Adele Dubois Blog

DESERT WILD will be a June 17 release from Ellora’s Cave!

ISBN-9781419922381
Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance
Format: ebook

Summary:

Sonny Wild Horse Hendricks of the Tohono O’odham Nation is a danger to a woman’s heart. Though he loves Caitlyn Spencer of Santa Barbara, his desire to live inside two conflicting worlds–The Sonoran Desert of his youth and the California coast where his future as a photographer is assured–tears the lovers apart.

When Sonny disappears inside America’s most hostile desert, Caitlyn borrows a unique Thunderbird convertible and embarks on a desperate search. The car is equipped with a powerful but kinky GPS navigator that grants wishes. Though not exactly a genie, “Guy’s” system locates whatever his driver needs most.

What Caitlyn wants is to heal Sonny’s spirit inside his indigenous land. When she becomes trapped as night falls, time runs out. GPS takes wishing upon a star to a magical new level that just might save them all.

*****

In my previous blog post I wrote about writer roadblocks to success, also known as Threshold Guardians. These are the forces, both friendly and hostile, that prevent us from meeting our writing goals.

Below is a photo of my most formidable Threshold Guardian. My Yorkshire Terrier. He’s the too-friendly force that will do everything in his power to keep me out of my office and throwing a ball…petting him…taking him for a walk…cuddling…feeding him. You get the idea. He’s a determined soul, so I have to be tough, though it’s not easy. Being tough will make the difference between remaining published…or not… so I’ve made it clear who’s boss.

When I’m inside my office he waits outside the door. Poor guy has waited a long time, since I’ve written seven novels and novellas. (I lavish him with attention when I’m not at work, so he’s okay.)

(I admit this Yorkie is a model and not my actual dog. But this photo from Next Day Pets was too cute to pass up.)

http://www.nextdaypets.com/directory/dogs/dog_picture/page.aspx

What are your roadblocks to success? 

Defeating Roadblocks to Success by Adele Dubois 

During the production process of my upcoming paranormal release DESERT WILD from Ellora’s Cave Publishing, I re-read Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers. This landmark work is based on The Hero’s Journey, the universal elements of storytelling, as identified by mythologist Joseph Campbell.  

Vogler’s chapter on Threshold Guardians was of particular interest to me, because these character archetypes often separate mediocre fiction from great fiction. They represent the obstacles protagonists must overcome to win their rewards at the end of a story. Threshold Guardians test the protagonists’ determination, while also adding tension and increasing story conflict. While their tactics may be overt or subtle, their purpose is the same—to stop the protagonists from reaching their ultimate goals.

As writers, we meet countless Threshold Guardians that thwart our efforts and test our desire for achievement. Procrastination, nagging self-doubt, fear of success, confidence-shaking rejection letters, poor reviews or negative critique partners may erode our resolve. Unsupportive family members who ridicule our need to create may wear us down. Conflicting demands on our time slow our progress. For us to become successful, career-focused authors, we must learn to recognize and outwit these Threshold Guardians. As Vogler suggests, we must either make them our allies or defeat them and keep going.

While my heroine in DESERT WILD escaped vipers and bobcats in The Sonoran Desert, I found a way to eliminate chronic back pain and keep writing. When my hero from the Tohono O’odham Nation confronted the inner demons that threatened his future, I closed my office door and turned off my Internet access. No outside forces deterred us from our paths. We tackled one problem after the other until our goals were reached.

What are your Threshold Guardians? The challenges may change from day to day. They may be friendly forces or hostile, yet they stall our progress. Once we learn to identify roadblocks we can make them our allies or learn to outwit them, and ultimately reach our goals and claim our rewards.

©Adele Dubois, 2009 

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Adele Dubois writes paranormal and contemporary erotic romances for Ellora’s Cave Publishing that earn consistent outstanding reviews. Titles include DESERT WILD, DESERT FEVER, INTIMATE ART and DREAM TRAVELER. Visit Adele Dubois at www.adeledubois.com/
 

  ”Success is falling nine times and getting up ten.” –Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Frances Bongiovi Jr. (nickname Captain Kidd) was born March 2, 1962, in Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He likely got his good looks from his mother, Carol Sharkey, one of the original Playboy Bunnies.

Jon is the lead singer and founder of the rock band Bon Jovi. Their self-titled album debuted January 21, 1984 and went gold. Their third album “Slippery When Wet” sold over 28 million copies worldwide and is considered their breakout album. The title is a tribute to the strip clubs the band frequented between studio sessions. Bon Jovi has continued their music career to the present with enviable success.

“A reporter asked whose job was better, mine or the President’s? I said that mine was, because I get to keep the plane and the house.” –Jon Bon Jovi

 Personal Quote:

“This is the way I look at (movie) sex scenes: I have basically been doing them for a living for years. Trying to seduce an audience is the basis of rock ‘n roll, and if I may say so, I’m pretty good at it…Plus, being married and monogamous, it’s the closest thing I can do to having sex without getting in trouble for it…”

(There were so many sexy, fantastic pictures of Jon Bon Jovi on the Internet it was hard to choose.)

Jon Bon Jovi has appeared on many magazine covers and was named “Sexiest Rock Star” by People Magazine in November, 2000. People also chose Jon as ”One of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the World” in 1996.

The acoustical performance of “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” that Jon and Richie Sambora performed at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards is widely acknowledged as being the genesis/greenlight for MTV’s “Unplugged” series. (Source: IMDB Internet Movie Data Base.)

Jon has appeared in many movies and television shows, has released solo albums and records, and is the owner of the championship Arena Football League the Philadelphia Soul. He was also named the first ambassador to Habitat for Humanity in 2006. Not just another handsome face!

Jon married his high school sweetheart on April 29, 1989, has four children, considers himself a dedicated family man, and says he’s “one of the luckiest men in the world.”

I think Jon Bon Jovi is a fabulous choice for this CLASSIC HUNK column. Don’t you agree? Please leave a comment and feel free to list your favorite Bon Jovi tunes.

(Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB Internet Movie Database)

After several weeks of rain in Southeastern Pennsylvania, I’m thinking…summer!

Visit Sagi Kalev at www.sagikalev.com for more fantastic photos and bio about the world’s most photogenic award-winning bodybuilder and model.

I watched the movie The Wrestler on Verizon Fios On Demand and can’t get lead actor Mickey Rourke or the story out of my head. It’s been years since a film touched me this deeply. Mickey Rourke deserved the Best Actor Oscar nomination he received for this gritty, gut-wrenching film about faded 80’s star wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, and if I had my way, he would have won. Considering that I’ve been a die-hard Brad Pitt fan for twenty-five years, that’s saying a lot.

Rourke’s brilliant depiction of aging and broken wrestler Randy Robinson was so real I totally forgot he was acting. Ironic that I never liked Rourke much in his 80’s heyday as the handsome lead required in the kind of romance novels I write. Despite his bad-boy charm, I always got the feeling I wouldn’t like him much in real life. The Wrestler totally changed that impression. There wasn’t a trace of the arrogance that seemed to seep through his earlier performances. I like Mickey Rourke so much better now. As his character said in the movie, “I’m not as pretty as I was.” That might be true, but Rourke’s still an artistic genius.

Marisa Tomei played the role of Randy’s almost-girlfriend, Cassidy, whose life as an aging stripper was as harsh and raw as Randy’s washed-out wrestling career. Both were performance artists in arenas that worship vitality and youth. Marisa also deserved her Oscar nod, and I wish she had won.

In the romantic fiction I write, readers are guaranteed a Happily-Ever-After ending. No matter what difficulties the protagonists face, readers know before they begin that everything will work out fine in the end. Authors in our genre are required to provide “an emotionally satisfying ending” to our stories. Though our heroes and heroines might be flawed, they are typically spirited, attractive, and full of potential. There could be no future for The Wrestler when his glory days were so clearly behind him.

As I watched Rourke’s tragic hero move closer to the inevitable, my romantic heart cheered for his happy ending, though I knew deep down it wouldn’t come. There were glimmers of hope at the beginning of the movie, but half-way through it became clear he would never be the shining protagonist of romance novels. This film was about the cruel reality of aging and faded dreams. I wish I could have written a happy ending for Randy “The Ram” and Cassidy like those in my books. They deserved better.

–Adele Dubois