I’m
talking about physical attributes—not inner beauty. In romance novels, we often
read about characters that epitomize physical perfection. In reality, it’s hard
to live up to those standards. The only people who seem to have perfect hair, teeth, skin, and bodies are models. But
they require a team of stylists and strategic airbrushing.
Even worse,
they’re constantly scrutinized because their salary is based on their looks. They’re
forced to maintain unrealistic weights and eating habits that the average Jane
(as in, me) would never agree to. I’d rather be plump than hungry, you know
what I mean? If I want the loaded mashed potatoes, I’m eating the doggone
loaded mashed potatoes, and I dare anyone to take the fork out of my hand. Still,
if you’re anything like me, you’re probably very critical of your appearance.
As women, we not only pick ourselves apart, we pick apart other women.
Many
romance novels describe the heroine as downright perfect—with a great body,
great hair, intelligent, successful, eats her vegetables and spends all her
free time volunteering for various charities. Outside the pages of those
novels, life is not so rosy.
There
are also the novels that depict the heroine as an “average Jane” who the hero
finds irresistible. She may not see herself as beautiful, but he does. It may
be her smile or her hair. Or a combination of both. Whatever it is, he can’t
get her out of his mind.
Since
none of us are perfect (if you happen to be perfect, keep it to yourself),
we’re tearing a page out of the romance heroine play book and seeing ourselves the
way a romance novel hero would.
As for
me, what makes me feel hot are my legs. I’ve been told I have a nice pair. I
love showing them off in dresses and shorts when the weather is warm.
Now it’s
your turn. What one thing would you not
change about yourself and makes you as hot as a romance novel heroine? To help
you with the answer, think about these questions:
1. What would the hero notice first
about you?
2. What do you tend to get
compliments on?
3. What physical attribute do you
play up to make you feel sexy?
4. What do you, personally, think is
your finest attribute?
Please,
no answers like “my personality.” You’ll automatically be disqualified from the
contest. We’re talking physical attributes—something someone can actually see.
No one can see your personality from across the room. I want you to be a little
vain today. So pay yourself a compliment!
Blurb:
Renaldo da Silva's near-perfect life in Brazil comes to a halt when he finds out about his wife's betrayal. Now he doesn't want to have anything to do with her. But because he needs her help finalizing the biggest deal of his career, he's forced to make her a multi-million dollar offer and delay their divorce.
Sabrina da Silva can't forgive herself after a reckless night destroys her marriage. She agrees to help her husband and then disappear from his life for good. But with passion still smoldering between them, it's not easy for either to walk away. Will passion be enough to overcome the ultimate test of their love?
Excerpt
From his position next to a
window, he had a good view of the street. He held his breath the minute he saw
Sabrina descend from a taxi. She looked amazing. Vibrant, as if she hadn’t
suffered at all since they’d been apart. She wore a fitted, short-sleeved
maroon dress that hugged her body in all the right places, accentuating her
womanly curves and reminding him of how she used to feel in his arms.
He loved her in red tones—maroon,
burgundy, rose. They underscored the color of her skin—barely darker than his—in
a flattering way. Had she worn that dress on purpose to influence him? The
short hemline gave him an eyeful of long, honey-colored legs that looked
stunning in a pair of heels the same color as her dress.
Her hair had grown since she’d
moved to Brazil, now below her shoulders in a display of neatly arranged spiral
curls. The highlights in her chestnut hair shone like burnished copper under
the sun’s rays as she left the sidewalk and made her way inside the café. She
turned heads as her tall body glided forward with a level of confidence that
reminded him of the first time he’d set eyes on her in the bar in Chicago.
She’d been striking then, and she was striking now.
Despite what she’d done, he
couldn’t take his eyes off of her, tracking her movements like a starving man
who had a mouth-watering tender cut of grilled steak dangled in front of him.
Being without her had been difficult, because the disgusting part of this whole
ordeal was that he couldn’t stop thinking about her. He still wanted her, ached
for her. He could feel the tension taking control of his muscles.
He’d like to think the more time
they spent apart, the easier it would be to forget her and the hold she had on
him, but that hadn’t happened. His craving for her had never faded. He needed
to maintain control where she was concerned, but it was impossible because her
presence always evoked strong emotions in him.
He couldn’t evade the traitorous
thought of her sensuous curves stretched out in their bed, or the resulting raw
heat of desire that pulsated through his body. He could see her now, taking him
deeper, matching him stroke for stroke.
His weakness for her was
reprehensible. He reminded himself he’d had to replace their bed because she’d
defiled it by inviting another man into it. It had been the first thing to go
after he’d tossed her out that night. But look at her. She still had the power
to stir him, regardless of what she’d done. He hated that. Hated remembering
how good it had been.
Buy it now at All Romance Ebooks Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Smashwords
I hope you enjoyed
the excerpt from Second Chances! You can pick up a free copy of the prequel,
The Ultimate Merger, from Amazon, B&N, and other online retailers.
Giveaway:
I’m
giving away a $5 Amazon gift card and an ecopy of any one of my previously
published titles (excluding Second Chances). All you have to do is leave a
comment below and tell me what makes you as hot as a romance novel heroine.
I’ll post the winner’s name in the comments at the end of the tour by 11:59 PM
EST on November 16, 2012. Comment at each stop of the tour. Each time you
comment increases your chances to win. Visit the Second Chances Virtual Book Tour post on my blog for the tour schedule.
