Tortured Heroes & Steamy WIP

I've been working on a story that I had started a few months ago, but now I've decided to use it for a contest, which requires a HOT hero. Over the last year I think I've gotten pretty good at conveying sexual tension and romance in my writing. I can even make myself drool:) However, this will be the first steamy story I've worked on. Yes, folks I mean a story with sex in it. I know...it took a lot for me to even type the word just now. I know writers all have different ways to inspire themselves. I love reading for inspiration. I read all the time, before bed and in the morning especially. After deciding I was going to work on this story, I went on a Tortured Hero reading kick. The hero in my WIP is tortured, good looking, immortal and because of an event 150 years ago denies himself pleasure. He protects the weak, kills bad guys and maintains almost perfect hygiene. "What was that?" you ask? Yes, he has a phobia about not being clean. It happens. Whatever you do, don't laugh at him.

On to the Tortured Hero inspiration. First I started off with Kresley Cole's A Hunger Like No Other. This is Lachlain & Emmaline's story. Talk about tortured. Damn. Lachlain was imprisoned for over 100 years, burned, healed, then burned again over and over. He's a Scottish werewolf. "Nuff said.

Next we have Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione. This is Lore and Idessa's story, and they are both tortured souls. Lore has been and still is physically tortured by his master whenever he doesn't do his will. He's an assassin in servitude, and it sucks to say the least. Idessa isn't physically tortured, hers being more of an emotional turmoil. Wow, I loved this book. Emotionally gripping, action packed and steamy.

I had to read Gena Showalter's first Lords of the Underworld book again. These guys should be under tortured in the dictionary. Demons-- living INSIDE them. Yeah, that's rough. The Darkest Fire is the first book, and it's Maddox's story. I love Maddox with a passion. The man is so alpha male it should be tattooed on his chest. He's got it going on: protective, sexy, kick ass, and he's handy around the mansion.

During this reading marathon a copy of Carolyn Jewel's My Forbidden Desire arrived. I had forgotten that I won it on the Odd Shots blog. Wow, and what an addition to my tortured hero collection of books. Xia is tortured (of course), smart ass, kick ass and sexy. What a cool story, and great inspiration.

Does anyone else have a favorite tortured hero?

Brenda

A WIP Snippet and More

I've been revising and editing the story I wrote during NaNo after taking a break for the holidays. One thing I did during my break is read some different stories from my normal reads. I went on a cowboy binge, and read 5 or 6 Western Romances, plus I read a few Young Adult books and some contemporary romances. It actually helped me a lot because I found myself thinking a lot about my style of writing. I think I still have a ways to go before I find my true "style" or "voice" but I feel closer to it now.

A Twist of Fate, the WIP I'm working on, has changed a bit from how I first envisioned it. I started out thinking it would be a girl, a good guy and a bad guy. Pretty simple stuff, at first. For one thing, Mac, the character I thought would be the bad guy turned out to be a pretty cool dude. He loves to tease, he's sexy, arrogant, and full of himself. Then a funny thing happened as I was writing his scenes. I realized I liked him. I liked him A LOT. At the time I actually stalled on writing for a few days because of this realization. Then I relaxed and dealt with it. I added another character, and it turned out doing that gave me a twist in the plot which made a MUCH better story. Funny how that worked out.

Here is a snippet with Mac and Maggie which shows you his personality:

Maggie walked into the restaurant, and it only took a minute to find Mac. He was the tall, dark and hot guy surrounded by waitresses. Maggie shook her head and walked towards the crowd.

“Well, Mr. McRory, I see you’ve kept busy while waiting for me this morning. I’m sure the girls were impressed with your mad skills, “ said Maggie with a laugh.

“Why, if it isn’t Miss FitzGerald, making her appearance just a wee bit late, as is fashionable, “ Mac said with a smile. “Ladies, I’m afraid we’ll have to continue our conversation another time, since my companion has decided to grace me with her lovely presence. “

The waitresses looked at her as if she had ripped their fantasy man right out of their arms. They said their goodbyes, and Maggie sat down across from Mac, who looked just as rugged and handsome as he had yesterday. Too bad he was an ass with an ego the size of Ireland.

He looked over at her with a smile that spoke volumes, and none of it was innocent or ordinary. The man definitely needed someone to knock him down a peg or two. Maggie wondered what thoughts were rolling around in that handsome head. On second thought, she probably didn’t want to know.

“So lass, what shall we order for breakfast? I’m starving, and I need food and caffeine to start off my day. Hmmm…pancakes, eggs, sausage, hash browns, biscuits, juice and coffee ought to do it. I wonder if they have homemade jam?”

Maggie stared at him in amazement. “How can you eat all that? Seriously, how can your stomach hold all that food? It looks too flat…I mean…you know…you look so fit. Do you eat like that all the time?”

“So, Miss FitzGerald, you were looking at my flat stomach were you? How nice. Is there anything else you’d like to see while we are discussing bodies? Hmm…maybe it’s my turn…let me see…”

“You are such a pig! Why did I agree to breakfast with you? I should have known someone as good looking and hot as you would have an enormous ego and a one track mind. “

“Oh, so you think I’m hot do you? “

“That’s not what I meant. I give up. You. Are. Such. A. Man. “ said Maggie, and then she started laughing and almost spit out the water she had just taken a sip of.

“I think you like me. Your laugh betrays you, lass. “

“Okay, okay, I give up. Yes, you are easy on the eyes, and you make me laugh. Can we stop with the horn dogging and eat breakfast now?”

“I think we can, now that the formalities are out of the way.” he said.

~Brenda