Waking to Black by V.H. Luis (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post by author V.H. Luis, who answers my question...


ELF: What do you think is the strongest attraction about the genre(s) you like to write in?

What’s with all the LOVE for falling-in-LOVE?

V.H. Luis 

The romance genre in 2013 amassed 1.08 billion-dollars in annual sales. A number which has likely grown since 2013. Who is doing all the buying? According to the statistics outlined on the Romance Writers of American (RWA) website, 82% of romance purchases are done by women.

The truth is I’ve never cared for numbers—words written or read have always been my thing—yet these statistics are interesting to me because romance happens to be what I LOVE to write/read about.

What makes romance so hot? Pun intended… because I couldn’t resist.

Some would argue that because women seem to be the interested demographic in terms of readers, men in society aren’t satisfying women’s innate need for romance? Any men in the audience care to weigh-in?

Should I take the debate a step further and broach the possibility that in some respects women’s sexuality has been hindered by the patriarchal slant of most societies throughout history and that the romance genre in-turn has become a decadent release for women who feel inhibited by societal norms?

Relax guys… I’m not bashing men nor am I claiming women have been repressed. Honestly, I think the answer to this question is somewhat basic. People in general, either male or female, are attracted to the romance genre because the desire to forge relationships is hardwired into our DNA.

The reality is, all the LOVE for falling-in-LOVE is not something new. The need to make a connection with someone that transcends everyday interaction is primitive. Humans are social creatures. People want to relate to others—we crave affection. Maybe the desire is so primitive that at the end of the day it comes down to the simple release of endorphins. We are addicted to LOVE. We crave the chemical high we feel when we experience a first-kiss, a soft caress, or even a knowing glance.

Personally, I’m not an authority on this subject. I can only attest to my own reasons for adoring romance novels.

1.    I LOVE to read and write romance because the concept of seeing a strong, ultra-alpha man take charge is appealing to me.

2.    I LOVE to read and write romance because the women in my favorite novels are courageous. They always find a way to demonstrate not only to themselves but to the male-leads their worth—even if that means knowing when a tactical retreat is the only move on the chessboard.

3.    I LOVE to read romance, because it’s deliciously decadent. A hot romance scene is like a piece of chocolate cake—sinful, but worth it!

At the end of the day I LOVE to read romance because I LOVE the idea of falling-in-LOVE, staying-in-LOVE, and rising above all the negativity in your life (that may be holding you back), because of LOVE.

My debut novel Waking to Black (Uninhibited #1), exemplifies many of the reasons I LOVE to read about LOVE.

What do you all think is the attraction to the romance genre? I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts.

XOXO

V.H. Luis

***I’m a proud member of the RWA… If you are interested the statistics I was referencing can be found on the link provided.

https://www.rwa.org/page/romance-industry-statistics

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Waking to Black

by V.H. Luis

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GENRE:   Erotic Romance

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BLURB:

He shattered my defenses, and I was fragile to begin with…

The first time I saw Adam Black, I was between the arms of a criminal, a gun to my throat and even then, I knew I was staring at the most dangerous man in the room.

Maybe it was his confident, cerulean eyes, or the sex appeal radiating from his pores like heat waves on a scorching day, but by proximity alone he made my vision blur and my heart stammer.

The day I was nearly killed in a bank hold-up, I began to live—because of him.

Now, I’m praying for the first time in years, hoping the scars of my past, the secrets I keep, don’t interfere with my future…

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EXCERPT

  

I close my eyes and bend my knees—or at least I think I am. I’m finding it hard to breathe, and the room is spinning. I must not be moving fast enough because the next thing I know, the man with the big gun grabs me and shoves the cold tip of the barrel against my neck.

This is how it ends? A pang of regret stabs deep within my belly. I wonder who will feed my cat when I’m gone, and the pathetic nature of that last thought is sobering. I haven’t accomplished much in the last twenty-four years. My eyes begin to water, and my vision clouds.

“Hey, take it easy,” a much calmer voice calls out from behind me.

I try to focus on the deep tenor of this stranger, who to my shock is defying a man with a gun, but my senses aren’t cooperating.

Using me as a shield, my captor spins me and I get a blurry first look at my would-be hero. Through pooling tears, I see he’s dressed in an expensive black suit, a crisp white shirt, and a solid black tie. He has hair the color of dark coffee, and because he defies the order to hug the floor, I notice he’s tall. His sapphire eyes lock on mine, urging me to breathe, and for a split-second I forget I’m in the arms of a lunatic because it’s this stranger’s gaze holding me hostage.

Though his hands are in the air, like everyone else’s, he seems to be humoring the robber rather than obeying him out of fear. And while not armed, his calm demeanor is more threatening than the creep jamming a gun against my throat. It’s as if under the façade of composure something dark and dangerous lingers—the insight makes me tremble.

Amazon buy link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

V.H. Luis is the author of the Black Series, an erotic romance trilogy that follows the love affair of Evelyn Snowe and Adam Black. Her debut book WAKING to Black, will be released in 2018, and the subsequent sequels FADING to Black, and SURRENDERING to Black, will follow shortly thereafter.

Welcome to my internet haven!

I’m a born and bred Miami Girl—and proud of it! I would wear shorts and flip-flops every day of the week if I could. Growing up in Miami, surrounded by my parent’s heritage has made me proud of my Cuban ancestry. Cafecito and a guava pastry for breakfast? Yes, please! Salsa music while I tidy the house? Of course.

If I’m not busy scribbling notes about the story pounding out of my head, I’m painting, listening to music, or spending time with the love of my life—my son. If I decide to travel, I bring the whole family (in-laws included), or at least I try to, because life is too short not to spend it with family; one of the many lessons my father taught me.

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