Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Guest Post (On Creating Chemistry) + Giveaway: Epiphany by Christina Jean Michaels


Title: Epiphany
Author: Christina Jean Michaels
Release: July 19, 2012
Age Group: New Adult/Adult
Genre: Contemporary/Romantic Suspense
Links to the book:



Book Description:

I had my first psychic dream when I was nine. Psychic implied power, and powerful wasn’t a word I’d use to describe myself. I couldn’t foretell the future or conjure visions at will, but I couldn’t think of a more fitting word to describe what I sometimes saw in my dreams.”

For 23-year-old Mackenzie Hill, tossing her life down the garbage disposal is easy after a painful incident shatters her life. Her heart is bleeding, and moving to Watcher’s Point is a chance to start anew, only she isn’t prepared for the guy who walks out of her dreams and into the flesh. Literally . . . because she’s been dreaming about this sexy stranger for years.

Mackenzie is even less prepared to face the dark nature of her dreams. They’ve turned disturbingly gruesome, full of blood and murder, and when they begin to coincide with the media’s headlines, she and Aidan realize her visions might be the key to stopping a madman from killing again.

Only Aidan has painful secrets of his own, and perhaps the biggest danger of all is falling for him.



Guest Post On Creating Chemistry

Personally, there's nothing that turns me off more than reading about two characters getting hot and heavy before I've had the chance to feel something for either one of them. There's hot sex, and then there's holy-shit-I-need-a-cold-shower-or-a-good-lay sex. And actually, on that second point, it doesn't even have to be sex. It can be a heart-pounding kiss, or just the characters yearning to be as close as possible to each other.

The key to creating good chemistry is writing your characters so your readers are invested. When an author makes the reader feel something, then they've done chemistry right. I've read all kinds of romances (erotica, dark erotica, clean romance, and steamy). If the chemistry is there, each story is going to stand out in my mind, no matter what.

I'd like to mention a few novels I've read in the past year or so that I think demonstrate sexual chemistry exceptionally well. In fact, my husband should thank the author of one of them, but I'll never say which!

Life on the Edge by Jennifer Comeaux—a clean romance, no sex, but amazing and sizzling chemistry. Sergei and Emily were real to me, and I felt everything they felt and experienced.

Unbreak Me, by Lexi Ryan—holy hotness! Talk about a story with substance that can get your blood pumping. I loved the sexual tension between Asher and Maggie, and I loved the layers and complexities of the plot.

Rock My Bed by Michelle A. Valentine—tantalizingly erotic! Classic case of bad boy showing his soft and sensitive side in the bedroom. *Swoon*

So, to wrap this up, I think good chemistry is written by creating characters that come alive—they need to have lives, feelings, thoughts, wants, and needs—and they need to be in the story for more than just getting it on between the sheets. Make your readers care about them and they'll feel those steamy scenes, no matter how explicit!


About the Author


Christina Jean Michaels was born in Paradise, California, but she has found the true home of her heart in Eugene, Oregon where she finds plenty of inspiration for storytelling.

When she was young, her mother said she hated words. Now she can't imagine not writing. She became an avid reader when she was thirteen and discovered the world of Sweet Valley High. About a year later she realized she could play God and write about her own characters. She has been writing in some form ever since.

She lives with her husband and their four children—three rambunctious UFC/wrestling-loving boys and one girl who steals everyone’s attention. 


Author Social Media Links:



Tour Giveaway:

(4) Signed Print Copies of Epiphany – US Only
(3) Epiphany ebooks (via Amazon)



OR click here

Tour schedule link
 

8 comments:

  1. Thank you for hosting me on your blog today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's my pleasure.. and thanks so much for stopping by :D

      Delete
  2. I haven't read any of Christina's books, but after reading the description, I must say, it sounds wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks so much for mentioning Life on the Edge, Christina! That means so much to me!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. After moving, I'm bookless, so I'm in dire need of some good material. This isn't my typical genre, but it seems interesting. I'll keep an eye out for your future posts. lexbaylor17 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi chris, thanks for the thoughtful comment, I hope you find lots of interesting materials in here :D
      Thanks for dropping by :D

      Delete
  5. Thank you for all the comments and thanks for stopping by :D

    ReplyDelete

Your comments are very much appreciated!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Listia

Auctions for free stuff at Listia.com