The Importance of Taglines

When you release a book, you often have to advertise on sites that have word limits, e.g. Thunderclap, Hootsuite and Twitter.

How do you do that, while adding everything you want to say?

The easiest way is to use tags and a dedicated tagline for your novel. The key is to keep it simple.

How do you do this?

So you want the tagline to represent the main focus of the story, ask a question or hint at a mystery. If your story is a hot, sexy 'Will they or won't they?' then you want your tagline to reflect that.

Here are some examples from the Simply Sexy Reads Catalogue:

Courage in the Kiss - All she needs is the courage...and one kiss.

Touched by a Vampire - Would you sacrifice everything for an eternity of love?

~

How important are taglines? Well, turn on the TV and watch any advert. For every company, there is a short slogan - their version of a tagline.

Now, be honest. Is you hear "I'm Lovin' It" you think of McDonald's. If you hear "Every Little Helps" you think of Tesco. For Loreal, "You're Worth It".

Imagine if you could do that with your book. Imagine if you were able to add your tagline or slogan to a poster and instantly have people recognise that it meant your book.

Recognise these?

"May the odds be ever in your favour?"

"After all this time...Always."

Just because your tagline is a quote, like these are, doesn't make it ineffective. It makes it magical. These two quotes have marked an era of explosive YA novels being turned into movies. People have tattoos of these quotes, jewellery, cushions, iPad cases, posters and more, because these quotes are so iconic.

Now, the original books didn't have a set tagline, but they don't need them. Everyone in the world and their mother knows Harry Potter. They don't need a slogan or tagline to sell, but we can't all be that lucky. And, honestly, taglines and slogans make you stick out. They give you an edge.

~

Look at these. Image a buy link at the end and tell me which one makes you want to know more about the book.

1

Courage in the Kiss

Coming Soon to Simply Sexy Reads

2015

2

Courage in the Kiss

All she needs is the courage...and one kiss.

Coming Soon to Simply Sexy Reads

2015

And, sure, you can say that adding a poster with a quote or teaser or your slogan would make a difference. True! Posters and pictures grab people's attentions, better than a paragraph of text. BUT!!! Sometimes, all you have is a space for text or you're on your phone and can't access your posters. This is the perfect time to use the slogan/tagline to your advantage.

~

Don't underestimate the power of advertising. Everything that can be sold needs to be advertised. Everything that can be sold needs to have a marketing strategy and a "grab" for the audience. Your tagline and the image you want to portray of yourself will be your grab.

For more tips on how to advertise yourself, check out our previous post "How to Affectively Advertise Your Book".

Chapter #2 - Kissing is a Cover

*This writing is the Copyrighted Intellectual Property of Elaine White*

Copyright © 2015 by Elaine White

***

Chapter 2

Hadley couldn't stop the soft moan of pleasure that came from the back of her throat, as Maxx released her from his punishing kisses and let his lips dance down her neck.

She couldn't believe how amazing it was to feel his kisses, his hands exploring her body. When he ventured under her dress, the way he looked at her, with those hot and hungry intense eyes, had her breathless. She couldn't even vocalise how good it was, to feel his finger stroking her.

She was already struggling to breathe properly, from the way he kissed her until she was desperate for air. Even then, he only released her long enough to torment her some other way.

He pulled back from her neck, biting his full bottom lip, as he stared, unashamedly, at her breasts, heaving, in an attempt to get air into her lungs. He delved further with his finger, rendering her blind to anything but the shooting pleasure such a touch caused.

She was lost, for what felt like forever, as the reality of what they were doing sank in. This was possible the most erotic, most dangerous, more reckless thing she'd ever done in her life. And good God, it felt amazing.

“Maxx…” Hadley attempted to stop the whirlwind, that had begun so harmlessly with a kiss, before she really lost control of the situation. She had never intended for them to sleep together, never mind in the back room of a club, with a hundred people on the other side of the door. She had only met the guy five seconds ago.

Although it was her approval of his looks that made her smile and allow him to kiss her, she still had a story to get. As much as she had never planned on allowing it, could she really still get her story, without letting him make love to her, right there and then? Would he be insulted at her rejection and walk away, or would he not care? Could she take that risk?

“Shh,” he shushed her, in a distant whisper.

Maxx caressed her neck with his free hand, looking her over approvingly, then, before she could speak again, he tugged her dress down, to expose her bra. He kissed his way down to the hollow of her breasts, before slowly pushing the straps from both shoulders.

“Maxx, I,” she gasped, as she tried to speak again. It was a complete failure, since he silenced her, perfectly, by licking her bare nipple and looking up at her with those playful eyes. It was so beautifully sensual, that she told herself to shut up.

Her story could wait for a little while longer, until she'd explored just how sinfully delightful it could be, to go with the flow and let Maxx take over for a while. He was far from in a hurry, so she wanted to see how long he was going to drag this out.

It didn't prove to be very long. Maxx skilfully sucked on her nipple, while stroking between her legs, as if he knew every inch of her body and just what to do, to help her towards an orgasm.

When he removed his hands from her, completely, Hadley felt a moment of loss and disappointment. Until he undid his suit button and pulled it off his shoulders.

“Fuck, you're beautiful,” he said, eyeing her up, in the dishevelled mess he had created. Her dress was hitched high on her thighs, while the top half was pulled down around her waist, and her bra only stayed on her, because of the back fastening and the straps around his elbows.

Now that she could think and breathe again, she unclipped her bra and pulled the straps off, along with the tight straps of her dress, caught around her elbows. The whole time, Maxx just stood there and watched, as though fascinated by her.

“I will never find that anything less than enviable. How you manage to make something so mundane look so sexy, is beyond me.” He said, with a smile that just about turned her into a pile of mush.

Hadley was already, very evidently, turned on, which Maxx knew for himself. It had been so long since she'd actually had a relationship or any kind of sex, that she couldn't even remember if it had been eight or twelve months. Whatever it was, she was more than ready to break the cycle.

Once her own clothes were taken care of, she reached out and began undoing Maxx's shirt. He quirked an eyebrow at her, but didn't comment, as he reached for his belt and undid it; he tried to tease her, by undoing his pants slowly, but she wasn't bothered. The whole point of approaching him at all tonight, was to keep him around as long as she could. She had to make this moment, this 'chance encounter' something special, so that he wanted to see her again. She had to be someone special.

Realising she had been pretty passive so far, Hadley leaned in and kissed Maxx's neck, as he drew himself out of the confines of his pants. She pushed his shirt off his shoulders, playfully scraping her fingernails down his chest.

He groaned and caught the back of her head in both hands, before crushing their mouths together. She parted her lips, in acceptance of his kiss and let her hands trail down the faint hair of his abdomen and into his open pants.

Maxx made an odd, adorable, growling noise, when she cupped his length in her hand and combined it with a nip of her teeth on his bottom lip. He thrust into her touch, while kissing her, so she gave him what she wanted; she pushed his clothes out of the way and gave him direct contact.

***

“Oh god, Hadley,” Maxx groaned in pleasure, as he felt her hand wrapping around his length. For being unsure, before he kissed her, he was glad to see her taking charge again. He liked that she was feisty and knew what she wanted.

He didn't care what he'd told his father, just that morning, about not wanting a woman in his life, to ruin things for him; the moment he laid eyes on Hadley, he wanted her. Feeling her body, arching against his, as she stroked him, as if he needed further encouragement to rise to the occasion, was beyond addictive. It was bloody hypnotic.

Knowing that he hadn't had to put up with any 'date' formalities, before they both got what they wanted, excited Maxx beyond belief. Why couldn't everyone be the same…just admit to what they want and get it, before moving on?

But, right now, he wasn't sure he wanted to move on. Hadley was a real tiger, using her nails on him, in the most delicate, teasing way, while she brought her mouth back up to his, to kiss him slowly. It was a delightful torment, that promised so much more.

Maxx could have kissed her all day, but there was a much sweeter pleasure awaiting him; he broke the kiss and pushed her dress up past her hips, to pull down her lacy underwear. They slid, rather tantalisingly, down her bare legs, without much provocation, until she was in the most gorgeous state of undress.

“I could look at you, like this, forever.” He admitted, thoughtlessly, as he pulled out a condom from his back pocket and put it on.

There was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, as her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, but he chose to ignore both. So either she wasn't used to a man coming prepared, which was disappointing, or she wasn't used to being complemented on her looks; he could fix that last one. She was delicious; her skin was pale and silky soft, while her cheeks and her neck flushed a pale pink.

He shook off his admiration and caught her waist in both hands. He noticed that she was skinny, more so than he approved of, because she was tall too. He could fix that, as well, so he filed it away for further inspection later and let his hands wander down to cup her pert ass in his palms.

“Are you playing or plotting something?” Hadley asked, somewhat breathlessly, placing her hands on his shoulders, as though to brace herself.

He loved the sound of her voice, all husky from need and naturally low. God, she could sound sexy asking for the time. “I'm undecided,” he confessed, since he could gladly stand there all day and touch every inch of her.

But the day was gone and the night had taken over. When he gently tugged her forward, Hadley leaned back on the wall and tilted her hips towards him, as it to entice him closer. He didn't need the encouragement. But he couldn't decide whether to get on his knees to taste her, or whether to just step closer and let his eager cock guide the way.

***

Hadley thought she was going to lose her mind, as Maxx finally made his choice and eased himself inside of him. He was careful, despite being a stranger willing to shag her in the back room of a club, but it was kind of sweet. He'd spent a heck of a time toying with her, making it clear that he didn't want a cheap, quick fumble.

The way he then pinned her to the wall and thrust into her slowly, while kissing her, made her feel like this was almost a planned, clandestine meeting. As though she was a secret lover that he had been desperate to see and be with.

She smiled, as she realised her journalistic mind was running away with her; she was on a high, from the adrenaline of the moment. And who knew, maybe if she could keep Maxx interested, then she could become that clandestine lover, secretly extracting her hot new story from him, every time they met.

Hadley tightened her legs around Maxx's waist, and wound her fingers in his hair, as he kissed her neck. She bent her knees, laying her calves flat against his back, only to smile at the way he reacted.

“Fuck,” he groaned and sank deeper inside of her, with the move. Just when she thought he would lose himself to the moment, he dug his fingers into the back of her hip, holding her in place against the wall. He met her gaze and thrust harder and faster, taking full advantage of her repositioning.

She knew she shouldn't have done it; she knew she shouldn't be enjoying it, but she just couldn't help herself. She should have stopped him long ago, but when he kissed her…the way he touched her…the way he looked at her…it sent tingles through every fibre of her body. She couldn't ignore the quivering gasps of pleasure that rang in the air, as she clung to him, desperately.

She never thought the night would end this way. But there she was…minutes after meeting Maxx, praying that it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other and that she would get her story. The sexual chemistry that had been brewing between them, since they'd first laid eyes on each other, exploding in a deep lingering sexual experience that she could never regret.

No matter how many times Hadley told herself that it was wrong, that she should never have been in this situation, she couldn't ignore the fact that her body was screaming for his touch. What was so exquisitely exciting, was that Maxx knew that. He knew exactly what she wanted…because it was exactly what he wanted. And God was she glad for that.

***

Come back next week for the last chapter in this teasing short story that could lead to more. ;)

Spamming or Promoting?

There's a very fine line between Spamming and Promoting, in the Indie world. Why? Because everyone and their mother can self-publish and there are more authors on Facebook and other social media sites than ever.

It's great. Don't get me wrong. I love that we live in a world where anyone, of any age, can put a book out there and live their dreams. I grew up believing that writing was a no-pay, dream-world career and that there was no money or reward in it. That's been proven wrong. But...again, that fine line.

Recently, in the M/M world - gay romance, to those not in the know - this has become a really sticky issue. Authors have been reported to Facebook, on release day or just before it, for promoting their books in Facebook groups or pages and having those posts considered spamming.

Is it?

That's where the fine line comes in. For one, let me point out that they're promoting in LGBT friendly groups, so they're not being reported for posting gay romance in groups that don't want to see it/read it or acknowledge it. That's not the problem.

The problem is that, as authors, some of us have street teams. Street teams that don't communicate with each other. Street teams that post a teaser/buy links/promo post, without asking each other if someone else has already hit that group/page with the same info. How do I know? Because I've seen it first hand.

As a part of the M/M world on Facebook, I can see the author's side and the readers. As an author, promoting yourself in the build up and during the first few weeks of a release are critical. Especially if you're still relatively unknown and don't have a set fan base already gagging for your next book. The authors who have been reported, that I've seen, are not in this category and that's what's getting them in trouble.

Personally, I hate putting myself out there, in promo. I'd rather people found my book the usual way - by accident, by a rec or by word of mouth - because it's something they're interested in, rather than from me pushing it down their throat. And sometimes, promo can feel that way. But I also know that it's really difficult to get word of mouth or recs without first advertising yourself. It's a nasty Catch 22 that I hate.

These authors are so popular and have such a great fan base, that being reported and blocked from Facebook has got their fans up in arms. That's great. That means they're loved and their fans can see an injustice. But, these fans are taking it upon themselves to promote the new releases in various groups. Sometimes 3-4 times a day. Sometimes with nasty comments about the people who reported the author.

Why do I sound disapproving? Because I am. Just because you don't agree with what someone else has done, doesn't mean you get to sit back and judge them or call them names. And this is what's happening. Someone, somewhere on Facebook, decided to report these authors. Probably for what they considered over-promoting - or spamming - a group or page, with their new release. That's fair. If you run a group and have dozens of authors that regularly participate, only for one or two authors who are NOT active in the group trying to take over with their new release, that's hardly fair on the others, who post respectfully and in line with the rules.

Now, if you were fed up of seeing 6 different posts by the same people, in all of your groups, on the same day, numerous times, for the same book, wouldn't you get a little frustrated? Maybe you wouldn't report them, but a group admin might. After all, they're responsible for how the group functions and they have every right to remove members who are abusing the rules.

Does that give anyone the right to call them names? No. They're doing their job, as a group admin, and creating a place where people can talk and interact about books. Books that don't just belong to one author on their release day. That person is just that - a person, with feelings and a life of their own. You don't know what they're dealing with, so be respectful and don't start name-bashing, if you find out one of your favourite authors has been reported. Ask yourself, did they deserve to be reported? In most cases, I can say no and believe that I'm right. Especially when it comes to being reported over a photo or teaser poster.

As a reader, however, I hate spamming. It's like a takeover event where there shouldn't be one. I can see that it's mostly by street teams, who sometimes don't communicate with each other, about where they're posting or how. Or by authors on release day, who maybe didn't notice they posted to the same group twice. When you share direct from your page, that can happen. There's no warning box to say "Oh, stop! You did that page already."

It's sad, because it gives those awesome street teams, who do watch what they're doing, a bad name. It also gives the author a bad name, and they may be completely ignorant of what their street team or fans are doing. They may not.

What upsets me is the name calling. I've been bullied before - in school and online - and it's not pretty. Seeing people posting things like "whoever reported you is an ignorant asshat" or whatever, gets deep under my skin. You don't know who reported the author or why. Maybe it was a mistake. I know I've almost clicked the report button on a post in two different websites, because my mouse ran away with me or because my hand shook (which is a condition, not drunkenness :P ) It may even have been a group admin who is fed up of one book being blasted on their page fifteen times. Either way, I don't see the need for name-bashing.

So how do you tell if you're spamming or promoting?

Read the rules of EVERY group that you join. If you can't see the rules, until you join, then feel free to leave that group, if you read them and decide you can't adhere to them. For example, there's a really awesome group on Facebook "Vampire Writer's Support Group" which is specifically designed for writers of vampire novels, who want to talk ideas, need a boost of ego or just need some support, while working on a really tough story. BUT, if you want to promote your Vampire novel, there's only one place to do it - in the pinned post. If you post your promo anywhere else, you'll get your post removed and a warning. Do it again and again, you'll get removed.

It's important that you read the rules, because if you don't and you violate their terms and get reported, that will be your fault. So we want to avoid that.

Another way to prevent turning your promo into spamming is to keep a log of where you're posting. Generally, Facebook lists the groups in order of where you were last active, so if you were recently in the Vampire Writer's Support Group, then that will be at the top. I suggest opening the 'groups' page and then opening each individual group in it's own window, so that you can see which groups you're posting in. Then, post one post for each group and don't touch that group again for a week, unless you have urgent news - sale ending etc - because that's one sure fire way to bug people.

Also, try to spread out your promo. Don't dump the same thing in 50 groups in one day. Try dropping into a few groups one day, talking about your book and leaving a teaser or quote behind with a link. Then, a few days later, do a few more. It will actually benefit you more if you spread it out.

The key to any promotion is to interact. Don't just join a group so that you can dump a promo and run. People want to know YOU, to get to know your personality, to talk about the things you like. Be a real person in those groups and when you come to promote yourself, people will be more responsive to what you have to sell. If you love a book by another author and gave it a rave review, then share that in an appropriate group and gush to your hearts content. If someone gave YOU a rave review, share it and thank your readers. They'll thank you for it later.

Here are some vital rules I try to live by:

Rule #1 - be authentic.

Rule #2 - respond to your audience. Give them what they want; to know you and feel like your best bud.

Rule #3 - remember that you're a person first and an author second. Your readers - and, in turn, your potential reviewers - will do the same.

Rule #4 - treat others - including groups, pages and readers - as you would want to be treated. If you don't want someone spamming your author page with links to their book, don't spam groups with links to YOUR book. It will get you noticed in the wrong ways.

Rule #5 - NO pity-parties. Never try to encourage people to buy your books by using guilt. Do not go around saying "I had cancer, so please buy my book" (an excuse I could actually use, but don't). Don't complain that you didn't make #1 in a list, when you only made #5 and then beg everyone you know, if they have ever loved you or your books, to get you to that top spot. Don't bitch that you haven't got a #1 Bestseller flag on Amazon, within hours of your release, to guilt-trip your readers into getting it for you.

~

The most important thing about promoting yourself is that it takes time. You need an audience and fans and readers and reviews and...so much more. Writing is hard. That's a fact of life, for every author out there. Getting the words on paper is a bitch. Editing them is hell and releasing them is worse.

Finding that fine line between getting noticed for your work and getting noticed for spamming can be tricky. But, follow some simple rules of etiquette and courtesy and you'll go far.

Remember...being an author isn't a sprint. It's a marathon. Most authors take 5 years to build an audience. FIVE YEARS! So, if you're not a best-seller with book 1 and fighting off movie deals from all sides, don't sweat it. One day, you will be. You'll have made your fans through hard work, swear and tears. And when you do get that kick-ass movie deal with Johnny Depp or Megan Fox, or the next-big hot actor/actress, gagging for a role in YOUR movie, you'll know that you worked damned hard to get there and you deserve every second of it.

Easy is overrated.

Author Resources: Names

When you're writing a book, one of the first things you need are character names. Why? Because you need to know who you're writing your story about.

I tend to start my notes with characters named B1, G1, B2, G2 etc, which stand for Boy 1, Girl 1, Boy 2 and Girl 2 and so on. Then, once I've got my basic plan of who the characters are going to be and what their personalities are, I can just do a full document replace. So, if I decide to call B1 Nathan, I can do a direct switch.

Once you get to that stage, you'll be looking at which names to use.

~

Where do you find these names? There are a lot of choices:

Watch a movie. If you choose a foreign movie or one filmed in various countries, you can usually find some really good unusual, foreign names that will give your characters some authenticity. Or, just go for the super normal ones. But, don't just look at the characters or the actors who play them. Nope, your best bet for unusual names is to check out the cast and crew in the really tiny small print.

If you don't have time to watch a movie, try out the Internet Movie Database.

~

Go through your old yearbook. Write up all names into Boy, Girl and Surname. Then, mix them up and you'll have a handful of names that you can use for characters. They're likely to be normal, every day names that will come in great for characters local to your area. If you're British and plotting your story in the same country, then the names from your yearbook are likely to be normal British names. If you're American and plotting your book in America, then your names will be normal American names.

~

Think back to all your own favourite movie stars. The really amazing, 1920's, Golden Era of Hollywood stars. You'll often find that some of their stage names or real names won't be commonly used in our time. But, they can be great names for your characters.

~

You can also search names by their specific country, if you have a foreign character you want to add 

to your story, or someone who has changed their name for whatever reason.

~

Here are some generators you can use, online and offline:

Behind the Name

Fantasy Name Generator

Generate a Random Name

Donjon

~

Here are some names from various films, yearbooks and movie stars that I've dug up for you:

Female

1. Greta
2. Lori
3. Jono
4. Sabine
5. Taea
6. Clotilde
7. Yolande
8. Mady
9. Valèrie
10. Monette
11. Marie-Laure
12. Karine
13. Valèriane
14. Pauline
15. Jona
16. Beatie
17. Pip
18. Fenella
19. Phyllida
20. Haydn

Male

1. Marion
2. Guillaume
3. Marton
4. Cameron
5. Brent
6. Fabian
7. Urbain
8. Serge
9. Ticky
10. Amaury
11. Geoffrey
12. Tristan
13. Raji
14. Aidan
15. Rolf
16. JJ
17. Art
18. Tariq
19. Ewan
20. Adie

Surnames

1. Makoare
2. Ulyatt
3. Dungey
4. Rhodes
5. Monaghan
6. Mortensen
7. Elsworth
8. Tautou
9. Cravotta
10. Csokas
11. Boyd
12. Nanty
13. Kassovitz
14. Bénichou
15. Pinon
16. Holgado
17. Babault
18. Zarrouk
19. Descoureaux
20. de Villeneuve

How To: Create An Animated Gif

With Facebook now allowing you to use Gifs on comments and posts, I thought it would be a good idea to cover how to make them, for all those inquisitive minds. Now, there are LOTS of ways to do this, so I'm going to cover the way that I did it, that I know works. But there will be other options out there, if this doesn't work for you.

Gifs are a great way to advertise your book, especially if you do them right. They have more 'Wow Factor' than a poster, but are also more fun to play around with. You can say more with a gif than a poster, with a surprise factor added in for good measure. Generally, my advise is to keep it simple and only change the text. That's what I'll be demonstrating today.

Also, refer to the post on Author Legalese, if you want to double-check copyright rules about pictures and text you'll be using.

~

First, you'll need a picture. I suggest forking out the cash to buy one. You want top quality, but if you can't afford it, you can usually get a great image for free, if you look in the right places. Check out our How to Effectively Advertise Your Book post, for places to find images.

Once you have a picture you like, upload it into PicMonkey. Again, link in the above post. Here, you'll want to get the colours and effect however you want it. Me, I used an image that was already perfect (which was bought) so that I didn't have to play around with it.

Next, you want to add your text. Check out the examples below for an idea of what you can do. Once you've decided, add the first part of the text to your image. Find a font you like and either keep it consistent, for a seamless look, or change it up on purpose, for the second example.

You'll have to save the image, after adding each part of text, so that you then have a set of the same image with different text, as below, in my example:

   

In total, I have 5 images of the same picture just with variations of text.

Now, you upload into GifMaker.Me

When you click the link and go to GifMaker, you're automatically led to the page where you can begin making your gif, so there's no faffing about, trying to find the right button. It's super easy.

This part is really simple, once you know how to do it right. Make sure you've named your pictures above in the order you want them to appear. I went with a really simple 1-5. Then, click on this box here - Upload Images -, to select the images you want in your gif:

You can select all of them at once (example: all five) It's best to do them all at once, so that you don't get them in the wrong order. You can click and drag the images, to rearrange them, but if you get in a real mess, it may be better to remove them and start again.

Upload your pics and then, you'll get an example of what it will look like in the big white "Preview" box on the right. This is REALLY important, because you need to see how it looks before you hit "Create". Why? Because it might be too fast. Depending on how much text you have, you want your gif to be readable, so for a text like mine, I went for the 1650 milliseconds, under "Animation Speed". LEAVE the canvas size at 100%. That ensures that you don't have any white space, though it looks like you will, in the Preview box. That's because the preview box is set to a specific height and width, but your gif will take on the 100% size of the picture you upload. Which is why it's so important that you only use one image rather than many.

Now, you can move on. Here's Step Two:

Here, you can decide whether to leave your gif on repeat, so that it's always playing or only to play it once. Totally up to you.

The next neat little thing is that you can add a Music URL. Now, there are links to YouTube's audio library in the Advertising post, but I've yet to find a way of actually "listening" to my gif, that I added music to. If you find a way, let me know. I want to hear it. :)

Once you've done that, you're done. Click "Create GIF Animation" and it will pop up with a link to download it, just below these black buttons. It will automatically download to your Download folder, then all you have to do is rename and post it wherever you want. Voila!

Congrats! You now have your very own animated gif, to advertise your book. Or, you know, just for fun.

~

Want to see how it's done? Mine was an experiment, but Elizabeth's was done by a professional, who knew what they were doing. See the difference between the two and how you can make your own, with no prior knowledge of how to do it. You can also play around with adding tags, like Elizabeth's has, for Amazon or a Title logo. What you add, is up to you.

This is my gif for Courage in the Kiss:

This is a gif that an author friend had made, that I really love, too. It's simple and effective:

Chapter #1 - Kissing is a Cover

*This writing is the Copyrighted Intellectual Property of Elaine White*

Copyright © 2015 by Elaine White

***

When it comes to writing, I tend to rework ideas, as I'm writing them into a story. So what goes down on paper, as an idea or a plan for a story, might not always end up happening in the story. Example: this short story "Kissing is a Cover" was originally intended to be an introduction short story to a larger novel "Kissing Undercover". Although "Kissing Undercover" may actually happen, "Kissing is a Cover" will not.

Why not?

Because I "borrowed" from "Kissing is a Cover" to add new scenes and more excitement to "Courage in the Kiss". Both stories originally had vastly dissimilar plots, with CITK being a contemporary romance with low heat and a little bit of angst, while KIAC was a short story with bags of heat and chemistry, but very little flesh. Now that I've combined the two, I can honestly say that I love how it turned out. But...you won't be seeing any peeks of how KIAC has changed CITK, until release time.

In KIAC, the names and lives of the characters were completely different to CITK, but I made the names the same, before "borrowing" some parts. Now, although the characters are wildly different in CITK, the names are the same, but don't hold that against me.

For now, I'll be posting my short story here, in chapter increments, for those who may be interested. And, who knows, one day in the future you may recognise certain parts, if you read CITK. ;) 

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Kissing Is A Cover

Chapter 1

Hadley decided to go to a club, to release some pressure from being newly unemployed. Her life was a disaster; it was about time she relaxed and forgot about the stress, pressure and chaos, and just enjoyed herself.

She only had time to sit down on a bar stool, ordering a drink for herself, when she heard a commotion, louder than the usual noise, in the corner of the room. Giving a glance in their direction, to see what the big fuss was, she noticed a group of men all toasting to one lone figure. Strangely, he looked as if he couldn't have cared less for the celebrations or their drunken cheers.

He was oddly familiar and it took Hadley a little while, to think of where she had seen his face before. When she finally had it, a smile slowly crept onto her lips, in wonder. His name was Maxx and his picture had been in the newspaper countless times. He was a notorious criminal's son, reputed to be following in his fathers footsteps, despite the fact that he did so behind the façade of being an art dealer and businessman.

It was actually quite perfect. He was famous without his father, a notoriously rich business man, with a mysteriously quiet life. She could get a great story from him; front page news, if she only got close enough and found out all the gossip from the inside. She might even get her journalism career back on track.

That idiot, who kept stealing her work, wouldn't win after all. She might have quit, of her own free will, after a year of frustration, but she could win the final war, if she only did this right.

They might have one or two stories left over, from old submissions, but they didn't have anything new of hers, to pass off as their own. And since Christian, her boss, had made it perfectly clear that he wouldn't help her save her career, unless she had sex with him, she didn't feel one ounce of regret. She could get a hot new story, bigger than Christian could ever dreamed of, and get him back for being such a slimy pig all the time, trying to keep her locked in the office, by letting someone plagiarise her words.

Her brother, Tad, had once told her the best piece of advice he had been given, as a rookie FBI agent. To get to know everything about a case, he had to become the case, get all the classified details from the inside and hack the system. She had to be the type of person being investigated.

The thought percolated inside Hadley's head, as she watched the numerous men leaving the table they had in the corner, to find a girl to dance with. All except Maxx.

Hadley paid more attention, as she watched him, in the mirror behind the bar. He was sitting by himself, the only person in his corner of the club that wasn't busy either flirting with the nearest person or dancing.

He incredibly handsome, not much older than she was, with dark hair cut into an untidy army hairstyle. He had a mysterious air to him, too; a hidden quality that she could detect behind his dark chocolate eyes, even from the distance they were from each other. And she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to see that mysterious look up close, only able to guess that it would be just as mesmerising as he was.

Her cheeks flushed, as she glanced into the mirror and caught Maxx watching her. He set down his bottle of beer, with an inquisitive tilt of the head, in her direction. Almost as if he knew she was watching him.

Hadley was distracted, for just a moment, as a body bumped against hers.

“Hey darlin',” the male voice said, as the man moved to put his back to the bar, to face her. He was clearly drunk, which she could tell from the sway of his movements and the reek of alcohol coming off him. “Fancy a dance?” He asked, making some ridiculous dancing gesture to her, as he spoke.

“No thanks,” Hadley replied, putting on a nice smile, hoping he would go away.

“Aw, come on.” He goaded her, slipping his arm around her waist.

She wasn't sure why she did it, but she glanced over in Maxx's direction, desperate to be saved from the arm she tried to remove from her waist. He seemed to get the message, because he got up, fastened his suit jacket and walked over, as calmly as if he'd always intended to approach her.

She gave the drunken man's arm a harder push, which forced him to release her, just as Maxx appeared.

“Hey beautiful. Sorry I'm late.” He said, cupping her chin in his hand, as he leaned in to kiss her lips. The touch was brief, but electric, and Hadley couldn't stop her eyes from fluttering shut, for just a second.

The second Maxx released her, from his kiss and from his hold, he turned to raise an eyebrow at the drunk who had been bothering her. He grumbled to himself, as he left, clearly getting the point.

“Fancy getting out of here?” He whispered in her ear, as Maxx sidled up next to her. The sound of his voice was more alluring than she had imagined it would be and she almost wanted to close her eyes and imagine what it would be like in other circumstances. But she had to remember that she was getting close to him for work, not a personal encounter.

Hadley wasn't surprised to find his dark eyes smiling at her, when she turned to look his way. She didn't know how to thank him for intervening or how to answer his question. She didn't feel the same initial wariness that she usually felt, when a man approached her in the same situation. Most of the time, she ignored the men that either asked her to dance or offered to buy her a drink at clubs and restaurants, because Tad had always brought her up to be cautious.

But this time, she didn't feel the usual warning sights going off in her head. All she felt was a strange shiver running up her spine, that said she had to take her chance before it passed her by.

“I'm Hadley. Thanks for rescuing me.” She introduced herself quietly, feeling nervous.

“Maxx.” He returned, unnecessarily.

She already knew who he was, but she was glad to know that he didn't already suspect that; if he did, then she would never get her story.

Maxx slipped his hand into hers, intertwining their fingers. He quietly led her away from the bar and through to the back room, which was mostly reserved for private parties.

Hadley wasn't sure whether to go or not, but she couldn't help herself. She needed a job, money and a career; it didn't hurt that Maxx was gorgeous, either. Something about the way he looked at her and the tingles that ran through her, when he touched her, said that she would be a fool not to trust her instincts. She could at least get to know him, even if it meant turning down any advances he might make towards her.

She couldn't offer any kind of explanation for her actions; she could barely think of anything other than what he might intend for them, once they reached the VIP room. She knew that she was wrong to be so excited about the thought of him kissing her again, when she didn't know him and she was only getting close to get a story. But she was running out of options.

This could be her big break; neither she nor the world knew anything about him and, right now, that was all that mattered. Not his name or who he was, not whether he was just another guy making another cheap pass at a girl in a club, or whether he was genuinely interested in her. Just that he was a mystery she needed to unravel, if she ever expected another reputable publisher to hire her as a journalist.

But something about the way he held her hand, the way his fingers intertwined with hers, making a perfect fit, said there was much more to their chance meeting than she had anticipated. It felt like a spark rushed through their hands, where they joined, and it made her speechless.

She couldn't give up so soon and just walked away. Not after knowing that touch.

She had to find out whether there really was something there between them, some kind of chemistry. If she didn't, she would regret it right along with everything else she had found herself regretting, in the past few days of her life. And even if it didn't work out, if it meant nothing, then it was all for the better. Because at least then, she could get her story and not feel any guilt for leading on a guy that she had no connection with. She could just make out that it was any other relationship, that failed to work out.

Even if, in the back of her mind, she knew that using this unsuspecting man, to further her career and get a hot new story, was wrong. Even if she knew that using Maxx for her next story was as bad as her abandoned plan of seducing Christian, into finding and shaming the thief who stole her stories.

Hadley had to face facts; she was a hypocrite. She couldn't stand the thought of sleeping with Christian to save her career, but now that she was unemployed, she was walking a tight rope of temptation, with Maxx.

She'd walked out of the frying pan and into the fire, for what? A story, a job, a career? Was it worth it?

***

Stepping inside the back room, Maxx felt a strange apprehension, that he had never felt because of a girl before. He saw the nervous glance she gave the otherwise empty room, as though he had planned a more physical introduction to each other than he had thought to consider, so soon after meeting her. Not that the thought wasn't appealing, when she only looked all the more beautiful, in the brighter lights of the VIP room. Nevertheless, she had brought the suggestion to his mind.

When she unconsciously stepped up closer to him, he couldn't help but want to kiss her. Slipping his hand from hers, he could detect the uneasiness in her eyes, as he brushed a stray strand of hair from them.

The sexual chemistry between them was like a current of electricity, drawing him closer. He gently cupped her face in his hand, kissing her earlobe, playfully, before staring into her eyes. As soon as he realised she was about to say something, he cut her off. He didn't want to hear words.

“Your body can tell me more than your voice can, Hadley…let me feel you.” He whispered in her ear, gently backing her up against the wall.

He spared a moment, to register her faint smile, before kissing her, his mouth overpowering hers easily. She moaned as he let his hands drift over her supple, curvaceous body, in appreciation.

The dress she wore ended mid-thigh, so he took advantage of that and slipped his hand underneath the black fabric. Her skin was soft and her mouth was hot, as they kissed with a kind of desperate passion that he hadn't felt for a woman before. He'd had rushed encounters, moments of need and pure lust, but nothing that set every nerve on fire, the way kissing Hadley did.

A hand swept into his hair, as he cupped his hand around the back of her left thigh. The moan that escaped into his mouth, as he guided her legs apart, was even better. But just as he was going to reach out for what he wanted, the feisty girl in his arms licked his bottom lip and drew her leg up his, until she had it wrapped around his thigh.

Maxx flicked her tongue with his own, until they met halfway in a hungry kiss. He loved that she wanted to be an equal part of their encounter, so he let her have her way. It only made it all the sweeter as he reached between them and slipped his fingers beneath the sexy lace panties she wore.

***

You can read Chapter 2, of this 3 chapter short story next week. Stay tuned...

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