Happy Halloween!

Okay, so this is the morbid sense of humor I have, heh heh. Just in time for Halloween. Don't eat too much candy if the Trick 'o Treaters can't make it to your door. With all the rain predicted today for where I live, I think it might scare away the kiddies and we'll have a bunch of candy left over, but with the teenage boys in the house, I have a feeling I won't get much of it!

Remember the All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop ends today, so come back tomorrow to find out who is the winner of the cameo necklace and the $20 Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble gift certificate.

Happy Halloween!

~TJB

Still three chances to win a prize!

So much going on! I just wanted to remind you that I'm still on my Dark Angel book blog tour. Please be sure to visit the generous bloggers who are giving me their space for a day. Oh, and remember to sign up for the giveaways (hosted by rafflecopter) featured at some of the blog stops! For the rafflecopter giveaway, at the end of the book blog tour I'm giving away a unique cameo necklace and a $20 gift certificate for either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble, your choice. Here's a picture of the necklace being given away for the blog tour.

I'm also still on the All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop, featuring over 50 Entangled Publishing authors, scheduled to end (you guessed it) on Halloween. Be sure to check out each author's hop since we are all giving away prizes! Mine is another cameo necklace and $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cameo Necklace for All Entangled Eve Halloween Blog HOP! 

Why am I giving away cameo necklaces? Because a cameo necklace is a cherished possession of my heroine, Catherine Briton--and the only thing she brings with her to the Dark Island of Ynys Nos when she is washed ashore after a violent shipwreck.

And finally, as a reward to the followers of my blog here at IMHO, I'm giving away yet another $20 gift certificate for Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble exclusively for followers of IMHO. If you'd like to be a part of my posse, please sign up on my followers link to the bottom right of this column for a chance to win. 

Here are the remaining dates for the rest of the tour:

10/27:  Tens list or interview - Laurie's Thoughts http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com/

10/28:  Guest post - Mark of the Stars http://markofthestars.com/

10/29:  Guest post - Books to Get Lost In - http://bookstogetlostin.blogspot.com/

10/30:  Spotlight - Deal Sharing Aunt - http://dealsharingaunt.com

11/1:  Spotlight - In Shadows - http://brynnacurryguests.blogspot.com

11/3:  Interview - Romance with Flavor - http://www.romancewithflavor.com

11/4:  Spotlight - Must Read Faster - http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com

11/5:  Interview - Books n Kisses - http://books-n-kisses.com

11/6:  Interview - Becky on Books http://beckymmoe.com

11/6:  2nd stop - Spotlight - http://www.myeroticnotions.blogspot.com/ 

11/7:  Spotlight - Le Book  Squirrel -  http://lebooksquirrel.blogspot.com/

11/8:  Interview - You Gotta Read Reviews - http://yougottaread.com

Hope to visit with you soon!
~TJ Bennett

Should Christians read R-rated books?

Caveat: I'm doing what I said I would never do: talk about religion in my blog. Bear with me, please. Nothing I say below is intended to offend or provoke anyone. Nor am I trying to proselytize. I'm actually speaking to believers with the blog below, so if you aren't one, feel free to skip this post and go onto the next (which features a picture of a very handsome man).

Okay, now that it's just the two of us, let me be clear: I do not write Christian or inspirational novels. But my faith is a part of everything I do and everything I am. My stories reflect the deeply flawed choices that deeply flawed humans make. As a writer who is also a believer and follower of Christ, I have struggled with this question for a long time: should I write R-rated? Should I read it?

I write very frankly about relationships between men and women in a real world way. I have been criticized by Christians for the portrayal of sensuality in my books; one reader on a review website even called my books "porn," which quite frankly took me aback. Porn is degrading to women and anathema to building relationships. That is definitely not what my stories are about. I think what they count as porn was simply the frank depiction of human sensuality. In that case, Song of Solomon in the Old Testament would have to be considered porn.

Ultimately, as Dr. Jerram Barrs explains in this video in which he discusses whether Christians should watch R-rated films, it is the context of these portrayals which must be taken into consideration. Are the portrayals intended to uplift or degrade?

I think a lot of what he states is right on target and can be applied to novels as well as films. I have struggled for a long time with how to address this very question to those Christians who ask me why I write (or read) these sorts of books.

So here I am, trying to explain.

I have an interest in the ways men and women relate to one another, both good and bad, beautiful and ugly, right and wrong, and my choices reflect that. While my stories aren't true, they are, I hope, real, and readers identify with that reality. I'm like them, they think. I want to be loved unconditionally. I want to experience the sort of physical union that comes as a result of the union of two souls committed to one another unto death. The yearning to be loved unconditionally, which is often reflected in romance novels, is one that I believe is an echo of the yearning we have toward God--the only one who can truly love us unconditionally.

So, if you are a believer, and you want to explore those questions along with me, understand that there may be sex. There may be swearing. There may be bad choices. But, ultimately, there will be life, love, an uplifting union, and a happily ever after. Because in God's book, the good guys win; in mine, they do too.

That's not to say that every romance novel fits the criteria of being uplifting. And some, quite frankly, degrade the very people they are intended to entertain. I don't read those. That's my choice. You'll have to make yours.

If you are uncomfortable with the frank depiction of sexuality between men and women, I wouldn't recommend reading my books. There are many lovely, wonderful books out there that close the bedroom door before the couple climbs into bed, and I can suggest several that I myself have enjoyed. As I get older, in fact, I find I enjoy seeing less of the physical side of relationships in books and more of the emotional side, and my own work is beginning to reflect that. I'm at a different place in my life and asking different questions as a result.

I also don't recommend my books for young readers--I don't allow my own underage teenage boys to read them, although they are well aware of what I write. I suggest to them that they wait until they are mature enough to handle the material, just as my husband and I have monitored which movies they watch and allow them more leniency as they mature and are better able to handle what they see.

My first published book, The Legacy, written about 13 years ago, was pretty frank, and yet I still managed to explore God's love in that one as I have in each successive book. My writing has gotten stronger and I'm able to do more with less, to write tighter, to get more impact with fewer words. Still, please don't be shocked if you pick up one of my books and read a love scene (I've always said I don't write sex scenes, only love scenes) that makes you uncomfortable. If it's not to your taste, find a book that is. There are plenty of other choices out there, and plenty of authors who would love your support. One of the things I love about being a Christian is the freedom it brings to make my own choices while understanding the consequences those choices have, both for me and for those around me. I never want what I write to cause my brother (or sister) to stumble, so if you feel my work might do that for you, feel free to make a different choice.

Thanks for letting me explore this topic with you. I've wanted to for a long time, but never really knew how to say it until now. Yep, even writers have trouble with words sometimes when it counts most.

~TJ Bennett

A glimpse into my writing process

Well, now that I've got your attention...

One of the questions I get asked a lot by aspiring writers is how do I decide what my characters look like? For every writer it is different, of course, but for me it often begins when I spy a picture in a magazine or think about a favorite actor.

The picture above is one I shamelessly ripped out of a magazine at a doctor's office (I think) and took home with me in my purse (hence the fold marks). I had already begun writing Dark Angel and had named my hero Gerard because there were certain qualities about the actor Gerard Butler in Phantom of the Opera that inspired me. However, when I saw this model in a cologne ad, I knew I had found my true Gerard. Read the description I had written before I ever saw this picture:
   
The gray mist of his gaze enveloped mine and blocked all else from the periphery of my vision. The untamed beauty of his face struck me even in my half-conscious state.

   Another woman might have found his high cheekbones and exotic eyes excessively proud or the swarthy hue of his skin too foreign or the black slash of his eyebrows too authoritarian. Nevertheless, to me, he was beautiful like a wild thing was beautiful, some creature of the forest and the fields.

Eerie, right? Even down to the color of his eyes. I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my writing process! 
~TJ Bennett

Blog Tour Schedule Reminder

Hello, fans and friends,

Just a quick reminder that today I kick off my blog tour for Dark Angel: A Gothic Fairy Tale. Please show some love to the generous bloggers who are giving me the floor for the day by dropping by and showing them some love! There will be prizes!

Here's the schedule for the next few days:

10/22: Spotlight - http://www.authormaryhcollins.com/blog.html

10/23:  Guest post - Bea's Book Nook  http://beasbooknook.blogspot.com/

10/24:  Guest Blog - Romantic Reads and Such - http://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/

10/25: Spotlight/Review - Lusty Penguin Reviews - www.lustypenguin.com

10/26:  Spotlight - Indie Authors Books & More - http://indieauthorsbooksandmore.blogspot.com/

 TJB

So, today is Release Day and my fabulous new publisher, Entangled Publishing, is putting me to work! I'll be guest blogging or appearing on a whole lotta blogs to pimp, er, promote my new e-book, Dark Angel: A Gothic Fairy Tale, over the next two weeks, and I would love to have some visitors. This is the premise I pitched as "Beauty and the Beast meets Lost."

Also, I will be giving away a $20 gift certificate for Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble exclusively to a follower of my blog at the end of the tour, so if you would like a chance to win, be sure and click the link in the right hand column to become a follower.

If you have some time, would you stop in and say hello? And thanks to the many wonderful bloggers who are lending their support and their audiences!

TJB

10/22: Spotlight - http://www.authormaryhcollins.com/blog.html

10/23:  Guest post - Bea's Book Nook  http://beasbooknook.blogspot.com/

10/24:  Guest Blog - Romantic Reads and Such - http://romanticreadsandsuch.wordpress.com/

10/25: Spotlight/Review - Lusty Penguin Reviews - www.lustypenguin.com

10/26:  Spotlight - Indie Authors Books & More - http://indieauthorsbooksandmore.blogspot.com/

10/27:  Tens list or interview - Laurie's Thoughts http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com/

10/28:  Guest post - Mark of the Stars http://markofthestars.com/

10/29:  Guest post - Books to Get Lost In - http://bookstogetlostin.blogspot.com/

10/30:  Spotlight - Deal Sharing Aunt - http://dealsharingaunt.com

11/1:  Spotlight - In Shadows - http://brynnacurryguests.blogspot.com

11/3:  Interview - Romance with Flavor - http://www.romancewithflavor.com

11/4:  Spotlight - Must Read Faster - http://mustreadfaster.blogspot.com

11/5:  Interview - Books n Kisses - http://books-n-kisses.com

11/6:  Interview - Becky on Books http://beckymmoe.com

11/6:  2nd stop - Spotlight - http://www.myeroticnotions.blogspot.com/ 

11/7:  Spotlight - Le Book  Squirrel -  http://lebooksquirrel.blogspot.com/

11/8:  Interview - You Gotta Read Reviews - http://yougottaread.com

All Entangled Eve, A Halloween Hop!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You've arrived! So glad to see you have made time for my stop on the http://www.entangledinromance.com/2013/10/14/all-entangled-eve-a-halloween-hop/ All Entangled Eve Halloween Blog HOP! 

For this hop, Entangled Publishing authors will be giving away great prizes for our visitors at the end of the hop on Halloween, so be sure to visit the blogs of all the Entangled authors participating in the hop (click on the link above to get the list). That's over 50 so far! I will be giving away a $20 Amazon.com gift card and a cameo necklace to one lucky reader. I was going to say "randomly drawn" reader, but that sounded like I was going to have an artist here doing random drawings of readers. Or, possibly, drawing them in a random way. Which, as a former English teacher, I found disturbing, grammatically speaking, so "lucky" it is. But I digress.

In my latest book, Dark Angel: A Gothic Fairy Tale, it is an interesting coincidence that the climactic scene in the book takes place on All Hallow's Eve. I hadn't planned it that way, but when I checked the calendar for when the Great Charter Storm occurred along England's coast back in 1859, and which is a trigger for my story's events, turns out it was just a few days before Halloween. So, being a clever writer, I figured I'd take advantage of that spooky day for my somewhat spooky final scene. 

But in this scene from Dark Angel, my heroine Catherine Briton, a former nurse who served in the Crimean Theater with Florence Nightingale, has just washed up on the shore of Ynys Nos, an island somewhere in the middle of the Irish Sea—or so she believes. This is the first time she meets the hero, and a dramatic meeting it is.

************************************************

     Twilight was bleeding into the darker black of night. Shouting in the distance made me turn my head. It pounded ruthlessly, bringing on an almost overwhelming nausea. Fighting it back, I blinked hard. A rush of wind rose above the sound of the waves and a shadow passed over me.

     I tried to follow the shadow with my eyes. The mist parted, and for a moment, I saw something move along the edge of the shoreline: a sleek, powerful beast, its fur black as midnight, its pale gaze fixed on me, its enormous body swaying as it stalked closer.

     Fear possessed me, made me dimwitted with terror.

     My vision wavered again, and a dark form loomed over me. I tried to scream, certain the beast was about to lunge for me, but my lungs would not draw breath. I turned to face it, but the creature was gone. Instead, a man was there, reaching for me, his large hands clasping mine and pulling me just beyond the waterline and up onto the beach.

     “I have you,” he shouted.

     He hung over me, sheltering me from the biting wind. Intense eyes beneath a slash of dark brows stared down at me from a lean, striking face—a face hewn out of wilderness and shadows, more frightening than beautiful, and yet somehow both.

     I closed my eyes.

     It did not matter who he was. I was safe.

     “How in bloody hell are you here?” The deep voice above me sounded utterly perplexed. “How the devil did you accomplish it?”

     I coughed out more water and said the only thing that came to mind. “Please do not—swear at me, sir.” A spasm of pain seized me, and I flinched.

     “Well,” said the bemused voice. “You’ve spirit, at least. Good. You will need it.”

     My tenacious grip on consciousness loosened, and I fought to retain it. I looked up at him with a sense of urgency pushing me on. I had to warn him. “A wild animal…I think—it might attack…”

     His unblinking gaze reminded me of the creature’s fixed stare. “There was no animal when I arrived. You must have imagined it in your distress.”

     “But—”

      “I must move you,” he said. “Be brave.”

     He lifted me and I cried out, my side screaming in agony.

     He shifted me in his arms, tucking my head beneath his chin, warming me with his body heat.

     Memories assailed me of the captain’s terrified face, of the futile push of oars against a raging sea, of bodies tumbling past mine in the water, of someone reaching out, capturing my hands, dragging me to the surface—

     I struggled to lift my head and battle back the darkness long enough to ask him about my fellow passengers. My throat was raw with the seawater I had swallowed. I forced my head up. “Did you…save the others?”

     He paused in midstride, then resumed walking. I heard the great weariness in his voice when he spoke again.

     “There are no others.”

Pssst...Wanna see my cover?

Sh-hhh!

My publisher said I'm only allowed to share my cover for my new book, Dark Angel: A Gothic Fairy Tale, within the ranks of my social media (and by the way, that isn't my cover in the picture. You'll need to click on one of the links below to see it.) Granted, my media isn't very social (I don't spend too much time on the 'net these days), if you found your way here, you must have gotten word! But, hush, keep it under your hat, okay? 

I love my cover. It is so evocative of the book and so on target with what I hoped for. It's all cool and misty and gothic-y. Entangled Publishing's art department did a great job!

To see the cover, click here or here. And oh, the book is available for pre-order. You know, just in case you were wondering.

The big release day is October 21st, and I'll be doing a massive blog tour to promote Dark Angel from Oct. 21 - Nov 8. At some point, stuff will be given away. So stay tuned. I will give out dates and thangs in a little while, but in the meantime, enjoy. If you want to be reminded of the specific blog dates, feel free to sign up for my newsletter. I'd love to have you join my team.