Monday, January 3, 2011

Guest Post: Stephanie Rowe- Kiss at Your Own Risk - With Giveaway

Ah…romance. Who doesn't love the feeling of your heart soaring when that special someone walks into the room? It's a sensation that is so basic to our human existence: people need to love, and they need to be loved. We want it, we need it, and we are complete when we have it. Yes, yes, yes, we all need our independence, we need to be able to look in the mirror and know who we are… but by gosh and golly, love is what makes the soul complete.

But hey, we're not here to talk about us, are we?

We're here to talk about those dangerous, deadly, tortured immortal and magically enhanced heroes and heroines of paranormal romance novels, and what it takes to bring such extreme and conflicted characters into a place of love, tenderness and happily ever after. Can immortal beings with such baggage, and such history really find their way to love as well as the protagonists in contemporary romances? Or are they too busy with saving the world to even want it?

We'll start with the Question of the Day: if you have the ability to destroy the world with a single sweep of your sword, is that enough to make your spirit whole?

Not so much.

Oh, sure, some of these big tough badasses may spout on about how every man is an island, and how all they need is a good battle and male bonding to be emotionally complete, but really? That's just a crock, a big ol' lie designed to hide their vulnerability and their burning need for a woman to love.

An immortal warrior with a fiery rod-o-love (and I'm talking about his sword, you with the racy little mind) is tougher, more independent and more tortured (often literally), than your average hero of a contemporary romance, but how different are they really? The heart, the soul, the spirit—it contains a need for a connection, a need for healing, a need for peace, no matter what the context. And sometimes, the longer a man's been isolated and deprived, the stronger his need is for salvation. Granted, that much time and angst allows him to build a hell of a wall around his emotions, and it's no easy task to break through, so thank heaven for the women of paranormal romances!

The heroines of contemporary romances are strong, independent, and courageous, but they are also burdened by their own difficult pasts, their own baggage, and their desire for a man to step up and make her feel like a woman. In paranormal romances, you have those same women, with the same attributes and needs, but the external stakes are often higher, the conflicts more intense, and the men can be a bit more of a challenge ("Oops! I'm so sorry my love, I didn't mean to almost kill you when my inner demon took over. Please forgive me?).

 I've written contemporary romances (adult and young adult) as well as paranormal romances, and I've found that the interplay between a man and a woman is the same no matter what the context. Even the most deadly warriors are plagued by the same need to connect, the same emotional blocks to reaching out, and the same passion. In paranormal, it's fun to create more vivid, obvious differences and conflicts between the hero and heroine (she's an angel, he's a demon, hmm… that could be a problem), but any well-crafted romance has an insurmountable conflict or irreconcilable differences between the heroine and the hero. It's what makes a romance so special. The question is, do you like your story told in the context of proper Regency ballrooms, cutthroat corporate America, or the unpredictable wildness of a land filled with demons, vampires or, better yet, warriors who have been tortured for 150 years at the hands of Death's slightly psychotic grandma?

I vote for a century and a half of torture! What about you? What paranormal romances have you read where the romance was so vivid that it simply melted your soul? 



KISS AT YOUR OWN RISK BY STEPHANIE ROWE – IN STORES JANUARY 2011

He needed a killer woman…
Blaine Underhill is one lucky man after having recently escaped a century and a half of imprisonment at the hands of an evil witch. Now he’s determined to save his still-enslaved friend, but in order to do so, he’ll need the help of one of the world’s most lethal women.

She was drop dead gorgeous, literally…
Trinity Harpswell is sick and tired of being a Black Widow. Having managed to go three years without accidentally killing anyone she loves, she’s one short week away from freeing herself from this killer curse forever.

When Blaine tracks her down and convinces her to help him, little does Trinity know that the next seven days are going to be murder!



ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Four-time RITA Award nominee and Golden Heart Award winner Stephanie Rowe is a nationally bestselling author, and has more than twenty-five contracted titles with major publishers such as HarperCollins, Dorchester and Harlequin. Stephanie has charmed reviewers with her unique blend of humor and otherworldly magic. She lives outside Boston, MA, where she is working on the next two books in the Soulfire Series: Touch if You Dare (July 2011) and Hold Me If You Can (September 2011).  For more information, please visit http://www.stephanierowe.com/

GIVEAWAY

Sourcebooks is sponsoring a giveaway for two Minding Spot readers!!

HOW TO ENTER

Follow Minding Spot (GFC, Twitter, Facebook, Email or Networked Blogs)
Answer Stephanie's Question:  What paranormal romances have you read where the romance was so vivid that it simply melted your soul?

USA and Canada Only.

Contest ends January 17th.  Prizes shipped direct from sponsor.

34 comments:

  1. Hi Wendy! Thanks so much for having me! I'm so pleased to be here. Thank you also for the lovely review. Happy 2011!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm a follower and to answer the question: The most recent paranormal romance to really get me with it's vivid romance was the romance between Bones and Cat in At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost.

    megankyser at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Larissa Ione's Demonica series are some of the best paranormal books I've read.

    GFC follower

    janie1215 AT excite DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I would have to say anything by J.R Ward.


    I am new follower to your blog through Google Friend Connect. (Chi Kittie).

    ChiKittie(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'd have to say Cat and Bones in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Their romance is so intense, I can just feel their emotions.

    Barbed1951(at)aol(dot)com
    GFC follower

    ReplyDelete
  6. follow as oreo_93

    The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter was the first romance book to make me swoon.

    ReplyDelete
  7. forgot e-mail oreo_93@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I am really liking the Immortals after Dark series by Kresley Cole

    Katie_tp(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  9. That was one of the most entertaining author interviews? essays? I have read in my life! I've got to read her books if her sense of humor comes through in her books like that. Anything melting off the pages would be by Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter, Alexandra Ivy, Melissa Mayhue, if it's got a Scottish Highlander in it wear oven mitts! Oh yeah, Kresley Cole too. That covers all my faves so far.

    I GFC under my blog name Buried in Books
    Heather
    hrose2931@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I follow you via GFC!

    I honestly haven't read a paranormal romance yet, but I love books, and I can't wait to read one! Usually I read mystery, or sweet romance novels.

    Email: melissajackson07@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. aweosme interview and post

    id have to say the one that melted my soul alot would have to be

    Julianna Stone's book His Darkest Hunger
    I loved it

    im a follower

    mortalsinn@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Google Friends Connect - following your blog publicly as Louis

    I loved reading "Lover Mone" by J.R. Ward

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway

    Louis
    schnitzomage {at} gmail {dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  13. For me it would be anything by J.R.Ward.
    I am a gfc follower.
    debbie
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  14. i'm waiting to have found that book yet... but thanks to everyone for listing their fav's things are looking up ;)

    please enter me in the contest!
    thanks so much for the chance to win!

    stampitchick at yahoo dot ca

    ReplyDelete
  15. I would have to say Bella and Edward from Twilight. I love the romance between them. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hey, Wendy! I am already a follower!
    To answer Stephanie's question I would have to say Nalini Singh. I am LOVING the Psy/Changling series.

    ReplyDelete
  17. GFC follower.

    lewalk

    lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Follower on Twitter.

    lewalk76

    lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Networked Blogs follower.

    lewalk76
    Leah W.

    lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I know I'm gonna sound like a hack but I loved the love story in the Twilight series. Lol. The book, NOT the movies. It could very possibly have been the fact that I hadn't read anything before that in a LOOOONG time but they just really moved me. I don't know.

    lewalk(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have to go with Twilight! I have read some great paranormal romances but Edward melts my heart!! I follow via GFC, Twitter, Facebook and I am an e-mail subscriber! Thanks for a great giveaway! :D
    cmurphy213@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway! I can't think of a paranormal book that melted my soul. One that came close was "Micah" by Laurel K.Hamilton. :)

    aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hi! I am a GFC follower as well. :)

    aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Oh god, its really hard to decide but I'd have to choose Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I feel like their romance is so special and I'm dying for the final book!!!

    I follow on GFC: Lindsay

    lindsaydevine (at) bellsouth (dot) net

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love the books/series by Nalini Singh, J.R. Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Kerrelyn Sparks, and Larissa Ione.

    I am a GFC follower

    smccar1 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. I liked NO REST FOR THE WICKED by Cole. Very hot hero! bookbunny68@yahoo.com Follower

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Everyone! Thanks for all the great suggestions! I have many more books to add to my list now!

    Meghan & Barbara E.—Jeaniene Frost sounds great! I will go check her out.

    Jane—Oh… I LOVE Larissa. She's just an amazing writer, PLUS, she's one of the nicest people in the world!

    Chi Kittie, Debbie, & Raven in a Blue Room—I love JR Ward, as well. Her men are SO delicious!

    WulfLuva—Isn't Gina great? She is so talented!

    Katie & BookBunny68—I read one of Kresley's early books, but I haven't read her in a while. I will go check it out!

    Buried Books—Wow! Thanks for your comments on my post. I do tend to write my books in the same tone as my post was. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

    Melissa Jackson—It took me a while to crack my first paranormal romance as well, but once I did, I was hooked forever!

    SiNn—Thanks, SiNn! I'll check out Julianna Stone. I love the title!

    Tina—It looks like you've got a good list to start from! Let us know if you find one you love!

    Tore, Cindy, & Lewalk—Oh…Bella and Edward! That's a good one!

    Tgoswife—Nalini is great, isn't she? I love her Psy/Changling series as well.

    Connie—Oh my gosh! I read Micah so long ago! I'd totally forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder!

    Lindsay—I've never read Maggie, but thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out!

    Stephanie---A great list, for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  28. The Immortals after Dark series does this to me every time.
    GFC follower.
    marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Hi Stephanie,
    Kiss At Your Own Risk is on my Wish List.
    I enjoyed the interview very much. Like almost everyone here I'll also say Sherrilyn Kenyon,Larissa Ione,Kresley Cole,Gena Showalter,Diana Gabaldon's Jamie and Claire in Outlander series and JK Beck's Shadowkeepers series.
    But #1 are any Paranormals featuring kilted Highlanders. They are my first love in reading. :)
    Carol L
    Lucky4750@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I love the romances and the character interactions from book to book in Lara Adrian's Breed series.

    meredithfl at gmail dot com
    GFC follower

    ReplyDelete
  31. I like you on Facebook

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  32. email subscriber

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  33. I follow you on Networked Blogs

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete
  34. I have not read many Paranormal Romances, but I remember reading "Fireworks Over Tococoa"----wow! I can attest to the fact that I was melting! You should read this book if you haven't already read it!

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

    ReplyDelete