Tag: ROMANCE NOVELS

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

All three of the central male characters in [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] sport tattoos. Charismatic Ramey Sandeley  has "In One Man Lie All the Mysteries of the Universe" in ancient script across the high arch of his perfectly formed backside. Ramey's cousin, Georgie LaPointe, the decadent Montreal rock god, has an intricate tribal band encircling his immense triceps. And sensuous French artist Andre Labat has a vicious rattler inked up his arm. There is also a tattooed and pierced Oriana, who has a taste for both sexes and hidden rooms in the back of her Old Montreal salon where taboos are broken by discreet adults.

In a dream sequence (or perhaps a look into her future) protagonist Alexandra Brighton dreams she is tied to a four poster and about to receive a branding of her lover's initials as part of her wedding ceremony. The finality of the ceremony will have her branding the groom in turn, followed by consummation of their unbreakable vows. A ring may be removed - but a branding is forever. Alexandra has lived her life as "the good girl", the perfect daughter, wife, and mother. But society does not reward her efforts as she seeks freedom from a suffocating marriage. She is about to turn "bad" and the trio of men will aid in her journey to self actualization.

I have researched romance forums (thanks to Amazon community and others) and the following novels feature the best of the tattooed and pierced heroes/anti heroes  in romance novels.  The novels featuring the marked bad boys are as follows:

1. [amazon_link id="B004HYH9WM" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ink Spots [/amazon_link] by Lissa Matthews

2. [amazon_link id="1476712042" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Beautiful Disaster[/amazon_link] by Jamie McGuire

3. [amazon_link id="1402245777" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Rock Hard [/amazon_link] by Olivia Cunning

4. [amazon_link id="B003YUCEF2" target="_blank" ]Backstage Pass (Sinners on Tour Book 1)[/amazon_link] by Olivia Cunning

5. [amazon_link id="0425214133" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Nauti Boys Trilogy[/amazon_link] by Lora Leigh

6. [amazon_link id="B003DX0I9O" target="_blank" ]Rock Me (Ross Siblings Book 2)[/amazon_link] by Cherrie Lynn

7. [amazon_link id="B003V8BN9A" target="_blank" ]Making Chase (The Chase Brothers, Book 4)[/amazon_link] by Lauren Dane

8.[amazon_link id="B002HPRBXU" target="_blank" ]Obsession Untamed (Feral Warriors Book 3)[/amazon_link] by Pamela Palmer

9. [amazon_link id="0505526670" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Squeeze Play[/amazon_link] (Richmond Rogue Series)  by Kate Angell - for those who prefer it "light"

10. [amazon_link id="B000UZPI8E" target="_blank" ]Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 5)[/amazon_link] by J.R. Ward - a number to choose from

11.  [amazon_link id="B015CJIK4Q" target="_blank" ]Lead Me On (Tumble Creek)[/amazon_link] by Victoria Dahl

12. [amazon_link id="B009CBG6QK" target="_blank" ]Rough Edges[/amazon_link] by Ashlynn Pierce

13. [amazon_link id="1608202283" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Redeeming Characters[/amazon_link] by Jennefer L. Hart

14.[amazon_link id="B00O4H5EJ2" target="_blank" ]Tempting Alibi[/amazon_link] by Sylvannah Stuart

15. [amazon_link id="B00452VBHU" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Cracklin' Rosie: Blue Jeans and Hard Hats [/amazon_link] book 2 by Lissa Matthews

16. [amazon_link id="B003VYAY6C" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Carnal Ecstacy[/amazon_link] by Lisa Matthews

17.[amazon_link id="B002WEPC7I" target="_blank" ]What the Librarian Did[/amazon_link] by Karina Bliss

18. [amazon_link id="B01BTASH3G" target="_blank" ]ICE (The Elite Forces Series Book 1)[/amazon_link] by Anne Stuart

19. [amazon_link id="0804119740" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lady of Desire[/amazon_link] by Galen Foley

20. [amazon_link id="0373772467" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lords of the Underworld[/amazon_link] series by Gena Showalter

The sexy male model  featured on Pamela Palmers cover of Hunger Untamed  is featured in The House on Black Lake trailer, which may be viewed on Home Page.

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 [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="0060531231" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]When He Was Wicked [/amazon_link]by Julia Quinn

2.[amazon_link id="0671776800" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Paradise[/amazon_link] by Judith McNaught

3. [amazon_link id="0671737619" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Kingdom of Dreams[/amazon_link] by Judith McNaught

 4. [amazon_link id="067168972X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Duchess[/amazon_link] by Jude Devereaux

5. [amazon_link id="0380761327" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Flowers From the Storm[/amazon_link] by Laura Kinsale

6. [amazon_link id="1599987430" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Rough Riders Series[/amazon_link] by Lorelie James

7. [amazon_link id="0451947630" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lover Awakened[/amazon_link] (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series) by J.R. Ward

8. [amazon_link id="193659451X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]. Persuasion [/amazon_link]by Jan Austen

9. [amazon_link id="0671742558" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Almost Heaven [/amazon_link]by Judith McNaught

10. [amazon_link id="1568654650" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Texas Destiny[/amazon_link] by Lorraine Heath

11. [amazon_link id="0440423201" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Outlander Series[/amazon_link] by Diana Gabaldon

12. [amazon_link id="1419957694" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]After The Storm[/amazon_link] by Tia Isabella

13. [amazon_link id="0671019716" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Shades of Twilight [/amazon_link]by Linda Howard

14. [amazon_link id="0345517741" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Last Chance Rescue Series[/amazon_link] by Christy Reece

15. [amazon_link id="B00126A5T2" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Keegan's Lady [/amazon_link]by Catherine Anderson

16. [amazon_link id="0380791021" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Simply Love[/amazon_link] by Catherine Anderson

17. [amazon_link id="0061082139" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Crazy for Lovin' You[/amazon_link] by Lisa G. Brown

19. [amazon_link id="0312605382" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Married by Morning[/amazon_link] by Lisa Kleypas

20. [amazon_link id="0380791021" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Simply Love[/amazon_link] by Catherine Anderson

Khor play by Jason Momea in the HBO hit A Game of Thrones based on the novel of the same name, has awakened many women to the sexiness of giant alphas, particularly the primitive sort. The novel I am currently working is titled "The Chamber of Curiosities" and features a very sexy giant, Darney Vasquez, who is purchased as a young man and displayed in a carnival freak show. He is a very popular feature of the show, and soon both performers and patrons are transformed in very unexpected ways by the preternaturally beautiful  and soulful creature.

Also, the primary male characters in The House on Black Lake are all tall and well built. Though not giants, most women are frail and vulnerable in comparison to their girth and stature. There is something very sexy about an unusally large male specimen, both men and women are intrigued by the breed, which is an element of  the popularity of sports spectacles. They are anomaly and the more exaggerated their physicality, the greater the appeal.

The sexiest giant alphas in romance novels, as voted for by women who are experts in the romance genre, are as follows:

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.

[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] 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).

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

Ramey Sandeley, the Hero of "[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link]" is physically perfect, which means he has a price to pay. He is internally scarred due to the suicide of his mother, a tricked marriage, and the loss of something so dear his fate is in peril. Perfection gives him the right to anything he desires, yet he is incapable of having his deepest needs met. The man is tortured, conflicted, and lost, yet on the surface he appears to have it all.

There are other suffering heroes in novels of romance that share this curse, and others who face physical disfigurement  Each is charged with the same challenge - to find love with a woman who will overlook flaws and accept without judgment. Alexandra, the heroine of "The House on Black Lake", says of Ramey, "If beauty is nothing without a dark river running through it, then Ramey Sandeley has more than God gave him, he now claims the greatest of God's gifts."

Alexandra is possibly more evolved than other women, as she has experienced life as "a freak". The right side of her face was paralyzed after the birth of her first child. A vow at St. Joseph's shrine, "Truth for Beauty" cured her malady but left her with a price to pay. She must seek out her rightful destiny in return for her unmarked face.

[amazon_link id="1936594323" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Phantom of the Opera[/amazon_link] is the quintessential story of a scarred hero, both inside and out.  I love [amazon_link id="B0007TKNII" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]the film [/amazon_link]with Gerard Butler. The following are the top romance novels with flawed/scarred heroes. Information is culled from discussions with fans and Amazon Romance forum.

1[amazon_link id="0821764039" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Exposure [/amazon_link]by Susan Anderson

2. [amazon_link id="0671702513" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Prize[/amazon_link] by Julie Garwood

3.[amazon_link id="0446611808" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Envy[/amazon_link] by Sandra Brown

4. [amazon_link id="0553573225" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Home Fires[/amazon_link] by Luanne Rice

5. [amazon_link id="0440241979" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Simply Love [/amazon_link]by Mary Balogh

6. [amazon_link id="0553293168" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ravished[/amazon_link] by Amanda Quick

7. [amazon_link id="1936594196" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Jane Eyre [/amazon_link]by Charlotte Bronte

8. [amazon_link id="0743297334" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Sun Also Rises [/amazon_link]by Ernest Hemingway

9. [amazon_link id="0061794716" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Feral Warriors [/amazon_link]Series by Patricia Palmer

10. [amazon_link id="067187750X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Fire Rose [/amazon_link]by Mercedes Lackey

11. [amazon_link id="B0040RMFJS" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Running Hot[/amazon_link] by Jayne Ann Krentz

12. [amazon_link id="0758204272" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Lover[/amazon_link] by Robin Shone

13. [amazon_link id="0373770227" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Lord of the Desert[/amazon_link] by Diane Palmer

14. [amazon_link id="051512866X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Winter Garden [/amazon_link]by Adele Ashworth

16. [amazon_link id="0440129818" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] The Gentle Pirate[/amazon_link] by Stephanie James

17. [amazon_link id="0061684287" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Captive of Sin[/amazon_link] by Anna Campbell

18. [amazon_link id="0615252656" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Music Box Danseur[/amazon_link] by Marlene K. Slade - the story is about two men, but many  women seem to love this book about mismatched lovers

19. [amazon_link id="034553087X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Midnight Breed [/amazon_link]Series by Lara Adrian

20. [amazon_link id="0312376871" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dark Hunters[/amazon_link] Series by Sherilyn Kenyon

21. [amazon_link id="1416563458" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Defeat the Darkness[/amazon_link] (Paladin Series) by A. Morgon

22. [amazon_link id="B0044KM0ZU" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Indian Rose [/amazon_link]by Emma Daniels

23. [amazon_link id="0345521226" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Troubleshooter[/amazon_link] Series by Suzanne Brockman

24. [amazon_link id="1604359064" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Beneath the Surface [/amazon_link]by Marie Rochelle

25. [amazon_link id="0451226739" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Comanche Heart[/amazon_link] by Catherine Anderson

26. [amazon_link id="0446406937" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To Beguile a Beast [/amazon_link]by Elizabeth Hoyt

27. [amazon_link id="0425229025" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Bengal's Heart [/amazon_link]by Lora Leigh

28. [amazon_link id="0061340294" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]When Seducing a Duke [/amazon_link]by Katherine Smyth

29. [amazon_link id="0312938837" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dream Warrior [/amazon_link]by Sherrilyn Kenyon

30. [amazon_link id="0373775237" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Darkest Kiss [/amazon_link]by Gena Showalter.

31. [amazon_link id="0380756250" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Once a Princess[/amazon_link] by Johanna Lindsey.

 
32. [amazon_link id="0821764039" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Exposure [/amazon_link]by Susan Anderson.

33. [amazon_link id="0425214494" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Warriors of Poseidon[/amazon_link], Alyssa Day

34. [amazon_link id="1568654650" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Texas Destiny [/amazon_link]by Lorraine Heath

35.[amazon_link id="0821754858" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Tapestry[/amazon_link] by Karen Ranney

 ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities is now available to download. The epic love story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, offers forbidden love is a central theme, and taboos are broken by both hero, 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 Spectrumby different authors - publisher specializes in romance stories with African American women with white men.

7.  Through a Dark Mist by 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 Heave by 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:

r.

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 [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="0373775059" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Libertine’s Kiss[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="0804119759" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Devil Takes a Bride[/amazon_link] by Gaelen Foley  -H spurns h, then has to woo her back

3. [amazon_link id="1416567038" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Duke of Shadows [/amazon_link]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. [amazon_link id="0061136093" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Tempt Me Tonight [/amazon_link]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. [amazon_link id="0446566586" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Edge of Sight [/amazon_link](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. [amazon_link id="0446614823" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Forget Me Not[/amazon_link] (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. [amazon_link id="0425235459" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage [/amazon_link]by Jennifer Ashley - H and h separated for years, after H treated her badly. H wants to reunite.

8. [amazon_link id="0440243963" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Sins of Lord Easterbrook[/amazon_link] by Madeline Hunter - H and h intrigued by one another, but circumstances prevent them getting together. They meet up again and he pursues.

9. [amazon_link id="0060561661" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Three Nights [/amazon_link]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. [amazon_link id="0312945795" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Wild Card[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="1419953249" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Sweet Gum Tree[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="0373605285" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Addicted[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="0553578138" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Place to Call Home[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="B0020MMBP8" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Missing[/amazon_link] 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. [amazon_link id="0345476255" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To Die For: a Novel[/amazon_link] 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 . . .

W

Anastasia Blackwell poses during filming of music video for "The House on Black Lake", featuring aerial artists from Trapezepro on Sky Ranch in Sonoma.

[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]THE HOUSE ON BLACK LAKE[/amazon_link] 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 [amazon_link id="1551665492" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Linda Howard[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="042524041X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Susan Johnson[/amazon_link] (particularly Wicked) [amazon_link id="052595225X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Julie Garwood[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0345521226" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Suzanne Brockman[/amazon_link], and [amazon_link id="0515140791" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Sherilyn Kenyon[/amazon_link], [amazon_link id="0671737635" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Judith McNaught,[/amazon_link]  are all masters of heartbreak.

In no particular order:

1. [amazon_link id="1905147945" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Bitter Eden[/amazon_link], Sharon Salvato

2. [amazon_link id="0595337465" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Vulnerable[/amazon_link], by Amy Lane

3. [amazon_link id="1416555145" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ruby Dynasty Series[/amazon_link] - Catherine Asaro

4. [amazon_link id="0380772574" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Enchanted[/amazon_link], by Elizabeth Lowell

5. [amazon_link id="0446605239" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Notebook[/amazon_link], by Nicholas Sparks

6. [amazon_link id="0312939922" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Tempting Seals Series[/amazon_link], by Lora Leigh, start with Dangerous Games, Hidden Agendas, Killer Secrets, Wild Card.

7. [amazon_link id="0380794470" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Dream a Little Dream,[/amazon_link] by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

8. [amazon_link id="0312958609" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]When There is Hope[/amazon_link], by Jane Goodger

9. [amazon_link id="0976876051" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Crossroads Cafe,[/amazon_link] by Deborah Smith

10. [amazon_link id="0446401269" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]At First Sight[/amazon_link] read[amazon_link id="B0036DBL60" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] True Believer [/amazon_link]first, by Nicholas Sparks

11. [amazon_link id="0778320863" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Pink Moon[/amazon_link], by Stef Ann Holme

12.[amazon_link id="0061083917" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] Jackson Rule[/amazon_link], by Dinah McCall

13. [amazon_link id="B000Q80SQM" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Sugar Daddy [/amazon_link]and [amazon_link id="0312351658" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Blue Eyed Devil[/amazon_link], by Lisa Kleptas

14. [amazon_link id="B00126A5T2" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Keegan's Lady[/amazon_link], by Catherine Anderson

15. [amazon_link id="0446611085" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas[/amazon_link], by James Patterson

16. [amazon_link id="0380767589" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To the Ends of [/amazon_link], by Elizabeth Lowell

17. [amazon_link id="1601420617" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Redeeming Love[/amazon_link], by Francine Rivers

18. [amazon_link id="0385319959" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Outlander Series[/amazon_link], Diana Gabledon

19,[amazon_link id="0743457269" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] A Knight in Shining Armor[/amazon_link], by Jude Devereau

20.[amazon_link id="0440236630" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] A Summer to Remember[/amazon_link], Mary Balogh

Scene from "The House on Black Lake" trailer

The world went mad for Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey, But he is preceded by a long line of dark lovers in film and literature.

Wade Gotwals and Anastasia Blackwell in Scene HOBL trailer

ATTENTION READERS: New Romantic Fantasy, The Chamber of Curiosities has been published.The epic story, set in a carnival in an ancient land, features an obsessive, possessive romance hero and heroine, as well as supporting characters with intense love obsessions.

Nothing is more rewarding than delving into the psyche of an obsessive, possessive, romance hero. A sexy, powerful man possessed with love has undeniable allure.

Ramey Sandeley from The House on Black Lake is an obsessive, possessive male who has never heard the word "no".  Ramey first appears in the novel sweaty and burnt, fresh from branding animals with his custom tools. He believes his preternatural good looks, charm, wealth, and power afford him the right to own whatever and whomever he desires. But he meets his match with Alexandra Brighton, who, after having been possessed by her previous husband, and having made a vow at a shrine to be true to her manifest destiny, will no longer allow herself to be owned or controlled by anyone.

The night Alexandra arrives at Black Lake with her young son she is world weary from a brutal divorce, and in a highly vulnerable state. Soon after she is rowed out by Ramey and his wife to stay in a deserted Victorian in an island, with no way out. That night she dreams she is tied to a four poster, waiting for a burning brand to seal her wedding vows. Their battle of wills will lead them both to the brink of self destruction, and threaten the lives of those caught in their orbit.

To be adored to the point of obsession is truly a rare and beautiful thing.  Possessed film heroes can be found in - Twilight, Legends of the Fall[ The Phantom of the Opera Cruel Intentions, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Meet Joe Black, Possession, King Arthur, The Last of the Mohicans, Ladyhawke, Tristan and Isolde, The Thorn Birds, A Streetcar Named Desire. The Man Who Cried  features Johnny Depp as a gypsy who rides a beautiful white horse, and Original Sin offers some of the sexiest scenes on film as Antonio Banderas outplays Angelina Jolie at her own dangerous game, with her possessive brother played to perfection by Thomas Jane (of Hung).  There are also notable darkly seductive tortured souls in literature, and many of the aforementioned tales began as novels.

Following are a few novels that feature such brooding males:

The Carpathian Series by Christine Freehan

An Independant Wife by Linda Howard

Immortals After Dark Series by Cresley Cole

The Madness of Lord Ian McKenzie by Jennifer Ashley

The Misted Cliffs by Catherine Asaro

The Silver Devil and The Flesh and the Devil[/amazon_link], by Teres Denys - Note: These are cult classics and can be expensive

The Wolf and the Dove by Cathleen Woodiwess

To Love an Earl by Elizabeth Thornton.

The Devil's Embrace. Catherine Coulter's first novel. Some have called it creepy, cruel, and disgusting, but everyone has their own tastes.

The Ground She Walks Upon by Meagan McKinney

The House of RohanRuthless, Breathless, Reckless, by Ann Stuart

Shadow Heart by Laura Kinsdale

Uncommon Vows by Mary Joe Putney

Double Standards by Judith McNaught

Gold Ring of Betrayal by Michelle Reed

Murder Game Ghostwalkers series 7 by Michelle Freehan

Into the Dark Lands by Michelle Sagora

The Dark Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop

Prince of Dreams  by Lisa Kleypas

The Chamber of Curiosities by Anastasia Blackwell

The Twilight Saga Stehanie Meyers.

Julie Garwood, J.R. Ward, Fallen Angel and Black Dagger Brotherhood Series  Gena Showalter are other notable  authors who specialize in the genre.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 Wuthering Heights offers the supremely perfect, dark, brooding hero, Heathcliff,  Emily Bronte's masterpiece.

Gone with the Wind gives us  Rhett Butler, who is in a class of his own.

For those who desire a darker, more erotic experience the following are well written in this genre:

The Man in the Black Leather Mask  follows a female attorney's transformation from powerful woman to submissive beneath the hands of a ten years younger dominant colleague

Kidnapped for Christmas by Evangeline Anderson - Average, overweight woman's skinny sister plans her own kidnapping as a sexual lark, but man takes wrong woman and the more conservative sister finds herself a submissive to a very sexy man

Surrender To Me by Shayla Black - a woman's secret desire is met by her boyfriend in a Las Vegas trick where he consents to menage with friend, who also happens to be Navy Seal. An obsession is sparked between the woman and her new friend and nothing is the same for the two.

Master of the Mountain by Cherise Sinclair - an less than figure perfect ad agency artist complies with boyfriend's request to visit remote swinger's cabin. During her stay she sees boyfriend with other woman and realizes her relationship is over. However, she meets a man that is emotionally scarred and afraid of commitment who takes her on a journey into the underworld of dominence and submission.

Submissive Desires by Carolyn Faulker. Very severe story of a woman's five year journey to complete submission in the hands of a fiercely powerful and possessive ex Navy Seal.

What will it take to relieve him of his torture?

Obsessive, possessive, brooding romance hero

I was recently interviewed about obsessive possessive love and the character of Ramey Sandeley.  Here are my thoughts:

Thanks to Amazon Romance Community