Tempted by Trouble. When it rains, it pours.

Monday, April 29, 2013


 
TEMPTED BY TROUBLE and boy when it rains, it pours.
 Torrential conflicts are what keeps romance hot.
 
GUEST POST featured on Monster Promo Tour
Thank you so much Reading Between the Wines for allowing me to guest post today, and of course share Tempted with your readers. I thought we’d discuss the problem within romance.
When writing romance that sizzles, the parts that keep a reader engaged are the conflicts or problems the characters encounter.
From the opening pages, the heroine and hero are smacked with problems. Some are easy to solve and some will last the entire story. Each writer knows it is her duty to keep heaping on dilemma after dilemma. Plots must focus on a tightly driven story, one that moves the reader forward. The only way to do that is to craft a problem that is almost insurmountable. Actually many problems, scene after problematic scene.
In Tempted by Trouble, since it a love story the central issue is about two people, Carolina and Matt, who can’t seem to romantically connect. What’s the problem? Several. On first sight, they start off on the wrong foot when Carolina sees Matt in a rather awkward position. This meeting occurs before they realize they are destined to work together. Well, workplace romances are problematic by their very nature, so it’s easy to stir the pot creating a dicey situation for Matt and Carolina.
The story problems range in severity but major ones are emotionally gripping. I’ve found, a writer cannot be kind to her characters. Pulling out the stops, even Matt and Carolina’s past romantic history must be a threat. And that one point in Tempted a dagger is thrust into the plot. For even when Carolina and Matt seem to sort out all their problems issues, well darn it if they’re thrown a curve ball by a past flame showing up and undoing everything.
In each scene, a writer attempts to stir the upset the apple cart. Never letting the characters rest, making them miserable by their desire for each other, and then keeping them apart.
In Tempted by Trouble, the characters ache for each other.  And I must say it was so much fun to use family members in showing casing Carolina and Matt’s issues. For Carolina, she comes from a close-nit Cuban family. An overprotective mother and then there’s her cousin who can sniff out a bad boy and tells Carolina, point blank: “All I’m saying is keep your eyes open. Listen to yourself. A man who’s having sex in his car. And you’re attracted. That’s wacko coming from you. Sounds like a rebel and we all know you’ve got a soft spot for a bad boy. It’s your libido sparking, nothing else.”
With Matt, his brothers and sister keep him hopping and give him advice on what to do.
     “Morning,” Stephen called out, lifting his hat. “Brother, how you’ve gotten away with this one, I don’t know how you do it.”
Matt straightened and cocked his head. “Watch yourself, man. Your team is calling for you.”
“Edgy. You’d better watch yourself.” His brother slapped his thigh. “Later, Carolina.”
Tempted by Trouble is part of series, Lovers and Fighters. These hot westerns are more than sweet gentle rolls in the hay. In Tempted by Trouble, there’s a whole mess of trouble the characters have to wade through to get to the “Happy Ever After.” So in writing and reading romance, the mantra is so much pain—so much to gain. Over and over…and over again.
 
 

WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? Writing the Sexy Scene: Flame to Spark Part One.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

By Susan Arden
Getting two characters on stage and creating sexual tension IMMEDIATELY is tricky. In Tempted by Trouble it requires some jockeying.

Juggling dialogue, character arc, tension, and the storyline.

WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING came into play. The first scene featuring Carolina and Matt had this some killer story line played out.




Part One: How to Craft The Sexy Scene. Spark to Flame
In Tempted by Trouble, I knew this was going to be a hot ride. I wanted the sexual tension to be tight and immediate. With a romance, especially erotic romance,  there’s a necessary set up that launches the love story yet the hero and heroine must be properly positioned, so to speak.
In Tempted the name says it all. The parking lot scene(s) provide Carolina and Matt the necessary tools to spark their interest heating each other’s desire. Tempting yet are they held apart.
What happened and why?
Carolina arrives at the church delivering her cousin, Cynthia “Sam” Cainwright to her wedding. They’ve been out all night and Carolina needs a few moments alone. I wanted to introduce the “villain” so I had him appear, briefly setting the heroine on pins and needles. This interlude is the has a domino effect in making Carolina question her own sexuality which is part of her arc. With this conflict in play, a vacuum occurs, or character “want/need.”
In the opening scene, I had to place Matt in “charged” proximity but not so close he’d be available to the heroine. Actually I had to do something tricky so to keep Carolina and Matt apart. A compromising position that would be both off-putting and alluring. Difficult. As the writer, I needed to let Carolina see Matt within a context that served as his own interview. Sexually provocative. But that moment could get away from me if Carolina decided to drive off and never get a glimpse of Matt.
I had to employ another conflict: voila, the fender bender. This becomes their first moment on stage. Highly important so I have them engaged with a sassy exchange.  We have the hero and heroine meet in less than stellar circumstance. The hero remains cool, collected, and a bit arrogant after being caught red-handed. Carolina likes what she sees, yet knows this type of bad boy spells trouble. Oh, but the type of trouble she likes…but can’t have. Who amongst us hasn’t wanted something we know might be sensation but is unsuitable. For Carolina, it’s Bad Boy Man Candy or sex-in-suit.
So, here they are standing toe-to-toe on the wrong foot, but they don’t know really who the other is…or at least haven’t connected the dots yet (employer-employee). All the hero and heroine know is they’re highly attracted to each other. The spark to the flame.

The Secret is Out...Yes there's BDSM in Tempted by Trouble

Friday, April 12, 2013

Hot western, sizzling romance on a ranch, no-holds-barred sex including a tasty tease
of BDSM.

Matt and Carolina blaze a sexy southern trail from Florida to Texas.


Toot's Review


Tempted by Trouble is a CR about a family run ranch owner, Matt and the little firecracker, Carolina, he encounters while attending a friends' wedding. Unfortunately they initially don't meet under the right circumstances and hit it off poorly but little do either of them know, they actually have a prior arrangement.

Matt's family cattle has been dying left and right. He was asking around about a vet whom might be able to come visit the ranch and help solve the issue. Carolina had come highly recommended and he'd hired her sight unseen. He knew she was also attending the wedding and thought they could finally meet face to face before they started working together the following week but when they do introduce themselves, Matt is blow away! He had no idea she would be so beautiful. Can they actually work together or will sparks fly?

Well not to spoil too much but come on now, you know with any good CR, sparks do fly. There's lots of hot sweaty guys, ranch dust and horses, good ol' chemistry, lots of sex, even bouts of BDSM and a oldie but goodie romantic ending. There are times that the dialog is a bit much and over the top but other then that, it was a quick fun read. If you want lots of Alpha Male posturing, Floridian Vets with sex issues and meddling families, give it a read

TEMPTED BY TROUBLE...LET'S GET LUCKY Erotic Romance Contest and Giveaway

Thursday, April 11, 2013



Who doesn't want to get lucky?
In an erotic romance that means the sexy hero and the captivating heroine are about to connect like two runaway freight trains. 


I've thought about characters getting "lucky" and what that takes to turn up the heat to say SCORCHING!

 You might think I've thought about this too much if you've read some of the smexy scenes I dare to share.

If you care, tell me a book with sexilicious scenes melting right off the page.

Below, a treat. A sinfully sexy except racheting hot to hotter.
Matt and Caroline are so Tempted by Trouble.

And remember, it's not always about the S-E-X.
In this scene the hero rocks a state of
PRIMAL AROUSAL.

And then it's all about charming the panties off the girl.
 
        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Sinfully Sexy Excerpt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Carolina headed out of the reception area into the lobby and then Matt’s fingers clamped around her arm. The pressure made her whirl around. “Let. Me. Go.”

    “Think again.” The look in Matt’s eyes was hot enough to liquefy steel.

    “Is this how you get your dates? By force?” she hissed, her fingers balling up.

      He softly laughed. “Hush, Carolina.”


    “I don’t think I can stand to be in the same room with you. Ever.”

    “Give me one more minute of your time. That’s it. I promise.”

     She allowed him to pull her toward a hall and into a business room set up with a computer and printer.

      He shut the door and didn’t let her go. “You’re right. I don’t think either one of us could stand to be in the same room together and not do this.”

        Her lips opened to protest. He took hold of her other arm and held her firmly, moving her backward as if they were dancing a tango until no more space existed between them. His body blanketed hers and his cheek was snug against her temple. She moved her face and scraped against the rough surface of his jaw. His mouth seared against her cheekbone, downward toward her neck, his breath a heat wave moving over her skin, hotter with every exhalation.
    “What do you want from me?” she whispered.
    “Hell, I want to touch every inch of your skin and then kiss your lips until they’re swollen and red. I want to strip that dress off your shoulder and trace a line from the seam of your lips over the curve of your breast until I reach the tip. I want to run my tongue in a pattern until your nipples harden and then tease each of your breasts until you say my name in a plea for release. I want to lift that dress of yours and see what type of lingerie you’re wearing. I’m sure whatever you have on must be pretty damn sexy.”
    Matt’s words crept past her anger and smoothed her ragged feelings into warm caramel. His hands and the heat of his body had her dripping wet.
    “I’ll slip my finger under the edge of your panties and touch you. I want to spread your sweet folds and rub you. Sweet Jesus, I want you. Are you going to deny you feel the same fire?”

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Picture Perfect. Don't walk away mad...just walk away.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

PICTURE PERFECT
Book One of the series: Bad Boys Don't Drink the Water

NaNoWriMo 2012 Winner. This story featuring Cynthia "Sam" Cainwright and Carolina Rodriguez grew and grew becoming two separate novels. Carolina is featured in Tempted by Trouble released April 1, 2013 by Crimson Romance. 

Picture Perfect is soon to be released later this month.

With a toss of a coin, Rob promised her one thing: a good time, not a long time. And so advised, Sam gambled with her future.

A woman is thrust into the position of being the son her father never had until her world becomes too much to bear. Freedom comes with a cost.

Rob Graham and Sam Cainwright have dreams, but what it takes to follow each tears them apart.

Years later they are reunited by chance.

The secret Sam desperately sought to keep from Rob is unleashed. His angry reaction is swift and immediate pushing them apart into the arms of attorneys.

Now at odds, Sam and Rob must confront a rocky future...together.
This time there's more on the table than a rocking good time.

Rob's photo shoot to the Sahara looms, and Sam sees his exotic locales as an escape route no different than before.

Can they negotiate rough terrain when raw emotions threaten to tear them apart...again?

Love tastes sweeter the second time around.

 
An Excerpt

         
      He did what came naturally when she was near. He stepped close enough to discern the dappled coloring of her irises, the way she hesitantly bit the corner of her mouth when confused, the light rise and fall of her chest. “Excuse me, but you’re wrong. I’m—”

“Don’t go there.” She continued, “Look, I’m sorry things didn’t work out, but you were the one who left in a hurry, never looking back.” She cocked her head. “Now…it’s my turn.”
 
         Something snapped inside him. She wasn’t going to just walk away, out of his life. Not this time, regardless of who was doing the walking.

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list of authors participating
in the week's addition of 
Weekend Writing Warriors
 

 
 
 

Harlequin Junkie Review: Tempted by Trouble by Susan Arden 4.5 STARS

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE  
Review: Tempted by Trouble by Susan Arden



FIRST REVIEW IS IN FOR

 TEMPTED BY TROUBLE

Harlequin Junkie came back with:
Harlequin Junkie
Publisher: Crimson Romance (April 1, 2013)



When a woman is the magnet for the wrong man, it takes a bad boy to break old habits.
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