Favorite reads...

At the end of each winter I seem to go through a re reading glom. It's not quite spring, the days are getting longer and lighter and maybe it's the nostalgia of saying goodbye to winter, but I binge on my favorite re reads. So, I thought I'd share a few of the lovely re reads that I've devoured over the past month or so over the next two days.

Bound and Determined by Jane Davitt and Alexa Snow. This is such a sexy BDSM read. I loved it the first time and enjoyed it just as much on the 4th re read! I love the chemistry between Sterling and Owen and the ramping up of tension. It's a little drama and woe, but I liked it a lot!

Hot Head by Damon Suede was a great re read and while I know I have issues with pacing, drama and some of the dialog, there is just something about firemen doing the nasty that floats my boat. Well worth a 2nd read!

Manly by Dale Lazarov and illustrated by Amy Colburn was a gorgeous re read. This was the first piece of work that I'd read from Dale and I really like his books. It's sexy, smart and I just loved this art work in particular, it's incredibly appealing.

Collision Course by KA Mitchell, seriously, I've re read this book so many times it's ridiculous. I'm at the point where I can quote bits. I need to get out more. It's just not healthy!

Finally, my ultimate winter re read is Lord of the White Hell 1 & 2. Magic. These books just get better and better and I seriously want the author to write more. In fact, please Miss Hale WRITE ME SOME MORE WHITE HELL (I'm shouting, cause my voice has to get all the way from here in NZ to her over there in the US... heh)

So, what have you re read over the winter/summer? Any suggestions?

Dressing Your Characters for Success

By Author and Guest Blogger - AC Katt

There are several ways in which to subtlety dress your characters personality besides the obvious description of physique, hair and eye color. For both you and your readers to intimately know who your character is, his dress is a unique part of his personality.

In my book, A Matter of Trust, Donald K. Drummond is the owner of a successful commercial real estate empire. If I had said Dona

ld wore a suit and tie, it would not have properly conveyed certain aspects of his personality that were important to the story. Instead, I created a word picture for the reader to digest that portrayed Donald as a man who used his mode of dress to overcome his humble beginnings. Donald Drummond dressed in Savile Row suits and Lobb shoes. His ties were fastened expertly in a Windsor knot. Donald’s shirts were handmade with French cuffs and cufflinks.

This word picture describes a meticulous man who is particular and demanding. Contrast that with the description of Brian Murphy from the same novel.

He wore a pair of beige Dockers and his well-worn Oxford shirt spilled halfway out of his pants. The left side of the shirt bore the brunt of the stain. He had a white plastic pocket protector with about three or four pens attached to the pocket on the right. The kid’s belt was black, but his shoes were brown. His tie went askew and the clip showed along with the black elastic fastener. He wore huge horn rimmed glasses held together at the nose with a band-aid and hung from a croaky. When the boy wore the glasses, the sparkling blue eyes with long, light brown lashes remained hidden.

The description of clothing in that paragraph describes a different type of personality. This man was either careless of his dress or unable to afford decent clothing. His style of dress bespeaks an innocence of Donald’s world.

Using clothing, an author can convey nuances of personality without using backstory or overt narrative description, thus can dress their character for success.

My novel A Matter of Trust is available from XOXO Publishing at www.xoxopublishing.com. For additional information about my books visit me at www.ackatt.com.