The Roots of Paranormal Romantic Suspense

      I write paranormal romantic suspense, but several years ago, when I was preparing a talk on the horror genre, I realized that the roots of my books reach all the way back to the dawn of time.  One of the ways the shaman of an ancient tribe maintained power over his people was to protect them from the scary creatures who roamed the night.  In those ancient monsters are the ancestors of today’s literary vampires, werewolves, demons, ghosts, and all the other beasts who fill the paranormal universe.  

      Today they’ve morphed into the heroes of paranormal romance.  In my Moon series, for example, I’m writing about a family of very sexy alpha males–who happen to be werewolves.  My first werewolf was Ross Marshal in KILLING MOON, and only the right woman could help him make peace with the wolf side of his being.

       In my latest book, DARK MOON, which is also part of my Decorah Security series, Cole Marshall and another Decorah Security agent, Emma Richards, are sent to rescue a young woman who’s been kidnapped by a business rival of her father.  The man’s holding her on a cruise ship that’s been converted to a pleasure palace for the rich and kinky, and Cole has the job because his werewolf talents are going to be invaluable.  He’s got to “sniff out” where to find the kidnap victim.  At the same time, he and Emma are coping with their attraction for each other in the sexually charged atmosphere of the ship.

        In the past, shape-shifters, vampires and demons were almost always the enemy.  It was like a cowboy movie where we knew that bad guys had black hats and the good guys had white hats. But modern paranormal heroes have blurred these lines.  My werewolves may be the heroes of my books, but you never know when their savage side will emerge.  The only way Cole can save himself, on his own trying to get information is to rip out the throat of a security guard.  Then he’s got to dispose of the body, come back to Emma and pretend nothing happened.  
      Is that edge of danger and unpredictability part of the appeal of the shape-shifter?  The realization that you never know what’s going to happen.  And the knowledge that these are guys who live outside the bounds of civilization.  Often they can blend into society, but you never know when they’re going to tear off that clothing and expose the animal side of their nature.  And when they do–watch out.  Because anything can happen.

Do you read paranormal romance?  If so, what’s the attraction for you?

One commenter will win one of my fave Harlequin Intrigues.  If you want to win, please include your e-mail address, so I can contact you.

Romantic Suspense Heroes

I got the idea for this blog topic from the February Intrigue Authors Newsletter.  All the authors said what they were looking for in the hero of a romantic suspense novel.

This was my answer:

For me, he’s got to be tough on the outside but tender at his core.  A take-charge kind of guy who has his own inner strength and a strong sense of right and wrong–which might not dovetail with the conventional wisdom.  I mean, he might bend the law, if he thinks the ends justify the means.  And in a fight, he probably won’t stick to Marquess of Queensberry rules.

He’s got good instincts about people, a good sense of humor, a strong streak of personal loyalty.  He doesn’t take himself too seriously, and he confronts problems head-on, which is good because danger has a way of catching up with him, sooner rather than later.

He’s a complicated guy, with something in his background that makes him wary of relationships.  A woman who’s going to win his love must get past the protective wall he’s built around his emotions.

But he enjoys sex, and he’s an excellent lover, sensitive to his partner’s needs.  And if he has something extra–say the ability to change into a wolf, like Cole Marshall, the hero of my Decorah Security novel, DARK MOON, that’s a definite plus.

And one more thing.  He looks a lot like my husband.  Only younger, thinner and taller.  If I describe him as anything besides dark-haired and dark-eyed, with a five o’clock shadow, I’m lying.

These are the kind of alpha males I write about.

What do you want in the hero of a romantic suspense novel?  Comment for a chance to win two of my favorite Harlequin Intrigues--autographed.  If you want a chance to win, please include an e-mail address in your comment.

Special Valentine Treat by Nancy Baggett

I wanted to give you a special Valentine treat, and I knew the perfect place to get one.  From my friend Nancy Baggett, the author of many wonderful baking books including THE ALL AMERICAN DESSERT BOOK.

Here’s a recipe of hers that looks perfect for Valentine’s Day.
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Molten Lava Chocolate-Raspberry Mini-Cakes

Use any ramekins or small, shallow baking dishes that hold about 3/4-cup each for these mini-cakes. Just be sure that the dishes are shallow, as the cakes are tricky to remove from the traditional, 4-inch deep custard cups.

Tip: Though the look is less dramatic, it’s possible to bake and serve the cakes in classic crème brûlée dishes for an easier, fuss-free presentation. In this case, just drizzle some melted raspberry jam back and forth over each cake, then add a little dollop of whipped cream to the center.

12 ounces bittersweet (60 to 70 percent cacao) or semisweet chocolate, broken up or coarsely chopped
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
3 tablespoons seedless raspberry jam, plus 2 tablespoons, melted, for garnish
5 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon raspberry extract or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Lightly sweetened whipped cream or powdered sugar for garnish, optional

Generously butter six or seven 3/4-cup soufflé dishes, ramekins, or shallow custard cups. In a microwave-safe medium bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Microwave on high power for 1 minute, then stop and stir. Continue microwaving on medium power, stopping and stirring at 30-second intervals, until the chocolate and butter are barely melted, stirring occasionally; let the residual heat finish the job. (Alternatively, in a heavy medium saucepan, warm the chocolate and butter over lowest heat, stirring frequently, until partially melted; be very careful not to burn. Immediately remove from the heat.) Stir in 3 tablespoons jam until it melts and the chocolate mixture cools to warm.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and yolk until blended. Add the granulated sugar, extract, and salt, whisking until evenly incorporated. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder over the batter and whisk until smoothly incorporated. If the batter seems very stiff and dry, stir in up to 2 tablespoons warm water. Divide the batter among the prepared dishes; they should be fairly full. The unbaked cakes will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Place the dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (a little longer if the batter has been refrigerated), or until the tops are browner at the edges and rise above the dish rims. The center tops should be soft to the touch and look underdone, and the consistency pudding-like when a toothpick is inserted in the center. Run a paring knife around the dishes and under the bottoms of the cakes until completely loosened. Let cool on a wire rack for 6 to 7 minutes to cool slightly and firm up.To plate, center a dessert plate directly over a cake top. Using oven mitts and holding the two tightly against each other, invert the cake onto the plate. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Garnish the plates with drizzled melted raspberry jam, as shown, if desired. (I pipe it using a pastry bag or through a sturdy plastic baggie with a tiny hole snipped in one corner.) Serve immediately, garnished with lightly sweetened whipped cream (or with sifted powdered sugar over top) if desired.

Alternative do-ahead unmolding option: The warm cakes can be unmolded and placed all together on an ovenproof platter, covered, and set aside for a few hours. Reheat in a 325 degree F oven just until warmed through but not hot before serving. Transfer to individual dessert plates using a wide spatula.

The cakes will keep, airtight and refrigerated, for up to a week. Reheat, as directed above, before serving.

Makes 6 or 7 mini-cakes.
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And here are links to two more of her fabulous recipes, a couple of very tempting variations on the brownie theme:

      Better-for-You Brownies

      Lowney's 1907 Heirloom Brownies

What's your favorite Valentine treat?  

   

DECORAH SECURITY, A New Paranormal Romantic Suspense Series

I’ve always thought that one of the best ways to connect with my readers is through related stories.  I’ve done that with my long-running 43 Light Street series for Harlequin Intrigue and my Moon books for Berkley.  And I wanted to use a similar format with the Decorah Security series, which I launched in December with three titles.

The usual thriller or detective series has one main protagonist who comes back book after book.  Romantic thrillers are a little different because it’s not just about the peril.  The focus is on the developing relationship between the hero and heroine as well as on the action plot.  It’s also the story of a man and a woman falling in love against a background of suspense and danger, and it isn’t until after they’ve dispatched the bad guys that the reader is sure they’re going to work out their complex relationship.

That’s a challenge for the writer.  But also fun.  You’re always weaving the two plots together so that if you pulled out either one, the story would fall apart.  And with the Decorah Security series, there’s another element as well.  All of the agents have paranormal powers–or they’re dealing with a paranormal case.

Bringing the first three Decorah Security stories to publication was a year-long project for me.  And though DARK MOON is the third book in the series, it’s the one I wrote first because I thought of it as a transition between my Berkley Moon books and the new series.

DARK MOON Cover

DARK MOON features the main Decorah Security players, Frank Decorah and the in-house staff who have secondary roles in all the stories.  We also meet a guy who’s going to be the hero of a future Decorah novel, even though he’s playing the part of a bad guy in this story.

The spotlight is on agents Cole Marshall and Emma Richards, who are sent on a desperate mission to rescue Karen Hopewell, a young woman kidnapped by a business rival of her father.  But Bruno Del Conte is no ordinary businessman.  He lives on a cruise ship that’s been converted into a sexual playground for the rich and kinky.

Going under cover, Cole and Emma must play the role of lovers while they search for Karen.  On the ship, they’re threatened by a mutiny in progress and also by Del Conte’s security chief who digs into their backgrounds to find out who they really are and why they’re on board.  At the same time, they struggle with the intensity of the personal relationship neither of them thought they wanted.

And, oh yeah, just to complicate matters, Cole’s a werewolf who fears Emma will discover his secret in the worst possible manner.

I finished DARK MOON, let it sit, and went through my three or four edits.  But I was nervous about the story.  After more than 130 books with major publishers, this was my first indie project, and I didn’t want anyone to say, “It’s not up to her usual standards.”  It helped me to send it to a beta reader who came back and said she loved it.  But I wasn’t ready to loose the book on the world quite yet.  I hired a professional editor, who made some suggestions and line edited.  And of course, my faithful proofreader, my husband, made sure nobody would see my dyslexic spelling and typing errors.

Meanwhile, I was working on CHAINED.  Originally it was a stand-alone novella until I realized it fit perfectly into the Decorah Security universe.

CHAINED Cover

It’s the story of Isabella Flores, a woman on the run from thugs who want to kill her.  When she hides out at a ranch her father owns, she hooks up with Matt Houseman, the ghost of the Decorah agent she loved and lost.  Both are surprised that their relationship turns sensual.  And when the bad guys find Isabella, Matt helps save her life.  But is he really a phantom?  And can Isabella turn the tables and bring him back to life?

Continuing with the series in reverse order, I edited CHAINED, then wrote AMBUSHED.  

AMBUSHED Cover

Since it’s a short story, I made it the introduction to the series.  Decorah operative Jordan Stone is guarding Elizabeth Bannerman, the only witness against an alleged terrorist.  When Jordan and Elizabeth are ambushed, they hide from armed men out to assassinate her.  And when it looks like they may not survive, they both acknowledge the sexual attraction that’s been simmering between them.  Jordan is determined to save Elizabeth’s life, but can he cope with his strong feelings for her?

But now it’s launch time for Decorah Security, and I’m excited to see how this new venture works out.  How do you like series; and if you do, what kind?

If you comment on my post, you may win a small stuffed wolf and one of my favorite Harlequin Intrigues.

Black and Red Bean Tortilla Bake

This is one of my low-fat recipes, so feel free to add fat back in if you want. You could use full-fat Cheddar cheese, for example, and regular sour cream.

The recipe is from THE DIABETES SNACK MUNCH NIBBLE NOSH BOOK, 3rd Edition, by Ruth Glick, published by the American Diabetes Association.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

12 servings/serving size: I piece about 3 by 2½ inches

Tex-Mex flavors predominate in this easy layered bake. It’s great as part of a buffet or when you want to feed a gang of hungry male snackers.

2 cups frozen mixed pepper and onion stir-fry

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup mild salsa

1 15-oz can reduced-sodium tomato sauce or regular tomato sauce

1½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and well-drained

1 16-oz can reduced-sodium kidney beans, or regular kidney beans, drained

12 to 14 6-in corn tortillas

1 cup reduced-fat cottage cheese (1% fat)

2 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (8 oz) (5 grams of fat per oz)

Garnish:

1 large tomato, chopped

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion tops

½ cup nonfat or reduced-fat sour cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small pot or very large saucepan, combine the pepper-onion mixture, garlic, and oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 5 or 6 minutes.

2. Add the salsa, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Stir in the black beans and kidney beans. Remove from burner.

3. Spread one half of the bean mixture evenly in the bottom of a 9½ x 13 inch baking pan. Top with one half of the tortillas in an overlapping layer. With the back of a large spoon, spread the cottage cheese evenly over the tortillas. Top with one half of the Cheddar cheese. Add the remaining tortillas, then the remaining bean mixture.

4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake uncovered an additional 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is partially melted.

5. To serve, cut into 12 rectangles, and garnish with tomatoes, green onion, and sour cream.

RT10

Columbus was a fabulous place for a conference. I wouldn't have believed it before I went, but I loved the city. The hotel and conference center were right next to the High Street area, a very lively part of town. We walked down there to a couple of wonderful restaurants. And on Sunday we went over to the North Market where there were lots of food stands. We munched on ham and cheese croissants for lunch.

The conference center, next to the hotel, had a good food court where we had several lunches. We loved the Greek restaurant there.

I think that if you can't be outrageous at RT, where can you be? So I decided to wear the saris I'd bought in India--and also the ones I got at home after our trip to India. Lots of people commented on them. I was planning to also wear them at RWA. Wonder what's going to happen at RWA this year?

Here I am w/ Kathryn Falk at Club RT.

I did a couple of panels--one on Thrillers and one on Paranormal. The most interesting thing to me was hearing how other writers work. I can't imagine doing a suspense plot by the seat of my pants. But apparently a lot of people do it. Also fun to hear what paranormal elements authors are putting into their books. I would not have believed you could sell shape-shifter snakes. But they exist.

At the Thriller Panel with Gennita Low, Cindy Gerard, CJ Lyons, Heather Graham and Robert Gregory Browne.

Here are some of my impressions of RT10.

It was fun hooking up with old friends at the conference, like Angela Knight and her husband. But I also got to know some people I hadn't really talked to before.

Michael Woodcock, Angela Knight, me and Norman at the Vampire Ball.

Norman w/ Barry Eisler.

At the Book Fair with Sarah Zettel.

RT makes writers pay to put their promotional materials on promotion lane and limits the amount of space they have. Actually, I think this is a good idea because it keeps down the amount of stuff sitting around. It's fun going through the materials, picking up things from other writers and deciding what works and what doesn't. I personally think that if the thing you're giving away doesn't have your name on it, you shouldn't bother. (I don't mean a business card tied to a back scratcher.)

RT runs a good awards ceremony that clicks along fairly quickly. This year they had the editor of Cosmo as an award ceremony speaker. Since they gave a special award to Barbara Taylor Bradford, she was also on hand. She told a hilarious story about a fan who'd brought a lot of books for her to sign. One had a bullet hole in it. The woman's husband had shot the book, but not to worry. They are now divorced.

I won the award for best Harlequin Intrigue. Here I am with other winners, Charlaine Harris, Barbara Taylor Bradford and Sue Grimshaw.

Here I’m giving Borders Romance buyer, Sue Grimshaw, her Melinda Helfer Fairy Godmother Award.

RT makes it easy to connect with fans at Club RT, where you can sit at a table and talk to readers. I always enjoy that. And there's also a dealers room in the same location, where you can buy unique clothing and jewelry.

Here I am with Lisa Childs at Club RT.

I also did interviews with Between Your Sheets (video--which will appear on NovelsAlive.tv) and with Circle of Seven for one of their podcasts later this month.

The hotel was comfortable but strangely didn't have an upscale restaurant, only a coffee shop and a bar. Because the conference was spread out, there wasn't one central place where you could see people. But the bar was usually crowded, as you might expect. Some of us got breakfast at Einstein Brothers Bagels. Really yummy! Unfortunately, they were closed on the weekend, and we had to get inferior bagels at a coffee shop (also in the hotel).

In the past few years, I was seeing a lot of e-pub authors at RT and not so many print published, but I see this shifting. There were a lot of NY published authors on hand in Columbus.

RT is also a party blast. The Faery Ball is always fun. You wouldn't believe how much effort some people put into costumes. Also at the Vampire Ball. As promised, I wore my transvestite vampire outfit and had a great time. Norman wore his tux to both balls. (See above)

India Trip

Norman took so many great pictures in India that it’s hard to choose just a few to show you here. But here’s an idea of what we saw on our trip.

This picture from Varanasi shows the temple grounds where Hindus burn their dead. Like other tourists, we watched some of the ceremonies from a boat in the Ganges. Most boats are small, with one man rowing and three passengers. But I saw some boatmen rowing up to fifteen people. They must be strong.

A little later in the evening you can see some of the boats and the lights along the shore.

Here are women getting ready to bathe in the Ganges. They wear their saris. The men strip to bathing trunks.













Not the usual view of the Taj Mahal. Instead, we’re across the river in a beautiful garden, early in the morning.

This truck driver’s got a problem. He’s transporting an elephant, but it won’t clear the overpass. I guess they had to unload her or go around.

Visitors to the Ranthambore Tiger Preserve. Sadly, we didn’t see any tigers. But when we arrived at the Ranthambore train station, there were special greeters wandering around–-black pigs. And as we headed for the parking lot, I saw a cow going into the waiting room.

This is one of the small towns we drove through on the road between Ranthambore and Jaipur. There were lots of camels pulling carts. Lots of dogs. Cows wandering at will. Trucks. Motor scooters. Total chaos.

And here I am with a snake charmer. I may be smiling, but I wasn’t too happy to be sitting a few feet from a cobra. Norman urged me onto the blanket, though.

Here I am with Norman riding an elephant at the Amber Fort in Jaipur. Remind me that I don’t have to do it again. Twice is definitely enough. (The first time was in Thailand.)

I like this girl because you can see her face painting.

One of the highlights of our trip was when Norman, Patricia Rosemoor and I had dinner with a family in Jaipur. Their extended family lived in one house, built around a lovely courtyard. The living room and dining room were open to the interior court. The house was on an ordinary street in the Pink City, but as soon as you walked up the alley and through their front door, you were in another world.

Five people on a motor scooter was not an unusual sight.

Lunch in the courtyard of a restaurant in Jodhpur. Again, you could never tell from the street what was hidden behind high walls.

On the road between Jodhpur and Udaipur. This was part of a Jain temple complex.

Our fabulous hotel in Udaipur. The Lake Palace, built on an island. Norman, Patricia and I ate dinner on the rooftop restaurant, where we could look across the water at the Maharajah's palace. The food was western-style, for a change. The service was excellent, and the view was spectacular. A very memorable evening.

Outside the hotel coffee shop after breakfast. India is a country of such contrasts. Luxury hotels and people sleeping on the streets

And here’s a road repair crew.

What a fantastic trip. I’d love to go back. I just wish India weren’t so far away.