I tried to think of a romance or erotica novel that had a soccer player hero. I don’t think there is one! How is this possible? I mean, have you seen the male soccer players? MSN.com has an entire tribute entitled World Cup Guy Candy. You haven’t seen it? Go and click on the link. I’ll wait. And pay special attention to Christiano Ronaldo.

Are you back? Good, because my second point is that soccer is one of the most popular sports around the world. It probably is the #1 sport, although I can’t find any numbers to verify that. Even I, who doesn’t understand the finer points of the game, have attended several Seattle Sounders games! Soccer is hot, fast and fun.

So what is up with the lack of soccer heroes in romance fiction? Yes, yes, I know. Romance publishers say sports heroes are a hard sell. Sure, tell that to Lori Foster who wrote a series about extreme fighters. Or Carly Phillips who wrote the Hot Zone series. Or LuAnn McLane who is currently working on the Cricket Creek series, a romantic comedy trilogy about baseball.

I think you get my point. 

Do you know of a romance or erotica story that features a soccer player hero? I have a feeling that if there isn’t one around yet, there will be a bunch of them after the World Cup!

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Of course, the idea that an ordinary woman could even meet and flirt with a prince (or king, or duke, or earl, or even a lord) is part of the fantasy. Read what I have to say about that in 5 Ways to Get Your Prince.

And if the wedding watch is piqued your interest in all things royal, I invite you to read an excerpt of Red-Hot and Royal. The book is available in stores and for download.

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

What I don’t like is the push together-pull away scenario. For example, it really gets on my nerves when the detectives are about to kiss and are interrupted by an urgent phone call. Or when they are about to confess how they feel and a long-lost lover walks in. Once is fine. Three hundred times, not so much.

Every writer, producer and actor claims that the push-pull is an important element in these stories. They are quick to point out the mistake Moonlighting made when the main characters fell in bed together. They claim that the ratings plummeted once the relationship was consummated. That may be true, but they forget one thing: the entire relationship between Maddie and David in Moonlighting was based on sexual tension.

I like the flirtation between Rick and Kate in Castle. The push-pull was entirely appropriate during the first season when the characters were getting to know one another. But the relationship has to evolve more this season or it will be stunted. They shouldn’t drop and pick up a budding relationship, which happened in “The Late Shaft” (season 2, episode 20). This would have been a great time for Kate to get a little jealous, but she seemed more amused than threatened of Rick’s fling.

Bones, on the other hand, is in its fifth season and there shouldn’t be any push-pull or the travesty that was “The End in the Beginning” (Season 4, episode 25) where the characters are a married couple in a coma-induced dream. The let’s-put-the-main-characters-in-bed-together-without-really-putting-them-in-bed-together set-up was disrespectful of the viewers who are loyal to the show and are invested in the storyline.

I don’t watch Bones for the mysteries. The crime-solving is just an excuse for the characters to interact. The main characters, Booth and Bones, are the center of this ensemble, and they had a great chance to take the characterization to the next level at the 100^th episode (Season 5, episode 16). But they pulled back too far. In fact, they made a complete mess out of it. They hurt a central relationship and they made Bones’s character too dismissive of Booth’s feelings. The show is going to lose its core audience if it doesn’t make some adjustments.

When are the creators going to learn that push-and-pull is a storytelling device and not the basis for a relationship? Enough of bringing in other love interests, tragic pasts that have already been laid to rest, or distractions.  The creators have missed so many opportunities because they are worried it will be another Moonlighting. It’s not going to happen and this is why: the relationship between Booth and Bones is not just about the sexual tension. If they just went out on a date it would be funny, sad, sexy and tense! It would be good and bad. It would be emotional. These characters are so solid that the interaction would entertain and engage the audience.

So to the creators, producers and writers of Bones and Castle: Take a few risks and stop basing your romantic storyline on an 80’s TV show. It’s time to move on and create a legacy or your television series will become a cautionary tale.

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Valentine's Day!

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Valentine’s Day was a big deal when I was in school. It was one of those rare days when we had a party, although we were also required to give a Valentine’s card to every classmate. In high school, class parties gave way to the Valentine’s Dance. But once I graduated from school, I didn’t notice that many people observing this holiday.

These days my friends either make alternative plans (like a girl’s night out) or make Valentine’s Day a family event. A few have a romantic night planned, but most are ignoring it.

So I’m wondering: are you celebrating Valentine’s Day or are you ignoring it?

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

When the editor called to let me know the good news, I flashed back to the moment when I was in middle school and reading my first romance novel, The Arrogant Duke by Anne Mather. Reading that Harlequin Presents opened a whole new world for me, and it was one of my first inspirations to become an author.

When I started writing romance, my first attempt was a Harlequin Presents. My career took me on a different and rewarding path, and now I have an unexpected chance to write a Harlequin Presents. This is such a sentimental achievement for me! There are no guarantees but I’m grateful for the opportunity. Winning the Harlequin Presents writing contest gives me the chance to rediscover my dream.

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

The Romance Reviewer said, “If you like your chick lit to have a little bite to it, Lip Lock is the book for you.”

And The Romance Readers Connection said, “Wow! I admit to being a fan of the boss/employee romance, but this has way too much pizzazz to be labeled that. Fun, sexy, just plain delightful. This is a romance that will make your heart glow.”

Chick lit or romantic comedy? You decide.

If you missed out on Lip Lock the first time around, now you can enjoy the book on your computer or mobile device!

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

Happy Thanksgiving!

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.

This book is still available in trade paperback, and in electronic format for readers in North America.

My contribution for this anthology is “Anything You Want”. The erotic short story was first published as a Harlequin Spice Brief. It’s written under my Jenesi Ash pen name, and that means the story is not a romance. You can read an excerpt here.

©2010 Susanna Carr Blog. All Rights Reserved.