These Wicked Games Read online

  Her immediate appearance in the doorway of the dressing room confirmed his suspicions that she’d been waiting to see his reaction. “Yes, my love?” she said, approaching the bed.

  “I thought you had outgrown such childish behavior,” he teased, gesturing toward his furry bedmate.

  She laughed. “Don’t you like your present? This is Percy.” She picked up the puppy, cradling him to her chest. “I thought perhaps we could use him for practice.”

  It took several moments for her words to sink in. “You mean…” He glanced deliberately at her stomach.

  She nodded, practically glowing with happiness. “That’s the other part of your present.” She placed Percy at the foot of the bed, where he promptly curled up and went back to sleep. Damien patted the bed, and his wife slid in beside him.

  “I love you,” he whispered against her lips, enfolding her in his arms.

  “Mmmm,” she sighed sometime later. “They do say that practice makes perfect.”

  “I disagree,” he said solemnly, though his eyes danced with amusement. “In my experience, I’ve found that Patience makes perfect.”

  PART TWO

  The Daily Blog

  * * *

  August 23, 2006

  Carrie Feron

  Welcome to Avon FanLit

  All summer, we at the office have been working hard on launching this unique competition, and we’re so glad that it’s finally here! Although it’s hard to say what shape this event will take, I do look forward to seeing how it unfolds. What I do know is that this is a unique opportunity for us to hear from all you talented people who enjoy romance—and many of you who write in secret.

  I have been a fan of romance almost all my life. From the time I read Kathleen Woodiwiss’s first book, I was hooked on these positive stories. And I now have my dream job of being able to work with authors on presenting their work to the public. One thing that I have learned through my years in the business is that stars can come from anywhere.

  Who will star in this event?

  * * *

  August 24, 2006

  Cathy Maxwell

  I Am Jazzed About the Avon FanLit Project

  This is the Internet at its best. People are logging on, reviewing the story options, expressing opinions, and preparing to be involved.

  It is also a great opportunity for a writer with big dreams. The prizes are super, but this chance to have the writing process broken down into steps is what makes this program really special.

  Here’s what I mean:

  Right now it is the quiet of early morning in Lexington, Virginia, located in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I’m sitting in the stall area of the Virginia Horse Center at the ERHC Open Dressage Show, supporting my daughter Samantha as she pursues her dream. She wants to qualify for the National Young Riders, a program that caps off at the age of twenty-one. She’s seventeen now.

  Sam has been training for years, but only recently have we found the horse to take her to those upper levels. Trooper can do it. He’s a very talented boy…but he also has a great deal to learn. Samantha and Trooper have been working hard all summer. At 3:07 today they will ride before a judge who will score them on their skills. They need a score of at least a 60 to qualify for Regionals. Making Regionals is just the first step on the long road to Young Riders.

  They have a good shot of scoring well. Certainly they know the pattern they are expected to ride, but it is the unknowns that can throw them off. Trooper might be a bit skittish, being so far from home. Young horses can be that way. Or something outside of the ring could distract him and break his concentration. We’ve already attempted to nab that 60 at a show where the entrance to the ring was flanked by flowering trees covered with buzzing bees. Both Sam and Trooper were not pleased. We now refer to that show as a “learning experience.”

  I can’t help but reflect at how this process Sam and her horse are going through is much the same for a writer. It takes time and patience to hone the craft of writing. Some days the writing is good. Some days it isn’t, and there are plenty of folks to tell me so.

  That’s all right. A writer must be fearless. It takes guts to put your work out there to be read. When I first started writing, I was the only one who believed I could publish a book. I knew I had a lot to learn, but I also had a story to tell. I took clinics from writers who had already achieved what I wanted, I listened to anyone who could teach me more, I wrote every day, and I accepted that there were no guarantees. Pretty much the same pattern Sam and Trooper have to follow.

  The truth is, come 3:07 this afternoon, they might not receive the score they need. Then again, they could surpass it.

  Does it matter?

  Sam has a dream. Without dreams, without challenges, life lacks adventure. To live life fully is the true achievement.

  The Avon FanLit project is the first step to adventure. Erase any limitations you’ve thought about yourself. Go for what you want. I am blown away that one of the prizes is a development deal with Fox. Can you imagine the opportunity? Whoever put the prizes together for Avon FanLit knew how to dream BIG, and so should you.

  Believe me when I say all of your dreams are possible. I’m here as proof…but first, be fearless. Go after what you dream, and good luck!

  * * *

  August 25, 2006

  Jenna Petersen

  Five Ways to Be Fabulous

  Hey FanLit-ers! You may or may not know me; I’m Jenna Petersen, one of the newer Avon authors. Just a couple of years ago I was writing books and submitting them and waiting not so patiently for a call that my book had been bought. And now my second historical romance has just been released by Avon, so I’m living proof of what Cathy Maxwell said yesterday about dreaming big and having those dreams come true.

  If you’re a struggling writer, I feel your pain and I also feel your excitement about the remarkable opportunity FanLit presents! I’m so excited to see which story line you pick and where you’ll all take it. But while you’re doing that, I’m here to give you some pointers on writing romance. So without further ado, here are Five Ways to Be Fabulous:

  1. Fall in love with your hero. He’s strong and powerful and frustrating and extraordinary. But to make him truly hero material, I think you have to be a little bit in love with him, just like your heroine is.

  Give him those great qualities that make him a Hero, but give him some foibles too. Make him see the error of his ways…perhaps even admit he’s—gasp!—wrong sometimes. I mean, come on…he’s a fantasy man, right? Maybe he’d even ask for directions—no, that’s too unrealistic. But you get what I’m saying. Make him three dimensional.

  Whatever you do, make sure he’s the kind of man you and your readers could really fall in love with.

  2. Respect your heroine. After all, she’s going to have a little bit of you in her. It’s okay if she makes mistakes. Hey, we all do it. Perfect is boring! But be careful that she isn’t stumbling stupidly into scenarios that you and I would turn tail and run at. Give her good reasons to put herself in jeopardy when she does. And give her the intelligence to know when she needs help, even if it’s reluctantly.

  3. Put the two of them in a tree and throw rocks at them. Now that you’ve got a lovable hero and a respectable heroine, give them something to fight against and fight for. Someone once told me that in the best stories, you put your hero and heroine into a tree and throw rocks at them until they fall down. In other words, give them conflicts, give them problems to overcome, give them emotional turmoil. By the time you get to the happy ending, they will have earned it and your readers will be rooting for them.

  4. Make your reader FEEL. Speaking of that emotional turmoil, be sure your readers feel it. It you’re writing something sad, make them cry. If you’re writing something funny, make them laugh until they cry. If you’re writing something exciting, keep them at the edge of their seats. Romance, more than any other genre, is all about emotional reaction, both the characters’ and the reader’s.

/>   5. And what’s the best way to study all these elements? Why, read romance, of course! Read, read, read, read romance! And you’ve got some of the best teachers right here as panelists and bloggers at Avon FanLit! Check out Julia Quinn for laughter. Read Teresa Medeiros or Kathryn Smith for tears. And how about Elizabeth Boyle or Jenna Petersen (hey, I had to recommend me somewhere) for adventure.

  So whatever story line you go for as you vote, don’t forget to be fabulous while you’re writing and reading it. I have every faith that you will be!

  * * *

  August 28, 2006

  Lyssa Keusch

  A Note from Lyssa Keusch, Avon Executive Editor

  Lyssa Keusch here. I’m an Avon editor and I have to say that we are learning so much already from the responses we’ve gotten. I expect we’ll gain lots of great insights from all of you talented and enthusiastic participants by the time we complete this event—and we thank you for the opportunity.

  I found it particularly interesting to see that the early polls are leaning toward the Regency premise. Occasionally we hear rumors that we publish too many Regencies, but with Regency leading the poll, it seems that perhaps we’re catering to what you, the readers, want. And that’s ultimately our goal. We don’t ever want to become a one-pony show—and with our list full of medievals, paranormals, Victorians, Scottish, pirates, suspense, I don’t think we risk that. But we do also want to publish what our writers love to write and what our readers want to read.

  The elements are a little bit different for everyone, but the bottom line is, that means great romantic stories, no matter the setting or the time period. That’s what we’re about, after all. We all got hooked one way or the other. For me it was probably Georgette Heyer, if not the Jane Austen classics.

  Which author—or what novel—got you hooked?

  I can’t wait to see where this story will go. Thanks for joining us in the fun!

  * * *

  August 29, 2006

  Teresa Medeiros

  A Word from Best-Selling Author, Teresa Medeiros

  When I first learned that Avon was creating the FanLit project to help bring readers, writers, and editors together in one forum, I got all shivery with excitement. What could be more fun than hanging out with friends who all share a common love of the romance genre? (Especially when there are really cool prizes involved!)

  One of the tricks I use to spice up my own novels is to incorporate the primal power of classic fairy tale themes. My favorite fairy tale fantasy is Beauty and the Beast. No matter how sardonic your duke or how arrogant your knight, there’s always one turning point in the book when his love for your heroine should bring him to his knees. Only then can his transformation from beast to prince be complete.

  The legend of Sleeping Beauty represents our heroine’s emotional and sexual awakening. Whether she’s a ravishing beauty, a dowdy spinster, or a prim ice princess, it is our hero’s kiss that first stirs her slumbering desires to life. Once awakened, she is both curious and eager to explore her newfound sensuality.

  Cinderella is one of the most timeless and rewarding fantasies, confirming that the secret to happiness in life is a successful makeover. Who can forget the pivotal moment when Cinderella scrubs off her ashes, dons her glass slippers, and dances her way into the prince’s heart? If you set this revelation at an actual public event such as a masquerade ball, you’ll reward your readers with the doubly dramatic bonus of witnessing the crowd’s response to your character’s transformation.

  If you can find a way to incorporate some of these themes into your own work, I can guarantee both you and your readers a happy ending! So what is YOUR favorite fairy tale? And can you name some popular romances that put it to good use?

  * * *

  August 30, 2006

  Anna Campbell

  The Eternal Lure of the Regency Age

  Hello, Avon FanLit fans! Can I count myself in that? I think FanLit is a brilliant idea.

  I’m a brand-new Avon author, and my first book, Claiming the Courtesan, comes out in April 2007. Yes, it’s a Regency historical. Well, officially, it’s very late Regency, as it’s set in 1825, a time which suits the dark, decadent atmosphere of this story about a duke who wants to marry his mistress, London’s most notorious courtesan.

  I’ve avidly watched the voting on the story line people will choose. It’s both gratifying and interesting to see the Regency option outpolling everything else—although I notice the contemporary option snapping at Regency’s heels as I write this.

  I started to wonder about the perennial popularity of romances set in the Regency era. Why has this particular, fairly short period in British history gained such a hold on people’s imaginations?

  Is it that it’s close enough to our time to be familiar—people speak in relatively modern English and have attitudes we can often understand, if not completely share? Is it the glamorous and dangerous historical background? Balls and duels and high society, not to mention the aristocratic rakes and the Napoleonic wars? Is it the clothes? I hate to admit to my shallowness, but I’m a sucker for neck cloths and high-collared coats and boots. Oh, those high boots…

  Or is it just that two writers of genius, Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, stamped this period so firmly on the public mind that we all follow in their footsteps?

  Why do you like Regency historicals? Why do you think stories set in this era continue to be so popular?

  * * *

  August 31, 2006

  Sara Bennett

  A Passion for Victorian

  Hi to all of you! Avon FanLit is a wonderful idea, isn’t it? Good luck to everyone taking part.

  After noting the poor showing for the Victorian option, I thought I’d better talk about romances set in the Victorian era. That’s what I write, and I’m passionate about the period. My current series is a tale of three sisters, the daughters of a courtesan called Aphrodite. Vivianna and Marietta told their stories in Lessons in Seduction and Rules of Passion, and Francesca will have her chance in Mistress of Scandal, to be published in April 2007.

  Personally, I find Victorian romance darker and meatier than Regency. It’s Bleak House, Wuthering Heights, and Jane Eyre, all rolled into one. Queen Victoria, who gave her name to the era, sat on the throne for sixty-four years, and mourned her Prince Albert for forty of them—you can’t get much more emotional than that. And the women’s clothes, the crinolines and corsets, all buttoned and laced up so that they could hardly breathe. No wonder they were always fainting! While the men were turning pale at the sight of a lady’s ankle, and then enjoying themselves in the dance halls and houses of ill-repute with women who definitely weren’t ladies.

  How those women must have secretly wanted to break free of the rules and expectations Victorian society placed upon them. And, as we’re writing romance, why not? I love those rules, because then I can write about the heroines who break them. Women who follow their hearts, whatever the consequences. And the men who fall in love with them.

  Is anyone else a Victorian fan?

  * * *

  September 1, 2006

  Suzanne MacPherson

  Better than Being Blonde

  FanLit has all the fun rolled up into one bundle. I was browsing the votes and saw that Contemporary and Regency story lines are in the lead.

  I took a moment there and wondered what I would vote for. And get this—I was tempted by Victorian! Well, those Brits and all that turn of the century magic are very attractive to me for some reason. But of course I love a good Contemporary!

  In my own life I watch old movies to inspire me. The comedies of the 1930s have great plots with twists you’d never expect. So if you are looking for some inspiration, try a Cary Grant festival! Or my all-time favorite, Myrna Loy.

  I find when I get into that analytical writer’s mode I can really develop some great characters just by watching everything around me. I’ve gotten some of my best ideas in the grocery store! (Okay it’s very Zen for me ther
e—I space out and let my imagination wander—I tend to shop in the very quiet hours.) The book I’m writing at this moment came from seeing an empty cart roll down an aisle all by itself!

  What kinds of places, people, or things inspire you? Can you translate that into a great chapter for FanLit? I bet you can!

  Anyhow, blondes have more fun at the grocery store, but anyone can participate in FanLit, regardless of hair color!

  * * *

  September 5, 2006

  Robyn DeHart

  Know What You Write

  Write what you know. I’m sure you’ve all heard that at some point. I propose we change it: Know what you write. If we only wrote about the things that we knew, our writing careers would be rather limited. At least mine would be. But if we scrap the write what you know for the know what you write, the options are limitless.

  Quite a few have expressed concern over the story premise polling because they don’t know anything about Regency, Victorian, or Medieval time periods. Well, let me ease some of your concerns. We don’t all have history degrees. In fact most of us don’t. So how do we find all those bits of information? Research—which doesn’t mean sitting at the library for hours on end reading every dry history book you can find.

  All historicals are anachronistic on some level; if they weren’t, modern readers would have little patience for the fact that men and women rarely used one another’s first names. How awkward is that? But we should strive to be as authentic as possible. So you need a foundation of knowledge about your time period, and you can gain this information in a variety of ways: personal diaries, novels and artwork of the time, and, of course, history books. Once you acquire this, you need only look up the details specific to your current story. Too many historical details can bog down your story. At the end of the day, readers are reading for the romance, and while historical accuracy is certainly important, it should never be a reason not to write in a time period you love.