The Romance of Trail and Seneca

Tomorrow, Thursday, September 24th, is the release day for my erotic romance novel, STALLION OF ASH AND FLAME, from Siren-BookStrand.
Yep, I’m galloping with excitement.
If you can’t tell by the title and cover, my hero, Trail, is a stallion shapeshifter. The story is also told from his viewpoint because he arrived before my mind’s eye more than ready to talk.
This is a story I fell in love with by degrees. For me, as a writer, often it’s magical love at first sight with no lessening of that feeling as I pen away. In this case, the more I’ve worked with Trail and Seneca and on the plot, the more my love grew. This happened throughout the writerly process, including the final line edits.
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Since I haven’t gotten a clear picture of what excerpts to use for STALLION, I’ll just start at the beginning of the story, an r-rated excerpt I think.

First, here’s the blurb ~

Drojovv Zyan of the V’Trailuc Realm is a man-stallion of ash and flame on a mission to save his world’s crucial Earth portal from the fires ravaging the National Forest surrounding it. Pretending to be the tracker, Trail, he settles in a small southeastern Arizona town. When he gets an eyeful of the beautiful ranch owner, Seneca, he stud lusts after the Earth human, a woman he’s not supposed to take as his Mate.

Trail leaves her alone until her brother is in a bad motorcycle accident and she needs a hired hand. Soon both of them are threatened by a whole horde of enemies. At all costs Trail must protect her. His world depends on it, her world depends on it. And his heart comes to depend on it.
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Chapter One ~ Her Hired Hand

Southeast corner of Arizona, Spring 2009

Trail rapped his knuckles on the splintery wood of the ranch house’s front door and made a mental note to replace it. The instant Seneca moved to answer, he gathered her fragrance into his nostrils, then let the blazing rose and gingery spice of her womanly flesh course through him. He suppressed his urge to breathe in her scent more fully. He’d decided to help her and, at the same time, make his cover on Earth look real.

Trail had admired Seneca from afar, mainly at the Saturday night dances in town. Despite the raging bulge of his cock every time he did catch sight of her, he knew she was not a woman to give a man a one-night tumble, so he’d always respected her aloofness toward him.

Even now, his balls ached to give her a mounting she’d always remember. One that would make her call out his name, his real name, Drojovv. One that would make her summon him when he ran as stallion, the way of lovers in his realm.

His was an equine shifter world more advanced in technology than present-day Earth. Since the time of Deluge, after the catastrophic sinking of Atlantis, Earth and his planet-world had been connected by a portal, many of them now. The first portal had been created by renegade Atlantean scientists looking for other worlds to inhabit.

Down, stud, he commanded himself. You’re only here to help a mare in need.

Before she opened the door entirely, Seneca peeked around the edge. The glisten of her bright sky eyes galloped over him. Recognizing him, she opened the door, her gaze meeting his without an ounce of pretense. Still, speculation flickered in their depths. Trail had decided a long time ago her eyes were a type of magic he wanted to explore. However, that could not be his destiny.

“Howdy, Seneca. I’m looking for a job. Mandy saw your ad for a hired hand until your brother can get back on his feet again. I’m applyin’.” He tried a small grin that he hoped looked more friendly than saying, “I want to grab your fine round ass and plunder your mouth until you melt against me.”

“Trail, is it?” She stepped outside, letting the door slam closed. Raising her chin, she eyed him almost fiercely and crossed her arms beneath her plump perky breasts. Hell, she rarely wore a bra, and now her nipples poked her flannel shirt, he knew not for him. The morning chill hadn’t been dispelled by the sun’s ferocious heat yet.

“Yes, ma’am. That’s my handle.”

“Why Trail?” Her tone interrogated him, even though her brows raised revealing her curiosity.

“End of the--” He paused, hoping for an amused glint in her eyes. Nothing. “As in, end of the trail.” Still nothing. “This is where I make my home, end-of-the-trail,” he added.

Trail had the wild urge to grab off his hat and finger the brim nervously like he’d seen in the old western movies he’d watched over and over. Yep, a filly like her would sooner kick his flanks, then race past him. That is, unless he minded his manners.

“Oh.”

Her voluptuous dark pink lips formed an O. Trail caught himself wondering if she would respond to him like Maureen O’Hara had to John Wayne when he’d hauled her over his lap and given her ass a good blistering. Or when he’d seized her against him and forced a kiss on her fighting lips.

Stop, he warned himself. Stop thinking like that.

“Well, if Mandy thinks you’re okay, it might work. Are you two an item now? Last I knew she was pining hard for Rick.”

Trail watched her become aware she chatted friendly-like with him. She halted, searching his face. Dominant little mare, he thought, with that stubborn chin and that fiery gleam in her eyes. Yep, she’d nip his withers as soon as look at him.

“Nope, we’re just coffee-drinking buddies. Mandy is still chasin’ after Rick. My bet is she’ll get him roped real soon.”

Seneca nodded, her loose hair taking on a life of its own. He swallowed, watching the long smooth strands of coppery red dance in a lazy rhythm.
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Have a Wonderful and Wild Autumn...
May your most romantic dreams come true...

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
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STALLION OF ASH AND FLAME ~ coming from Siren-BookStrand, September 24th ~ A man-stallion of ash and flame on a mission to save his world’s Earth portal must save his Mate, a human woman forbidden to him ~ http://bookstrand.com/product-stallionofashandflame-15601-192.html ~

The Romantic Heart of Men

One of the reasons ~ among the many *sigh and be still my beating heart* reasons ~ I have a passion for watching Adrian Paul perform as an actor, especially in the TV Highlander series, is because he possesses a romantic heart. It’s apparent in his presence on screen and how he portrays the various historical incarnations of Duncan Macleod. Believe me, it’s not just superb acting. And, omygoodness, who couldn’t fall in love?
Oh, and I love how Adrian Paul’s character picks up a bodice ripper romance novel and begins reading, in one ending scene of the long-gone TV show ‘Tracker’ ~ he plays an alien who has to learn how to survive and live on Earth, since he’s co-opted a male model’s body.
Yes, I definitely have a huge weakness for an alpha male who is also a romantic at heart. I can’t help it. I don’t want to help it. And I love writing those type of heroes.
Ever since I discovered some men (other than the heroes in romance novels) actually do possess a romantic side, a very delicious romantic side, I’ve been fascinated and have been discovering more about how they tick, how they think and feel.
If you’ve ever heard or read the love letters the Civil War soldiers sent home to their wives and sweethearts, you’ll understand why my heart waxes poetic over the romantic heart of men.
Some will contend a romance novel hero can’t be truly alpha if he turns a pretty phrase. I beg to differ. For example, a true man who desires a woman will want to please her. If poetry is one way to her heart and soul, he will woo her with words that express his feelings. Of course, always beware the silver-tongued devil who only plans to use and abuse you... or the heroine.
I recall a university study done some ten or so years ago, maybe longer. Men were interviewed about why they loved their wives. And asked, what was it about their spouses they loved the most? It seems, to the surprise of those running the study, a lot of men were more than willing to write pages on how much they loved their wives. A lot of it was pure prose and poetry. Of course, the wives were often shocked when they read these ‘love letters’ because their husbands had never expressed their feelings in such depth, or in such a romantic way.
When I was involved in doing transformational work, during the eighties, one of the discoveries brought forth in the seminar discussions, was how truly romantic men are, whether they know it or not. In fact, there are some who believe, from the analysis work they’ve done, that men, by nature, are more romantic than women in some ways.
Certainly, if the Regency era attire of men Linda blogged beautifully about, is anything to go by, I would say this is a definite demonstration of the romantic, yet virile man. And as a personal comment, I wouldn’t mind seeing more of that in our current world. Not at all. Wouldn’t we as women enjoy being wooed a bit more? And, wouldn’t that make this is a happier lovelier world, overall?
One reason for this blog topic... Okay, I’m deep inside the male mind of my hero, Trail, in my current WIP ~ STALLION OF ASH AND FLAME. This is my first attempt at writing an entire story only from the hero’s point of view. While Trail is not a poetry-crooning romantic, as some of my previous heroes have been, he definitely has his romantic notions. Best of all, his romantic heart is inspired by the heroine.
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A splendid example of the romantic heart of men is this poem from my favorite Romantic Poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever,
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In one another's being mingle;--
Why not I with thine?

See! the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower would be forgiven,
If it disdained it's brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;--
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

- Percy Bysshe Shelley
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And for some romantic fun, this is my inspired version ~

The clouds kiss the rivers with their rain,
And the rivers spill their love into the seas;
The wandering breezes stroke every terrain,
They wish to sweetly please;
Nothing born of heaven is ever alone;
Yet always seeks its mate
Whether desire of flesh or as spiritual tone –
Or by a mutual longing fate.

Hear! The thunder’s savage passion,
And storm winds as they tempest dance;
So like lovers embraced in frenzied motion,
Lost in the lightning of their romance;
Their kisses golden and strong as the sun,
Their coupling caught in moonbeams –
Their hushed words heard in heaven,
And, their hearts beating with dreams.

~ Savanna Kougar

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Savanna Kougar

~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~