What if They Find Out?

 by Inge Saunders

Dance of Love

**On Sale for 99 cents at Amazon.com**

All roads lead to Rome when Ashley Solomons embarks on fulfilling her dream to become a world-class dancer. But there’s one person who stands in her way. “It`s a no from me,” Antonio Machiavelli.

When Antonio’s auditions for a lead principal end in wintry Cape Town, the last thing he expects is to have more than a knee-jerk reaction to an audition. Ashley not only verbally challenges him, but also translates her fire and cheekiness into an edge of your seat performance.

Can Antonio keep his distance from Ashley? Can Ashley focus on fulfilling her dream of becoming a lead principal? Or will love have its way?

Ashley Solomons, the heroine of my latest book Dance of Love, is based on a real person.  And not a friend or family member, more an acquaintance. I’d gone so far as to even derive the first name of the character from them to keep me grounded in the ‘mind’ of the person she’s based on. Of course, I can add loosely, but that wouldn’t be truthful.

From the moment I met this person I was fascinated by her, from our interactions I assumed her to be several years younger than me. As it turns out, I`m several years younger. I constantly asked myself, "how can someone be so…naïve." And I don’t mean that in a derogative way, more in an "I’m viewing an alien from another planet" way (which also doesn’t sound good).

I met her three years ago and bonded over our shared writing journey. It was fun to have someone in the trenches with me. We’d email each other updates, share industry tips and also beta read for each other. And here’s another little nugget, we’re in the same writing group *finger on lips*

Now it’s becoming juicy, right? Oh I'm so going to get it when I'm done here!

Those who follow my blog (click HERE) know I’ve shared my struggle with writing Ashley, because we are such different people. My most comfortable female characters are the strong sassy, smart, funny and confident types. Not the I’m going to barf all over your shoes because I have stage fright types. *spoiler alert* Uh yeah, that happens in the book.

As New Adult heroines go, Ashley’s at that phase of her life where she’s carving out her place in the world, trying to work out who she is and where she fits in, AND having to deal with falling in love for the first time. Tough. Certainly not easy at any age, but at twenty-three Ashley fits neatly into this category. She’s uncertain of herself, even though tremendously talented, doesn’t quite believe it.

She’s insecure and though she’s got a bit of spunk, her lack of confidence can trip her up. I literally had to hold myself back from making this character too vocal, too assured and knowing, by walking away from my laptop. I would take a walk, make coffee, watch E-News (don’t throw virtual rotten tomatoes at me), then I’d read an email from this acquaintance and the character would slot back into place.

I feel like I should write her a letter to tell her she’s the inspiration for a character that I developed a deep respect and liking for. ‘Ashley’ taught me how to write characters that are as far from each other as Princess Kate, Duchess of Cambridge aka Royal Mother of future King of England, is from Kim K from the House of Kardashian, now House of Kanye West. As a writer this is a great lesson. We’re constantly required to reinvent with every book we write. And now I’m not talking about voice and writing style, I’m referring to characters who can’t be distinguished from each other.  The heroines and heroes read the same in every book the author writes.

So how do you break from that? Base them on real people. I know. What if they find out? *whispers*

Well two things can happen: either it’s a compliment, or they kick you from here to next Tuesday. Of course, it all depends on what you do with the character. In my first novel I told my cousin, "Look I`m going to borrow your name for the man-stealing harpy, and your hair and your long legs, but not your personality." 

She sent me a text back, "Oh, okay." When she read the book, she laughed. And here’s the thing; art does imitate life. I wrote two sisters in that story too and without realizing, I gave the eldest sister some of my sister’s quirks.

I realized these ‘real life’ aspects made my stories much richer and interesting to me as the author. I love "messing" around with real people on paper *smile*

So my writing tip; use one real person, for one whole character of your story. See what happens *grin*  

Trapped by a Song

By  Nicole Pouchet

I love the idea behind Decadent’s Beyond Fairytales series. This has been the ultimate writing prompt. So much fun! But, when I signed up to write a modest twist on the Grimm classic, Jorinda and Jorindel, I must admit I had never heard of the tale. Luckily, after reading the story, Jori and Del jumped out at me, their lives full and ready to be heard.

Trapped by a Song is a paranormal romance that happens to feature an interracial couple. It’s a magical realism piece set in modern day Las Vegas. The twist is that a number of the population have “para” capabilities that sometimes get them into trouble…

All about Trapped by a Song:

If Detective Jori Anzoli has to do one more telepathic reading for the Las Vegas Police Department, her para-capabilities may fry out. That doesn’t matter when she’s called in to help find eight men who mysteriously went missing. The case escalates quickly. Clairvoyants in the department are scared to touch it, her brother becomes the ninth missing man, and the Paranormal Investigative Agency (PIA) sends a distractingly handsome agent who hassles her every step of the way.

Agent Del Moore is on a mission to find the PIA’s missing biomedical weapons engineer. A retro-cognizant, Del is used to avoiding human contact unless the job demands it. The less intrusive knowledge he has about others, the better. But a brush with the aloof Detective Jori may change his mind. He can’t ignore her warm essence, especially when she impossibly summons him into her dream.

As mounting clues lead Jori and Del to go deep undercover into a Nevada brothel, an ancient succubus preys on every living soul within, placing Jori and Del on separate hallucinogenic paths of destruction. Will they learn the truth behind the brothel and their mission before succumbing to an ulterior plan neither of them wishes to see?

Buy Links: Amazon || iTunes || Kobo || GooglePlay 

Excerpt:

She applauded her dream version of Agent Del. If she had to have lucid dreams, this was a great one to have. She met his gaze, and he ogled her body as openly as she did his.

“This is a welcome surprise.” His voice sounded even sexier in the dream. “Y’know, Jori, you’d better be careful with this dream manipulation,” he teased before stepping into her space. “People will think you’re a lucid.”

“Who’ll tell? You’re just my fantasy.”

“And you’re my every desire come to life. I wonder….” He leaned down and pressed his mouth against hers, pulling her closer as they both ceased speech.

Standing on her toes, she let her hands roam the contours of his back. He pulled her in tightly, lifting her higher until she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hard length pressed against her center.

He tasted her mouth, delving with the kind of abandon only found in fantasy, and pushed them both onto a bed that materialized as soon as she wished for it.

“Del….” she moaned when her head hit the pillows.

He reached under her and palmed her bottom then pulled her closer while grinding down into her. “You’re wearing too many clothes. I want to touch all of you.” He reached up and then pulled her T-shirt off over her head.

With a laugh, she let her head bounce back to the pillow. His chest loomed above her, the tattoo of an eagle over his right nipple.

The giggle died on her lips. She didn’t know he had a tattoo and wouldn’t have placed it there in her dream. He was real. She was about to have sex with the real Agent Del Moore. Dream or not, that was not bright.

Her lucidity was wreaking havoc again. This time, she’d pulled a PIA agent into her dream. Her brother and the rest of the Para Resistance believed the PIA performed illicit experiments on paras, especially lucids. The PIA did force paras—those not in law enforcement—to medically suppress their special abilities. And no matter what, they distrusted and medically suppressed lucids, who could manipulate anyone’s dreams.

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Meet the Character-- Damian Davidson

    I`ve always been a fan of Enrique Iglesias. Since he came on the scene, it was a toss between him and Ricky Martin, but not even Ricky`s Bon Bons could compete *cheeky grin* So when I first started with my sytycw2012 entry, Falling for Mr. Unexpected, it was no wonder that the male lead would be a spitting image of Enrique. (Let`s ignore the fact that I was watching a Perez Hilton interview with him, in his hotel room, at the time inspiration over took over).

   So without further introduction, there`s someone here who can`t wait to for me to introduce him to all of you, my favourite leading man Damian Davidson from Falling for Mr. Unexpected (released on 23^rd December 2014 ).

What is the name of your character? Is s/he fictional/historical?

I`m going to let Damian introduce himself...

My name is Damian Davidson, I was born and raised in South Africa, Stellenbosch, but moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of my acting career. I was supposed to follow in the footsteps of my brother and father, and become a surgeon, but I caught the acting bug when I took part in my senior showcase.

I did try to appease my father by enrolling for medicine at the University of Cape Town *shrug*, but it only lasted two years. Needless to say, my father disowned me and I ended up penniless on the streets of LA, working as a waiter and then model before I got my first break in a French film.

I`ve been nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award, so I`d say switching medicine for acting hadn`t been such a bad idea *grins*

When and where is the story set?

I live in L.A. but a recent *ahem* sex-tape scandal has forced me back to South Africa, to Strand, a coastal town in the Western Cape where I own a beach house. I hadn`t been there in years, so I figured it would be safe from the paparazzi. I was hoping after a couple of weeks out there the story would blow over and I could go back to LA. Unfortunately I got more than I bargained for.

What should we know about Damian?

I`m a very private person. A career in the public is probably not the most logical thing for someone who loves to lead a private life. I don`t mind interviews, obviously *smiles* and talking about my acting roles, but the paparazzi can be very invasive and tabloids have a way of getting their facts wrong. The image they portray of a celebrity isn`t always accurate.

What is Damian`s goal?

   The goal is to get away from everything Hollywood since the movie I`ve been working on was brought to a stop because of the scandal. The idea is to have a couple of weeks of relative peace, which also means, and I honestly love my fans, but I need a reprieve. The sex-tape seemed to have sparked a rise in fans sending underwear in the mail and posting naked pictures of themselves on my car`s windshield *clears throat* Which is probably why I mistook my brother`s sister in-law, Emma Cupido, as an *ahem* obsessed fan.

   Our first meeting wasn`t pretty. Me, in nothing but a towel, her half-naked clutching her clothes against her body, she had taken a dip in the ocean on my private beach. Something my brother failed to tell her when he offered for her to use the house for the school holidays. He`s been taking care of the place while I was out of the country.

What is screwing up Damian`s life (main conflict in writerly speak)?

   Emma Cupido and her bruised feet *grimace* Who knew a box filled with hardcovers could cause so much damage. She even has a broken pinky-toe *ouch*

I had initially shown her the door, but I couldn`t kick her out after the ‘accident’. Imagine the headline. Damian Davidson throws out injured woman on the streets. So no peace for me, since in spite of her miniature size, Emma does have a way of taking up a lot of space. Most disturbingly in my head.

   Oh, and have I mentioned that because of Emma, I now have to inform my parents, with whom I haven`t spoken to in four years, that I`m in South Africa? No, well, the word awkward doesn’t even begin to cover the situation.

What is the title?

Falling for Mr. Unexpected-- I guess I`m Mr. Unexpected *grins*

When can we expect the book to be published or when was it published?

Falling for Mr. Unexpected was published on the 23^rd of December 2014 and is available at:

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || Kobo 

About the Author:

First time author Inge Saunders fell in love with books when she started reading romance novels with her grandmother. Intrigued by the worlds books unlocked, it was inevitable she would take pen to paper.

At age fourteen she wrote her first novel which wasn`t such a roaring success according to her brother. Not discouraged, she realized something fundamental: as a writer you can only write about what interests you, a principle she still uphold in adulthood.

When she`s not writing about that ‘inexplicable attraction’ she`s reading almost every sub-genre in romance out there, spending time with friends and family and taking hikes in her hometown`s National Karoo Park.

Inge form part of Romance writers` Organization of South Africa (ROSA) and currently have two books contracted with Decadent Publishing, Falling for Mr. Unexpected and Dance of Love ( set for release in April 2015).

Blog: Inge Saunders - Inside These Lines || Twitter || Facebook || Goodreads || Pinterest

Welcome to the World of the Black Diamonds

by Tshego Khunou

Luxury mansions, designers clothes, gorgeous rugby players and swimmers...just another day in the glamorous world of the Black Diamonds.

Gossip Girl brought you the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite, Mean Girls gave you a glimpse of the Plastics of North Shore, and Clueless and 90210 introduced us to the glitz of young and rich Los Angelinos. You know all about the glamour of London's young beau monde, and you're probably familiar with the playground of the rich and entitled that is Monte Carlo. You have even had a humorous look at the lives of Sydney's private school girls in Ja'mie: Private School Girl. Now prepare to journey to the northern suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa and experience the glamorous lives of Jozi's high society.

Black Diamonds is inspired by the this world, which I believe has a wealth of stories just begging to be told. South Africa has a burgeoning upper and middle class which is fraught power plays and dynamics unique to this emerging society. Fortunes are being built and the first generations of dynasties are being established. The unique history of our country colours the development of this emerging class, dubbed the Black Diamonds.

And now, years into our democracy, the children of the newly wealthy Black Diamonds are coming into their own. These children are growing up in the lap of luxury, afforded every comfort and living glamourous lives in cosmopolitan Johannesburg. They attend elite private schools, wear designer duds, and live in huge mansions in the affluent northern suburbs. The lives they live are a luxury afforded to a privileged few. As a result of this, there is a tight, exclusive circle which is near impossible to penetrate. These kids are bonded not only by ridiculous amounts of money at their disposal, but by their shared experiences and the close-knit circle they will be in their whole lives. These are the future leaders and business magnates of the country, and their contemporaries and future partners.

In such an exclusive society, characterised by careless spending, debauchery and blatant snobbery, how can a simple girl from the rural farms ever hope to find acceptance? This is the challenge faced by Sara Diwane, a young girl who gets a scholarship to one of the most exclusive of these private schools. She may have the prized opportunity of attending St Dominic's, but that is no way a guarantee of her entry into this elite society. She longs for acceptance by the gatekeepers of the upper echelons of this world; the Black Diamonds.

Now who are these Black Diamonds?

Meet Kea Ntuli, the daughter of a renowned advocate and a socialite. She is the fearless leader of the group of the most powerful and well-connected girls in their circle. She embodies everything Sara envies and desires; she is wealthy, beautiful and impeccably groomed, has the most gorgeous boys vying for her attention, and the prettiest, richest friends at her beck and call. Together with her two best friends, Nolu Manele and Abi Silaye, the introduce Sara to their glittering lifestyle.

But all that glitters is not gold....

Under the sparkling facade of their world, Sara discovers that the tight bonds of sisterhood are rather fickle. Where only the best boys will do for these girls, sneaky backstabbing and underhanded betrayals are the order of the day in matters of love. And Sara realises that the biggest price tag is not on the designer shoes or the Brazilian weaves. Is she willing to trade in her self-respect and dignity for the chance to be a Black Diamond?

Black Diamonds will take you on a whirlwind adventure in the leafy suburbs of northern Johannesburg. So put on those five inch red bottomed heels, spruce up your Brazilian weave, and let's do coffee in Sandton. 

Kisses, darlings!   

Black Diamonds available here:  

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || ARe || Barnes & Noble

Ten Reasons Why Being An Author of Romantic Suspense Is Bad For You

By Zee Monodee

Hey beautiful people! 

In anticipation of my July 29 release, the romantic suspense/espionage story You Belong to Me  (part of the Beyond Fairytales line, and inspired by Grimm story The Nix of the Mill Pond), I thought I’d delve into why writing romantic suspense can be detrimental to your sanity (...uhm, yeah – as if hearing voices in your head screaming to be given a story wasn’t bad enough....)

So, let’s delve in!

1. Your life will always seem boring and mundane compared to the scenarios you come up with. 

2. Suddenly, people start looking at you in a weird manner when they read your work, and find out how much the “sweet” person they know you to be... can think like a psycho and/or sociopath... 

3. You find men who don’t walk the edge of danger boring. 

4. You get to research and know a lot about guns and other weapons (probably too much...) 

5. It’s not hard for you to imagine potential scenarios for getting rid of your boss/mother-in-law/slimy ex/your man’s psycho ex and figuring out exactly how to get away with it... 

6.  You retreat into your bubble, because frankly, wherever you’re living will seem like the dumps when your stories are taking you to Paris, London, Prague, Cape Town, Lake Como, and other such glamorous, exotic locations. 

7. You suddenly know a lot about biological weapons and can hold your own in a debate about the merits of this anti-terrorism strategy versus the other (putting you squarely into Nerd category!) 

8. Coffee starts to replace blood in your body, because, face it, you need the adrenalin rush! 

9. Vanilla sex gets just way too boring! Your characters need spice and the rush... and you take the irreversible step into hot and racy sex scene territory. 

10. You start wishing you were your characters, never mind they’re totally screwed up....

Coming to you this July – You Belong to Me by Zee Monodee

A modern retelling of Grimm fairytale The Nix of the Mill Pond, whereby a young woman who is no damsel in distress sets out to save her kidnapped prince...only to find that true evil lives well and strong in the heart of a man bent on conquering the world.

Find more about me online at the following places:

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Find more about My Books and what I have Coming Soon!

From Mauritius with love, 

Zee

#zeemonodee, #beyondfairytales, #decadentpub, #interracialromance