Day 9 of 365 of blogging. Leya Layne here, so this one might not be safe for work, or children.
Let’s take a moment to talk about characters who don’t follow the plan. Oh, who am I kidding, most of the time there isn’t a plan. There’s a vibe. There’s an idea. There’s a little boy meets girl, and they’re supposed to get it on, but they refuse. OR, they’re supposed to wait until just the right moment in the plot for the big BANG (so to speak), and they jump the gun.
When I first started Carol’s Christmas Awakening, what I thought was the entire plot woke me from my sleep. I knew who that Carol had a flower shop in a small town and that Jackson was from the city. I knew that there would be struggles getting them together, and she would wonder whether or not they were meant to get together. I even knew that the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future would have to help her realize that Jackson was, in fact, the one for her. Then, it would be time for the big finale…
She would show up in his hotel room with nothing but a coat and a big ol’ bouquet of poinsettia. I hadn’t planned on any actual sex scenes until the end. Hell, it was my first romance novel, and I wanted to wean my way in, maybe find a larger audience, maybe behave myself a bit. I should have known better because the two of them couldn’t keep their hands off of each other as early as Chapter 5, and his hands were in her pants in Chapter 8. So much for my big ending. Instead, you get a heartfelt ending after lots of playtime.
Now, I’m on my second romance book. I go in blind except knowing that the main characters will be a reclusive author and the mailman. The idea was actually triggered by a TikTok/Instagram mutual who asked for a reader and a mailman. She wanted a male main character in uniform who wasn’t military or police. Anyway, I had no plot planned out. I was literally going to pants this one.
As expected, the two main characters (Kass and Asher) are instantly attracted to each other. He may be interrupting her writing regularly, but the fact she writes a sexually liberated character helps keep her in the mood. As their attraction develops, I’m expecting them to get it on like rabbits, far surpassing the exploits of her main character (who has some fun times too), but they refuse…until the ferris wheel. Hence my newest sticker that will soon be up for sale on our website.
Needless to say, this book has taken longer to draft because the characters just keep fighting me, but the story is good, and I am enjoying it tremendously. If you’re interested in reading it early, ARC signups are open, and the official release date is 2/29. Sometimes even naughty characters get the story they deserve.