, an enterprising tinker—from giving it a go with the knight’s wife.

Later Renaissance devices in leather were created to discourage masturbation. But we are not going there.

Even the British Museum was not immune from being deceived. They had a chastity belt on display up until the ‘90s, placed there originally in the 1840s…which is probably when it was made! A museum spokesman was reported saying about the item in question, “It is probable that the majority of existing examples were made in the 19th century as curiosities for the prurient or jokes for the tasteless.”

But that’s not the only iron maidens we have to discuss. The one I’m talking about now is supposed to have been a torture device (not that the other one wouldn’t have been!) These iron maidens were wooden cabinets with iron spikes inside. They were shaped rather like large bowling pins with the image of the Virgin’s face on the head part. Closing the hapless victim inside would pierce him in innumerable holes all over the body. Blood loss, possible asphyxiation, and the horror of it, could cause death.

Except that it didn’t exist in the Middle Ages. It doesn’t appear to have been invented until the late 18th century, and even then it was all in the mind. The earliest account of this device can be found in 1793, but even that was a hoax! It was possibly confused with a “cloak of shame”, something that was used in the Middle Ages. But this was more of a portable stocks, a barrel that one was forced to wear, humiliating oneself by walking around town, letting everyone know that you had been naughty, where citizens could hurl ridicule as well as rotten vegetables at you (where were folks keeping all those rotten vegetables they are always throwing at people?)

So there you are. Two myths laid to rest, I hope. As disappointing as that might be. Perhaps next we’ll investigate the rotten vegetable conspiracy.

You can find out more about Jeri’s medieval noir series and her newest release SERPENT IN THE THORNS on Jeri’s website www.JeriWesterson.com

Full Moon of Werewolves Schedule

About today’s guest: Lori Devoti
Well, you know about me. If not, this is my blog. I write dark paranormal romances for Silhouette Nocturne and urban fantasy for Pocket Juno books.

One lucky commenter will win a copy of Midnight Cravings. Just leave a comment on this post to be entered. Winner will be announced at end of Full Moon promotion. Last day to enter (here, other authors may end their contests different times) Saturday, April 25th at midnight central U.S. time.

Now here’s a brief write up for each story. Oh AND this does fit in the Full Moon theme because most of the stories are werewolf stories. Although mine is a…hellhound.

Mahina’s Storm by Vivi Anna
She was a tough-as-nails cop, all business and always in conrol. But Mahina Garner was also lycan, with strength, speed…and a powerful primitave nature. So when she was barely missed by a silver bullet during a raid she led, it ate at her confidence and disturbed her peace of mind. Only was it the near brush with death that so unnerved her, or the fact that she’d been saved by Ren Calder?

Mahina had always preferred her relationships uncomplicated, temporary and lightweight. But Ren stirred something in her that made her seriously uncomfortable. Determined to get him out of her system, she escaped into the night and into her wolf form, to quiet the turmoil within her. So she was surprised…and surprisingly thrilled…to find Ren following her, equally determined to make her his own.

Racing the Moon by Michele Hauf
Dean Maverick, werewolf, is racing against the full moon when his truck breaks down in the middle of nowhere. A sexy female mechanic named Sunday assesses the damage–and Dean.

It’ll take a day for parts to arrive; Sunday offers the spare bedroom above her shop for him to stay the night. Dean doesn’t have a day, or even a few hours. When the full moon is high in the sky, his inner wolf will emerge–unless he can appease it beforehand with sex.

Being a familiar isn’t easy for Sunday–sex is a conduit for demons to enter the mortal realm. Most familiars can control this power, but Sunday can’t. Every time she climaxes, a demon bridges to this realm, and they’re not always friendly. But she can’t deny the feral need to helpslake Dean’s lust.

Can a cat and wolf get beyond their prejudices–and overcome their own problems–to bring the wolf to a howling submission?

Captured by Lori Devoti
The dark elf who slashed him must have graced the tip of his sword with a drug. Because that was the last thing Gray Barsk remembered until he awakened in a dark cell…and he was not alone. Immediately he sensed a female nearby. Then she attacked!

After years of captivity, Leve refused to surrender. This male was the latest in a series of hellhounds they’d forced on her. But Gray was different…unlike the others, he somehow had control over his primitive instincts and could not be manipulated by their captors.

Now, for a chance to turn the tables on their tormentors and escape the nightmare of Kamp Arena, where hellhounds were bred for fighting, Leve would have to overcome her fear and distrust, and join forces with this singular male. But to fool their captors, they had to pretend to be avid mates…and their ruse was stirring very real passion in both of them.
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Dreamcatcher by Anna Leonard
Emma had always taken care of everyone else. But recently she’s too tired, too drained to even get out of bed. Her body aches, and her thoughts are confused… until one day she collapses at work, and is=2 0rushed to the hospital.

Her parents arrange for an at-home nurse to come and stay with her until she recovers. Expecting a no-nonsense woman in a white uniform, Emma instead gets Matthew — sinfully good-looking in jeans and a t-shirt. Matthew is determined to get Emma well again, whatever it takes…but does he have an ulterior motive?. Shaken by her attraction to him, and disturbed by lust-filled dreams he inspires, Emma and Matthew must fight their own desires in order to defeat a centuries-old curse that demands one of them die….

Mate of the Wolf by Karen Whiddon
Rule Number One–Date only Pack members. She knew he was definitely not part of the Pack, but the immediate intense attraction Allie felt for Kane overwhelmed her good sense and convinced her to toss her rules out the window. The fact that she couldn’t detect his scent did not concern her–she knew he was unlike any man she’d ever known, and she had to be with him, whatever the cost.

He couldn’t believe she didn’t recognize him–he’d known instantly what she was. After four hundred years, Kane had finally found his Svetla, his one true mate. But a union between their two races was expressly forbidden. So now it was time for Kane to break some rules of his own….

Broken Souls by Bonnie Vanak
She was forbidden by the Draicon to cast the blood-to-blood spell. But Katia was determined to find her father, and the spell was her only option. The Draicon had taken her into their pack when her own family had been destroyed by the Morphs. But Katia had never given up hope that her father was still alive, and refused to mate for life with her beloved Baylor until she found him. Now Baylor had given her an ultimatum, and Katia was forced to take drastic measures.

But when Katia’s spell summoned a Morph claiming to be her father, nothing Baylor said could convince her of the danger. Baylor knew too well the cost of trusting a loved one who’d turned and desperately wanted to save Katia the pain he’d lived with for so long. He also knew that if he spared the Morphy, it would destroy Katia, but if he killed this evil being, he risked losing her love forever.
Read an excerpt

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Full Moon of Werewolves Schedule

About today’s guest: Heather M. Riley
Heather M. Riley is a bookseller and blogger. She blogs for Crave More Romance and Want My YA.

I was thrilled when Lori invited me back to her blog for her Full Moon of Werewolves. Then I instantly went into a panic realizing I needed to find something to talk about.. That’s when I had my “duh” moment. I’m the YA blogger in this lineup (well maybe not THE blogger, but you get my point), why not talk about werewolves in YA?

This sent me on a search for books to discuss. My first thought was Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. After all, I already own the book and I loved the movie (more on that later). However I decided initially to take a different direction and find some books that people may not have heard of yet.

First I picked up Weregirls: Birth of the Pack by Petru Popescu. This book is definitely not your traditional werewolf story. From the back copy I could tell it was about four young girls and their soccer team, the Weregirls. Lily is the leader of this pack of girls; she’s the one who forms their soccer club when the school refuses to make them an official team. The action is a bit slow to start with this book. Initally there’s a lot of drama surrounding the soccer club and the new girl in town, Andra, who seems determined to take the one thing Lily’s worked so hard for away from her. Despite being dead, Lily’s father becomes a central character in this story. In the beginning it’s just his memory and the impact of his absence on Lily and her mother. However after finding his mirror, his “moonglass” in the garage, Lily begins to actually hear her father speaking to her. It’s through him that she learns the truth behind the stories of the weregirls that he used to share with Lily and her friends. These weren’t merely stories. Each of the girls has a weregirl watching over and protecting them. It’s after these revelations are made that everthing picks up and now on top of the drama there’s real danger. Andra is right in the center of all of it, the soccer club was just a means to an end for her. Andra wants far more from Lily than that, and she’s a girl used to getting what she wants.

Next I read Moonlight: A Dark Guardian Novel by Rachel Hawthorne. This is the first book in her Dark Guardians series. And while I enjoyed Weregirls, I LOVED Moonlight. Rachel Hawthorne’s story is a lot more in line with what you expect of a werewolf story. When she was just five years old, Kayla’s parents were killed. While out in the woods they were shot by some drunk hunters who insisted that they’d seen wolves and were just trying to protect the little girl. Kayla doesn’t get it, how stupid and drunk did they have to be to see wolves in place of humans? Now just before her seventeenth birthday Kayla has returned to the same woods. The summer before her adoptive parents took her camping there as part of her therapy and her need to face her past. While there she befriended Lindsey, their guide, or sherpa as they are called. Lindsey convinced Kayla to return and become a sherpa herself. Kayla was glad to return, not only for Lindsey, but also for Luke. She’s both attracted to and afraid of Luke. He’s so intense and her feelings for him are unlike any feelings she’s ever had for another guy. Now Kayla is getting ready to go on her first mission with several other sherpas, Luke among them. They are leading a professor and his group of grad students out into the wild to a predermined campsite and then return for them a couple of weeks later. It sounds like a fairly basic mission until the campfire conversation turns one night from the wolves the grad students are supposedly studying, to werewolves. Everyone laughs it off, but Kayla wonders, do these people really belive in werewolves? When everything comes to light, the real motives of the professor and his students, the secrets of her fellow sherpas, and the truth behind her parents deaths, it’s almost more than Kayla can bear. But bear it she does, and with a strength beyond her years.

Moonlight was just an all-around great read. Whether you’re looking at it as a werewolf story or not. I do love the way the werewolf mythology was handled, and I really loved Kayla and all the supporting characters. Kayla wasn’t thrilled with the truth once she learned it, she tried to rebel in her head, but when it came down to it, she was strong and she knew what she had to do. I also absolutely adored Luke and the romance between him and Kayla. I love it when the feelings between two characters just leap off the page and land right there in your chest. I’m addicted and panting for the next Dark Guardian story.

Now back to Blood and Chocolate, well I’m still reading that one. I tried, but didn’t quite get everything read like I wanted to in time for this post. What I can tell you so far, is that while I am totally in love with the movie version, a great many liberties were taken with the story. Like so far the only similarities are the title, the character names (some of them), and the whole werewolf/ loup garou thing. It’s certainly interesting. I’ll be sure to pop back with a comment or three once I actually finish this one.

So now it’s your turn.. Have you come across any YA werewolf gems that I missed?

I finally got around to posting an excerpt from Dark Crusade. Read it here!.

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Three reasons my life is like a paranormal romance