Atlanta Edge’s hottest Russian hockey star made a big mistake. Now he must find a way to apologize big time to the girl he left behind in the States.
I’ve been a puck bunny most of my life. So when Roman Volkov, up and coming hockey star with the Atlanta Edge, takes me home and treats me like a queen, I believe I’ve found the man I can love. Then one morning, I wake to the news that Roman has left me behind while he plays in Russia. His agent takes pleasure in kicking me out of Roman’s house. I don’t believe anything the sleazy man says. Roman is good to me. No way will he treat me this way. So I go in search for the truth and I discover so much more.
I’m suffocating on the third line when the season ends. So when I get a call from Russia in the middle of the night to participate in a high-profile tournament, I go for it. I’m certain a gold medal will launch me into the top line with my team back in the States. No sooner than I arrive, I call Kitty Summerville to explain why I left without waking her. She’s not answering. Has my ambition destroyed any chance of a future with her? When I return, my sexy kitten and I will have a long conversation.
Only, I want to know why is she living with my Coach, and his wife and family?
No. I didn’t leave out anything between heroine and hero. Lately, there has been a debate of rather or not the word heroine is outdated.
Someone on Twitter had said that comics…oops…graphic novels (or whichever term you prefer) refer to superheroes no matter the sex of the character, not superheroes and superheroines. Okay. Sounds cool right? There’s more I can say about female superheroes and some of their costumes, but that’s not really what I’m talking about here.
I understand why people are saying there shouldn’t be a difference, but I disagree with that when it comes to traditional romance novels. So you can say there are certain stories or books that it should always be okay. It’s to do with their gender, and the two are equal in their importance in the story.
My novels have a heroine and a hero. They have a man and woman who fall in love. It is just my preference to write those type of stories.
Okay now on to the heroine hero point I want to bring up. I see this happen mostly in paranormal romances. I’m sure it happens in other genres. Maybe romantic suspense. You know, a female detective with a male lead who isn’t in law enforcement.
Anyway, it’s where the female lead has all of the skills to the point she doesn’t need the male lead, and she has big time control issues. As in she wants to control everyone and everything around her. It’s most tiring to read. While the male lead is there merely so they can have sex, and the book can be called a romance. Sure, he may come in and help out, but he is really just beefcake. Kind of like how the woman is sometimes treated in other books. (Then she would be just cheesecake. Look it up. LOL!)
I prefer that the male lead possess a certain skill or object she needs (get your mind out of the gutter) to defeat the evil entity. That gives him a solid reason for being there.
While I’m writing this, I’m mentally going through my published books. Do I have a heroine hero? No. I have a few heroines with control issues, and the heroes certainly have their own issues, but they have skills.
Circle of Desire has a female assassin, and she loves to use men for relief (this is where you can let your dirty mind run free), but the hero is certainly there for a reason. He kidnaps her and works on bringing her over to the good side.
In Hidden Heat, the heroine is bossy and unafraid of the bad guys. They are like uncles to her. Men who she grew up around. So she knows the Brothers of Mayhem MC inside and out, and the hero (undercover cop) can use her knowledge to bring the bad guys down.
My heroines are not wimps, but the two above are the most gutsy.
I like to think most of my lead characters are on equal footing, but the heroine is all woman and the hero all man, and that makes the dynamics of the romance more interesting.
Heroine wants to save the man she loves, but not everyone is cut out to be a killer.
The last Bookbub I looked at was Tuesday’s. Today I caught up.
A few interested me, but not enough to buy. I’ve been wanting to cut back on my TBR pile. So the book has to interest me big time. Wednesday, nothing. Thursday, thought about one, but decided I’ve read too many like it and have been disappointed. Friday, interesting, but a no go.
Finally, Saturday’s has three I’m interested in. An erotic Romantic Suspense: Hero offers to pull heroine’s business out of debt if she obeys him in all ways for 30 days. Historical Romance: A Scottish warrior inherits an English earldom and an impoverished lady will teach him “proper” etiquette. Sci-Fi romance: Girl goes to war torn planet and meets two warriors.
I try to narrow my choices by looking at the full blurb on Amazon or iBooks. Sometimes it reveals the book isn’t what I really want. Maybe too heavy on history, or doesn’t really concentrate on the romance. And I’m not talking about sex. I like the one-on-one relationship building. I don’t mind a little arguing as long as it doesn’t get stupid. You know, arguing for argument sake.
Then if I’m still interested in the book, I read the sample. I can’t tell you how often I read the beginning and became SO bored. Then others are just not to my taste.
So far, I’ve bought the erotic Romantic Suspense. Passed on the Sci-Fi romance. The blurb did it. So not what I thought it would be. Maybe the author or editor messed up in telling the summary, but that’s the way it goes. Still thinking about the Historical Romance.
When it comes to To-Be-Read piles, mine is small. Around 10 e-books, and about the same in paperbacks.
I refuse to mistreat the authors who go out of their way to provide a deal that takes you years to read. When you finally read the book you bought 2-3 years ago, and it turns out to be great, and you go in search for the author, don’t be surprised if you can’t find another book from that author. Please understand. The author thought no one liked her books. You didn’t read it and review it, or tell your friends because you took so long to read it. For an author to make only $100 a year on her books isn’t enough to keep going.
And don’t get me started on selling a book that took months, if not a year to write for 99 cents. Someone told me recently that charging more than 99 cents for an e-book is horrible. She says the author doesn’t have to spend money on paper and printing. Like that’s the only reason a person reads a book. Maybe I’ll try to sell her a bunch of books with nothing printed inside. I bet she wouldn’t pay $7 dollars for each then. It’s the words inside that makes them valuable.
Think of it this way, I use a computer to write my books and often have to get a new one every two to four years. (Salesperson in the store said they aren’t made to last no more than two years. Bull crap!) When you write everyday in your spare time, they get overused and/or obsolete. My wage from a day job pays for it. Not my writing. Then I go to a writers conference to hear experts talk about how to make my manuscripts/books better, fresh, or more exciting. Again my day job helps pay for my airfare/gas, hotel, food, and the huge conference fee. Not my writing. Even if I go to a local college to take a class or two, I have to pay tuition. Not provided by my books. I giveaway book marks (readers still love them despite most read e-books), pens, t-shirts, and gift cards to readers. Day job, not writing. Let’s not even get into the costs of ads.
If I self-publish a book, there is the cover art that can range from $20 (if I do the design) to $400 (by a professional designer and you could pay even more if you want a unique design/cover). I can format the inside of the book through Draft2Digital free. Then there’s the editor. She receives $350 to $450 a book. Some editors charge a lot more. So I dare you to tell me again the book is worth less than a dollar.
You say, why do all of that? Just write a good book, they will come. Despite what the movie, Field of Dreams, make you believe, it doesn’t necessary work that way.
Even if you have a publishing house–I’ve had the biggest–behind your book advertising the hell out of it, you still need to help.
Book signings do little. They are more to stroke your ego. Actually, I say go for it. Authors need all the ego stroking they can get. It’s a rough, thankless job. Kind of like being a mom. At book signings, I’ve given away more books than I’ve sold just with the hope they will read the others.
Sure most publishers give the author books, but only one of the two large publishing houses I’ve been with gave me six. Yep. Six. And those I gave to relatives because they think you’re being cheap by not giving them a book. To cover everyone, I usually have to buy a few extra. The other publisher gave me zilch. My book was published in e-book only. I will say they provided the most advertising to readers and bloggers (that’s the one I mentioned above). Of course, the self-published copies were provided to my family at my cost. You know, I’m rich off all of those books. NOT!
As you can tell, authors deserve more for each book. No matter what, be sure to tell your family and friends about the latest book you enjoyed and write a review and share it everywhere! Thanks!
First remember, my blog, my opinion. I can’t tell you what to do. I can only tell my family. HA!
And no, I’m not about to talk about hockey. I just want to first show you I do wear (what I consider) unfeminine clothing on occasion. That includes T-shirts. For years, I had only two or three T-shirts and that was mostly to wear when I’m painting walls or doing housework. But when I started watching and going to hockey games, I wanted to support my team and decided it would be okay to wear their T-shirts. Yes, they have a few cut for women, but those are tight. If I was forty years younger and fifty, okay, hundred pounds lighter, I would wear them, but I’ve seen the women at games, most are like me. Bless their hearts. NHL believes all women who support their men are thin and young. I can tell you, they need to increase the offers in plus sizes. Us fat people have money to spend, and we don’t have to ask hubby.
Anyway, for the last twenty years or a little more, I’ve seen women going to restaurants (not talking about fast food), movies, shopping (dear GOD! I won’t even get into talking about Walmart) at nice department stores, and even funerals wearing T-shirts. Yep, funerals. Remember T-shirts were originally made to wear beneath a shirt.
When my daughters were growing up, I would buy them nice classic feminine clothes, especially for the fun dances the school put on. What do the boys wear? T-shirts and cargo pants. Why? Why? They ruin the pictures with their sorry clothing. I won’t blame their moms (much), but as my daughter grew older, they learned to tell the fellows what to wear. Yes. They don’t want to be embarrassed by being seen with clueless boys/men.
How many times have you been out about and seen two people together (I’m not talking about gay couples) and cannot tell who is the female? Both are wearing baggy T-shirts, blue jeans, flip-flops, and their hair cut above the ears or hidden beneath a hat.
Personally, I’m proud to be a woman. I don’t wear frilly clothes and rarely wear dresses (though I love them, but hate my fat legs), but even overweight as I am, if you saw me walk by, you would know I’m female. Even with a T-shirt on (rarely out and about unless going or coming from a game), I have a purse, girly shoes, dangling earrings, makeup, and my hair below my ears and styled like a woman. (I really wish I could grow it long to my shoulders, but my hair is baby fine.)
You don’t have to wear stilettos (more power to you if you can) and a neckline down to your navel or skirt up to your butt. RuPaul can do that and as of today, he’s not a woman (he does look good in or out of a dress and makeup). I say you can be comfortable without a blasted T-shirt and still be feminine.
Be proud to be a woman and let others know it, even in subtle ways.
he gutter) to defeat the evil entity. That gives him a solid reason for being there.
First remember, my blog, my opinion. I can’t tell you what to do. I can only tell my family. HA!
Carla Swafford, Author 