Review - Awaken the Highland Warrior

Awaken the Highland Warrior
Anita Clenney
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
2011

The Mighty Faelan Connor is from an ancient line of Scottish warriors charged with protecting humanity from demons. He's the only warrior ever assigned to suspend or destroy two ancient demons, the most powerful of them all. But on his last assignment in 1860, he's betrayed. Instead of suspending the demon he's after, he's attacked from behind and thrust into the time vault instead.

One hundred fifty years later, Bree inherits what she thinks is a treasure map but instead finds a hunky Scottish warrior who leaps from the interior of the vault, dirk in hand, and ready to battle his foes. Bree is drawn to the handsome warrior even though she thinks he may have stolen the treasure she was sure she would find in the vault. But when he stumbles, weakened from his long imprisonment, she takes him into her home and puts him to bed.

Faelan awakes and realizes what's happened. He'd been locked in the time vault for at least 150 years. His family is dead. His entire world is gone. He's bereft and alone with only the one beautiful lass who rescued him to know he was even alive. But is she human? How could she release him from the time vault? And why is he lusting after her so badly when she can't possibly be his mate?

The demon, Druan, who Faelan had origianlly been hunting, is now hunting him. Druan is intent on destroying humanity and he wants his old nemisis to see him do it. And he wants Bree to be the mother of his half-human, half-demonic offspring.

Right from the start, Faelan and Bree are lusting after each other. But neither wants to fall in love. Faelan can't take her as a wife since she's not one of the warrior clan and Bree's had terrible luck with men so she's not ready to have a relationship. But Faelan is a mystery and she's determined to solve it even if it means finding his descendants. Even if it means that when she delivers him to his family, he'll have no more reason to stay with her. So when Faelan tells her to return to her home, she's heartbroken but not surprised.

Faelan knows it's for the best. He has to have a clear mind to hunt demons, especially the more powerful ancient demons like Druan, and Bree is a huge distraction. But when he realizes that he's sent her back into even more danger, he's terrified for her. He has to rescue her before it's too late.

I loved this story! It's a fast read, engaging on all levels. The characters walk off the page and into your heart and you don't want the story to stop. I'd rank this as one of the best paranormal romances of the year. Awaken the Highland Warrior is the first in The Connor Clan series with the second book, Embrace the Highland Warrior coming in November. Watch for my review!

Guest - Kerry Adrienne

Good morning all! Today's special guest is Kerry Adrienne, author and editor at Entangled Publishing. Kerry holds a BA in English: Writing and Editing with a minor in Classical Studies from NC State University. She has extensive freelance editing experience, and teaches various fiction writing classes at a local college. In addition to editing, Kerry writes science fiction, romantic fantasy, and paranormal romance.


Kerry is offering a giveaway so make sure you follow her instructions to be entered in the drawing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Editing Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance

by

Kerry Adrienne

Thanks for allowing me to stop by and chat about editing! I’ve been a freelance editor for twenty years and recently took on an Associate Editor’s position at Entangled Publishing. I’d like to talk a little today about the process I use when editing a manuscript. If you yell at the tv when you hear info-dumping or throw books when you read character inconsistencies, then you have editorial tendencies. Most editors love untangling plot issues, smacking characters into shape, and grooming setting.  (No, editors are not paper-eating trolls with red pens and beady eyes. Well, maybe the beady eyes part - I definitely need reading glasses now.)

What happens after a manuscript is accepted and the contract is signed? (Associate Editors don’t acquire manuscripts) First, the book is assigned to an editor (me!) with a Senior Editor overseeing. The author and I are introduced and I get to read the manuscript for the first time. This read is for an overall view (no editing at this point, though I would be lying if I said I didn’t have at least paper and a pen to take notes). After I finish, I call the author and chat about the book. We’ll talk about general stuff : what’s the series arc (if there is a series)? Which character do you like most? (Why? And what about character “x”?) Wow, how did you research that love scene? (just kidding, I don’t ask that. Well, maybe I did, once.)

Next, I do a “first pass” read/edit. I read through the manuscript again and note any plot points that need to be fixed (he would NO WAY do that!), characterization (what? Did she go to the salon? Her hair was NOT pink in chapter 1), setting/world-building (you have large dinosaurs roaming the meadow outside town – where’s the massive poop?). Sometimes I will mark the manuscript at this point, sometimes I just include all of the issues and questions in an editorial letter to the author (these letters can range from 3-15+ pages). I also note all the things I LOVE about the manuscript. I tend to get pretty gushy about those things that make the book fabulous, unique and special. I’ll send the letter to my Senior Editor for approval and then to the author with a deadline (usually a month, but it can vary) for returning the edits.

When the manuscript comes back to me (rtf only! Track changes for all editing!), I get my coffee (lots and lots of it), put on some Green Day, and dig in. (ok, sometimes I will listen to something else like Adam Lambert, Loreena McKennitt, the Cure, Depeche Mode… depending on my mood. If I have Marilyn Manson on – I don’t edit. Wouldn’t be pretty. I save MM for when I am doing housework.) First, I look at the changes the author made. After that I start with page one and go sentence by sentence – looking for: inconsistencies, places to raise the stakes, characterization, extraneous dialogue, missing setting, things to move (rarely will I get a manuscript that starts in the correct place), etc.  If I see grammatical mistakes or misspellings, I’ll mark them – but I am focused on the meat of the manuscript at this stage.

I write another editorial letter. (I cringe when I see the amount of stuff I have marked). I take a deep breath, drink wine, and send the letter – knowing I did my job to squeeze the best possible book from the author. I talk changes -- the author writes. Often, the writer is too close to the manuscript to see things that could be stronger – and it is my job to mark those places. By this time, the author and I have a good rapport – we are both excited about the book and both trying our absolute hardest to make the book the best it can be. We are a machine, and we are cranking!

Nothing like getting the manuscript back after the second pass letter and reading through the fantastic changes the author has made! If I am lucky, there are very few things that need changes after that pass. The reality is, we often need some intermediate work - but that is ok. We scrub and polish. The third pass is usually fairly straightforward. I read the manuscript through again (this is probably the 5^th or 6^th time). Then I send the book to my Senior Editor and she reads it to see if the author and I missed anything. If all goes well, the book heads to copyediting where the nitty-gritty grammar stuff gets checked. During this time, the author and I will have worked on a back of the book blurb and the author will have submitted a cover art form detailing things she’d like to see on the book.

Here’s my plea:  If you have a science fiction romance manuscript – please consider submitting to Entangled! I’d love to edit some gritty hard sci-fi soon.  You can find Entangled on the web here: www.entangledpublishing.com 

For readers of this blog, I am holding a contest. The prize will be three e-books from Entangled (your choice, my treat!) or one printed book from Entangled. To enter, please comment on this post *and* email me at kerryadrienne@earthlink.net with your contact information and how many entries you earned. I’ll leave the contest open until Oct. 1. You gain an extra entry each by following me on Twitter, liking my Facebook page, and commenting on my blog at my website. Here is the contact information:

Twitter: @kerryadrienne

Facebook : KerryAdrienne

 www.kerryadrienne.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Lynda Again

    Thanks, Kerry, for a great post! It's always fascinating to see behind the scenes in book publishing! Good luck to everybody who enters Kerry's drawing.

Have a Blessed Day!

Guest - J. Paulette Forshey

Good morning all! Today's guest is J. Paulette Forshey, a talented paranormal author, who's given us an article on world building and included some glimpses into how world building helped develop her characters. She's also offering a giveaway so make sure to follow the instructions. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

World Building

World Building - I believe is as important as character building, because if you don’t have a believable world for your hero, heroine and cast to engage their story, it leaves huge gaps in the believability of the novel.

 

Whether it’s a distant water planet with three moons, a secret underground jungle on a barren desert world or a space ship sailing through the sky, if we don't create a favorable environment for our characters, they wither and die on the page.

We must give our hero & heroine suitable housing or structures to live in, appropriate clothing and transportation. Their food, customs, government and technology must all be applicable to their unique situation. To allow some conflict their world must have some order including restrictions. Your hero & heroine's culture, and your story, is richer if they have their own myths and legends. Don't forget the type of currency your heroine needs to pay for that latte she can't live without on her way to work each morning.

Which leaves us to the last thing in this new world, dialect, do your characters speak English, have an American southern drawl or communicate with clicks and whistles. If it's the latter you must make your reader believe these beings exist or you have no readers.

Here's how I built my novel.

The Tarczal Alliance needed all of the items mentioned above. Well, they say write what you know, so with some pixie dust or would that be blood thinner with vampires? Either way my hometown and surrounding areas have been turned upside down like a snow globe and shaken hard to transform into an entirely different reality. 

In building this Tarczal world I need to know more about my hero, Logan Kincaid. He's a 445-year-old Tarczal vampire, intelligent, attorney for the Alliance, wealthy, handsome and down to earth. I needed a home that reflected him and his taste, and that's when I started digging into real-life real estate listings to find what a mansion encompassed. Since the idea of traveling around the country to open houses was nice, the reality was I'm a stay at home grandmother helping to raise two small grandchildren. So neither the time nor money was available to me. Off to my trusty laptop and the World Wide Web!

Two days of internet searching later placed an aerial view of a house listing high atop a mountain in the state of New York in front of me.  I now had my hero's home.

It wasn't so much the house itself, but the outline of the single structure's roof tops that sold me. The house had several peaks which made it look like a tiny village and that was Logan's house for me. It also gave me a great line in my book.

From there I started mentally laying out the interior, his study/office, the billiards room, family dining area, his bedroom. Much of the dwelling and grounds of his home didn't make it into my first novel, and probably won't make it into any subsequent books, but laying out the house helped me understand more about my hero. What it all meant to him made him a richer character for me and eventually my readers.

Next, my new breed of biter needed to blend in to his community, and give plausible acceptability to any comings and goings of the many apprentice Janissary (security), and feeders (paid blood donors) to his home and the town.  What to do? I needed a way that several hundred people could influx a small area throughout the year without suspicion but how to do this?  My answer hit me when traveling through a nearby town, a college town. A place with students, parents, professors, and locals, constantly populating and depopulating the area gave me the answer necessary to build another part of my Tarczal world. That's how Logan came to build and continues to support not only the people of his home but the flowering community of my story.

My heroine, Allyson Weston's house and neighborhood were a bit easier to describe since we share the same 150 year old farmhouse. Just wish I had her garage.

Speaking of older dwellings, don't be afraid to ask people questions about their lives; it can lead to wonderful surprises. At the time I started working on this novel my mother lived in an assisted living center. Every day the 'ladies' of the apartment building would,  if I might ask them some questions. A couple of my characters lived in the 1800s and needed names from that era. They were delighted to assist me, and three hours later, not only did I have accurate names, which I adjusted, but detailed descriptions of homes, lives, and farms. My well-to-do farmer lived in a two story house with a parlor, mudroom, and new fangled stove with a warming oven.  High living for a 1800s homeowner.

Once you have your new universe, you need to find if it's believable. If you have a critique partner or group, run it by them to see if it passes muster. In another novel of mine, a fantasy paranormal, I read a section of my WIP to our local writers group. In this world of magic, my heroine grabbed a faucet to pull herself out of a tub to keep from drowning. As I read the word 'faucet' people's eyebrows around the table rose in skepticism. They questioned if the inhabitants of a magic world would need plumbing. The word faucet turned into 'brass hand hold' and everyone was much happier.

All in all, your goal as a writer is to suspend the reader's real world for the time it takes them to live in your novels. If you can't do this you lose the reader and the purchaser of your next book.

The Tarczal Alliance

Logan Kincaid believed Blood Witches and T’yhiéls of his vampiric childhood were things of legend and myth, until she walked into his life and all hell broke loose.

Excerpt 

 “You disagree the painting is showy?” He turned the subject back to the painting, and with practiced ease, he returned what he surmised was a compliment from the flush blooming on her cheeks. He indulged himself by allowing his gaze to rake over her. A whine like a mosquito’s settled in his ears.

“The artist captured Kandinsky’s style completely,” she sputtered. Logan didn’t give a damn about the painting or the artist. He wondered if the large, dark purple sweater that hung mid-thigh on her was an attempt to hide her body. If that was her goal, the tight black stretch pants, and thigh-high ebony suede boots were a poor choice. Any movement pulled the sweater tight like a second skin over her compact, lithe body.

“Absolutely. He copied a style. You wouldn’t have, Ms?” She fidgeted, and the movement caused the sweater to pull snug over her breasts making them stand out like ripened fruit and accented her flat stomach. Nice. Bet that stomach quivers when a tongue is run over it. Wonder what she’d do with a tongue in her belly button? She’s probably a giggler. He licked his lips. And a squirmer. It was apparent she had no idea what she did to him. He didn’t mind. Several parts of his anatomy were already stirring in response. Her front equaled the heart-shaped derriere he’d seen earlier while she browsed the competition.

“Weston. Allyson Weston. How did you know I paint?” The tiny frown across her brow made him want to laugh. So this was the estranged wife of his latest hire, Michael Weston. During the job interview Michael had constantly moaned and bitched about his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Guess Michael didn’t grasp he’d let go of an extraordinary woman. Logan let his gaze travel down to her legs, dancer’s legs, long and well-defined. Legs any man would enjoy wrapped around him.

Smoothly, Logan reached down, slipping his hand under hers bringing both up to eye level. “You have paint under your nails.” His thumb brushed the skin of her knuckles.

“Oh.”

Quickly, she withdrew her hand from his. Next, she folded her arms across her mid-section, lifting the orbs and tucking her hands safely under her arms.

Logan’s smile widened. “Do you have family in town?” His attention wandered back to the boots she wore. The way they encased her legs from toe to over the knee were a wonderful enticement, and his imagination flared to a deliciously wicked conclusion when she interrupted his assessment of her intriguing appendages by blurting out. “An STB.”

How fresh, honest, and naive she was. Logan bit back a chuckle. Heroes and bartenders: everyone trusted them, confiding intimate details of their lives they’d never reveal to anyone else, an interesting quirk of human nature. He arched an eyebrow in query, and she clarified. “Soon-to-be-ex-husband.”

He stopped himself before he could lick his lips. At the same time the essence of her blood rose from beneath her skin to mingle with the pungent leather of her boots. He inhaled more deeply, drawing it inside him, and swirled his tongue in his mouth to better experience the bouquet. Sweet, delicate, and exotic. Fit for the gods. He stopped his feeder teeth from slipping into place. A taste of her blood would never be enough, and an ocean too little for a man to quench his thirst. Stunned, he wondered where that thought come from, while trying to wish away the growing arousal in his groin. The whirr in his ears grew a little louder.

  

Available Now: The Tarczal Alliance 

Whispers Home: http://whispershome.com/?s=tarczal+alliance

Other books by J. Paulette Forshey: 

Chances Taken - Ian Cathmor, wealthy Irish CEO, believes women want the money, not the man, until a shy American comes to visit his cousin’s B&B and teaches him about “chances taken”.

Available Now: http://whispershome.com/?s=chances+taken

Cat and the Wizard - Fionnghuala born from a Fairy and Human bonding is kidnapped as

a child and sold into enslaved prostitution. Until the day a spell goes awry landing her in the normal world and she finds the fate of two worlds rest in her hands.

Available Now:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/77275

Contact Me: 

Web page: www.jpauletteforshey.com

Email: lvkkincaid7@yahoo.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paulette.forshey

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ForsheyJ

I'll giving a vampire fangs necklace to one reader who leaves a comment on world building. Make sure you leave your email addy so I can contact you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Lynda Again

   What great insights, Paulette! Thanks for being with us today!

    Everyone - Get those comments in by Monday night and don't forget to include your email addy.

    Have a Blessed Day!

Guest - Melodie Campbell

Good morning all! Today's guest is author Melodie Campbell who will be talking about combining humor and fantasy. She's also offering a special coupon for our readers so make sure you check it out.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Is that a broadsword on your belt, or are you just glad to see me?”

Fantasy and Comedy – a Magic Combination

Recently someone asked me, “Does writing comedy come naturally to you, or do you have to work at it?”

Every writer will groan at that one.  Writing is work, no doubt about it.  Writing humor and comedy is definitely hard work.  Every word counts.  The placing of every word counts – what we call ‘comic timing’.  I work hard on my timing.

But does it come naturally?  Okay, I confess: I was the class clown in high school, always getting detention for smart ass comments.  My first 47 out of 50 publications were comedy.  And I opened the 1999 Canadian Humour Conference.  So I guess some people would say it’s my natural style.

But is it an art or a craft?  I would say it is both.  An art usually signifies some level of talent (the stuff you’re born with), and ‘craft’ means there are tricks or elements that can be learned.  Certainly, there is a modicum of craft involved.  I can teach someone the basics of writing a column, but I can’t tell them how to be funny, and believe me, I’ve tried.  I once taught a humor writing and survey course at college, and out of 40 eager students, perhaps one had the talent.

Back to the theme of adding humor to romantic fantasy, and creating magic!

It’s a natural combo, and believe me I’ve tried many genres.  Hard core mystery is not easily combined with comedy.  I’ve done it, but it’s not easy, and ends up being a cozy or caper.  Many readers feel crime writing should be grim, and it’s hard to feel shock when you’re laughing. Ditto horror and erotica. (Did I put those two words in the same sentence?)  Sci-fi easily slides into Space Opera when you bombard it with comedy, to my huge delight.  I’m doing it in my Blue Angel Bar series.  But fantasy- well, fantasy is a comedic wonderland! 

Rowena Through the Wall is a comic time travel novel, with romance, suspense, and some spicy sex.  But it is, most determinedly, humorous.  Some would say ‘wacky’.  How to do it?  I use the theory of “worst thing”.  What’s the worst thing that could happen when Rowena walks through that wall?  Or the most embarrassing thing? Or the funniest?  And when she comes back through the wall…wait a minute.  What if she can’t?

Humor is the motivator behind all my writing.  I try to write straight, and then the absurdity of a situation strikes me, and I have to play it out.  The gremlins take over and twist the words.  Here’s the key, as I’ve discovered it: the trick to combining humor and suspense is to play each against the other.  Taut suspense is broken up by bathos, making the suspenseful parts seen more dramatic.  And – as I have learned from writing Rowena Through the Wall – one can make humor seem more funny by juxtaposing it against gripping danger.

. 

In fact, a steady diet of unrelenting wacky humour can make one grow blase, just as a steady diet of porn might dull one to sensuality.

But that is another column entirely.  On a slightly softer note, can you combine humor with sexual passion?  Read Rowena and make your own decision.

ROWENA THROUGH THE WALL (No. 2 on Amazon.ca bestseller list, Aug 2011! (fantasy,futuristic)

Do you like comic time travel?

Meet Rowena Revel!

“Is that a broadsword on your belt, or are you just glad to see me?”

When Rowena falls through her classroom wall into a medieval world, she doesn’t count on being kidnapped – not once, but twice, dammit. Unwanted husbands keep piling up; not only that, she has eighteen-year-old Kendra to look out for, and a war to prevent.  Good thing she can go back through the wall when she needs to…or can she?

“Hot and Hilarious!”  Midwest Book Review

“Jack Sparrow meets Stephanie Plum”  Former editor, Distant Suns Fantasy Magazine

Warning:  This book is not a sweet romance.  It is a sexy, funny, rollicking adventure that some may find outrageous! Continues in Book 2.

Rowena Through the Wall (Imajin Books) is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.uk, Amazon.de, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/Rowena-Through-the-Wall-ebook/dp/B00557Z2QU

Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/65519

Follow Melodie’s comic blog at

http://funnygirlmelodie.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html

View trailer and read opening scene at

http://www.melodiecampbell.com/

Melodie Campbell got her start as a comedy writer, so it’s no surprise that editors have called her work ‘wacky’ and ‘laugh out loud funny’.  She has over 200 publications, including 100 humour columns, 30 short stories and one novel.  She has received five awards for fiction, and is the General Manager of Crime Writers of Canada.

Excerpt:                          Chapter 16

“How did you do that?”  Kendra gasped.

            “Do what?”

            “I just saw you walk right through that wall!”

            “Oh that….” I said, brushing myself off.  “Look sweetie, not to change the subject, but I don’t have a whole lot of time-”

            “And who is that?”

Kendra gaped at Logan, who stood at least a foot taller than her.  He, in turn, gazed down at her as if he had just discovered the meaning of life, the universe and everything that might possibly be in it.

            “Damn,” I mumbled.  “Kendra – Logan, Logan – Kendra.  Now that we’re all introduced, I really have to hustle.”

            Kendra’s eyes widened.  “Is he for real?”

            “Yes, yes, he’s real,” I said, lowering my voice. “ Kendra, I have to whip home for my vet bag.  It would be easier without him along.  Can you keep him here? I’ll only be 20 minutes.”

            “Sure, but how?”  She could hardly take her eyes off him.

            “I don’t know…flirt with him or something.  But don’t let him leave this classroom.  Got it?”

            She gulped.  “Okay.”

            I ran to the desk and grabbed my car keys.  Just as I reached the exit, I heard Kendra say, “So…is that a broadsword on your belt or are you just glad to see me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Lynda Again

    Melodie asked me to pass this on.

    "Want a half price coupon for the ebook version of 'Rowena Through the Wall'? Leave a comment on this post, with your contact info (email addy)!"

    Sounds like a fabulous deal, doesn't it? Make sure you leave a comment and your email addy.

    Thanks for stopping by and have a Blessed Day!

Guest - Rayne Hall

Good morning all! Today's guest is Rayne Hall, writing instructor extraordinaire. Rayne will be discussing the how and why of writing Love Spells. Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WRITING ABOUT LOVE SPELLS

by Rayne Hall

Love spells make great fiction, full of secrets, conflict, drama and passion.

Your character can cast her own love spell, or she can seek professional help from a magician (from a witch, a ritual wizard, or other type of mage).

RITUALS

The most common ingredients used  in the ritual are roses (often red or pink),  something from each of the two people (usually a lock of hair, and in modern times, a photograph),  red candles, a fruit (for example, an apple), a crystal (rose quartz is a favourite), herbs (such as dittany or balm of gilead), spices (especially cinnamon), and red wine, and a ribbon (red or pink). 

However, the ingredients vary between different types of magic. For example, an Enochian may use different ingredients from a Wiccan.  Also, individual magicians have their own preferences.  The actual ritual also differs.

Typically, the magician may cut the fruit in halves, insert the locks of hair, and tie the fruit back together with  the pink ribbon.  Or she may brew a love potion which involves red wine simmering in a cauldron with rose petals, herbs and cinnamon.

If both people are present, the magician may link their hands and tie them with a ribbon or scarf.

If only one person is present, the spell won't be complete until the second person has become involved, for example, by drinking the love potion.

CLIENTS

Most clients are besotted with someone who doesn't requite their feelings. They are convinced that this person is the one for them, that they're meant to be together, that they will not be fulfilled and happy until that person is theirs. They also believe that the love spell is in the best interest of that person, and that the relationship will be a happy one if only the person would return their love.  They are desperate, can't bear the pain of their unrequited passion any longer, and are willing to pay almost any price for a love spell.

Other clients are lonely and looking for love. They want a spell to help them find a mate. These include teenagers whose self-esteem is low because they don't have a boyfriend,  single women whose biological clock is ticking, and men who can't get a date.

On rare occasions, a couple may seek a magician's help to save their crumbling marriage.

In historical fiction, parents and politician may resort to love spells to bring about an advantageous match, or to bring affection to an arranged marriage.

CONFLICTS

Most modern magicians consider it unethical to interfere with a person's free will. Although they will happily help the couple who wish to strengthen their bond, and the lonely heart in search of a mate, they will refuse to force a specific person's feelings.

However, not all magicians have the same qualms, and in earlier periods, many made good money from love potions. Even today, many magicians advertise on the internet, promising to deliver one's heart's desire.

Some magicians compromise by creating spells which work only if there is already some affection between the couple.  For example, the desired person must drink wine from the same cup as the client, immediately after he has drunk from it - something she wouldn't do if she hated him. An ancient Egyptian love spell required the man to anoint his member with a potion before having intercourse with the woman of his desire - and for that to work, she already had to fancy him quite  bit.

Other magicians try to dissuade the client from focussing on a specific person. Instead, they recommend a general love spell, one which will help the client find a suitable mate.

For the strictly ethical magician, requests for love spells can lead to terrible dilemmas. Here are some ideas you may want to play with:

* What if the client is suffering terrible pain from unrequited love, and the magician wants to ease his suffering? What if the desperate client is her own sister, her best friend, her son? What if turning down the request for a love spell causes a rift between them?

* What if the client won't take no for an answer? What if the client is the king, the chief inquisitor, or other powerful person? What if the client threatens to punish the magician for her refusal?

* What if the client is rich and willing to pay a lot for a love spell? What if  the magician desperately needs money to save her lover or to feed her starving child?

* What if a ruthless magician agrees to waive his principles and grant the heroine the love spell she craves ... but only if she pays a terrible price for it?

* What if the magician herself suffers from unrequited love? What if her ethics forbid her to manipulate someone's will, but she is convinced that it is for that person's own good?  What if her need overrides her conscience?

CONSEQUENCES

Love spells interfering with someone's free will can lead to disaster.  Here are some plot ideas:

* What if the love spell works at first, but wears off after the wedding? What if the person finds out that their spouse had trapped them with a love spell?

* What if the two people love each other, but their relationship is desperately unhappy - and they can't out of it? What if they blame the magician for their misery?

* What if the client loses interest and wants to end the relationship - but the other person is still obsessively in love and won't let them go? What if that person stalks the client for the rest of his life?

* What if the client regrets his action, and wants to undo the love spell - and it can't be reversed?

* What if a pedophile uses love potions to seduce minors? What if a serial killer applies magic to lure victims to their doom? 

* What if a fortune hunter tries to trick an heiress into drinking the love potion? What if she's been alerted to his intentions, and has to be constantly vigilant to thwart him?

* What if the family hires a bodyguard or detective to protect their heiress daughter from love spell assaults?

* What if the victim's family find out that the girl has been the victim of a love spell, and try to save her? What if they make great sacrifices to enable the spell to be undone - but she doesn't want to be saved?

* What if the heroine discovers that her best friend's intended is a ruthless man who forced her feelings with a love potion - and the friend refuses to believe it? What if the victim of the love spell is a man whom the heroine has secretly loved all her life, and now another woman has ensnared him with magic?

The fiction potential of love spells is endless. I hope this article has inspired your creativity.

If you have questions about magic (love spells or otherwise), or want feedback for an idea, or if you need help with a love spell scenario in your WiP, please ask. I'll be around for a week and will answer questions.

 * * *

Rayne Hall teaches an online workshop 'Writing about Magic and Magicians'. Create believable magicians (good and evil), fictional spells which work, and plot complications when the magic goes wrong. Learn about high and low magic, witches and wizards, circle-casting and power-raising, initiation and training, tools and costumes, science and religion, conflicts and secrecy, love spells and sex magic, and apply them to your novel. This is a 4-week class with 12 lessons and practical assignments. If you wish, you may submit a scene for critique at the end of the workshop.

The next dates for this workshop are:

October 2011: Celtic Hearts RWA www.celtichearts.org/workshops.html   
March 2012: Lowcountry RWA  www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/
April 2013: Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal: www.romance-ffp.com/workshops.cfm

Rayne's other workshops include 'Writing Fight Scenes', 'Writing Scary Scenes' and 'The Low Word Diet'. For an updated listed of her upcoming workshops, go to sites.google.com/site/writingworkshopswithraynehall/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-- Lynda Again

    Wow, what a fascinating post! I hope you've all enjoyed it and are ready to ask Rayne lots of questions! Have at it!