Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Welcome Tina Donahue


I am happy to give my spot over to the celebrated writer, Tina Donohue, so please enjoy.

Tempt Me, Tease Me, Thrill Me

As a romance writer – and reader – that’s what I want a story to do. It has to draw me in, tantalize me with the conflict, then provide an HEA that has me sighing, grinning, crying – preferably all three.

It’s what makes for a great story – the holy trifecta of romance, beginning with the first T:

Tempt Me: It starts with the hook, otherwise known as the blurb on the back cover. Those short paragraphs give the reader an idea of what to expect, the story’s tone (light, dark, somewhere in between), and the first glimpse of its characters.

For example: In my latest erotic romance, In His Arms, the blurb reads in part:

Owned by one man, loved by another. . .

Abducted and delivered into sexual slavery, Lori has surrendered her will in order to survive. For more than a decade, she’s been known as Summer, a lovely submissive, her owner’s possession until he gives her to his newest lieutenant, a mysterious man called RJ. Commanding and virile, RJ dominates without cruelty and possesses without threat, engendering a mixture of safety and passion. In his strong arms, Summer enjoys carnal pleasure she’s never known and tenderness she’s craved.

Immediately, the reader knows this is a dark novel, filled with suspense and very hot romance.

For one of my more playful works, Adored, the blurb reads in part:

A shameless fantasy come true…
When tall, dark and delicious Adam Farrell crosses Danni’s radar at a trade show in Vegas, it’s not lust at first sight. He’s been the star of her wicked fantasies for a while, pleasuring her in acts of domination and submission that leave her breathless. Aching for his masterful touch, believing she’ll never have it, Danni indulges in a public sex act Adam alone witnesses. What follows is a night of wild and unrestrained passion in his powerful arms. It’s only the beginning.

Once the hook’s in place, the hard part begins—the conflict. It must be there from page one, building continuously in order to draw a reader through the characters’ worlds and their stories. And that brings us to the second T:

Tease Me: Doesn’t it drive you crazy, but don’t you just love it when you want the characters to do something and they simply won’t cooperate? You’re aching to have the hero tell the heroine that he loves her, but he just can’t. Through each scene, you’re on the edge of your seat whispering, then shouting, “Tell her, dammit!”

That’s the effect I strove for in my erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. It’s clear that Nathan loves Adriana. She knows it. So, does he. But because of an incident in his past, he’s fearful of committing. He comes close, then draws away. It’s that back and forth that keeps readers turning the pages, wanting, wishing, praying for the correct resolution.

And that brings us to the final T…

Thrill Me: Ah, endings. To me, they’re the most difficult to write. They not only have to be satisfying, they must be memorable. I recall the first time I read Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz. I wept at the end. For days, the conclusion haunted me. That’s the mark of a great story. For my own endings, I want readers to smile and to cry, because finally the characters have made it. Whatever they desired in the story, they’ve achieved.

As an example: In my erotic romance Deep Dark Delicious, Eden has had a difficult time believing that Rafe could genuinely love her. Because of past disappointments, she hasn’t trusted love. But Rafe wouldn’t give up on her…an Alpha male to his core, he pursued Eden in a way every woman dreams of. At the darkest moment of the novel, when he thought he’d lost her, Eden came to him and what she did wasn’t a surprise only to Rafe, but to my fans and readers. And yes, there was laughter and tears.


Be tempted, be teased, be thrilled…it’s what romance is all about.


My latest release, In His Arms, is available now. Here’s the full blurb and buy link.

Blurb:

Owned by one man, loved by another. . .

Abducted and delivered into sexual slavery, Lori has surrendered her will in order to survive. For more than a decade, she’s been known as Summer, a lovely submissive, her owner’s possession until he gives her to his newest lieutenant, a mysterious man called RJ. Commanding and virile, RJ dominates without cruelty and possesses without threat, engendering a mixture of safety and passion. In his strong arms, Summer enjoys carnal pleasure she’s never known and tenderness she’s craved. In his heated gaze, she experiences a sense of recognition she doesn’t immediately understand until it proves dangerous in a way she could never have imagined. Bound by desire and their growing love, RJ traverses the shadowy world of human trafficking, risking all for Summer’s freedom only to learn she harbors a fateful secret that threatens to tear her from him, leading to an irrevocable event that risks both their lives.

Buy link: http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8593-50-in-his-arms.aspx

My Bio (‘cause sometimes you just have to know about a writer) 

I’m a multi–published novelist in contemporary, historical and erotic romance. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised my work. I have reached finals and /or placed in numerous RWA–sponsored contests. Before becoming a novelist, I was the editor of an award–winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.

Email: tina@tinadonahue.com
Website/blog: www.tinadonahue.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000458023097

And finally, what you’ve all been waiting for – a CONTEST!!! Yay!! To celebrate the release of In His Arms one lucky commenter on today’s blog will have her choice of one of my following books**:

1. Lush Velvet Nights – ebook
2. Adored – ebook
3. Deep, Dark, Delicious – ebook
4. Close to Perfect – mass market paperback
5. Bad Boys with Red Roses – trade paperback
6. Take My Breath Away – trade paperback

** Winner chosen at random. Winner in continental US has her choice of one of the six. Winner outside continental US has her choice of one of the ebooks.

18 comments:

Tina Donahue said...

Good morning, Margaret - thanks so much for having me here today!!!

Ladies (and gents) - I'm hosting a contest, so leave a comment for a chance to win one of my backtitles!! :)

margaret blake said...

Hi Tina, Do hope you have a nice visit with us.

Cindy Spencer Pape said...

Great post, Tina! I think you've got the concept down pat!

Tina Donahue said...

Hey, Margaret - I'm certain I will.

Cindy, hi!! Well, I certainly hope I have it figured out. :) Thanks for dropping by.

Unknown said...

Hi Tina!! I love the post. The Tempt me always does and Tease sometimes drives me crazy and the thrill me is my favorite part!!!

My fantasy in a novel is to end the book with a huge love scene, I think they are usually the best because the characters are usually in love by then and it just that much more special.

I loved What Eden did coming back to Rafe in Deep Dark Delicious too. That was a happy surprise!!!

In His Arms was terrific!! I'm glad I finally read it! I hope everyone here today goes out and buy's it too if they haven't already. It was done so well, it made for a fabulous read!!!

Thanks for the contest Tina! HAGD!

chirth7@yahoo.com

Cathy M said...

Fabulous post, Tina, with all the reasons why I love reading erotic romances so much.

caity_mack at yahoo dot com

BTW Margaret, I like your blog, and will be sure to drop by again.

Unknown said...

Great contest Tina. I would love to win Take My Breath Away. Actually I would love to win all your books. I still want to read In his Arms. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Tina Donahue said...

Hey, Christine!!! Thanks for dropping by - so glad you enjoy my books. *hugs*

Hi,Cathy - know what you mean, we all love being tempted, teased and thrilled. Thanks for your comments. :)

Tore - hi!! You're entered - thanks for your comments and good luck in the drawing. :)

orelukjp0 said...

Congrats on the release of In His Arms. I hope the blog stops continue to go well. I know Im enjoying following where you go.

Tina Donahue said...

Hey orelukjp0 - thanks for stopping by and wishing me well. :)

Good luck in the drawing!

Fedora said...

Hi, Tina! Lovely post!! Tempting, teasing, and thrilling, as always ;) (Please don't enter me--just wanted to wave hi!)

Vicky CK said...

Hi Tina. Great post. In the "Tease them part, I was so reminded of the "Beauty and the Beast" TV show. By half way through the first season, my whole family would be saying (all but screaming) at the tv "Kiss Her" at the end of every show. I knew exactly what you were talking about right there! It's funny how we get so caught up in the characters of a good story.

Good luck with your new release and thanks for the contest!
Vicky

Tina Donahue said...

Hey, Fedora and Vicky - thanks for stopping by!!

And good luck in the drawing! :)

margaret blake said...

Just dropping by to see how Tina is doing, very well I have to say.
So glad so many folks dropped by.

Hi Cathy, lovely to meet up with you here.

Cheers, and all the best

Margaret

Tina Donahue said...

Thanks all for dropping by - I'll announce the winner tomorrow (Mon). :)

Tina Donahue said...

okay- I've chosen the winner and it's orelukjp0

Congratulations!!! Please contact me at tina@tinadonahue.com for your prize!!

To all - thanks so much for entering. :)

Kathleen said...

Sorry I'm late but wanted to congratulate you, Tina and wish you all the best.

Unknown said...

Tina, all your books sounds really hot and good. Tore923@aol.com