Tag: romance

THE HOUSE ON BLACK LAKE HAS BEEN ADAPTED TO SCREENPLAY. GO TO HOME PAGE TO VIEW PROVOCATIVE CINEMATIC TRAILER

In my travels promoting my novel, I have asked women what themes they most desire to read about in books.  Asterisks are placed next to topics touched upon in [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ] The House on Black Lake, [/amazon_link] The list is in no particular order, latest topic first.

l. A broken heart.*

2. Man uses woman for revenge, kidnapped, seduced, etc.*

3. Good sex scenes, either explicit or implicit.*

4. Heroine nearly dies, hero is terrified, realizes how much he loves her. Even better, is when hero is directly, or indirectly responsible for putting heroine in jeopardy.*

5. Second chance ex-spouses.

6. Cheating hero.* This one is very popular. But, some want him to realize he loves his wife and family and wants them back.

7. Less than perfect heroes/heroines – scarred or disabled.

8. Rugged cowboy-types.*

9. Hero helps deliver his baby.

10. Heroine saves or rescues hero from harm.

11. Bad Boys.*

12. Pent up sexual frustration – repression.*

13. Great grovel scenes – where rugged hero breaks down.* This is very popular!

14. Hero disappears and reappears years later.

15. Steamy AND emotional scenes between lovers.”*

16. Romance – candlelit dinners, walks in the park. Etc.*

17. Obsessed or deeply in lust.*

18. Villain in love with heroine.*

19. Dominant, alpha males.*

20. Romance and thriller.*

21. Widowed hero grieving over first wife.

22. Vampire and paranormal love.

23. Vikings!.

24. Smutty historical romance.

25. H/H in historical garb.

26. Men with long (preferably dark) flowing hair*.

27. Alpha female who isn’t borderline abusive*

28. Hero bribes heroine to be with him.

29. Heroine playing hard to get.*

30. Drunken sex.*

31. Bad boy falls for nice girl.*

32 Virginal or repressed heroine who falls apart at the touch of the RIGHT man.*

33. Forced mate scenario in paranormal.

34. Jealous bad boy.*

35. Ménage romance.*

36.Incest.*

37. Two men competing for woman.*

38. Forced sex where h/h have strong connection.*

39. Sheik books and big hunky H’s and the feisty heroine.

40. Bad boy who bosses H around until they fall in love.*

41. Spanking/forced sex scenes.*

42. Love triangles.*

43. Bisexual love.*

44. Older women/younger men.*

45. Rugged/outdoorsy men.*

46. Heroine enjoys sex.*

47. Haunted places/ghosts.*

48. Tattoos, piercings, branding, etc.*

49. Beauty and the beast themes.*

50. Time travel – men in kilts, on island, or anywhere ancient.*

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. . .” is the most quoted opening line from Daphne du Maurier classic gothic romance, “Rebecca”.  The novel, which was written during her husband’s tenure in Alexandria, Egypt and published in 1938 in the UK, is one of the most well known examples of gothic romance.

“While working as the companion to a rich American woman vacationing on the French Riviera she becomes acquainted with a wealthy Englishman, Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter. After a fortnight of courtship, she agrees to marry him, and after the marriage accompanies him to his mansion, the beautiful West Country estate Manderley.

Only upon their arrival at Manderley does the new bride realize how difficult it will be to lay to rest the memory of her husband's first wife, Rebecca. Rebecca is understood to have drowned in a sailing accident off the coast next to the mansion a year before, but her memory has a strong hold on the estate and all of its inhabitants and visitors, especially the domineering housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers, one of literature's most infamous female villains.

Mrs. Danvers, who was profoundly devoted to Rebecca, tries to undermine the second Mrs. de Winter, suggesting to her that she will never attain the urbanity and charm that Rebecca possessed. Whenever the new Mrs. de Winter attempts to make changes at Manderley, Mrs. Danvers describes how Rebecca ran Manderley when she was alive. Each time Mrs. Danvers does this, she implies that the new Mrs. de Winter lacks the experience and knowledge necessary for running an important estate such as Manderley. The second Mrs. de Winter is cowed by Mrs. Danvers' imposing manner and complies with the housekeeper's suggestions.

Lacking self-confidence and overwhelmed by her new life, the protagonist commits one faux pas after another, until she is convinced that Maxim regrets his impetuous decision to marry her and is still deeply in love with the seemingly perfect Rebecca. The climax occurs at Manderley's annual costume ball. Mrs. Danvers manipulates the protagonist into wearing a replica of the dress shown in a portrait of one of the former inhabitants of the estate—the same costume worn by Rebecca to much acclaim the previous year, shortly before her death.

In the early morning hours after the ball, the storm that had been building over the estate leads to a shipwreck. A diver investigating the condition of the wrecked ship's hull discovers the remains of Rebecca's boat. It is just prior to this shipwreck that Mrs. Danvers reveals her contempt for and dislike of the second Mrs. de Winter. Taking the second Mrs. de Winter on a tour of Rebecca's bedroom, her wardrobe and luxurious possessions, which Mrs. Danvers has kept intact as a shrine to Rebecca, she encourages the second Mrs. de Winter to commit suicide by jumping out of an upstairs window, but is thwarted at the last moment by the disturbance created by the shipwreck.

The revelations from the shipwreck lead Maxim to confess the truth to the second Mrs. de Winter; how his marriage to Rebecca was nothing but a sham; how from the very first days of their marriage, the husband and wife loathed each other. Rebecca, Maxim reveals, was a cruel and selfish woman who manipulated everyone around her into believing her to be the perfect wife and a paragon of virtue. She repeatedly taunted Maxim with sordid tales of her numerous love affairs and suggested that she was pregnant with another man's child, which she would raise under the pretence that it was Maxim's and he would be powerless to stop her. Maxim, truly hating her, shot Rebecca and disposed of her body on her boat, which he then sank at sea. The narrator is relieved to hear that Maxim had never loved Rebecca, but really loves his new wife.

Rebecca's boat is raised and it is discovered that holes had been deliberately drilled in the bottom and the sea-cocks were opened, which would have caused it to sink. There is an inquest and despite it not being clear who drilled the holes, a verdict of suicide is brought. However, Rebecca's first cousin (and also her lover) Jack Favell appears on the scene claiming to have proof that Rebecca could not have intended suicide. Favell attempts to blackmail Maxim because he believes that Maxim killed Rebecca and then sank the boat.

Rebecca, it is revealed, had an appointment with a Doctor Baker shortly before her death, presumably to confirm her pregnancy. When the doctor is found he reveals Rebecca had been suffering from cancer and would have died within a few months; furthermore, due to the malformation of her uterus, she could never have been pregnant. The implication is that knowing she was going to die, Rebecca lied to Maxim that she had been impregnated by another man because she wanted Maxim to kill her. Maxim feels a great sense of foreboding and insists on driving through the night to return to Manderley. However, before he comes in sight of the house, it is clear from a glow on the horizon and wind-borne ashes that it is ablaze.

It is evident at the beginning of the novel that Maxim and the second Mrs. de Winter now live in some foreign exile. The events recounted in the book are in essence a flashback of the narrator's life at Manderley.”

The novel did not receive critical acclaim when it was published, although the novel was very popular. It continues to this day to be a pristine example of the gothic romance genre which include supernatural forces, a woman trapped, repressed sexuality, powerfully erotic undertones, and a charismatic male with unclear intentions. Most notable in “Rebecca” is the figure of Mrs. Danvers, a female antagonist obsessed with the diseased Rebecca, who incorporates a homoerotic thread that seeks to break the bond of male and female. The book was translated into a stage play by du Maurier and subsequently adapted to film and television. The story is a classic tale that in its essence explores the unequal power of a man and woman.

Plot summary from Wikipedia

The Following is a list compiled by the Manchester Library, and so offers an English opinion (and they are masters of the genre) of the best written written romance novels in genre of contemporary gothic suspense,  romantic suspense, modern romantic thriller, historical romance, modern romantic suspense.

I will soon be compiling a list with an American perspective of what consititutes the best romance novels of all time.

Not listed in order of preference:

1. [amazon_link id="0312339666" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Sailing to Capri[/amazon_link]  An English tycoon dies mysteriously and leaves a note naming six people he suspects might have wanted him dead, by Elizabeth Adler.

2. [amazon_link id="1560540966" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Scarlet Thread[/amazon_link] A British nurse and an American soldier meet, fall in love, and secretly marry during the Second World War. Years after the events of war separate them, a chance meeting brings the couple together to consider their lost love, by Evelyn Anthony.

3. [amazon_link id="B002QVRCE8" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Tregaron's Daughter[/amazon_link] A young woman from a small English village finds romance and mystery when she embarks on a voyage to Venice, by Madeleine Brent.

4. [amazon_link id="B000GH2YPG" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Rebecca[/amazon_link]  Classic Gothic tale of love and deception, by Daphne du Maurier

5. [amazon_link id="B002QPB3JY" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Darkwater[/amazon_link] Gothic romance with deep mystery and danger by Dorothy Eden

6. [amazon_link id="B000I762C0" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Property of a Gentleman[/amazon_link]  Set in England's Lake District, this novel revolves around the world of art and antiques, by Catherine Gaskin

7. [amazon_link id="0449240975" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Savannah Purchase[/amazon_link]  Savannah in the early 19th century is the setting for this novel of romance and intrigue, by Jane Aiken Hodge.

8. [amazon_link id="0385242999" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Silk Vendetta[/amazon_link] Historical romantic suspense set in 19th century England, by Victoria Holt

9. [amazon_link id="B000MN0CSA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Shrouded Walls and the Dark Shore[/amazon_link]  Two spellbinding tales of romance, danger and death , by Susan Howatch

10.  [amazon_link id="0786235047" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]I Came to the Highlands[/amazon_link]  During the 1700s, with a heavy heart, a young woman leaves America and her true love to accompany her ill and destitute father to his family's castle in the Scottish Highlands. Unwelcome at the castle after her father's death, she is certain her life is in danger, by Velda Johnston

11. [amazon_link id="0816144036" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on the Left Bank[/amazon_link] In this late 19th century historical novel set in Paris, a young American woman faces many dangers as she seeks to solve a horrifying crime...a classic combination of Gothic romance and suspense. 

12. [amazon_link id="B000JI1QQK" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Shattered Silk[/amazon_link] The world of vintage couture is the setting for this suspenseful tale of romance and intrigue, by Barbara Michaels

13. [amazon_link id="006074748X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Airs Above the Ground[/amazon_link]. . .[amazon_link id="0345468988" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Stormy Petrol[/amazon_link] Mystery, danger and love await the reader of novels written by this classic romantic suspense author Mary Stewart

14. [amazon_link id="0449005119" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Turquoise Mask[/amazon_link] In this novel by a master of romantic suspense, a woman returns to New Mexico to uncover secrets surrounding her mother's death, by Phyllis Whitney

15. [amazon_link id="0312081561" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]China Silk[/amazon_link] Despite warnings, a young girl accepts a marriage proposal from a British government official stationed in colonial Hong Kong in the 1920s, by Anne Worboys

CONTEMPORARY ROMANTIC SUSPENSE 

16. [amazon_link id="1416537775" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Hello Darkness[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="0743466764" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]White Hot[/amazon_link]. . .[amazon_link id="1416593527" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Chill Factor[/amazon_link] . . . [amazon_link id="1416523324" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Ricochet[/amazon_link]Popular author Sandra Brown delights fans with her fast-paced romantic thrillers.

17. [amazon_link id="0778323536" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]A Grave Mistake[/amazon_link]A novel of mystery, deceit and desire set in contemporary New Orleans, by Stella Cameron 

18. [amazon_link id="B004HMYA12" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Cove[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="B004HMRBEA" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Maze[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="B004HMWP2S" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Target[/amazon_link] Historical romance author Catherine Coulter delivers suspense and romance in her first three FBI thrillers.

19. [amazon_link id="0060727284" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Illusions[/amazon_link] The breathtaking mountains of Aspen, Colorado, form the backdrop for this romantic thriller by Janet Dailey

20. [amazon_link id="B0012V66BS" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Slow Burn, Murder List, Killjoy[/amazon_link]
An author known for her historical romances pleases her fans with novels of contemporary romantic suspense - Julie Garwood.

21. [amazon_link id="1414310552" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Danger in the Shadows[/amazon_link]In this novel with Christian fiction overtones, a woman in an FBI witness protection program faces danger when she finds herself falling in love.
 

22. [amazon_link id="B0039Q3FD6" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Prior Bad Acts[/amazon_link] Readers will find spine-chilling suspense and seductive romance in Tami Hoag's thrillers set in Minnesota. 

23. [amazon_link id="0553383841" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Haunting Rachel[/amazon_link] Gothic overtones mark this modern romantic thriller, by Kay Hooper

24. [amazon_link id="0743537521" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Open Season[/amazon_link]A small-town librarian, looking for a lover and trying to reinvent her boring life, faces danger when she becomes the target of a killer, by Linda Howard.

25. [amazon_link id="0515131741" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Lost and Found[/amazon_link]The world of art and antiques is the setting for Jayne Ann Krentz's novel of mystery and romance.

26. [amazon_link id="0060829834" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Wrong Hostage[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="0060504196" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Always Time to Die[/amazon_link] Elizabeth Lowell is an award-winning master of contemporary romantic suspense, and this duo is sure to please her many fans.

27.  [amazon_link id="0821763415" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]In The Dark[/amazon_link] A young woman is named sole beneficiary in her estranged aunt's will and then is suspected of murder when her aunt suddenly disappears. Can she trust the handsome investigator to whom she is is helplessly drawn?, by Meagan McKinney.

28. [amazon_link id="0446602485" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Night Train to Memphis[/amazon_link] More mystery than romance, this fifth installment in Elizabeth Peters' popular series features art professor, Vicky Bliss.

29. [amazon_link id="0440225043" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Midnight Hour[/amazon_link] . . . [amazon_link id="0671786601" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]To Trust a Stranger[/amazon_link] Fast-paced suspense with emphasis on romance, by Karen Robards

30. [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] An obsession with a charismatic man leads an American woman on a seductive and harrowing journey through the Montreal underground.

31. [amazon_link id="0515133973" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Midnight Bayou[/amazon_link]  A winning combination of romance and mystery in New Orleans, by Nora Roberts

32. [amazon_link id="0553264613" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Hot Ice[/amazon_link] Exotic Madagascar setting...hot passion... highly-charged suspense, by Nora Roberts. 

33. [amazon_link id="0778321541" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]Expose[/amazon_link]. . . [amazon_link id="155166836X" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The Last Lover[/amazon_link] TV journalist Sally Harrington is featured in this contemporary romantic suspense series
by Connecticut author, Laura Van Wormer.

Courtesy of Manchester Public Library

I am honoured to be included in a short list of the most reknowned gothic romance writers. Please go to link to learn more about gothic genre, authors, music, architecture at:  https://sites.google.com/site/gothicromantic9/modern-books-and-writers

A.B.

Is love merely a chemical released when our body senses a desirable reproduction partner, or is there something more divine in the rush of endorphins? That questions in one of the principle themes of my novel.

Reproduction science tells us that within seconds we are measuring every aspect of another being to determine suitability. Overall health, i.e. clear skin, white teeth, shiny hair, clear eyes, etc. are all assessed in the blink of an eye. We also measure physical features, timber of voice, a vast array of clues to whether their DNA is a good match. Smell also comes into play, and with physical touch more information is released. The old saying "it's all in the kiss" is actually true. The saliva carries DNA that tells us the entire physical history of the specimen. We seek mates that will give our offspring the best chance of survival. The rush of love tells us that we have found a good match. Testosterone is released in the saliva of the male and arouses female to complete  act. Love lasts for a good three months, so that at least three tries are given to the quest. The feeling may persist if the act is not successful. If g succeeds, then feelings  transcend to  "love" that is actually routed in the protection of our prized reproduced DNA. This is the belief of science.

Those of a spiritual nature believe that the purpose of love is not to replicate, but to create. Two humans who find love have a far greater capacity to create than they would alone. The goal of most is to find a soul mate, one with whom  common goals and desires are shared.  This may mean the act of reproduction, but in most it means far more. For those who have finished reproducing,  have no desire to raise young, or for those who are drawn to the same sex, the drive for love is just as great, and when a suitable partner is found, the love does not nessasarilydisipate because there is no drive to replicate DNA.

The elusiveness of love remains the subject of scientists and poets. Its beauty and pain are universal. What's love got to do with it? Everything - for without it we are doomed, one way or another.

Anastasia Blackwell Wearing Anne Fontaine Blouse and Patent Leather Belt

[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 CINEMATIC TRAILER FEATURING ANNE FONTAINE, BLOUSE, JACKET, AND BELT.

French/Brazilian Anne Fontaine has created an international business out of creating the perfect white blouse. Her fashions have a sense of the naughty French maid mixed with the most feminine and romantic.

Her ruffled blouse, patent leather belt and cinched jacked are featured in the trailer in the scenes where Andre Labat (Tosh Yanez in photograph) seduces Alexandra in his studio.

[amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link]is available to purchase at Amazon.com. Barnesandnoble.com, e-readers, and by order through local book stores.

        The carved and veiled four poster, spread with luscious linens, can be found in the Aimee Crocker room of the Chateau Tivoli in San Francisco.  A similar curtained and mirrored bed, with intricate carved dark wood, is housed in the Mark Twain Suite. The opulent Luisa Tetrazzini suite was also featured in  trailer for book. The bed is a luxuriously carved queen canopy from the Charles De Gaulle estate, with a private parlor with fireplace.

        Chateau Tivoli B& B is an opulently restored Victorian mansion located in San Francisco’s historic Alamo Square district. Built in 1892 as a private home and restored a century later, it features had-carved woodwork, crystal, chandeliers, period wall paper and oriental rugs. It hosted all interior shots of “The House on Black Lake interior videos, including the mysterious basement rooms with hovering ceilings.

        The unusual décor and luscious beds of the Tivoli can be viewed in trailer on home page.  More information on the Chateau Tivoli at www.chateautivoli.com.

THE HOUSE ON BLACK LAKE HAS BEEN ADAPTED TO SCREENPLY. GO TO HOME PAGE TO VIEW TOSH YANEZ IN PROVOCATIVE CINEMATIC TRAILER

Tosh Yanez is already an internationally recognized model and commerical star.  However, his acting talents have yet to be truly discovered. It was a pleasure to work with him on the trailer for [amazon_link id="0982500203" target="_blank" container="" container_class="" ]The House on Black Lake[/amazon_link] He is a true professional - the camera loves him, as does everyone he meets. Easy going and low key in person, he projects an intensity that is startling in front of the camera. I am convinced he has a promising future in film and television. A beautiful man both inside and out, sensuous, and sexy but also tender and kind.  He is the next break-out superstar.

Tosh Yanez

I was greatly inspired by my experience watch the show, Cavalia. My experience infused the scenes in my novel where dynamic horses are featured.

A bit about the show: 

 "For the first time on stage, the equestrian arts are infused with unprecedented magic and emotion.  Cavalia is a multimedia extravaganza giving homage to the poignant history and fascination bond between human beings and horses. Cavalia is a poem written in the language of sound, image and extraordinary performance, blending dramatic visual effects, live music, dance and acrobatics with the bold presence of over sixty magnificent horses, Cavalia raises the bar for spectacular events in in the 21st century." (quote from site)

http://www.cavalia.net/index.aspx?lang=EN-CA You MUST experience this show. It is no coincidence that the stunning show originated in the land where my book takes place, Montreal.

What you tame you must care for the rest of your life.

There is something quite alluring about a deserted island.  Experienced with the right partner it is possible to live out fantasies, unite with nature, do whateveryou desire, and no one will know.  Yet there is always the risk of danger that resides within the island. The creatures that inhabit the lonely piece of land may not be  friendly. And there is no way to escape  if you lose communication, means of transport, or someone wants to keep you  prisoner.

That is what Alexandra faces as she is lured by the Sandeley's to stay in a Victorian on a deserted island.  Initially she is terrified of the house, the isolation, and her lack of conrol over the situation. When she is taken to revisit the site by young lover, Andre, her moment of seduction is at first alluring and romantic, but turns deadly.

World weary and longing for simplicity we may fantasize about such a habitat. But is the romantic notion a desire to free ourselves from the confines of civilization? Or is it a deeper desire - to escape the confines  of ourselves and release our baser, more animalistic natures?

Photographs taken in Golden Gate Park and Stern Grove - features Tosh Yanez as Andre Labat and Anastasia Blackwell as Alexandra Brighton depicting scenes in "The House on Black Lake".