#37 – Using Random.org, I’ve picked a winner for copies of THE CALLING Vampire novels, namely, DANGER CALLS, TEMPTATION CALLS and FURY CALLS: Sewicked Please e-mail me your postal addresses so I can send out your prize.
Today we’ve got a very special guest, Stacy Boyd, Senior Editor for Harlequin Desire and also my (Caridad’s) wonderful editor! Stacy is here to give us some hints on how to create a winning novel for Desire. We’d love to hear what you like about Desire or feel free to post any questions you may have about the Desire line or writing for Harlequin. Finally, we’ll pick one lucky commenter to win copies of some of the books that Caridad and Stacy have worked on together from THE CALLING Vampire novels, namely, DANGER CALLS, TEMPTATION CALLS and FURY CALLS!
Without further ado, here’s Stacy!
Seven Tips for Creating the Perfect Harlequin Desire Submission
1. Hook your reader right away!
Write a really great first line, first paragraph, first chapter. Readers, and editors, want to be invested in the characters, their conflicts and/or the premise right away.
2. Create a story with high stakes and lots of conflict.
In Desire, we love lots of sensual tension and romantic conflict, and there should be strong and believable reasons that the hero and heroine are at odds, as well as believable sensual attraction that makes them want to resolve their differences.
3. Develop an alpha hero with a heart of gold.
Desire heroes are sexy, powerful alphas with a core of emotional vulnerability. The hero may seem tough and stoic, but underneath that hard exterior, the reader can sympathize with the hero’s motives and flaws.
4. Surprise us!
Know your genre. Play with it. Make your reader feel like she’s never read anything like your book before. A surprise in the plotline, in the story’s execution, in the character development or in the author’s style and voice can really make a writer stand out from the crowd.
5. Be professional.
Successful Desire authors tend to write quickly, consistently and well. Including your publishing history and other relevant experience in your query letter, along with a short summary of your book, is the best way to introduce yourself. We look for writers we can build long-term, so let the editors know if you have more story ideas in the works.
6. Be a reader.
Read as much as you can, write what you love, keep honing your craft and maintain an attitude of persistence and professionalism.
7. Do your research.
If you’re interested in writing for Desire, you can find our guidelines on Harlequin.com, and you can speak with our authors, readers and editors by following us on Twitter (@DesireEditors) or “liking” us on Facebook (facebook.com/harlequindesire).
Thank you so much for taking the time to be with us today, Stacy! We really appreciate it.
One kind of demon you don’t really see all that often in paranormal novels is the Chimera – a creature that is a blend of several other beings. The origin of the Chimera dates back to Greek mythology where the Chimera appears as a fire-breathing demon with the body of a lion, snake’s head tail and the head of a goat sticking out of the center of its back. Not a pretty creature.
References to Chimeras can be found in works by Homer, Ovid and Virgil, but then this demon seems to disappear for some time in more modern works. Recently, variations on the creature have appeared in television shows such as Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, CSI: Las Vegas and The X-Files, films such as The Relic and paranormal novels such as Marjorie Liu’s Dirk and Steele series.
The CSI episode was particularly interesting because it did not deal with a fictional Chimera, but rather a real human version of the ancient Greek myth.
Did you know that it’s possible for a human Chimera to exist, namely, an individual who has two different sets of DNA in their body?
How does this happen? Oftentimes this kind of mix can be seen in non-identical twins who shared a blood supply via the placenta. It can also occur when there are twins and one dies during gestation and is absorbed by the other twin. The cells of the dead twin which are incorporated into the surviving twin can carry distinct genetic material from that of the surviving twin.
I think it might be interesting to see a shapeshifting story where someone could change into blend of animals, each one providing its best properties. The speed of a cheetah combined with the power of a wolf, or something like that.
What do you think? What kinds of combinations would make for interesting chimera demons?
Otherwise known as Caridad’s Dark Side Demon Monday!
We’re launching a whole new series of blogs here at the Danger Women Writing for our Dangerous Readers. Check back each day for a new theme and Dangerous Woman writer sharing insights on all kinds of topics.
For my turn at the plate, I’ll be offering up thoughts and insights on demon lore and some of the more interesting things happening with the creatures that go bump in the night.
Many readers wonder how paranormal writers manage to come up with their ideas. Sometimes you develop totally new creatures and later on during another Dark Side Demon Monday I’ll talk about how I went about creating the mystical beings that will stream to the Jersey Shore in Books 3 and 4 of the SINS series (which will be renamed the SIN HUNTERS series).
Sometimes you look at existing mythologies and tweak them to fit the needs of your story. That’s what I did in DEVOTION CALLS when I introduced a slightly different kind of vampire — a chupacabra.
Chupacabra (or chupacabras) means “goat sucker” in Spanish, but the creature has become quite well known throughout the United States and the rest of the Americas.
The first attacks attributed to chupacabras began in the early 1990s in Puerto Rico so the legend is actually not all that old. Additional sightings of the animal began to appear in other parts of South America as well as the American Southwest.
Farmers reported attacks on various livestock, but the animals were not eaten or taken to another location for dinner. The reports indicated that the animals were killed by being drained of blood through two small incisions, much like a vampire.
One theory as to the origin of the chupacabra is that it’s an alien pet that escaped. Another is that it’s either an alien genetics experiment that got loose or a human genetics experiment. Finally, others believe that the chupacabra is merely a coyote that has a skin disease, accounting for the lack of hair and strange coloration on those animals which have been found and called chupacabras.
Witnesses describe the chupacabra as being anywhere from 4 to 6 feet tall when upright, with green/gray scales. The beast has quills along its head and neck, possibly a long tail and clawed fingers. In addition, it has large glassy eyes that can be reddish in color. Way different than the supposed creatures being found in various areas of Texas!
Regardless of whether or not chupacabras really exist, the creatures have managed to embed themselves in our folklore and have even been written about in songs!
For more information on the chupacabra, you can click on one of the links below.
Please e-mail me your postal addresses so I can send out your prize. 
Today we’ve got a very special guest, Stacy Boyd, Senior Editor for Harlequin Desire and also my (Caridad’s) wonderful editor! Stacy is here to give us some hints on how to create a winning novel for Desire. We’d love to hear what you like about Desire or feel free to post any questions you may have about the Desire line or writing for Harlequin. Finally, we’ll pick one lucky commenter to win copies of some of the books that Caridad and Stacy have worked on together from THE CALLING Vampire novels, namely, DANGER CALLS, TEMPTATION CALLS and FURY CALLS!
One kind of demon you don’t really see all that often in paranormal novels is the Chimera – a creature that is a blend of several other beings. The origin of the Chimera dates back to Greek mythology where the Chimera appears as a fire-breathing demon with the body of a lion, snake’s head tail and the head of a goat sticking out of the center of its back. Not a pretty creature.
How does this happen? Oftentimes this kind of mix can be seen in non-identical twins who shared a blood supply via the placenta. It can also occur when there are twins and one dies during gestation and is absorbed by the other twin. The cells of the dead twin which are incorporated into the surviving twin can carry distinct genetic material from that of the surviving twin.
Chupacabra (or chupacabras) means “goat sucker” in Spanish, but the creature has become quite well known throughout the United States and the rest of the Americas.
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