Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

by Olivia Cunning It's no secret that I write erotic romance, heavy on the erotic. One of my goals is to get my couple into bed quickly. This is made easier by the fact that my heroes are gorgeous and talented rock stars in a band called Sinners. My heroes have no problem finding a willing bed mate. Or three. The challenge is finding them love after lust and making the reader believe that they are going to make their relationship work despite the groupies throwing themselves at them night after night. Typically, in a romance book (though there is so much variety these days, that the old standard isn't necessarily true any more), the sexual tension is high, but no one acts on it for a long while. The couple makes moon eyes at each other for pages, they accidentally touch (and almost swoon) and eventually smooch (weak in the knees...) and if they're really into each other, they might do some petting (spontaneous combustion!). Then somewhere after the halfway point they...

Loving the Love Scene By Ashlyn Chase I used to write erotic romance. Now even though I'm mainstreaming it, I find my heat level is staying pretty consistant. Erotica fans consider me "mild." I like vanilla sex in my books--and other author's books too. I think it's a natural progression in a romantic relationaship. So sue me. Erotic romance authors are often asked how they write hot love scenes. It isn’t easy! In fact, it’s one of the hardest things to write well. I happen to write erotic comedy but when it comes to sizzling sex, I’m deadly serious. I don’t write porn. I’ve been in those sleazy bookshops with the blacked out windows and bought a couple of their books to “see what I was missing.” Not much! Just some terribly written plotless stories with absolutely no romance by authors in need of an anatomy class. Here are a few tips to writing a convincing love scene. First of all, try to be sure your characters aren’t as shallow as this: “I like your bo...

By Robin Kaye One of the things I struggle with as a writer is showing the moment when my hero and heroine realize they have fallen into the huge abyss that is love. Still, there are signs a person has fallen head-over-hiking boots in love. My heroes tend to be faster out of the blocks than my heroines when it comes to this. Maybe it’s because I have a tendency to write difficult women with issues and no real need for a man. They are strong, independent, and some say clueless when it comes to love. Or maybe it’s because deep down inside I like the idea of a man chasing a woman, wanting her so badly, he’s willing to do just about anything to win her heart. Sigh…yeah, that’s probably it. So here is a Top Ten list for heroines: You know you’re in love when… 10 . You’re together and you automatically walk to the passenger’s side of the car instead of the driver’s side—even when it’s your car. Let’s face it, guys like to drive and a woman has no need to prove to her significant other that s...

The ingredients for true and lasting love, part chemistry and part mystery are a baffling and often elusive combination. Love at its most basic stage is animal attraction, that indefinable something that pulls us toward another and makes us take notice of one particular person until he or she becomes the most significant object in our universe.   It can begin with a look, when eyes meet and lock across a crowded room. The essence of it can be found in that someone’s unique scent (pheromones) that stir and awaken our insides and linger long after the parting. It can echo in softly spoken words that continue to resonate in our love-bitten brains as we grasp for some deeper significance in the most casual conversation. The initial giddiness in the early stages of attraction, racing heart, flushed skin and sweaty palms are said to originate from a combination of chemicals released in the brain. Dopamine, the "pleasure chemical," produces a feeling of bliss. Norepinephri...

  A Blog Post by  Romance Author Anne Elizabeth    In the Fall of 2012, Sourcebooks will launch the first book in the West Coast Navy SEAL Romance series.  My husband is retired from the Teams and I can honestly say, “The Navy SEAL community is a family.” What does family and military mean to you?  For me, the Navy SEAL Family...this one phrase or concept inspires emotions of fidelity, loyalty, and familial bonds surpassing the everyday norm and moving into the realm of extraordinary.  When I began my journey into this tight-knit community I knew it would be memorable but I had no idea it would be both awe-inspiring and heartbreaking. The “awe” comes from the incredibly demanding jobs these men do – everything from covert missions, Intel-gathering, crucial rescues, nearly impossible Ops, and so much more – to the women and children who continue on with or function in ordinary life as they wait patiently and provide constant lov...

Isn't it amazing how many different sort of collections there are out there? I know that I'm constantly amazed when I catch a report of some persons passion for an item which I wouldn't have considered valuable...like the lady who collects dryer lint. Yes, you read that right. That little vent in the front of the dryer that most of us empty straight into the trash, well it's something someone considers worthy of being collected. She makes art out of different colors it seems. Now most of us, can claim books as the object we collect but what else? I adore fabric. The type of sewing I enjoy most is historical. Here's a picture of me in a 1550's court dress. Yes...it's heavey but it was cold in England. If you pick up a copy of 'To Conquear a Highlander' and read about the Maypole dance...well I know how to do it! When I'm working on one of my Highlander books or maybe one of my new Steam Punk titles that will release next year...I'm always snar...

This is my first post with the Casablanca Authors. I began reading this blog before I was published so being here is both a thrill and a little daunting. When I saw the topic my first thought was to talk about all the things I love (books, dark chocolate, my favourite characters from TV and film). Or how much I love writing romance. Or about eloping with my high school sweetheart at 19 (we’re still together). But when I went looking for some interesting quotes I found this: "Falling in love is so hard on the knees." Aerosmith It’s been a long time since I fell over and skinned my knees, but I do remember the pain. And while I know why (scientifically) people fall in love. What is interesting is that we say we are ‘falling in love’, or that we ‘fell for someone’. Musicians sing about love, and falling into it. ‘Falling For You’ by Eskimo Joe (this is a live acoustic version which was recorded at a show I went to see earlier this year) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDFXXXLmd9E...

UPDATE: The randomly chosen winner of a copy of IMPROPER GENTLEMEN is Di! Please contact me through my website with your mailing info. To everyone else, thank you for commenting. I hope you'll pop by and enter my contest where you'll have a chance at winning an ARC of SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER (Jan 2012)! from Mia Marlowe I've always been an eclectic reader. Even though I write romance, I'm just as likely to pick up a mystery or a fantasy novel for my private enjoyment. I've even been known to burn through one of my DH's techno-thrillers. But for the past few months with my book club, I've been dipping a toe into the murky waters of mainstream fiction. You know what I mean. These are quasi-literary tomes. They're Oprah picks and the darlings of the media. While they're admittedly well-written, they are also almost universally depressing. It makes me wonder afresh why the romance genre takes so many hits from the media. I used to think it was because o...

For years, I read two to three books a week and sometimes four or five. I would devour an array of lighter Regencies before turning to the more primitive Medievals. When I ran out of knights to swoon over, I would plunge myself into a world of vampires and shape shifters. On and on it went—until I started to imagine different endings to the stories I was reading. Before I knew what hit me, a new passion had slipped into my life. Writing. Let me start by saying that I love everything about the writing process. Well, I didn’t love the am-I-good-enough-to-sell-a-story phase, but I adore the rest. I enjoy the challenge writing presents and the creative outlet it provides. Writing is exhilarating, frustrating, tiring, and amazingly satisfying. But somewhere along the way, the writing process killed my enthusiasm for reading. Yeah, I know. I was as shocked as you when I recognized this. Two years slipped by, then three, then four before I realized how little I was reading. Between work, f...

The human mind is a twisty thing—a truism romance writers love to exploit. Case in point: Searching for a punchy first line for this blog, my mind offers up song lyrics. “So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu …” When I reject that, “The time has come for us to say ‘Sayonara’” pops in. No? Well, how about “Vaya con Dios, my darling?” Eventually, I recognize my mind’s ploy: I don’t want to say goodbye so the unconscious substitutes other languages, euphemisms to distance myself, and my readers, from my message. No sooner do I recognize the truth than the phrase generator gives me Michael Jackson belting out, “Never can say goodbye—no, no, no.” Sheesh! Next I think of the exquisitely graceful blogs Renee, Sharon and other authors who were moving on have written. Now, my mind is looking for models—something to go by. Seems logical, doesn’t it? But God. I can’t touch them! And anyway, what I’m really doing is looking for a way, if I must write ...

By Deb Werksman  Editorial Manager Sourcebooks Casablanca Naturally, I love to read. When I'm not reading you may find me:  *   submitting a list of title ideas to retitle a project  *   submitting options for a new tagline  *   writing, revising or rewriting back cover copy  *   calling an author to discuss editorial notes during a developmental edit  *   emailing an author with a recap of our editorial notes discussion  *   reviewing a revised manuscript and contacting the author for further revisions  *   accepting a revised manuscript and turning it over to be prepped for copyediting  *   making notes for the copyeditor  *   meetings to review schedules, publication dates and seasonal lists  *   mapping a season's list (starts with a batch of sticky notes on the wall, results in a spreadsheet and database entries)  *   making sure manuscr...

What is your definition of a hero?  Merriam Webster breaks down their definition of a hero in three parts: 1.)   The mythological or legendary figure 2.)   The principal male character in a literary or dramatic work 3.)   The submarine (as in sandwich)…FYI: I grew up in northern NJ, and we do NOT call them heroes up here…only subs. But then Webster breaks down the mythological or legendary figure into four other parts: 1.)   He is often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability 2.)   He could also be an illustrious warrior 3.)   He could also be a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities 4.)   And lastly is a man who shows great courage.   My hubby is my hero for many reasons, some of which I might be coerced into sharing over a pint or two of Guinness… but I digress. Recently when I was at the point of pulling my hair out, or simply breaking down due to the ...

What do you do if you fall in love with someone you can't have for one reason or another? We've seen these stories throughout time and they are often gut wrenching and painful. Romeo and Juliet is the ultimate story of love that is lost, but love you cannot live without. The movie Titanic spoke to many of us because of its portrayal of one new love found and lost in the midst of a great tragedy. But there are those stories of forbidden love, or love that seems destined to fail, that deliver a happily ever after. In THE STORM THAT IS STERLING my heroine has a rare, incurable cancer. She also has scientific skill that is impressive enough to make the bad guys willing to save her -- for a price -- a drug addiction that will kill her if she ever stops taking it. And she can only get that drug from the bad guy. Sterling and Becca -- the heroine -- knew each other years before this. He started falling in love with her then but they were separated. When she escapes the bad guy and is...

When I think of falling in love, one of the first things that comes to mind are those knee-buckling kisses. You know the ones I mean, the kind that steal your breath and curl your toes. In many ways I think that kissing is more intimate than sex, and if done correctly a great kiss will ink and stamp itself into your memories forever. As you may know, my debut novel Unleashed will be released in just two weeks and I'm beyond excited. I thought I'd share an excerpt with you, and yes, it just happens to have a bit of kissing in it. *** Malcolm opened the door and offered to help her from the car. Hesitantly, she took his hand. He pulled her effortlessly from her seat. Her breasts gently brushed up against him, a featherlight touch that held a promise of pleasure to come. Their breath mingled on the cool summer evening. Their bodies hummed in unison with anticipation. “I want you to trust me, Samantha,” he said in a low voice laced with desperation and desire. He brought her deli...

I am really good at falling in love. Before I was born, I fell in love with horses, and the condition has never abated. When I was seven, I fell in love with baking and that has been a lifelong joy too. Somewhere between those two milestones, I fell in love with words and with reading. We had no TV until I was well into the school years. For my parents, this meant part of the bedtime ritual was reading a story to the four younger children. (The older three were probably reading to themselves.) The specific stories have faded, though I recall the sound of my father’s voice as he made great drama out of children’s stories. By the time I was ten, I had fallen in love with the piano, a love that generalized to music and to some specific repertoire (Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Brubeck). And then…. And then I found romance novels. All it took was The Wolf and the Dove , and I was gone . I notice two characteristics about how I’m...