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The Chamber of Curiosities: Sneak Peak at First Chapter of New Mythical Romance Novel.

Welcome to The Chamber of Curiosities, a story of obsessive, passionate love set in a carnival on a bastion overlooking the seaport of a mysterious land. It tells the tale of how a single act of faith can transform lives and change the course of destiny.

Chapter One 

The Night of the Two Blue Moons

           The two moons were tinged blue that night, a remarkable, but not unheard of event in the ancient port town of Tressaria. There was a hushed anticipation in the air, and only those with keen senses could hear the creatures take their shifts in the dark rotation. The usual sounds that emanated from the freak cages in the ‘The Chamber of Curiosities’ were curiously still. It felt like something terribly wonderful or wonderfully terrible was about to occur. The twin sapphire moons were a sign of supernatural intervention by many, and a reminder that the cosmos cannot be trusted to remain constant. Yet its beauty was undeniable.

          A full season had passed since Darney Veska arrived at the carnival compound perched on a bastion overlooking the sea. The weather had turned cold and snowflakes began to fall outside his cage. He broke into a broad smile as he reached outside the bars to capture the delicate flakes, watched them melt into the warmth of his massive hand, and lifted fingers to lips to taste the fresh moisture. Mrs. Beedro, the carnival owner’s wife, had stitched a blanket from wild animal pelts to keep him warm during the cold months. He wore the skin as a cape by day and a coverlet at night. Darney had no other clothes, other than a pair of raw threaded trousers. His pet mouse, Kavas, had recently given birth, and the family snuggled beneath straw that covered the raw wood floor. The nest also served to camouflage his money safe.  He had pried open a board, where he kept coins tossed by the carnival patrons that filed by his cage each day.

          Darney gently reached beneath the nest, removed the plank, took his day’s wages from his pocket, and deposited them in the hollow spot.  Kavas squealed as her nest was disrupted and the silence of the night was breached.

         Darney heard the sound of a key chain rattling, and the lock to the cage penetrated. He turned to see the door swing open and a small figure cloaked in a scarlet hooded cape stepped inside.  He backed into the corner - his heart pounding with terror. The strange being drew back the satin lined hood and he glimpsed a flash of sharp steel clenched in a tiny hand. A shrill scream broke the stillness as Darney lunged forward, stole the weapon, and grasped the intruder by its throat. He knew he could snap the slender neck, if he needed, as he had executed animals with gullets of nearly the same size.

            “Please don’t hurt me. I beg of you,” he heard a young woman’s voice cry out, and sheets of silky dark blonde hair fell onto his chest as the hood fell away. He held her firmly, and pressed the razor to her neck.

            “Who are you? And what do you want of me?” he demanded.

            “You speak? When did you learn to talk like a human?” she responded, her voice clouded with fear.

             “As a young child.” he replied, and tightened his grip.

            “Then why have you never spoken?”

            “It did not suit the job.”

            “Please don’t hurt me,” she begged as he tightened his grip.

            “You did not answer my question. Who are you?” Darney asked, with coarse ruthlessness.

            “I am Clare, the aerialist.”

             The girl’s answer unnerved Darney. He had watched her pass daily and was fiercely drawn to the fragile young beauty. In fact, he had experienced the first pangs of a new emotion, jealousy, as he watched the men in the crowd turn to admire her small, but exquisitely toned physique. On the first day of his incarceration she had tossed her fair mane, then turned back to catch his gaze.  He remembered she wore a pale green suit stitched tightly to her body.  The only woman he had seen before that fateful day was his Mother, so Clare had left a powerful impression.

             “Why are you here, how did you get the key to my cell, and why do you carry a razor?” Darney’s asked. His manner was gruff but his hand shook.

            “Let me go and I will tell you. You hold the blade - I am no longer a threat to you,” she said, then began to weep.

            “Move into the corner, so you can’t be seen by the other freaks,” he ordered as he released his hold.

            Claire obeyed his gruff command and cautiously backed into the corner. Darney moved opposite her, holding the sharp blade at the hollow of her neck. They remained locked in the position, she weeping softly, while he observed her with intense curiosity. The two moons spied from above, like devious blue eyes, conspiring to set the stage for a darker struggle. Kavas and her brood huddled in anticipation, while Darney’s spider companion, Java, played with a mummified prey strung in a intricate web splayed across the ceiling.

            “Are you an agent sent to exterminate me?” he asked.

            “I would never kill.  Please don’t think me so terrible.”

           “Then what is your purpose? I have never seen a woman of the carnival carry a razor; although I have witnessed more than one enter a cage.

            “I had a dream.”

            “You dreamt of killing me?” he asked.

            “I dreamed of shaving you.”

Darney’s eyes were reduced to slits as his mouth turned cruel and it appeared he might bury the knife in the girl's neck.

            “I have an unbearable compulsion to see your face," she said, and looked deeply into Darney’s eyes.  Beyond the pale façade that belied an unfathomable depth, Clare sought the bond she experienced the breathtaking first moment she saw him peering through the bars of his cage. He was an innocent then and his loneliness and fear were heartbreaking. A season of carnival cruelty had hardened him, but she still felt the sense of a kindred spirit and her desire for meaningful companionship had intensified her obsession.

            “Each night, since the day I laid eyes on you, I have dreamed of breaking into your cage and shaving off your beard so that I could see your face. Tonight the urge became unbearable. I brought the miserable 'little man', Croque, a bottle of spirits, waited until he passed out, and stole his keys.”

            “You came here to cut off my beard?”

            “I did.”

            “You are aware I am billed as ‘The Human Beast’, and it is my livelihood to appear as such?”

           “I am.”

            “Then why would you strip me of my work?” he asked, his resonant voice growing deep with indignation.

             Claire was overcome by a fresh assault of tears. “I don’t know. I was terribly compelled, that’s all I can say. Then, tonight, it was utterly out of my control, impossible to stop, as if I was the catalyst of a chain of events that was pre-destined.”

            “One more lie and I’ll slice your throat.”

            “It’s true.”

            “I won’t be tricked with words from a book,” he seethed.

            “Since when do freaks read?”

            “My mother brought them occasionally, when she dropped off my slop in the animal coop where I lived behind my parent’s house.”

            “How do you remember the words?”

            “There is no waste in my perceptions.”

            “I was never taught,” she said with a tinge of shame shining through a determination to show no self pity.

            “Then, how did you steal the words?”

            “The woman I lodge with often reads to me when her husband is not in sight. It is my favorite story. I have memorized every line.”

        “They don’t survive, you know.”

        “But they do, she shared with me the forbidden version.”

          Claire observed a glimmer of intrigue awaken in Darney’s luminous pale blue eyes. The mirrored reflection from the twin moons deepened the affect and made them even more mysteriously compelling than the first time she caught his gaze.

         “I must see your face. It is a compulsion beyond control. If you are stripped of the facial hair it will lead the town’s people to believe the celestial powers blessed you on this rare night. It will feed their superstitions and they will accept you have been transformed by the gods into a magical being. And since you have no access to shaving equipment it will be considered a miracle.”

         Claire’s obsessive desire intensified as she spoke, nearly unbearable, as she experienced the young giant as the most transparent, vulnerable human being she had ever met. She believed he could read her thoughts, feelings, and memories, leaving her naked, utterly exposed, and overtaken by a flood of wildly conflictive emotions.

          And Darney, in turn, was mesmerized with Claire’s vivid green eyes, shaded in dark lashes, and the perfection of her small features, and quivering red stained lips.

           “It was a silly idea. I’m sorry for the intrusion. Please forgive me. May I have your permission to leave? You can keep the razor. Likely, you will need it as a weapon in the future” she said.

           "Do you refer to a particular individual?” he asked with renewed suspicion.

            “The carnival is a vicious place; no one can be trusted.”

              An excruciating pause ensued as Darney continued to observe the girl, while appearing to struggle with an intense internal conflict.

             “May I have your permission to stand and leave?”  She asked him, now in the throes of a paralyzing panic.

            “No,” Darney replied firmly, and turned to look outside to determine if any of the freaks were peering through their bars, as they often did late into the night.

            “In this dream of yours, how do you shave me?”

            “I . . . crouch before you . . . and remove the hair section by section. I operate very slowly . . . so not to cut you. Have you . . . ever been shaved?” she asked, her voice choked by extreme desire and the fear of what he might do.

            Claire’s words struck a nerve in Darney and sparked a spontaneous emotional reaction.  He dropped his head, broke into tears, and began to sob like a heartbroken child.  The intense display of emotion shocked Claire, but it also calmed her panic. A veil of serenity descended as she sat with him and allowed the lonely giant to relieve himself of the pent up feelings.  She did not move or speak until he had fully recovered.

          “Why does my question make you weep?

            “I have never been touched and I have never seen my face,” he replied, and licked away hot tears as they caressed his lips.

           His shame at the outburst was tempered by comfort in a heavy blanket of snow that had begun to fall, guarding the couple from the eyes of the outside world.

            “Didn’t your mother touch you?” she asked tenderly.

            “When I was little, I suppose, but I don’t remember.”

            “Do you have a name?”

            “Darney Veska.

            “Lovely name,”

             He appeared embarrassed and a slight smile tugged at the corner of his lip,

            “Well Darney, we could change all that tonight, on the night of the two blue moons, and the first snow of the season. Tomorrow the carnival will be closed, with mounds of snow to shovel from the streets. I will wake Croque from his stupor and tell him there as been a miracle. Your facial hair has been stripped and you have learned to speak like a man. The townspeople are terribly superstitious. Once word gets out, you will be the highlight of the show. You may earn enough coins to retire and build your own home. Can you imagine how wonderful it would be to live like a normal person?”

            Darney lowered his head and sheets of hair fell to cover his face, so she could not register his response. His lustrous dark hair, so different in texture from the coarseness of his beard, fell well below his waist. Clare was surprised it was not caked and matted like the other freaks. Her cheeks blushed as she imagined how it might feel to bury her face in the soft strands.

            “May I approach you?” she asked timidly.

            He struggled with his answer, but it was more a fight against the weight of relief than the desire to maintain his image as a subhuman. To relinquish power and place his life in the hands of a young woman with a razor took courage. But not as much bravery as was required to maintain poise as he watched humans pass his cage. The worst of the humiliation was not that they threw coins or taunted him. It was that they walked hand in hand, families, lovers, none alone. None alone, except for Darney and the perversities of nature that inhabited ‘The Chamber of Curiosities’ - the freak show staged in the shape of a human heart.

           “Swear to me you come with good intentions and do not have plans to carry out a horrific deed,” he requested in a voice laced with solemn resignation.

            “I do. And will offer a token of trust, a strand of my hair for you to take the first cut. You may keep it as a symbol of my friendship. I have been touched many times, Darney, but rarely with love, so don’t believe loneliness is always a bad thing. I will be the first to touch you and show you your face. It is an honor.  I have a mirror in my purse and will offer a glimpse of your reflection when I am finished. May I kneel before you?”

              His nod of acceptance was barely perceptible, but Clare now felt keenly in tune and imagined their heartbeats in synchronicity as their vaporous breaths met and melted into the cold air, then faded through the bars. She cautiously moved to kneel before him, still somewhat wary of his emotional volatility, and lifted a lock of her hair to offer for him to cut.  He roughly sheered the lock, then secured it beneath his water bowl.

            “Now, hand me the blade,” she said.

            Darney’s hand shook nearly uncontrollably, but he did as instructed. “Do you have a cloth, Darney, to dip in water and soften the root as I cut?”

            He drew his hair back and tied it into a knot, then tore a piece from the old clothes he wore on the day he was transported from his home on the farm in the small barred wagon. He dipped the rag into his water bowl and pressed it to his face. Her intoxicating smell enveloped him as she leaned forward, pressed the razor to his cheek, and began to cut away the mask that separated him from humanity.

            The snow continued to fall heavily, and it was now impossible to see anything outside the cage. As the outer world evaporated in a white flurry, time seemed to slow, and Darney relaxed against his cell wall. He drew the animal skin pelt tighter as she moved closer and squeezed his eyes shut, lost in the sensuality of the moment, and gave himself over to her divine touch. He hoped she would not notice the affect she had on his body. He had matured in the company of animals, and believed the sexual act to be the same with a woman. Carnivals workers sometimes sneaked into the cages of the freaks, and he heard similar sounds late into the night. Darney understood the nature of ecstatic relief, but the feeling he experienced with this young woman was far more exquisite. He had no knowledge of finer forms of courtship but instinct told him she must be treated with care.

             Claire was also deeply attracted to Darney.  She had never felt attraction to a man before; a more common response was disgust and revulsion. She could not understand the infatuations of girls her age, but now understand the intoxication, a feeling both terrifying and delicious.  She had seen him nearly naked in his cage the day he arrived, and was astonished by his appearance. No man in her land carried such an enormous frame. He was at least a foot taller than the tallest males in her country, heavily muscled, yet firm and lean, with long legs and arms, a small waist, and the clothed parts hinted at powerful male virility. But it was his hands she found most appealing. They were large, heavily veined, with long fingers, and carried the potential of both a brutal warrior and sensitive lover.

            “Sorry, I didn’t mean to cut you”, she said as her trembling hand cut into the flesh  as he shifted his weight and his thigh brushed against hers, causing a trail of blood to ooze down his cheek.

           “You don’t need to be gentle with me. I’m accustomed to bites and claw marks,” he replied

              Claire dabbed away the blood, cut the last section, and wiped his face clean with water from his bowl. Darney kept his eyes shut, as he could not bear the anticipation of her reaction to his bare face. He felt her move dainty fingertips across the contours of his facial structure - eyelids, cheekbones, and lips. 

            “Dear God – it’s sacrilege – the most horrible imaginable," she utttered.

            Darney was crestfallen at the sound of her intense disappointment. He had prayed his face was not that of a monster, at least equal to the most homely of those who peered in at him as they moved through the causeway.

            “How bad is it?” Darney said, and lifted a hand to his soft cheek.

            “Oh dear friend, it is very bad, indeed.”

            “Worse than Croque?”

            She laughed, then said warmly, “Dear God no, that would be impossible. Darney, I must inform you that you have been misled your entire life. You are not a human beast. In fact, you are the most ideally handsome man I have ever seen. How could they do this to you?”

          Clare was astounded at the perfect symmetry, features so unlike those displayed by her countrymen. Large noses, protruding eyes and ears, pocked skin, and coarse, unruly, balding hair were the norm, as were crooked teeth and small appendages,

           He opened his eyes and looked deeply into hers to ascertain whether her words held truth, or mere flattery meant to soften the blow. “But you agree I am not of normal size or stature? I am a freak of nature.”

            “Your frame is unusually large and certainly unlike the frail men in our township, or even the fittest seamen from other lands I’ve seen dock at the port. But, you are perfectly proportioned, and your face is exquisite. Every feature is perfection. Even your teeth are straight and white, despite your deprivation. Perhaps if you lived in another land, you would have been a king. My dear friend, I will now show you your face. Prepare for a shock,” Claire said, and reached into her satin satchel to remove a small mirror. “Here Darney, take a look at yourself.”

            Darney accepted the mirror, took a deep breath to calm his anticipation, and then lifted the reflective glass to peer into his face for the first time.

            “What do you think?” Clare asked him.

            “I cannot judge myself, but it is not as frightening as I imagined.” He said, while observing high cheek bones cradling a well formed nose, full lips, and deeply set pale blue eyes. There was a faint cleft in his strong chin, and the shadow of beard perfectly outlining a strong jaw. He observed no mars on his skin, other than the cut, and the skin color looked healthy, nearly radiant with the flush created by Claire’s presence.

            “Cut cut off my hair.”

            “Not yet, my dear friend,” Claire said with a warm smile. “I will simply braid and tie it, like the horses,” she said with sparkling eyes, then drew her tiny fingers through the silky strands while looking deeply into his eyes. “But first I desire to cut a piece to keep with me as a memory of this sacred night. I will weave it into a necklace and attach my favorite charm to it, the one that is said to hold magical powers, to protect against evil,” she said as she cut a length to the scalp, then wove it around her hand and placed it in her satchel.

           “Darney, have you ever given your heart to a woman?” Clare asked.

            “My heart?” he answered, bewildered by the phrase.

            “Have you ever loved a woman?”

            “I told you I have not felt the touch of a woman.”

            “You confessed you had not been touched. I asked if you had loved. I suppose what I was requesting was that I be your first.”

            “The first to have you?”

            “No. Not the first to have me. But yes, the first to love to me. I have been touched and taken, but I have never been loved. Some men take when they have no right – only the power. It doesn’t mean you have given yourself. So, I consider myself pure, as you.  I hope you do not view me as soiled.  I have waited to give myself to a man I could trust. We are the same, my darling, doomed to loneliness. Yet, if we fight hard enough, perhaps we might forge a life of our own.”  She looked deeply into his eyes and stroked the contour of his cheek. “I will give myself to you when you prove you can be trusted with my heart. That is what love is, complete trust in another.”

            “The two moons are nearly spent, and so is our night together,” Darney replied with regret in his voice.

            “This has been a most spectacular evening. We have forged a vow, never to be broken.” Claire leaned forward and afforded Darney with a tender first kiss. The virginal gesture drew a wildly erotic response from deep in his gut and he responded with hunger.

            “No, dear, not yet,” she said, and drew away.

           “In the morning you must stand at the bars and speak to whoever approaches. I will set the gossip in motion and tell everyone that on my way to trapeze practice I saw The Human Beast stand at the bars of his cage. His face was shaven, hair braided, and he spoke as a man. A miracle happened on the night of the two blue moons and the beast has been transformed into a God. The curse has been lifted. Now, let me braid your hair,” Clare said, and slipped behind him to draw up his hair and weave it tightly away from his face.

           “You look lovely.” she said, and moved before him to take one last look at her handiwork. “I will be back soon,” she said with a delicious grin while drawing up her hood and moving to the door. “Remember,” she said turning back to him, “no matter what happens, you are a supreme being in this world or any other - more beautiful than the most acclaimed. I swear, it is true,” she said, then turned to depart.

            Claire leapt through mounds of glimmering fresh snow to her small carriage, replaced the stolen keys without waking Croque, then returned home to tuck herself into bed before the landlady rose at dawn to prepare breakfast. As she placed her head on her pillow she looked out the window at the drifts climbing up the window panes and felt a rare peace as she saw a vision of her children playing in the winter’s first snow.

           Darney drew himself into a fetal position, wrapped his fur tightly around him, and fell into a deep slumber, broken at times with startling dreams, both erotic and violent.  The power of faith had awakened Darney’s unclaimed legacy. He was no longer a savage innocent held in abject servitude, bereft of either identity or hope for the future. A robust manly power now struggled to be born, and the desires it would awaken would wreak havoc as he fought to secure his right to love and freedom. Yet all the young giant knew was that he wished to hold Claire in his arms for eternity.

                                                                                                                                                                             *  * *

 

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50 Great Love Scenes in Romance Novels

Please Note: The House on Black Lake Trailer may be viewed on Home Page.

A love scene in a novel (as in real life) reveals the innermost characteristics of the individuals involved. Physical strength or weakness, depth of passion, creativity, hidden fears and sorrows, need to control or degrade, to surrender or dominate, shame and pride, fetishes, tenderness, empathy, repressed memories, boldness, cautiousness, secrets, flaws and scars, deformity, and exquisite physical perfection can be revealed when the cloak of civilization is thrown off and humans revert to their animal nature. The circumstances of a mating can be highly romantic or base and ugly. No matter the social status of the individuals, age, nationality, relationship, or gender it is always a primal act, unscripted, and powerful in emotional resonance. Whether cruel and disgusting or highly gentle and romantisized love scenes are unscripted dramas that tear away the monotony of daily life. The act may result in the creation or transformation of life, that is its overriding power. There is an aura of spirituality to love scenes, and for those who seek a higher level of excistence making love to another is the key to another realm.  

In The House on black Lake Alexandra is a world weary mother struggling through a devastating divorce. She has not had a lover since her husband, and has never experienced a deep and satisfying physical connection with a man. In her journey on Black Lake she encounters three men with whom she experiences powerful emotional reactions. Charismatic Ramey Sandeley awakened something deep and unknown years ago when she first took his eyes on a snowy night in the desert. Her life dramatically changed in that moment, but she has not been able to consummate her feelings as he is a married father of five. However, the intense attraction leads Ramey to lure Alexandra into increasingly dangerous scenarios. Andre Labat is a young French artist who seduces Alexandra into an afternoon of love in his bungalow where he teaches her about the nature of love and the power of trust. Georgie LaPointe is narcissistic rock God and Cousin to Ramey who grooms his hair in the eyes of his lovers and makes love to recordings of his singing. Georgie introduces Alexandra to the dark side of sensuality. As a repressed woman Alexandra's experiences with these powerful men are clothed in an atmosphere that may appear forced, but she is not necessarily an unwilling victim and reacts in a manner true to her desires. Through her journey on Black Lake Alexandra is transformed and empowered as she learns to accept "the beautiful freak" inside her, the lonely soul that seeks  love without boundaries and the pursuit of passion at all costs.

Most rarely see acts of love, so novels offer opportunities to find inspiration in respectable forms of art.

The best love scenes in romance are featured in the following novels. The list was culled from talking to readers and through romance sites (including Amazon). They are in no particular order, although many believe "Flowers from the Storm" deserves first place. Some say Lisa Kleypas is the foremost master of of the romance novel love scene.

1. Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kindsdale

2. Goddess of the Hunt by Tessa Dare

3. When He Was Wicked Bridgerton Family Saga by Julia Quinn

4. One Dance With The Duke by Tessa Dare

5. Pleasure for Pleasure Ellis Sisters, Book 6 by Eloise James

6. Dangerous to Love by Elizabeth Thornton

7. The Diamond Slipper, by Jane Feather

8. The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

9. The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

10. Outlander by Diana Galbadon

11. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

12 Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

13. Tempt me Tonight by Toni Blake

14. Match Me if you Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

15. Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

16. Ride the Fire by Pamela Chase

17. Heart of Fire by Linda Howard

18. Devil in Winter The Wallflowers, Book 3

19. Midsummer Moon by Laura Kinsdale

20. Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

21. Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas

22. Princess of Fire by Shannon Drake

23. Mad, Bad Duke by Jennifer Ashley

24. Madness of Lord Ian Mackensie by Jennifer Ashley

25. Again the Magic by Lisa Kleypas

26. Love Storm by Susan Johnson

27. Wicked by Susan Johnson

28. Absolute Pleasure by Cheryl Holt

29. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julie Quinn

30. The Valley of the Horse by Jean M. Auel

31. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

32. Surrender A MacKinnon Ranger's novel by Pamela Chare

33. The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

34. Green Darkness by Anya Seton

35. Passion by Lisa Valdes

36 The Proposition by Judith Ivory

37. Years by Lavyrle Spencer

38. His Second Hand Wife by Cheryl St. John

39. Wild Oats by Pamela Moisi

40. Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath

41. Married by Morning

42. If you Dare by Kresly Cole

43, If you Desire The MacKarrack Brothers Part 4 by Kresly Cole

44. Thunder and Rose by Mary Jo Putny

45. Hot Shot by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

46. Highlander by Karen Marie Moning

47. Thornbirds by Collen McCullugh

48. Night Magic by Karen Robards

49. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

50. Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsdale

 

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Best Betrayers: Top 25 Worst Acts of Betrayal in Romance Novels

Please Note:  The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to see trailer (with acts of betrayal) and haunting new music video "Dangerous Shadows" inspired by novel.

An act of betrayal by a lover or mate is generally acccompanied by severe emotional distress by the betrayee. Cheating is the most common form, but the act can take many forms, including emotional betrayal. Few women (or men) can forgive and forget such a transgression, as trust is severed with the act. However, when one is deeply in love the decision to walk away can may extremely difficult. Generally, there must be a long period of groveling and the belief that the transgressor has truly learned a valued lesson and can be trusted to maintain integrity in the future. This process is a torturous one for both individuals.

Although living through such an experience is pure hell, it can be therapeudic to vicariously live through the experience of a character in a novel. In fact, much can be learned of human behavior through this process. In the House on Black Lake Alexandra is betrayed at every twist and turn on her journey. Both men and women betray her throughout the story. However, each character is forced to confront the ramifications of their selfishness, while Alexandra's character is strengthened as she learns to become more self reliant, intuitive, and emotionally grounded. Ultimately, when it appears she has been betrayed by them all and most cruelly by Ramey Sandeley, the object of her obsession, her dorment strengths are awakened. Metamorphosis is possible following an act of betrayal. And that is its greatest gift.

The top romance novels featuring acts of betayal are listed below. The list was culled from romance forums and discussions with readers. In no particular order.

1. Dream Man by Linda Howard

2. Perfect sin by Kat Martin

3. Lady Gallant by Suzanne robinson

4. Risk Everything by Sophia Johnson

5. Coyote's Mate by Lora Leigh

6. Almost Forever by Linda Howard

7. The Missing by Shiloh Walker

8. Cry No More by Linda Howard

9. Pulled by Danielle Bannister

10. Angel Creek by Linda Howard

11. Loving Evangeline by Linda Howard

12. My True and Tender Love by Jill Gregory

12. Seducing Simon by Maya Banks

13. That Scandalous Night by Christina Dodd

14. Total Surrender by Cheryl Holt

15. Paradise by Judith McNaught

16. Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught

17. Belong to Me Shayla black

18. Heart of the Outback by Lynn Wilding

19. Take this Regret by Amy Lichthench

20. Gold Ring of Betrayal by Michelle Reid

21. Blue Moon by MacKenzie McKade

22. Bitten by Kelly Armstrong

23. His Bonnie Bride by Hannah Howell

24. Last Chance by Christy Reece

25. Tempt Me Tonight by Toni Blake

 

 

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Dangerous Love: Top Ten Crazy Obsessive Heroes in Romance Novels

Please note - The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to see provocative trailer and music video based on novel.

A dangerously obsessive male can be both highly exciting and a nightmare for a woman. In reality few would desire such a challenge, but held at arms length - inside a novel or on a movie screen, such a man can be enormously intriguing.

The House on Black Lake features three such obsessive males, all very different. Ramey Sandeley's obsession with Alexandra Brighton leads him to the brink of emotional and physical cruelty. He can't help himself, as he has never heard the word "no".  Rock God Georgie La Pointe, on the other hand, grooms his hair in the eyes of his lovers, but when he loses control over his conquest he becomes obsessional. Andre Labat, the sensuous young Frenchman has the same expectation of female surrender and a ruthless desire to level the playing field by seducing the object of his rivals' desire. All men are out of control, and that is what makes them so appealing.

The following top ten are taken from lists of romance lovers and are in no particular order.

1. Simon Boldevar -Crimson Kiss Series  by Trisha Baker

2. Lucien de Malheur "The Scorpian" - Breathless - The House of Rohan by Anne Stuart

3. Judd - Caressed by Ice (Psy-Changelings book 3) by Nalini Singh

4. Dimitri - Archangels Blade (Guild Hunter) by Nalini Singh

5. Zsadist - Black Dagger Brotherhood - by J.R. Ward

6. Conrad Wroth - Immortals After Dark Seriesby Kresly Cole

7. Travis - Beautiful Disaster by Jamie Mcguire

8. Jake - Burning Wild by Christine Freehan

9. Baird - Claimed by Evangeline Anderson

10. Domenico - The Silver Devil by Therese Denys

Sean Culhane from Stormfire is a very controversial "hero" who is hated by most readers, but leaves a powerful impression, nonetheless.

 

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Crazy Love: Most Dangerously Jealous, Obsessive, Possessive Alphas in Romance Novels

Please Note: The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to view provocative trailer filmed by award winning cinematographer.

Scene From "The House on Black Lake" Trailer

The story of The House on Black Lake teems with jealousy and obsession.  World-weary Alexandra Brighton travels with son Samuel to visit the man who has haunted her heart for years. She seeks resolution to an obsession that has brought her former life to ruin. But the fire is only stoked by charismatic Ramey Sandeley. Ramey is a man who has never heard the word "no" and expects life to give him everything he desires. But he has never tasted the drug of love or any desire beyond the physical. The feelings awakened in him by Alexandra are twisted to jealous rage when he learns she has given herself to seductive young French artist Andre Labat.  When she returns to the house he confronts her and threatens to administer a whipping for her discretion. This is only the beginning of a battle of wills that will lead the couple to the edge of destruction and threaten the safety of those caught in their orbit.

Yet, they are not the only ones driven by obsessive feelings. The lake's inhabitants are caught in tormented web of frustrated desire and and the drive to create unity at any cost.

Christian Grey, of Fifty Shades of Grey is the latest in a long line of dark lovers.  Crazy in love, jealous, obsessive, possessive males make intense romance heroes.  The top alpha picks (taken from personal surveys and popular romance forums) can be found in the following novels, in no particular order.

1. A Rose to the Fallen by April Bostic

2. The Smoke Thief  by Shana Abe

3. Queen of Dragons by Shana Abe

4. Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

5. Dark Desire from the Carpathian's Series by Christine Feehan

6.  Halfway to the Grave Night Huntress Series, Book One by Jeaniene Frost

7. The Game Series Complete Collection by Christine Feehan

8.  Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh

9. Dangerous Games Tempting Seals Serices by Lora Leigh

10. Killer Secrets by Lora Leigh

11. Darkyn Series by Lynn Viehn

12. KGI Serices by Maya Banks

13. Dangerous Secrets by Lisa Marie Rice

14. Bitten, Women of the Otherworld, Book 1 by Kelley Armstrong

15. Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison

16, Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

17.  A Hunger Like No Other  by Kresly Cole

18. Forever Mine The Moreno Brothers 1 by Elizabeth Reyes

18. Always Been Mine The Moreno Brothers 11 by Elizabeth Reyes

19. Under the Cowboy's Control by Lynda Chance

20. Blackmailed into Bed by Lynda Chance

21. The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

22. Tempt the Devil by Anna Campbell

23. Playing Easy To Get Immortals After Dark 1 by Kresly cole

24. Pleasure of a Dark Prince Immortals After Dark Series by Kresley Cole

25. Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices, book 1 by Cassandra Clare

26. One Bite With A Stranger The Others Book 6, by Christine Warren

27. Submissive Desires by Carolyn Faukner -  SD chronicles a woman's journey of complete submission under control of dominant ex navy seal. The book is erotic and too extreme for most, but well written  for those who enjoy or desire insights into world of BDSM.

I was recently interviewed about obsessive, possessive love.  Here are my thoughts.

 

 

 

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20 Best "I Love You" Scenes in Romance Novels

Please Note: "The House on Black Lake" has been adapted to screenplay. To view provocative trailer filmed by acclaimed cinematographer go to Home Page.

Tender, vulnerable words, and the expression of  "I love you" are powerful when spoken by a man for the first time. This is especially true of a powerful alpha male.

In The House on Black Lake Ramey Sandeley breaks down at one point and tells Alexandra: "The first time I saw you was the first time I felt myself come alive. Your eyes pierced through mine like razor blades and I saw in you all the wonders of the universe. I felt I had found my mate, someone I could share all the crazy fantasies, ideas and dreams. And in the darkness, every night, I wished you close to me to stave off the montrous evils that dogged me. It was you, only you . . ."

Later, Alexandra asks Ramey to tell her he loves her, even if he doesn't mean it. He expresses his love and tells her he means it. Later Ramey recants his statement and exclaims that he doesn't believes loves exists, it's only nature's way of assuring reproduction. Yet, Alexandra will not accept this definition. She believes we feel love because we wish to create, not replicate. Their struggle to resolve  feelings will lead both to the brink of destruction, and to experience a powerful new emotion, neither has ever  felt.

I have researched romance novel forums to determine the most popular novels with great "I love you" scenes. The top novels are as follows:

1. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

2. Paradise by Judith McNaught

3. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught

 4. The Duchess by Jude Devereaux

5. Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale

6. Rough Riders Series by Lorelie James

7. Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series) by J.R. Ward

8. . Persuasion by Jan Austen

9. Almost Heaven by Judith McNaught

10. Texas Destiny by Lorraine Heath

11. Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon

12. After The Storm by Tia Isabella

13. Shades of Twilight by Linda Howard

14. Last Chance Rescue Series by Christy Reece

15. Keegan's Lady by Catherine Anderson

16. Simply Love by Catherine Anderson

17. Crazy for Lovin' You by Lisa G. Brown

19. Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas

20. Simply Love by Catherine Anderson

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20 Best Bad Boys in Romance Novels

Scene from "The House on Black Lake" trailer

Please Note:  The House on Black Lake has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to view cinematic trailer.

The House on Black Lake has three bad boys who push the boundaries of "good girl" Alexandra Brighton. Preternaturally good looking Ramey Sandeley was  born to wealth and power, rides a horse like a native, shoots wild game like a professional, and seduces every creature that crosses his path. He has never heard the word "No". Georgie La Pointe, Ramey's cousin, is a tanned and  muscle bound Canadian rock star who has never dated the same woman more than once and grooms his hair in the eyes of his admirers. Andra Labat is a seductive French Canadian artist who woos conservative Alexandra Brighton to his bed within hours of meeting her, and remains charming and seductive as he lures her into a web of deadly intensions.

Most women have loved a bad boy at least once in their lives. My personal favorite bad boy boyfriend was a 6'7" New Zealander with wavy dark hair to his shoulders. The perfect man to date after a messy divorce.  He was utterly primitive, an outlaw, and untamable. One day I plan to hunt him back down and write a non fiction account of our reunion. But until then... here is my list.

I have chosen the top twenty best bad boys in romance novels based in input from fans and forums (thanks to Amazon community).

1. Lucky's Lady by Tami Hoag - Lucky Loucet is a diamond in the rough Cajun.
2. One Summer by Karen Robards - Johnny accused of murder as student, gets involved with teacher when on parole.
3.  Coming Undone by Lauren Dane - Brody is tattoo artist drives motorcycle.
4. Crazy series by Tara Jantzen -Creed Rivera is surfer/pick pocket turned SDF agent.
5. Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Nykyrion is human/alien assassin.
6. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward - Wrath is vampire warrior.
7. Behind Closed Doors by Shannon McKenna - Seth Mackey is sexy detective.
8. Ice series by Anne Stuart - Serafin is a mercenary, assassin, and the most dangerous man in the world.
9. Breeds series by Lora Leigh - Callen is a genetic experiment - half man/half lion.
10. Night Play by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Vane is a werewolf with magical powers.
11. Demonica series by Larissa Ione - Wraith is a Seminous demon with a death wish.
12. Archangel's Blade(A Guild Hunter Novel) by Nalini Singh - Raphael is intense archangel.
13. Mackenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard - Wolf is powerful, mysterious, sensuous, flawed vet.
14. My Immortal Highlander(McNachton Vampires Book 3) by Karen Marie Moning - Adam Black is immortal, arrogant, and  an intensely sensual seducer.
14. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas - 30 seconds alone with Sebastian, Lord St. Vincent, will ruin any girl's reputation.
15.  Heart of Fire by Linda Howard.
16. Midnight Secrets(Men of Midnight Book 3) by Lisa Marie Rice - John Huntington is sexy ex Navy Seal
17. Night Huntress Series by Jeannine Frost - Bones is sexy ancient vampire with agenda.
18. Midnight Awakening: A Midnight Breed Novel(The Midnight Breed Series Book 3) by Lara Adrian - Lucan is detective/leader of elite vampire warriors.
19. Truly, Madly Yours by Rachel Gibson - Nick is a motorcycle riding love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy - second chance love with bb.
20. Breathing Room by Susan Elizabeth Philips - Ren is movie star/playboy.
In a series of interviews author Anastasia Blackwell talks about bad boys. Here is an excerpt:

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Best Forbidden Love Romance Novels

 ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. The e-book will be delivered to your Kindle on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. In the epic love story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, forbidden love is a central theme, and taboos are broken by both hero and heroine, and a host of supporting characters.

In The House on Black Lake Alexandra Brighton meets Ramey Sandeley months after they each have wed another. They both fall in love at first sight, but it is too late. Ramey's wife is pregnant with their first child, and Alexandra is impregnated that night by her husband. Years later, a world weary, Alexandra journeys to Black Lake to find resolution to the obsession that has kept her captive for years.  She is now single, but he is still married and the father of five children. In addition to the lure of infidelity, the taboo of incest, racial and age differences, and marital bisexuality are also explored.

Below are listed thirty favorite forbidden love romances. Thanks to Amazon romance community for their input.

1. Forbidden by Tabith Suzanna - Soon to be released. The novel deals with brother/sister incest in a sensitive manner that is both illuminating and heart breaking

2. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullogh - a young priest's faith is tested when he falls in love with a and beautiful woman

3. The Scarlet Letter   by Nathaniel Hawthorne - A Puritan woman has an affair and illegitamate child with priest that leads to her being tagged with the scarlet letter

4. The Object of Love by Sharon Cullars -  a woman's son dies and when his friend returns (now a handsome young man) she finds herself falling for him.

5. By possession by Madeline Hunter - a master and his serf

6. Indigo Love Spectrum by different authors - publisher specializes in romance stories with African American women with white men.

7. Through a Dark Mistby Marsha Canham -Medieval tale - a young woman is set to be wed in an arranged marriage but falls in love with an outlaw en route

8. Surrender by Pamela Clare (Mackinnon Rangers Series) - Western -  Religious difference - protestant/catholic. Everyone warns them to stay away from each other, but to no avail

9. Untamed (Mackinnon Rangers Series) by Pamela Clare - H is a prisoner of war

10. Sweet Release by Pamela Clare - H is a criminal and h purchases him, trusts and believes in him

11. Stranger by Elizabeth Lane - h a widowed mother and H a drifter. She isn't aware that he was with the group of men who killed her husband and tortured her years before

12. Lakota Love Song - and others, by Madeline Baker. Her novels focus on Native American men and white women

13. Fever by Katherine Sutcliffe - h is a young heiress of a plantation and H   poor overseer.

14. Star series by Patricia Potter - entire series features forbidden love

15. The Bounty by Beth Williamson -  H is hired to capture h, then falls in love

16. Diablo by Georgina Gentry - Western - h is a lady and H is a drifter/ gun for hire. H kidnaps h for revenge on her fiance, then  falls in love with her

17. Relentless by Patricia Potter - she's his captive, the daughter of the man he desires to revenge

18. The Heat by Heather Killough Walden - h falls for her best friend's brother despite friend's insistence she keep away

19. Shelter Mountain by Robyn Carr -  H loves h but won't persue her because she's married

20. Star Bright by Catherine Anderson  h is married to an abusive man and H isn't sure if it's reasonable to act on his feelings

21. Heartless by Diane Palmer - h and H are step-siblings

22. Perfect by Judith McNaught - H is a criminal on the run from jail, wanted for murder and h falls for him

23. No Chance by Christy Reece- h is very wealthy and H is very poor. Her father forbids them to marry, then when they do he destroys marriage. Eight years later they have a second chance at love.

24. Second Chance by Christy Reece - H is responsible for her husband's death and knows he should tell her, but gets involved nonetheless

25. Run to me by Christy Reece - h has amnesia and H knows he should walk away because they have a terrible past, but his love for her is too power to resist

26. Unlawful Contact by Pamela Clare - H escapes from prison and is wanted by the law and h helps him

27. Stealing Midnight by Tracy MacNish - h is a strange, abused, and sheltered young woman who has an insane father. h saves H from her father. His feelings for her are marred by fact that she is so strange his family will likely never accept her

28. Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas - H is hired to bring h home to her fiance but instead marries her himself

29. The Last Highwayman by Katherine O'Neal - H is an outlaw bandit and h is a duchess. Their love is fierce, although circumstances conspire to keep them apart

30. Stealing Heavenby Jaclyn Reding - h's family will not allow her to be with H and attempt to marry her off to someone else

31. Wife by Contract, Mistress by Demand by Carole Mortimer - H is much older than the h and she's loved him since she was in her teens

32.Texas Destiny - h falls for brother of her fiance

33.Passion (Fallen) by Lauren Kate - paranormal - YA - star crossed lovers over the centuries

34.Heart of the West series by Maggie Brendan - h falls for husband's brother

35. November of the Heart by LaVryle Spencer - H is rich, H poor

36.The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh - Regency - H is married, after night of paid love he asks h to work in home

37. One Summer by Karen Robarbs - teacher and student - five years age difference - H paroled prison for murder of girlfriend, h believes him innocent

38. Grave Sight - paranormal that gradually unveils step sibling romance
Forbidden Love is so Sweet:

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Reunited: Best Second Chance Romance Novels

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Ramey Sandeley and Alexandra Brighton Reunite in Scene from Trailer

ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER. The e-book will be delivered to your Kindle on Sunday, May 14, 2017. Be the first to read, review, and start discussions on forums. The epic story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, features characters forced to abandon love, but fight to reunite, against all odds.

Reunited romance is popular in fiction, as in real life. Often a highly charged attraction cannot be realized as one or both are in a committed relationship. Or, one spurns, and then returns to woo or be won. Time apart can bring great change in individuals and offer opportunity for grown and maturity. Fate usually has its way, one way or another, so if an attraction is strong enoughh generally there will be a reunion at some point in the future.

In The House on Black Lake Alexandra Brighton meets Ramey Sandeley months after they have each married another. When he first takes her eyes she experiences a powerful connection.That night she makes love to her husband and pretends she is making love to Ramey. Nine months to the day she gives birth to a son.

Nearly 12 years later, now in the throes of a vicious divorce battle, she is invited to vacation at the Sandeley’s summer home on Black Lake. Alexandra does not make the journey to seduce Ramey Sandeley, as he is married with 5 children.  Rather, she makes the journey to release herself from him. However, she does not bargain on the fact that he is just as obsessed and tormented by the fateful evening, and their attempts to find resolution draw them into a dangerous web of betrayal and deceit.

Other popular novels featuring second hand love (thanks to Amazon romance form for input) are listed below.  None of the heroines are easily won back.

1. Libertine’s Kiss by Judith James – the couple were childhood playmates/sweethearts and got separated, she went on to get married and widowed and finds the H again when she goes to petition for her lands, H helps her

2. Devil Takes a Bride by Gaelen Foley  -H spurns h, then has to woo her back

3. The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Moran - h thinks the H abandoned her, H thinks the h is dead, when they meet the h doesn't want to rekindle because it brings up bad memories, so the H pursues

4. Tempt Me Tonight by Toni Blake - H and h were high school sweethearts, H cheated on h and they broke up. Years later she returns to town and they rekindle, lots of groveling by H.

5. Edge of Sight (The Guardian Angelinos) by Roxanne St. Clare - H and h hook up and then split up due to H. Three years later h needs help in a situation and H becomes bodyguard.

6. Forget Me Not (Navy Seals, Book 1) by Marliss Melton - H is solider captured for a year, presumed dead, then returns with amnesia. h has moved on with life.

7. Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley - H and h separated for years, after H treated her badly. H wants to reunite.

8. The Sins of Lord Easterbrook by Madeline Hunter - H and h intrigued by one another, but circumstances prevent them getting together. They meet up again and he pursues.

9. Three Nights by Debra Mullins - H and h have arrangement for three nights of sex to forgive father’s dept.  h gets pregnant and thinks H abandons her, but actually he is captured away for years. When he gets back and finds out about the child he wants a real relationship.

10. Wild Card by Lora Leigh - H is a Navy Seal who is forced to assume new identity. h believes he is dead, but when he returns to protect her from trouble, they must pretend to not know each other.

11. The Sweet Gum Tree by Catherine Allred – Couple meet as children and friendship turns to love. H suddenly departs after death of father. H has fifteen years of struggles and family heartbreak, then one day H shows up in town.
12. Addicted by Charlotte Featherstone - historical – Young friends and lover find their relationship ruined by H’s opium addiction, h later tries to help him get over his addiction.

14. A Place to Call Home by Deborah Smith – Star crossed lovers meet as children on opposite side of tracks. H is son of abusive father, h is his champion. Twenty years pass until they meet again.

15. The Missing by Shiloh Ward - psychic, paranormal about troubled young woman with psychic powers and young man who helps her define her gifts by befriending, then leaving her, and returning when he needs help

15. To Die For: a Novel by Linda Howard  - H breaks off with her because he thinks she's "high maintenance". He's a cop and when he thinks she's been killed at her place of business, he realizes he loves her. Light hearted.

More to come . . .

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20 Great Heartbreak Romance Novels

THE HOUSE ON BLACK LAKE has been adapted to screenplay. Go to Home Page to view provocative trailer filmed by acclaimed cinematographer.

Although I would not consider my novel a tear jerker, the characters are tormented and fight to overcome the pain of heartbreak throughout the story. It is the struggle to overcome heartbreak that generally leads to transformative change. Sometimes it is refreshing to experience the intense struggles of others to know that we are not alone in experiencing life's disappointments, tragedies, and thwarted passions. A good cry is therapeutic, an internal cleansing of sorts.

The following is a list of the top 20 romance novels that will break you heart.  Thanks to Amazon romance forum for input.

 Authors Linda Howard, Susan Johnson (particularly Wicked) Julie Garwood, Suzanne Brockman, and Sherilyn Kenyon, Judith McNaught,  are all masters of heartbreak.

In no particular order:

1. Bitter Eden, Sharon Salvato

2. Vulnerable, by Amy Lane

3. Ruby Dynasty Series - Catherine Asaro

4. Enchanted, by Elizabeth Lowell

5. The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks

6. The Tempting Seals Series, by Lora Leigh, start with Dangerous Games, Hidden Agendas, Killer Secrets, Wild Card.

7. Dream a Little Dream, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

8. When There is Hope, by Jane Goodger

9. The Crossroads Cafe, by Deborah Smith

10. At First Sight read True Believer first, by Nicholas Sparks

11. Pink Moon, by Stef Ann Holme

12. Jackson Rule, by Dinah McCall

13. Sugar Daddy and The Blue Eyed Devil, by Lisa Kleptas

14. Keegan's Lady, by Catherine Anderson

15. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas, by James Patterson

16. To the Ends of , by Elizabeth Lowell

17. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers

18. Outlander Series, Diana Gabledon

19, A Knight in Shining Armor, by Jude Devereau

20. A Summer to Remember, Mary Balogh

Anastasia Blackwell in scene from trailer

Scene from "The House on Black Lake" trailer


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