Desert Island Giveaway #18

Merry Christmas!
Giveaway: 2 copies of Seeing You by Dakota Flint (ebooks)

(2 winners)

Love can be found among the pieces of a broken heart.

The night his brother, Simon, was killed in an accident, Dylan took on a double load of guilt. Guilt for walking away unscathed…and for secretly loving Simon’s partner, Wade. Unable to bear the pain, Dylan left the Lazy G ranch to rebuild his life elsewhere.

A year later he reluctantly responds to his sister’s plea to come home, where he finds the Lazy G falling apart. And so is Wade. Wade has stopped caring about the ranch, about everything that should matter most to him.

Though there’s more ranch work than one man can possibly handle, Dylan throws himself into the task. Wondering how he’s going to find the strength to pull Wade out of the fog of grief when his own is still as raw as a fresh wound. Wondering when Wade will finally see that his second chance for happiness is standing right in front of him.

As with all of the giveaways you have until midnight (Pacific) today to enter. 

Good luck!

Leave email in comment section to enter.

We Have Winners

Just a quick post to say that Dakota Flint has put the names into a hat of all those who have commented on her posts over the weekend and randomly selected two winners for copies of her new book Seeing You.  The winners are

*drum roll*

Tam and Lea

Congrats to you both.  I shall pass your emails onto Dakota and she will be contacting you shortly.

Dakota Flint Day 3: Let's Get It On. Or Not.

(A little ironic, but please enjoy the very random eye candy!)

I've been thinking a lot about sexual tension lately. In fiction. *clears throat*

It all started when I read a story last week where the "love" interest was a real d-bag. Total asshole. In fact, I wasn't even sure if it was going to turn out to be a romance regardless of how the book was marketed. But it was, in fact, a romance and I finished it thinking, "Boy, I should have hated that, but I kind of liked it." It was…refreshing. Why assholes would be refreshing…yeah, I don’t think I’ll continue with that line of commentary… *g*

But it got me thinking and I came to the conclusion that it wasn't the jerkish behavior I found refreshing, it was the sexual tension, the attraction and the will-they-won't-they feeling. It felt like something was building and I was really enjoying that slow burn, which has been a little sparse in my romantic reads of late.

I love that slow burn. I love the waiting. I love the whisper of unfulfilled desire in the room, the shiver of want down the spine, the wave of anticipation moving over skin. For me, that's often sexier and more intriguing than a full-on sexual relationship from the start.

Sometimes what I like to call instant-lust fits a story and that's fine. I can name some of my favorite romances where the couple is getting down and dirty within the first chapter. But even then, my personal preference leans toward the ones where after the sex in in the first chapter, the two characters take a step back and the story--conflict!--develops with a break from the bedroom, maybe some belated build-up. One heated encounter vs. constant sexing, if you will.

But overall, I just dig stories that lay the sexual tension on thick and the characters don't get together right away. Because then when they do finally kick it, it's like passing a point of no return. No U-turns ahead. The dynamic has changed and now it's all about the conflict and the obstacles and whatever is keeping them from trying on Happy Together hats. Nothing about it feels easy, and so the payoff feels that much more significant.

 
And maybe that’s what it comes down to for me—sex in romance shouldn’t be easy. Sure, sometimes gratification can be just that easy, but moving into a sexual relationship with someone, becoming intimate, should be complex, complicated, maybe even uncomfortable or just plain hard. *cough*

That’s just what makes good reading for me. I like characters to work for it.

What about you, do you like the slow build-up or do you prefer characters to feel the attraction and then act on it?

Thanks to the lovely Dakota for joining us for these three days on the island.  Her boat now awaits to take her back to reality, but don't forget that all those who comment today and the previous two days are in the running for a copy of Dakota's new m/m cowboy novella Seeing You.

Dakota Flint Day 2: To Trope or Not to Trope?

So I've been thinking a lot lately about some of my favorite tropes in romance and why they reel me in every time.

I haven't really come up with an answer to that yet. No clue why they hit all the rights spots, they just do. I read a blurb and it contains one of those tropes, and I barely glance at the excerpt before I hit, "add to cart." That makes me…easy, doesn't it?

And maybe it's silly, but I feel like I shouldn't be. It should be harder to hook me. Surely it should take more than "secret baby" in the blurb to get me?!?

I'm kidding (about the secret baby trope--that one's not for me).

So not completely sure about the why's, but here's the what's (am I using term "trope" loosely? I don't know):

Dakota's favorite romance tropes (in no particular order)

Best friends to lovers:
This gets me every time. I love this. Well, I love this idea. If I'm being honest, this is probably one that works out the least in execution. What turns the relationship romantic when it never had that aspect to it before? Why now and not before? I think that's the hardest question to overcome and needs a very strong reason (personally, I'm not sure how often I buy the whole I-don’t-want-to-ruin-the-friendship excuse). And yet I'm fascinated by the possibility of one day seeing someone that you already love in a new way, fascinated by the reevaluating and changing a relationship in order to grasp a greater level of happiness. I'm a sucker for any story that can do this in a successful and satisfying way, and so I'm always on the lookout for this one.

His sibling's best friend or his best friend's sibling:
This might be a variation on the same theme, but…well, there you go. I love this one too, and it's an instant-buy for me. I think this one is the best of both worlds--it's the same idea of one day looking at someone in a way you never had before, it's about looking at someone who's always been there and suddenly a whole door opens to new possibilities. But I think it's easier in execution than best friends to lovers for the writer because even though you still have to answer why now, the range of answers to why not before is greater. It's easier to believe for this one, and so this is usually an instant-buy for me too.

Enemies to lovers:
Oh man, I love this one too. A LOT. Fine line between love and hate and all that, I think. I really have no clue why I love this one, but I am so there. I love when the relationship starts out antagonistic, strong dislike in the air, and then something--or a series of somethings--happen to make two people look at each other in a new way and realize maybe they didn't know the other all that well after all. (I'm sensing a reoccurring theme here, are you?) Another thing I like about this one is that it usually accompanies a great amount of sexual tension, of which I am a HUGE fan. But more about that tomorrow. *g*

Secret life:
This one is kind of like crack to me. This actually gets me in other genres too, but mix it with a romance and garnish it with government or big business conspiracy, and that's my trifecta of bliss. If you upgrade that by throwing in danger, life on the run, and the pursuit of truth at any cost…well. Blissed out, that's what I'll be. If any of you out there write one of those as a gay romance set in DC, I will officially worship at your feet. See? I told you I was easy. *g* I guess I gave more a formula than a trope, but it all goes back to the secret life. I love the possibilities it suggests. I see a whisper of it in a blurb and I'm totally hooked.

So these are my instant-buy tropes. What about you, do you have any favorite tropes that make you click the buy button automatically?

Dakota Flint Day 1: All About Me

It's my very great pleasure to introduce our guest author today - the lovely Dakota Flint.

For all those who love their cowboy men, Dakota has a m/m cowboy novella, Seeing You, recently released at Samhain HERE. Just to prove what a kind and generous person she is, Dakota is giving away two copies of Seeing You to two people who comment on her posts in the next three days - Good luck and over to Dakota!

Favorite Reading Position?
Second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning. (Why Never Land was the first thing to pop into my head…I don’t know what that says about my state of mind. *g*)

Favorite Heroine?
Now this one is easy. Anne Shirley.

Author everyone loves but you don’t.
I don’t think it’s safe to answer this one. *g*

If you could be in one book/series/world which would you pick?
I was just talking about this book the other day, but definitely Time at the Top. I mean, seriously. Who doesn’t want an elevator ride back in time? As long as it’s not a ride back to high school.

If you could be a hero who would you be?
Batman. Definitely. Don’t laugh.

What heroine is most like you?
Well, I’m hoping it’s not Ramona—the pest. *g*

If I had to pick one I’d say Penelope Featherington from Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. I guess. This question was hard!

What heroine would you like to be?
Oh man. I’d be Bella from Twilight so I’d always have something to laugh at (myself). And I could make the right choice and choose the wolfie. *g*

Seriously though, she’s not from a book, but I’d want to be Sydney Bristow from the tv show Alias because she kicked all kinds of ass and looked great doing it.

Boxers, Briefs, boxer briefs, kilt (I say we add commando)?
Definitely boxer briefs. Black. Hugging tanned muscular thighs and a significant…um, not that I’ve given this much thought. ;)

Favorite book set on a tropical island.
Will I get heckled if I say Swiss Family Robinson? Because man, they knew how to live.

If you were stuck on a desert island what 3 things would you bring?
A boat. (Is that cheating?) Sun block. My iPhone…don’t tell me I’ll be out of the 3G network?!?

Favorite drink to bring to the DIK party.
Blue Hawaiian.

You can visit Dakota here http://dakotaflint.com or at her blog http://dakotaflint.livejournal.com.