Victoria's Pages of Romance is on A Hero's Bloghop

Welcome to A Heros Blog Hop

If you are here for Sizzling Summer Reads - please scroll down

couldn't make the picture stick - so I'm just letting you know you are in the right place.A Heros Blog Hop

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We all have a picture in our head of that perfect man – physically describing him wouldn't be beneficial here as you might prefer muscular blonds and I prefer tall dark haired hunks. But we have that picture. But what makes a male a hero? A dictionary type definition is - a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.

The list of heroes is long – firefighters, police officers, paramedics, soldiers, sailors etc.  These are definitely men of courage who daily perform noble deeds. I think of them as "Noble Heroes." But my blog today is about the Romance Hero. The male in the story who is supposed to sweep the heroine off her feet and carry her away to "happily ever after" land.

Now if your hero is a noble hero, you're half way to the happy ending. There may be numerous pitfalls and dangers the characters have to survive, but a noble hero always overcomes all. (Although it may not happen until the sequel.)

   What if your hero is a "bad guy"? He could be super bad – vampire or werewolf. Or, like my hero in Circles Interlocked, bad by association. As a teenager, Robert ran with a gang and the stigma of that follows him throughout his life. More than once, he lived up to his image – fought a gang war, got involved in the drug trade, lied to and cheated on his girlfriend.

So why is he my romantic hero? Brave deeds and noble qualities. In Circles Interlocked, Robert accidently wakes up next to his former girlfriend. The one woman he loves and the same woman he lied to and cheated on. His misdeeds and lies have created a wide and long wall between them and Robert is unaware of how to break down the separation.

Years have passed since their last face-slapped meeting and Julie has developed a prescription drug problem. Robert steps up and helps her, even though he is clearly aware of her raging hatred of him.

When Julie is kidnapped and facing danger, Robert charges in to save her, fully knowing he could be killed. His sworn enemy would be satisfied with killing Robert or the woman he loves. Does he hesitate for a moment? No. The romantic hero must do what must be done.

What was your favourite romantic hero like? Was he a noble hero or a bad boy? What was it in that hero that made you want to cheer for him?  Do you know any one like him? (Unless of course he's a vampire?)

Excerpt –

Hi,

If you're reading this then something went wrong and I guess I'm dead. Sorry. But that's only one more screw up to add to my list. I've messed things up a lot in this relationship. Why do people who should never be together fall in love?

I should've never met you and I certainly shouldn't have fallen in love with you, but I did. I never stopped loving you once in the years we were apart. Telling you this now seems a little stupid, I guess I should've done it before I let you go back to Langston.

A long time ago - in high school - we had to write an assignment for our last English essay. You and I had broken up and everyone was mad at me for being such a bastard. For my essay, I handed in a poem. Ya me, I wrote a poem. Mrs. Wolmsely liked it - hell, she gave me an "A".

She wanted to read it in class. She was hoping you'd forgive me. Which is exactly what I didn't want. I wanted you to go dance. I wanted you to live out your dream. I'm sorry I screwed up on that. Anyway, this is my poem. I've revised it a bit. It was only two verses long then. I wanted to call it LOVE SUCKS, but I didn't think Mrs. Wolmsely would like that.

She possessed my being -

Gave me a future -

A life.

Our souls intertwined -

Fantasies fulfilled

But

Reality intruded.

One's dream realized

One's destroyed.

A heart broken

The pain -

Where a heart should be

A void existed.

The expanse of days

Became years.

A dream withered.

By chance -

Two faces meet

And smile

Lips touch

Love strikes once more.

My being possessed -

Desires fulfilled -

A dream revived.

A future

With Love!

I don't know why I told you all this. All I wanted to do is tell you I love you, but it seemed cold and impersonal on paper. Please don't grieve for me. Remember our good times together. Forget the bad stuff. Have a happy life, full of love and joy.

With Love,

R

To win a copy of Circles Interlocked – tell me about your favourite romantic hero? Was he a noble hero or a bad boy? What was it in that hero that made you want to cheer for him?  Do you know any one like him? (Unless of course he's a vampire?)

Buy link - Circles Interlocked

Here's the link so you so go off hopping on the other sites - <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=147358" type="text/javascript"></script>

Comment on as many blogs as you can because the prizes are out of this world. 

Summer Splash on Victoria's Pages of Romance

Welcome to the Summer Splash Blog Hop on Victoria's Pages of Romance.

Anybody else feel like singing that '60s Lovin' Spoonful song – "hot time summer in the city, back of my neck getting burnt and gritty…."

Or the hit by The Jamies – It's summertime sum sum summertime,

Summertime summertime sum sum summertime

Summertime summertime sum sum summertine….

I live in Canada – we love summer! You don't shovel summer. Your nose doesn't freeze in summer. And, you easily drop 20 pounds just by hauling off your winter coat, mittens, boots and scarf!

 Another exciting thing about summer is you can sit by the beach, or on your deck or under a tree and relax and enjoy a good read.

And that's what this hop is about – finding new authors and good books to read.

Circles Interlocked is a story about Julie and Robert and how they were love, fell out of love and fell back into bed. Oops – that was an accident – but it rekindled the fire inside them.

Summer doesn't play a big part in the story other than getting Robert to strip down and dive into the lake and step onto the beach with water streaming down his bugling pecs and rippling abs.

Excerpt –

Wednesday the sun broke through, the leaves dripped morning dew and the birds sang joyful songs. Finished lacing his running shoes, Robert stretched tall and inhaled. The sense of depression caused by the grayness of the storm, and the listlessness from his headache had vanished. He needed to go for a run. Glancing at his watch, he decided not to leave a note for Julie. He'd woken with the sun and the birds. He'd be back before she was awake.

He loved running through the brush along the hiking trails. The paths followed the crests and curves of the surrounding hills traversing them from summit to lake. It was a hard run. What kept Robert going was the thought of the cool lake water at the edge of his dock.

Although it was early in the morning, the heat of a July's summer day put a light coat of sweat on his forehead. The slickness of the wet path made Robert swipe against a shrub, bringing a moment of cool, wet relief. He was careful when in the bush. He respected the area. He knew years after he was gone it would look as it did now. Mother Nature would still be the landlord. He was just a tenant.

The pure air filled his lungs, pushing out the last of the staleness of the city. His heart pumped. He crested the last hill then descended to the dock and a well-earned swim in the lake.

Sweat rolled down his face, arms, chest and back as he stood on the dock. He stripped off his shirt and tugged at his sweat-soaked shorts, stopping himself when he remembered his sleeping guest. He peeled off his runners and socks and with a joyful leap cut through the surface of the lake.

Near the stony beach, in shallow water was a large grey boulder. Robert often wondered where it originated, as there weren't any others like it in the surrounding area. Climbing onto it, he sat relaxing in the sun.

Gawd, I hope she's human today. I can't take any more of her shit. She wasn't in to drugs or bitchiness when we were together. What changed? Why did it change? He rubbed his chin.

No response formed in his mind. He sat in quiet meditation. Today's the day. Time to be a big boy and force her to talk about why she came. Note to self, be out of striking distance when you do. Am I that stupid that I want to get into a bitch fight with her?

No. I don't want to fight. I want to hold her. Kiss her and make love to her. I remember how sweet she tasted. Her lips were soft and so hot when she kissed me. He rubbed his hand up his arm. Shit, I've got goose bumps on my arms just remembering. Oh ya, the way her belly fluttered as I ran my tongue up it. And the smell of her as I kissed the insides of her thighs. The heat of her. Gawd, I want Julie. I still want her. I can't tell her that. We have to clear this stupid mess up. Because all I want to do is make—.

"Ahoy on the rock."

Robert slipped off the rock and splashed into the cold lake. He surfaced spitting out a mouthful of water and coughed. "Holy shit! You startled me." He paused, caught his breath and discreetly adjusted himself before he climbed back onto the rock.

"I'm sorry." Julie covered her mouth stifling a giggle.

He held out his hand and helped her climb next to him. Even the simplest touch of hands brought a deep ache to his soul. Settling himself on the rock, he suppressed what he wanted to say.

I must remember to remind you about the great grand prizes: Two Kindle Fires, $75 amazon gift card, $50 amazon gift card, kindle cover, and signed paperbacks of our books.  Yikes! It's like Christmas in July around here. Here's the link to get back  - Main Page

If you tweet you get more chances - WIN Kindle Fires, Amazon gift cards and more at the #summerhop http://ow.ly/cpfDv  #freekindle #free #giveaway #win

WIN FREE SWAG at the author #summerhop http://ow.ly/cpfDv prizes include two kindle fires! #freekindle #free #giveaway #win

WIN more than 75 prizes at the author #summerhop http://ow.ly/cpfDv prizes include two kindle fires! #freekindle #free #giveaway #bloghop

WIN BIG at the author blog hop. More than 75 prizes including 2 kindle fires! http://ow.ly/cpfPN  #summerhop #bloghop @freekindlefire

***NOW GET HOPPING  AMAZING AUTHOR GIVEAWAYS AWAIT YOU!!!***

To win an ecopy of Circles Interlocked – leave me a fun comment – not just-  thanks for the giveaway.

If you are in the mood to purchase -  

Circles Interlocked 

An Epiphany by Victoria Adams

I guest posted this earlier but I decided it should be on my own site. The original was at    http://www.icysnowblackstone.com/

Epiphany comes from the middle English ( 1275 to 1325) – epiphanie  There are 4 meanings, but for this post, this is the definition - a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

Single word definition - revelation

Synonyms: bombshell, disclosure, discovery, divulgence, epiphany, expose, exposure, lightning bolt, shocker, sign, surprise

Before I continue – when did I have this bombshell? While weeding my vegetable patch.

So what was this epiphany for me? I can publish my book in my language. I'm Canadian which means I speak and spell in Canadian. When I epubbed my first book Circles Interlocked, I converted all the spellings to American.

He coloured inside the lines. --- He colored inside the lines.

I cancelled the reservations.  --- I canceled the reservations.

She ran towards the burning car. --- She ran toward the burning car.

Since I epubbed it, I didn't have to switch languages. I wasn't bound by the rules of the major US publishing houses. Nor was I subject to the edits of an American-speaking editor.

I am deep in the middle of rewrites on the prequel to Circles Interlocked – Dancing in Circles. It is the story of a young ballerina, Julie Anderson and her romance with a gang leader, Robert Holiday.  The wonderful people from my critique group and my super special CP  (you know who you are) are pointing out the Canadian/American errors and I'm dutifully fixing them. But I don't have to. I can publish it in the language I want. (unfortunately this means rewriting the rewrites.)

Naysayers will wring their hands and cry out, "But the readers won't buy it. They won't be able to read it. Books must be published in American English." 

I'd snort in derision but you wouldn't be able to hear me. I've written this whole blog in Canadian and I feel pretty safe in betting that everyone who speaks non-Canadian English (American, Australian, British, etc) can read it.

While neighbours, the US and Canada have words specific to their country, I don't this this will be a problem. If an American drinks a Diet Coke – they drink a soda – a Canadian calls it a pop. Canadians have a phrase called "double double". It's the short form for how much milk and sugar to put in a Tim Horton's coffee – double cream double sugar.  There's also triple triple – but that just makes me shudder. Americans have the blue plate special.

So, a heads up to my readers, when Dancing in Circles is released – it'll be in Canadian.

Oh, which brings me to another point. The drinking age is 19 in Ontario, so when my teenage hero grabs a beer – it's perfectly legal. This writing in Canadian just cleared up a huge plot issue. Whew.

 Free Reads – Chapter 1 of Circles Interlocked and Dancing in Circles at tab at top of blog

Here's an excerpt of each – Circles Interlocked.

Available on KDP - http://www.amazon.com/Circles-Interlocked-ebook/dp/B005S8LI46

.

Five years - Julie hadn't seen or thought about him in all that time, and now in the middle of nowhere, he stood on the beach drying off from a swim. Droplets flew as Robert shook his hair. His black mane was shorter than the last time she saw him. The wet ends dripped water on his bare, muscular shoulders. Tricia, an old high school friend once said he had the body of a male stripper - time hadn't changed that.

Julie stepped back onto the beach path, transfixed by the sight of the one person she hated. Her repulsion and loathing of him ran so deep; she'd repressed all memories of him. She thought he'd loved her, and had taken a chance, opening up her heart and body to him. But instead of returning her love, he proved himself worthy of the gutter from which he'd crawled.

Her body said run, but her feet refused to move as she watched a long-legged, svelte, golden blonde rise from the beach chair. She trickled her fingers down his rippled stomach. His voice floated across the sand. It was a calming sound, which had brought a smile to Julie's face when he whispered words of love and passion.

Details she thought she'd long forgotten surged forward. She remembered the way his dark eyes smoldered with anger and his sly, innocent grin. His joyous laughter had made her feel the abandonment of a child frolicking in the year's first snowfall. She stepped backward onto the path, distancing herself from the lovers as the blonde undid the strings on her bathing suit top, and let it fall to the sand.

With an unexpected shiver, Julie hurried along the meandering path, and returned to the cottage, and to the man she accompanied - who was nothing like her betrayer. Vincent's sad brown eyes reminded her of a basset hound's - loyal and true.

"Julie." She looked toward Vincent standing on the deck. "Jean-Marc's on the phone. Shall I take a message?"

"No, I won't make him suffer. He has very few hairs left to pull out of his head." She took the cell phone and sat on a deck chair. "Hello, Jean-Marc."

"How's the knee?" he asked. As always, Jean-Marc, Artistic Director, was direct to the point.

"Better."

"Have you been following your doctor's orders?"

"Yes, all I've done is sit on the deck, stare at the ocean and get fat. We leave this afternoon, and if the doctor says everything's okay, I'll be back on Tuesday. Sound good?"

"Great. Bye."

She placed the cell phone on the table, and the other slid down to her knee. Two weeks ago, it was grotesque and painful. During a simple rehearsal, Julie posed in an elegant arabesque held tall on her pointe. Her leg was lifted high above her head, back arched, and her arms suspended in the air, as if frozen in time. Until she collapsed on the floor.

At first, only her dignity was hurt. Then the pain shot from her knee to her brain. The doctor said she was lucky there was no serious damage He urged her to take a vacation to let the knee mend.

Julie gazed out at the ocean listening to the waves splash against the shore. Had it really been that long ago? Five years since she'd left her friends, her family and the longhaired, scruffy guy who snuck his way into her heart. Notorious gang member or not, he still portrayed a sense of vulnerability and innocence. Then in true gang style, he stabbed her heart - figuratively.

Excerpt - Dancing in Circles

Julie kept secrets.

She couldn't talk about her deepest wishes with friends who were too concerned with their own lives. But, she didn't let that stop her from dreaming.

She loved everything about dance, especially the discipline, both of the mind and the body. Many nights, she dreamed of being a dancer performing on grand stages in romantic cities like Paris and New York. She understood the sweat-filled hours and sacrifices it took to be a professional dancer.

However, dreams never concern themselves with reality. They're the fluff that keeps a person's soul alive. Julie's dream was to dance. It was one of her secrets.

With school and dance class finished, Julie escaped to her sanctuary – her bedroom. Posters decorated her walls, not one of teenage heartthrobs. Instead, pictures of ballerinas in tutus and scenes from ballets, like Swan Lake, adorned her room. Centered between two large, bumped-out windows was a rose and white lace canopy bed.

That's where, in her dreams, she danced.

Eventually morning would come, and the realities of life return. But for a while, she listened to the music of the orchestra, and felt the grip of her partner as he lifted her high above the stage. In her sleep, Julie smiled.

How did you do reading the excerpts in Canadian?

And notice – not once did I say Eh.

Where you live – is there a saying that is local? Like our - double double?

Pet Peeves on Victoria's Pages of Romance

This is my pet peeve - The Writer's Tip Agenda.

Authors/agents/editors who pontificate about the hows and whys and do's and don'ts of writing but really have an ulterior motive to their blog post. You all know what I mean. You are reading how to add tension to your story and the author/agent/editor then writes – In my latest this is how I did it. The reader then gets to read a gripping excerpt from said author's latest book.

Don't get me wrong, I get the concept of promo. But which is the person actually doing? Trying to instruct me in how to add humour to my story or get me to buy her book?

Tell me up front you are trying to sell your book and then show me the interesting ways you worked deep POV into it and I might just read your blog post.

To any author/agent/editor reading this – if you've done it – I've not read your post. I check the post before I even bother starting. If there is an excerpt, I move on. Examples are a different thing and it is often easy to tell which is which.

Before I get blasted for being such a heretic – why does this irritate me so much? I'm a teacher. And true teachers educate. They don't try and sell anything. They deliver the knowledge they wish to impart with the sole enigmatic motive of enriching the students in their class.

But I find author/agent/editor posts are like time-share deals. The banner reads - A free stay at a 5-star hotel – the fine print says - but first  you need to sit through our hour-long pitch.

I'm not going to put forth any examples, but the next time you are reading someone's writing tip, check the example – does it come from her/his latest – or – soon to be released – or backlist collection?

And to take this one step further - writing books that do the same excerpt thing over and over - I delete them off my Kindle.

So what's your pet peeve.  It doesn't have to be about writing or my blog - vent a little.

And here's a picture of my pet - he's called Peeves.