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Category: Lynn Chantale

The Contractor’s Baby #MFRWhooks

Embittered by divorce, Dexter Carson resolves to live without romantic love or a family of his own. When he arrives at a job site, the last thing he expects is his instant attraction to the ebony-haired client. But work comes first, and he's determined to maintain a professional distance, no matter how his body reacts to her soft scent and feminine curves.

Beautiful and intelligent, Molly Crosby has always doubted a man would love her, and now that she's forced to care for her infant niece, all hope for a man who will cherish her seems lost. But when she meets Dexter, she longs to discover what's behind the rugged contractor’s solemn demeanor, and to win more of his  devastating smiles. 

 

When a bombshell threatens the tender relationship that’s developing, will Molly's love be enough to overcome the scars from his past, or will Dexter walk away from his only chance at love and family? 

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Excerpt

They sat in a back booth with the baby in the corner next to Dexter. From the moment they sat down, Molly had managed to keep Dexter talking about his life, and he’d managed to keep her laughing. 

 

“I can’t believe how much we have in common.” She dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. “It’s like we’re soul mates.” 

 

He grudgingly had to agree with her. “You are so down-to-earth.” 

 

Reaching over, she snagged a tortilla chip and scooped up a generous portion of the homemade spicy salsa. “You expected me to be more prissy?” 

 

He’d gone this far, might as well finish eating his shoe. “Yeah, actually. Be careful, that salsa’s really hot.” 

 

She coughed and sputtered. Tears streamed down her cheeks while she fanned her mouth. “Hot is not the word for it.” 

 

“Try this.” He offered her a section of lime, then pushed her glass of water toward her. “I tried to warn you.” 

 

She sipped her water. After a moment she sat back, a wide grin on her face. “I like spicy.” She reached for another chip. 

 

Amusement curved his lips when she went through the same antics again, this time without the coughing. As long as the heat made her happy. On impulse, he placed his hand over hers, again surprised at the softness of her skin. With his thumb he drew lazy circles on the back of her hand. “I like you, Molly. I really do.” 

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Five-Minute Friend #MFRWauthor

How was your day? Not what you were expecting? That’s okay. Tell me what you enjoy seeing in a book.

 

Several years ago, I attended my very first writer’s conference. You know, one of the big ones with NYTimes bestselling authors on the roster, the kind of place where an indie author gets pushed to the back of the room. Yeah, one of those. Let’s just say it was an enlightening experience. It taught me the value of a reader.

 

Readers love to read and more importantly, they love to share what they’ve read with other readers. While chatting with one of the readers, she mentioned that she only reads M/M romances. I was going to let it go at that, but I couldn’t. I asked her what was the appeal for her. Her answer was that the characters and situations were real.

 

Ding! Ding! Ding! Flashing lights, balloons and confetti descend from the sky.

 

I could’ve pushed and boasted about my books, but going that route wouldn’t have granted me a five-minute friend.

 

What’s a five-minute friend?

 

It’s someone you’ve taken the time to know how they’re doing, what they’re looking for, or if they are having any issues. I first heard this term from my son when he did sales at a previous job. but the principles apply for marketing as well.

 

Establish a rapport with the reader.

 

Instead of bragging about Lynn Chantale, ‘The Queen of Sensuality’ I took the time to find out what a reader likes and wants in a story. It didn’t matter that it was M/M. what did matter was WHY she liked reading the genre. Had I not taken the time to build a relationship, which marketing is all about, I’d have lost some valuable knowledge and a potential reader.

 

Next time, instead of jumping in with how great the story is, try getting to know the reader. You’ll be surprised at what can be built with a five-minute friend.


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Prelude to a Plot #MFRWAuthor

Prologue – a separate introductory section of a literary or musical work. Now that we got that Google definition out the way, when do you really see a prologue? At the beginning of the story, of course. 🙂 

 

Writers use this tool across multiple mediums. In movies and television, it’s called a teaser. In fiction, it’s a prologue. It’s that bit of information that’s shown to whet the imagination. One of my favorite movies The Mummy’, opens with a dark priest, forbidden love, betrayal, murder and retribution. The Magi guard the tomb of tee dark priest to make sure he’s never resurrected.

 

Clive Cussler employs the prologue in many, if not all, of his novels. One that stands out for me is ‘The Silent Sea,’ where five brothers explore a rumored treasure pit and only four return home.

 

I use the prologue in my writing. It’s a useful tool to set up the rest of the story. Why? Hopefully, the prologue will have the reader asking how does this tie into the rest of the story? Or what’s so important about this tidbit of information? 

 

In The Mummy, it was the catalyst for Evie to prove she’s worthy as a scholar and archeologist. In ‘The Silent Sea, Chairman Juan Cabrillo of the spy ship Oregon to foil a plot to world domination. 

 

I like prologues because it can give backstory without having to use flashbacks or a lot of ‘telling’. The write can ‘show’ the reader instead. A prologue isn’t necessary, but it is a useful tool. 

 

“Indulge Your Inner Romantic” 

 

 

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