Wednesday 26 January 2011

Out Today! Black Cougar Curse


What kind of couple do you prefer reading about? Do you want them both to be strong, to possibly clash a little with their ideas—which makes for some good sexual tension—or do you like the male strong and the woman less so?

When Tess MacKall and I began writing Black Cougar Curse, we knew Sam, our hero, had to be strong. Of course he did. After all, he’d been cursed and had carried the burden of that curse for too many years to count. He’d endured more years on this earth than anyone, roaming the mountains, waiting for his one true love to come along and break the curse. He longed for love, to be released, yet I have to wonder…wouldn’t that be scary? You’ve lived for a long time, mainly alone, and the prospect of your life changing drastically upon the appearance of your soul mate must be a daunting thing.

Sam copes with it beautifully, embracing the changes Lucia brings. He’s an adorable man who helps Lucia with her grief and also in telling her something about herself—something of which she had no clue before she arrived at his mountains.

So then we come to Lucia. Did we want a woman equally as strong as Sam, or did we want her to defer to him for the most part? No, we wanted a strong woman, someone to match Sam in every way—the perfect combination that was right for those characters.

I suppose each book demands different personalities. What works in one book with one h/h may not work in another when you take into account their lives, what they’re doing, and where they are headed. Toss in their personalities, and you’re left with deciding which one should be the stronger character, or whether they should be of equal strength.

That’s the beauty of writing, though, isn’t it? You get to choose, and sometimes your characters choose for you. For me, that’s always the best way. When characters appear already formed, their personalities and idiosyncrasies built in before I’ve even typed the first word…ah, the exquisite life of a writer!

Blurb: Deep in the mountain wilderness, Lucia Chavez searches for closure to her father’s death, and the mythical black cougar he sought. Drop-dead sexy Cherokee Indian guide Sam Starr knows more than he’s telling. After he saves Lucia from being swept away in a mudslide, the bath they both need turns steamy indeed. Sam and Lucia are living proof that near-death experiences can bring two people closer together—they can’t keep their hands off each other.

Amidst danger and mystery, Sam and Lucia explore the lust that burns between them. If their desire gets any stronger it could bring down the mountains. Ancient secrets hold the key to their unbridled sexual need. Was their passion written in the stars?

One man. One woman. A curse that binds them—and could tear them apart.

Get your sexy on and read an excerpt here:

http://www.jasminejade.com/productspecs/9781419931062.htm

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6 comments:

Laura G. said...

WOOHOO!! Been waiting for this to come out!! And it's finally here! The cover is gorgeous and the story sounds sexy. Can't wait to dig into this. Congratulations!! Hugs! :)

Natalie Dae said...

Hee hee. Thanks, Laura!

:o)

Unknown said...

Congratulations! I wish you and Tess huge success with this. I'll be getting a copy as quick as I can because I'm already hooked.

Natalie Dae said...

I hope you enjoy it, Melissa! Thank you for your support, love.

:o)

Destiny Blaine said...

Congratulations, Natalie. I'm anxious to read Black Cougar Curse and had every intention of starting the book last night. After a teenager crisis delayed the start, nothing will stand in my way tonight. ;)

Like you, I love it when a character takes over and everything falls in place. Since you and Tess wrote the book together, how did you split up the writing responsibilities? Did you share the same views on plot, setting, and characterization?


Love,
Destiny

Natalie Dae said...

Hi, Destiny. Thanks for dropping by, and I really hope you enjoy our book.

It was very cool writing with Tess, because at times the book wrote itself without us having to confer with one another, and other times--hilarious times--one of us might have asked, "Did we discuss this next bit already, because I wrote my bit like this as I thought we had."

The other said, "I don't know, can't remember, but that's where I thought we were going anyway, so maybe we did talk about it..."

Yet, you know, I don't think we did talk about it in too much depth once the initial plot was born. The book just wrote itself, like we were of one mind.

I think, because we know one another so well and how we write, working together was and is ideal. We have the same goals that must be met in a book, and neither of us are the kind who dig our heels in and stamp our feet if the book took a different turn.

Simply put, it just worked like magic. I loved every minute of it.

:o)