Welcome Tara S. Wood to As You Wish...
I’m so pleased to be asked here today to wax poetic about a subject that I’m sure is near and dear to all of our little writing hearts. MAN CANDY.
What is Man Candy, you ask? (As if you didn’t know.)
Man Candy is nothing more that the appreciation of the male form in all its rippling muscled glory. More specifically, sexy men looking sexy while doing sexy things.
Who doesn’t love a great pic of a good-looking, well-built hunk of man? But the real question is: Why is Man Candy important? Two words. The hero.
The hero is integral to all genres of storytelling, but for the purpose of romance novels in general, he is a major crux of the story. He is a counterpart to the heroine, and their relationship dynamic is what drives the story.
So, how do we get here? Sometimes heroes are born in our heads, the concept of this man coming to life within the imagination of the writer. An amalgam of emotions and characteristics clearly defined in an amorphous figure by the authorly brain. We know who he is - now let’s go find him in the flesh (yes, pun intended).
Seek out photo and look for images that relate to the ideal in your head. Is he tall and lean? Stocky and muscular? Brown hair? Blond? Tattoos? Having a static image keeps you consistent in your descriptions. And the more you see your hero, the better your reader can imagine him.
Now sometimes it happens that the image comes first and the hero evolves around it. A page from a magazine, an image on a blog or website, another book cover, or a certain actor in a film or television role can spark the idea of a hero or even an entire storyline in your head. It’s happened to me.
Cillian is a Shade, a man who walks among the world of Other Realm, spreading the seeds of discord and chaos into the Dreams of mortals as punishment for a life ill-lived. As he casts the sands of Nightmares into Everly Whitcombe’s dreams, he finds himself taken with the haunted beauty. He defies his vocation by visiting her Dreams more often than he should and trying to comfort when he should destroy. As he commits his transgressions, he puts them both in danger. Can he find a way for them to be together, or are they destined to only meet in Dreams?
And then dialogue started happening.
“You opened the Door, Shade,” The Sandman rasped. “Close it at your own peril. You know what happens to those who turn their backs on opportunity.”
Cillian’s eyes narrowed like daggers. “Opportunity? I’d rather be dead, because this sure as shit isn’t living.”
“That can be arranged. And I doubt you would find Death to be a gentler master than I.” The Sandman paused, a smile working its way across his thin, dusty skin. “Not to mention, if you are truly dead, you can never go back. Ever.”
Cillian gave a derisive snort. “Go back? That’s a lie you’ve served me for centuries. A beautiful lure to which I am no longer attracted. Wave it somewhere else and see what you pluck from the mire.”
“It is no lie. Perhaps you were not worthy before. You have served well. It may be time to revisit your arrangement.”
Seriously. Five minutes I stared into the intensity of those eyes and I had a bare bones plot and a paragraph or two of dialogue. It happens just that fast. So take the idea and run with it. Start asking questions and see where it leads. I still want to know why he’s wet. Don’t you?
Let’s try it, shall we?
“Damn it, Cassandra! I can’t take it anymore? Blast these forces that are keeping us apart! I must have you!”
Okay, cheesy…but you get the idea. Or maybe they’re on the run, holed up in some tiny, dilapidated shack at the edge of some woods. Is he torn between his need to keep her safe and his desire to get her into bed? Is he deceiving her with seduction? Because with that look, I think it just might work.
What about this one? Rakish duke out to seduce the virginal Victorian belle of the ton? *insert obligatory swoon here* Or is he a rogue vampire intent on having a taste of more than just her blood? *author offers neck in tribute* Is he a spy in disguise? What’s with that coat? Period costume or naughty role-play? Where’s he hiding the crop? All good questions.
Or this guy? Cowboy, for sure, but what else can we imagine? World-weary rancher, hardened by his struggle to hold onto his land? Perhaps he’s falling for the daughter of his cattle-rustling enemy? Maybe he’s an embittered professional bull-rider sidelined by injury? Can the love of a beautiful and caring doctor mend more than his body?
As you can see, the possibilities are endless. Whether your hero is an alpha male looking for his mate, the Byronic hero, beautiful but damned, the bad boy seeking redemption, or the adventurer out traveling the world on his latest quest, there is no shortage of delectable Man Candy out there to help you bring your hero to life.
Seek him out. Find him. It will make your character more real, more believable. It will add a depth and dimension to your story that can only translate into good things on the page. Go. Research. And happy writing.
*DISCLAIMER: Author is not responsible for the short-circuiting of keyboards due to excessive drooling. Get a tissue, please.*
Blurb
“Relish this moment in My favor. It is your last.”
Six angels once sat at the right hand of The Almighty, but an ill-fated decision cast them out of Heaven. Now they serve Him on Earth, slaying demons for their redemption. They are…
The Fallen.
Lucius, once revered at the side of God, fell to Earth with his brothers to pay penance and atone for his lapse in leadership. Wingless and forsaken, they have all paid a price for their complicity. Lucius’ hubris is now a curse, and he cannot rest until they carry out the last of The Almighty’s orders...and stop a war that has been millennia in the making.
Persephone Roberts is always in the right place at the right time, the serendipity allowing her to help people on her travels. When it leads her to cross paths with the band of hard-living fallen angels, she sets her sights on their leader, and is determined to restore Lucius’ faith in their quest. And in himself.
But the ancient evil the angels strive to fight has put Persephone in its crosshairs. It will be up to Lucius and his brothers to save her and destroy the minions of the dark. Can the amber-eyed beauty with her accepting heart heal wounds that cut soul deep, and force him to reclaim a glory he once tossed aside? Is he strong enough to realize the path back to Heaven begins with her, or will he be forever...fallen?
Review
Oh my goodness! This book was amazing! I could not put it down and when I had to I did not want to. It was packed with action, mystery, fallen angels and love. You should know I love books about angels, fallen or not, they are all just amazing in their own way. I must say I have never read a book about fallen angels quite like this one before. I loved that it was unique, there are so many that are the same this that or the other...
It starts, as The Almighty has come down on five of His angels for they have made a mistake and deserve to be punished. Among the five angels is Lucius, Domniel, Jude, Mordecai and Elijah. The Almighty's punishment is to sentence them to Earth to fight evil. Along the way, each have a special gift, or I would call it a gift, not everyone would say that being blind, or deaf a gift. Given each angel lost something when they fell, each of their other senses heightened.
Lucius journey starts when Persephone saved a child from a very bad situation and she needs to use a phone. She runs into The Fallen, surprised at her initial reaction and how calm she feels with Lucius. Persephone seems to be a key to the puzzle, after crossing The Fallen Angels path...interrupting when Elijah is trying to heal Domniel and seems to know everything will be okay. Something comes over Lucius, something he cannot hide, much less try to avoid, not matter how much he tries, Persephone gets under his skin.
Lucifer will not allow The Fallen to complete their task, as he chose to become evil rather than fall, he is Satan's Pet. Placing his pawns to stop The Fallen Angels. he sends 'The Liar' into the mix giving him an advantage...one that he feels will do whatever it takes to seduce The Fallen and bring him what he wants.
Will Lucifer's advantage overcome The Fallen? Will Persephone put too much trust in Veronica? When Persephone's own sister comes for a visit, who among The Fallen does she rub the wrong way? Is Coriander's own blood stronger than some two bid hooker's word?
Tara Wood divides her time between creating domestic bliss and creating hot paranormal romance with the occasional side of kink. When not playing June Cleaver for her hubby and daughter, she can be found at the local Starbucks slamming back Frappuccinos and plotting out her next idea. Or she's watching the BBC. Tara resides with her wonderful and tolerant family in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. She is currently at work on several projects, one of them being the next book in her In Blood series. Redemption in Blood is her first novel.
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Lorecia is a native Houstonian who did not escape in her adulthood. So she camps out in NW Houston concocting her own special variety of chaos but rarely finishes it without the continual prodding of best friend Tara. She loves to laugh, bead, write, eat and hug kitties. She also loves to have fun and can usually be found on any given Friday night off chatting her head off at Denny’s with her bestie.
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Moon Rose Publishing
LIVE Question-and-Answer session with the authors!
And now for the giveaway—and that special surprise! As part of the tour, the author will be answering your questions about Lucius and writing LIVE on April 29th, via Google+ Hangouts! To take part, all you need to do is go to the event page here at http://www.moonrosepublishing.com/#!author-questions--lucius-the-fallen/cfzv and post the question that you would like to be answered. The best ones will be chosen, and as many as possible answered within a 30 minute session. The address to watch and take part in the Hangout will be posted a week before, and you must follow Moon Rose Publishing on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/114000878667510243231/posts Have fun!
And….the
awesome giveaway!
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