The Femme Fatale Amphibian

By Elizabeth Morgan

As a lover of myths and fairytales, and all things paranormal, I often dive into my encyclopaedias on the hunt for new creatures to play with, or for inspiration for new stories. This little habit was the reason behind writing my erotic f/f short, On The Rocks.

Back at the beginning of 2012 I was flicking through my “A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels and other Subversive Spirits, by Carol K. & Dinah Mack,” when I came across the water category. My attention went straight to mermaids as I have always loved these particular creatures ever since watching The Little Mermaid as a child, but despite the fact I want to--and will someday--write a little something featuring one of these beauties, they have been written about so many times. And being somewhat stubborn, I wanted to play with a different type of water lady; that’s when I found the page on Nixie’s.

Quote:  “The Nixie is a freshwater femme fatale amphibian.”

Well, that was all I needed to know to get me interested, but as I continued to read I learnt that this femme likes to stick close by to communities, because she loves to shop and dance; that she can change forms and she is a cannibal.

Muse’s reaction: “Yummy! I want! I want!”

Yeah, my muse is a little twisted, but I trust her 110%.

Needless to say, on completion of reading this chapter on Nixies I was hooked and my mind was whirling with possibilities. Don’t get me wrong, my marvellous encyclopaedia did divulge oodles  more information which after rereading could help spin some future stories, but the basic information on these creatures was more than enough for me to whip up a sexy – and I have to say somewhat – twisted story, which I did. And I am very happy to say that this lil’ number found a home in 2012 with Decadent Publishing’s, “The Edge Erotica Series.”

A perfect fit, even if I do say so myself. ;-P

~ * ~

EXCERPT:

Her warm breath skated down my neck causing a shiver to curl around my spine. She straightened then slid her hands through my hair. My eyelids fluttered at the feel of her fingertips stroking over my temples and along my hairline.

“I saw you watching us.”

I stared at her. “Excuse me?”

“Do you like watching?” She retrieved a few items from the vanity table, twisted two sections of my hair, and pushed the hair clips into place. “It’s all right. You can tell me, Meghan.”

My body tightened at the husky way she said my name. The knot between my legs pulsed under her piercing stare. I had no idea how, or even why she managed to get under my skin, but God, I wanted her.

“I’m not a pervert or anything.”

“I know you’re not.” She slid a chain of small red flowers into the black mass of my hair.

“I just heard a noise. I guess my curiosity got the best of me.” I shifted on my seat. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t be. I liked you watching.”

My nails dug into my knees as her hands moved down my throat. Her skin like satin—her touch, soft. She ran her fingertips over the top of my breasts.

“I would have asked you to join us, if you hadn’t run.” Her gaze caught mine again while she slid her hand inside my skin-tone bra. “Will you run now, or will you do what we both know you want to do?”

~ * ~

On The Rocks

(The Edge Erotica Series)

BLURB:

On the Rocks is the hottest club on South Padre Island, and Meghan’s new workplace.

If the warped mermaid uniform isn’t enough, the fact that she can’t stop thinking about the club’s singer, Zenzie, is. Everything about the female gets Meghan hot, but when she finally gets her shot with the temptress, it turns out Zenzie isn’t as perfect, or as human, as Meghan thought.

BUY LINKS: Decadent Publishing || Amazon

~ * ~

Elizabeth Morgan is a multi-published author of urban fantasy, paranormal, erotic horror, f/f, and contemporary; all with a degree of romance, a dose of action and a hit of sarcasm, sizzle or blood, but you can be sure that no matter what the genre, Elizabeth always manages to give a unique and often humorous spin to her stories.

Like her tagline says; A pick ‘n’ mix genre author. “I’m not greedy. I just like variety.”

And that she does, author of erotic ménage horror, Creak, paranormal erotic horror and Uk & Australian Amazon best seller (Gay/Lesbian, Fiction, Lesbian), On the Rocks, and erotic romance, US, UK and Spanish Amazon bestseller (Erotica Short Story) Truth or Dare? She also has her hand in self-publishing.

Razel Dazzle, her modern adult retelling of the fairytale Rapunzel, was her first taste of publishing her own stories, and now she has the hang of it, it will definitely not be her last. Look out for more information on her upcoming releases at her website: www.e-morgan.com

Away from the computer, Elizabeth can be found in the garden trying hard not to kill her plants, dancing around her little cottage with the radio on while she cleans, watching movies or good television programmes – Dr Who? Atlantis? The Musketeers? Heck, yes! – Or curled up with her two cats reading a book. 

Spin Me ‘Round with Mixing Mike

Available HERE

Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head and it just won’t come out? Seems crazy because it’s stuck fast...and you like it, but you don’t want to ruin it by overplaying it?

My newest release, Mixing Mike, takes place back in Zero, Ohio. I love visiting Zero because the men are hot and the nights get steamy from the smexin’. But what does that have to do with songs? Mike is an avid record collector. He doesn’t just get ONE song stuck in his head. He’s got the whole album playing. He’s also a little OCD. He can’t have just one album by the Beatles. He’s got to have them all—but who doesn’t want them all *G*? I know I do. His obsession is top albums of the 1980’s on vinyl. The album he needs to complete his collection is within his grasp, if he can handle a visit to Vintage Vinyl.

Leon, another new character in the series, owns Vintage Vinyl. He’s pretty much the opposite of Mike. Where Mike is quiet and controlled, Leon is flamboyant. He can’t complete a sentence without a term of endearment added. But he loves his music. He senses a kindred spirit in Mike.

Will these two be able to overcome those differences? Or will they crash and burn to the beat? You’ll have to read Mixing Mike to find out.

Zero, Ohio

Mixing Mike

by Megan Slayer

Zero, Ohio, where the temperatures might be below freezing but you can always melt the frost with smoking hot sex. 

* * *

For these two men, this record could be the soundtrack to their lives – if they’re willing to mix things up.

Meticulous and organized, air traffic controller Mike Larson has every reason to be wary of mixing his passion for music with love. When Mike’s hunt to complete his Top 100 of the ‘80s list brings him to Vintage Vinyl, a shock of guyliner, dyed hair and flamboyant personality rocks his orderly world. Can he risk a step outside his comfort zone for a chance with Leon?  

Flamboyant Leon Sanders uses attitude to keep others at a distance, because he doesn’t believe in love or a lasting relationship. When he turns up the charm at his music store Vintage Vinyl, he makes the best sales. Something about the quiet man beckons Leon to give love a chance, but does he dare mix it up with Mike? 

Enjoy the following excerpt for MIXING MIKE:

“Good. You’re still here.” The voice stopped Leon. The people who came to Vintage tended to ask him for help locating special items, but none of them sounded quite like this guy—low and husky.

“I need to find George Benjamin,” the man said.

Leon whipped around, ready to tell the customer to go inside and fill out a special request form at the counter, when he paused. The moment he clapped eyes on the man, the breath wrenched from his body. Tall, blond, muscles—but not built like a brick wall—and green eyes. Holy hell, he loved green eyes.

Although the guy projected a calm, smooth exterior, the way he balled his fists made Leon wonder about his story.

“You’re looking for the Peach Slayers record, aren’t you, baby? It’s their rarest album, but the best music they ever made. Everyone wants a copy, but no one can seem to get their hands on it.” Leon hooked his fingers in his jeans pockets. The chains from his wallet to his belt loops clinked. “I had one and it grew legs. Someone stole it about four months ago, hon, but we might be able to find you something—close.”

“Oh.” Green eyes’ shoulders slumped. Still, the polo shirt wrapped around him like a second skin, giving tantalizing glimpses of the hard body underneath. “Damn. That’s the last one I don’t have.”

His salesman feelers perked. “You’ve got a collection or you just really like the hits of the ’80s, babe? Which one is it?” Leon shifted his weight from his left foot to his right and adjusted his pants to hide the burgeoning erection. God. Looking at a man with green eyes was now all it took to turn him on? What a horn ball. Still, something about the hunk made him want to look twice.

“It’s silly to most people, but I love music. All music. One of my things is to collect every number one album. I’ve got a whole list of the top hits of the 1980s and I’m only missing two.” He clenched and unclenched his fingers, then stuck out his hand. “Think you can help?”

Leon shook his hand. “I might be able to do—something. For a fee.” The guy liked music almost as much as he did and sounded almost as neurotically methodical about collecting records. “You’ve got the old Hot Twenty-Five lists?” A man after his own heart. “Okay, I’ve got to ask. Disc or vinyl? You strike me as the vinyl type, but I’ve been surprised before.”

“Vinyl all the way.” The guy smiled and his eyes twinkled. “I’m Mike.”

“And I am in love.”

Freaks and Geeks

By Deanna Wadsworth

This was the name of a TV show that lasted a red hot minute in the early nineties. Do you remember it? If you don’t, you probably know who James Franco and Seth Rogan is....this was the show where they got their start among other familiar faces.

Anyway, I LOVED this show, because I could relate to every freak and geek on the show. FINALLY a show where  the regular folk, the NORMS were showcased as the heroes and heroines.

What does this geeky TV show have in common with my latest 1Night Stand book THE BEST EVER?

Well, the hero of THE BEST EVER is a story of Jason Lewis, a socially awkward geek who was even duct taped to the flag pole in his skivvies. #WorstDayEver

In this story, Jason learns how to be proud of himself after one moment with an unlikely friend when he was fifteen though it takes him years to realize this. Now in the present day, Jason is trying to be the confident man he wishes he could be and not having as much success as he would have hoped. With the help of Madame Eve, and an unexpected jock from his past, Jason is going to learn that not only is it okay to be a geek, but in Vegas, if you play your cards right you just might end up having the best night ever....

Jason Lewis is a self-proclaimed nerdy guy who hates his red hair. Bullied most of his life, at 22 social situations still make him awkward. On a trip to the World Video Game Expo in Las Vegas, Jason decides to enlist the help of Madame Eve in his failed romantic endeavors. While at the con, he runs into sexy, professional baseball pitcher Blake Huntington, the guy he tutored in high school. Blake invites him to a party and after hanging out with his high school crush, Jason begins to regret booking his 1NS "encounter" later that night. But Madame Eve may have planned the best night ever

EXCERPT: From the corner of his eye, he noted the sheets on the king-sized bed had been turned down and a strip of condoms lay on the nightstand next to a bottle of lube.

Suddenly, the illicit nature of the whole evening hit him. Sweat broke out on his skin. Shit, why had he bothered to shower? He took a quick whiff of his pits. Thank God, his deodorant was still on the job.

Where was this guy? What if he turned out to be old? Who hired this kinda service anyway? And who used an alias as lame as John Smith?

Suck it up! You can do this. He may have been a gangly nerd in high school but he’d taken up karate, per Blake’s suggestion—dammit! Stop thinking about professional baseball players you’ll never stand a chance with. This is about going after what you want!

The bathroom door opened, and he smoothed his shirtfront, trying to be presentable.

A man walked out, towel-drying his hair.

Jason sucked in a sharp breath, and his dick stood up and took notice of the big, athletic body, fresh from the shower. Tanned and muscular. Water streaked furrows into his perfect layer of chest hair. A skimpy towel hung from narrow hips, a solid thigh peeking out from the side, but his face remained hidden.

#holycrap #hotness

“Sorry, I kept you waiting,” the man said, slow and seductive. “I figured, why waste time getting dressed.”

Then he dropped both towels in a practiced maneuver, standing there in all his naked glory. Jason’s gaze traveled from his feet, up those long legs, past a thick cock and over a perfectly chiseled abdomen.

When their eyes met, the man’s sly grin faded in an instant. He gasped, hazel eyes wide.

Jason let out a gasp of his own. “Blake!”

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and can often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/deannawadsworthauthor

TWITTER: twitter.com/DeannaWadsworth

BLOG: deannawadsworth.blogspot.com

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Best-1Night-Stand-Series-ebook/dp/B00E4TD08C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374711726&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Best+Ever+Deanna+Wadsworth

Going Underground with Jessica E. Subject

Inspiration for the Settings of the Series

The three stories in my series, The Underground, take place in a futuristic dystopian world where the corporation Planet Core is also the acting government. But it is the goal of those in the Underground to take them out of power.

When I started this series, I knew it would take place on the foreign planet, Airondelle, which those from Earth travel to through a portal. Want to know what the portal looked like? Think of Stargate. And the landscape resembles a flat desert with little vegetation, and small springs that are few and far between.

When I brought the crew back to Earth, I imagined a world made of steel and glass, tall buildings, and very little green space. Everything hovers, from the motorbikes of the police to the chairs in one’s apartment. Citizens take the glide to and from work, and get most of their food from a replicator. And the building on the cover of Never Gonna LetYou Go very much resembles Planet Core.

The Underground somewhat resembles the subways of our present, but long abandoned. Here’s an excerpt:

With no idea what the underground looked like, Calla gasped at the wide, well lit cavern in front of her. She stood with Erik on a metal platform attached to one side of the walls of the cavity. Walkways were bolted into the rock above and below her. The distance to solid ground below surprised her, and she grasped Erik’s hand tighter as well as gripping the railing along the platform. Erik pulled her away from the edge. “This is the main sleeping quarters floor, where most of the underground’s first officers call home.” He pointed to the platform above. “Everyone else lives higher up, closer to the emergency exit.”

And in Never Gonna Desert You, you can visit the natives of Airondelle, in their home in the caves. It was the picture of Ouzoud Waterfalls in the Windows waterfalls theme background which inspired that setting.

   The sound of rushing water made Brook aware of her ready-to-burst bladder, though she hadn’t had a drink since she’d left Planet Core.

   “Are we there yet?”

   They could knock her out. She no longer cared. Being unconscious had to be better than the torture to her body.

   “As a matter of fact, we are.”

   A hand pushed down on her head, while another shoved her forward. Brook shivered at the sudden drop in temperature. The air smelled damp, musty. The sound of water disappeared.

   No! “Why couldn’t we stop back there, grab something to drink?”

   Only their footsteps echoing off the walls answered her. Not the same sound she’d heard in the transporter room at Planet Core, but something natural. Like a cave.

And in the third story, Never Gonna Say Goodbye, which is coming soon to Decadent Publishing, you can visit all of these settings and more. But in the end, everything drastically changes. How? Well, you’ll have to wait and find out.

Never Gonna Let You Go

The Underground book 1

By Jessica E. Subject

Erotic Sci-Fi/Dystopian Romance – FF & MF

ISBN: 978-1613332061

Caught in a tangle of lies, Calla Jacobs must sort through the truth to discover where she truly belongs. A biologist for Planet Core, she finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit. Sent to Airondelle, she must work with a team to prepare the newly discovered planet for colonists from Earth. But the mission does not go as she expected. Her former lover, Erik Edwards, shuns her, sending Calla into the arms of Melina Holloway, their commander, for the attention she craves and more. A confrontation among the trio leaves her with a broken heart, and fleeing from the two people she trusted most.

Attempting to break free from the lies that bind her, she discovers Planet Core has deceived everyone. And when she returns to Earth, Calla learns just how far Planet Core’s control reaches.

Available From Decadent Publishing and other eBook retailers.

Never Gonna Desert You

The Underground #2

By Jessica E. Subject

Erotic Lesbian Sci-Fi/Dystopian Romance

ISBN: 978-1613335468

Determined to find and bring back her girlfriend, Brook enlists in the next mission to the foreign planet, Airondelle. But the deception at Planet Core continues, and Brook doesn't realize the depth of her father's involvement until he orders her terminated. Struggling to stay alive, she quickly learns nothing is as she believed. 

Will she ever find Melina? Or will Brook be stuck light years from home, alone, and with a fierce predator hunting her down?

Available from Decadent Publishing and other eBook retailers.

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. 

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph 

Living in a Dystopian World

Buy Never Gonna Desert You HERE

By Jessica E. Subject

The Underground series takes place in a futuristic dystopian world, where a corporation runs the entire city, controlling everyone’s food, shelter, and even who they can date and marry. When creating this world, I imagined some of the worst possible things people would have to live through, while to the outside world, the city would appear to be a great place to live and work.

On top of that, the corporation is sending scientists, engineers, and trades people to a new planet in order to one day inhabit it. But the corporation is hiding secrets, some I didn’t even know about until I wrote the second book.

Melina’s parents raised her, telling her about what life was like outside of Planet Core. But when they were killed trying to escape, Melina was taken into the folds of the corporation, and gave up any thoughts of ever trying to leave the city. Then she meets Brook, daughter of one of the heads of Planet Core, and she dreams of a different life.

Of course, no dystopian story is complete without a group of rebels who want to bring about change. In this series, they are part of The Underground, a secret group who live beyond Planet Core’s borders, many of whom are or used to be employees of the corporation. But change doesn’t happen overnight, or in just one story.

Never Gonna Desert You focuses on Melina and Brook’s relationship, how it started, and what they must go through in order to be together. If they aren’t killed in the process. The Underground grows stronger and learn secrets they never would have guessed about. A lot of characters don’t make it to the next book, but a plan that is set in place to bring about change.

If you haven’t read the first book in the series, you can get Never Gonna Let You Go for only $0.99 at Amazon.com until June 30, 2013.

Never Gonna Desert You

The Underground #2

By Jessica E. Subject

Erotic Lesbian Sci-Fi/Dystopian Romance

ISBN: 978-1613335468

Determined to find and bring back her girlfriend, Brook enlists in the next mission to the foreign planet, Airondelle. But the deception at Planet Core continues, and Brook doesn't realize the depth of her father's involvement until he orders her terminated. Struggling to stay alive, she quickly learns nothing is as she believed. 

Will she ever find Melina? Or will Brook be stuck light years from home, alone, and with a fierce predator hunting her down?

Now available from Decadent Publishing and other eBook retailers.

Excerpt:

“Let’s go, Malock.” Jager raised his eyebrows. “Or did you change your mind?”

She stood and released a deep breath. Even with her trepidation, she refused to back out now. Melina waited for her. “No, I’m looking forward to seeing Airondelle for myself.”

Brook spun away and rushed to catch up with her comrades. If she revealed her plans, she’d be stopped before she could find her lover. She would have to hide Melina right under their noses to bring her home. She pushed her shoulders back. I can do this. I have to.

The all-terrain vehicles sat loaded with equipment for the mission in front of the swirling mass of the portal. Her father certainly wasn’t wasting any time getting a team back to Airondelle. Crewmembers already filled the first vehicle, so she hopped into the back of the second.

Jager passed around everyone’s mission directives then shoved in on her left. Thank goodness he was the last to load. With his bulk, he occupied both of the remaining seats.

Before she had time to read her personal orders, they proceeded into the portal. She passed through the spinning matter, her body pulled and stretched in every direction. Unknown forces pushed on her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She gripped the seat, hoping she wouldn’t get pulled out. But the awkwardness didn’t last long. The transporter room light years away, clean, fresh air poured into her lungs. The alien vegetation of the foreign planet lined the rough dirt road they traveled. She yearned to explore the flora and fauna on a more intimate level. And she would, after setting up camp.

She opened the folder with her mission directive inside. Instead of the stack of papers detailing what Planet Core expected of her, she found a single sheet.

Her father’s handwriting scrawled across the page. You can never know the truth.

Hard, cold steel pressed against her temple. A gun. Her breath caught. What the hell is going on? She grabbed her knapsack and launched out of the vehicle. 

Bio:

Jessica Subject is the author of contemporary and science fiction romance, ranging from sweet to erotica. In her stories, you could meet clones, or a sexy alien or two. You may even be transported to another planet for a romantic rendezvous. 

When Jessica isn't reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk. Fast. But she just may slow down if there is a waterfall nearby.

Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.

Website/Blog | Newsletter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Authorgraph

My Favorite Things

Buy The CEO and the Cowboy HERE

By Starla Kaye

Remember the song My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music? I have so many favorite things, so many types of collections…many of them started because I had one item. Then my sister or friends decided that I must be collecting it. Hence I end up with yet another collection. My semi-forced-upon-me collections (which I now love) include figurines of older couples, figurines of couples, all sorts of Western items, teapots, stuffed cows and figurines of cows. Need I go on? I don’t think so.

In connection with my favorite heroes to write about, I love everything cowboy.

Dripping water on bare, well-toned chests

Beard stubble on ruggedly handsome faces

Dark hair worn a bit too long

Blond hair carefully trimmed

These are all things I yearn to touch

Brown eyes heating with fire

Blue eyes sparkling in amusement

Hazel eyes hinting of desire

Green eyes searing with passion

These are all eyes that make me shiver

Tight, faded jeans hugging a taut ass

Open shirts revealing a really nice six-pack

A Stetson cocked temptingly right

Scuffed boots, polished boots, boots with spurs

These are all adornments that draw my attention

A spirited horse beneath a skilled rider

The dusty pickup of a working rancher

That ambling walk of a confident cowboy

The low rumble of a Texas drawl

These, too, are among my favorite things cowboy

Title:  The CEO And The Cowboy

Genre:  GLBT Contemporary Romance

Author:  Starla Kaye

Author Website:  Starla Kaye

Buy Link:  Decadent Publishing

Would you do it in a car, would you do it in a bar? You can do it here or there, you can do it ANYWHERE!

The 1Night Stand series at Decadent Publishing is likely our most recognizable product because of its plethora of 5 star stories told by bestselling authors (and new authors!) all based on one core idea: one night of passion, no strings attached. 

Even after 150 stories and over 100 authors, each story maintains its uniqueness. How many ways can the same story be told, you ask? Well, you'd be surprised. 


We have Madame Evangeline, the mysterious woman who runs the exclusive (yet inclusive) 1Night Stand dating service setting up rendezvous on ranches, planes, Alaskan cabins, California beaches, high class hotels around the world, even in space. 

Hey, alien chicks need love, too--even if it's only for one night. 

With two men. 

Is paranormal romance more your flavor? 1Night Stand has shifters, ghosts and vampires, too--love doesn't discriminate just because someone is dead, undead, or occasionally turns into a wolf.

How about gay couples? We've definitely got some lesbian and gay romance happening, oftentimes in exotic locations like island getaways and Texas.

Now, what if kink is your game? You like something more than a hot, vanilla encounter with one other person--you want to immerse yourself in a fantasy for a night, something where leather and crops are typical accouterments. Fear not, Madame Eve has set up erotic encounters for you to read about, indulge in, enjoy with a glass of wine and a wicked grin. 

Because they're typically short, 1Night Stand stories can be read anytime you like a little fun,a bit of an escape. Many of our readers have over 100 1Night Stands on the Kindles or Nooks or Kobos. See what everyone is talking about, why people are addicted to this series. Find a Decadent 1Night Stand are your favorite ebook retailer today!

Colorizing Characters

Buy The CEO and the Cowboy HERE

by Starla Kaye

Let's say you've finished the first draft of your story. Now you are ready for the first read-through and starting your revisions. There are so many areas to review: plot, conflicts, settings, and characters. With each of those areas there are even more things to focus on. But, to me, the most important to concentrate on are the characters.

You can have an intricate plot filled with mysteries, an amazing adventure, or a beautiful love story. If the characters don't come to life for the reader, though, you take a chance of that reader never reading more than the first page or two. A reader (which I am one, as well as being a writer) wants to care about the hero and heroine. And she wants to care about each of them as individuals, plus she wants to pull for them as a couple if it is a romance.

Give the characters depth. This goes beyond giving the reader hints of what they look like, what kind of car they drive, how they prefer to dress, whether or not they have an accent, or where they live. All of those are useful in establishing a basis for the reader understanding a character. Yet they are still surface elements of characterization and not necessarily personalizing items.

Nothing brings a character to life like a hint or two of reality. Make them have habits or quirks that individualize them. I’m talking about little things that are reasonable to a reader and yet set a character apart from every other character in the story.

An important thing to remember about these character details is not to go overboard. This is part of that whole KISS idea: Keep It Simple Stupid. The following are some little ways to colorize your characters.

·        Always putting their keys in a particular spot at home - meaning when they have been put somewhere else they go nuts when they can't find them

·        Having a set routine while getting ready in the morning - meaning if they do one step out of order it throws them off and slows them down

·        Religiously checking refrigerator and pantry items to make sure they are within the expiration date...or never remembering to check the dates until it is too late

·        Always turning every light in the house off before leaving to conserve energy and save money...or never remembering to turn off lights

·        Eating the same thing every day for at least one meal…or always skipping a certain meal

·        Doing the dishes every day...or putting dishes into the dishwasher without running it until being ready to eat again and discovering there isn't anything clean to cook with or to eat on

·        Never remembering to fill the car up with gas until being forced to drive on fumes or run out...or constantly watching the gas gauge and never going below 3/4 of a tank

·        Using the passenger's side of the car’s floor as trash storage...or being almost anal about always having a small trash bag or container

·        Needing to sleep on a particular side of the bed…or not being able to fall asleep

·        Taking your share of the bed in the middle - meaning the other person has to make do sleeping on an edge of the mattress

·        Going through the morning newspaper first and cutting out something important to you - leaving the other person to try and figure out from the holes in the paper what is missing

People have a lot of habits or quirky things they do and a lot of the time they aren't aware of them. These are simply part of "who" they are. These can be the fun things about knowing someone. Or they can be things that really irritate someone else.

Of course there are far easier details that can give the reader ways to identify characters. He runs his hand through his hair whenever frustrated. She chews on her lower lip when nervous. Etc. I wanted to show you, as a writer, how to think beyond those easy traits, how to use what you observe about real people to add colors to your characters.

Did you recognize anything listed as something you do? Maybe see something your mate or a friend does? What other quirky things can you add to this list of everyday habits?