Denise Tompkins's Blog

If there were a fortune cookie out there that could (very) accurately depict my position at the moment, it would say something like this:

Long absent authors who write no blogs lose all chance forchopsticks with dinner.

So, maybe it doesn’t make as much sense out loud as I thought it would, but in my head it really worked. Bottom line is this: I’ve been so busy writing and blogging on my other site, I’ve totally neglected this one. (hangs head in shame) You deserve better than that from me, and...

Many of you have read one or more of my Niteclif Evolution books, so you’re well aware I love to entertain readers with fantastical characters, from dragons to vampires to shapeshifters and even full-fledged demons. When I was approached about a guest post regarding the appeal of fantasy creatures in erotica, it piqued my interest in others’ points of view on the subject of sexy fantasy characters. That said, please join me in welcoming Jenny Broyles, author of the following guest post.

In the...

Sometimes, despite all the
fumbling and bumbling
through a learning experience,
good things happen.

You know that old adage “Big things come in small packages”? While it’s not always true (I knew the hubs hadn’t bought me a new Audi A5 for our anniversary when he handed me the bouquet of flowers — but, hey! Flowers!), there are times, events even, when you realize how the adage came to be in the first place.

Something like this happened to me last week. My darling and I went to dinner Monday night...

How is it possible so much time has passed since my last blog post? It seems like I remember posting something much more recently than March 15. I mean, c’mon. That’s more than a month ago! Where have I been? What’s been so important I couldn’t stop and drop a quick line to say hello? Ooooh…wait. Now I remember. What’s been happening?

Words.

Lots and lots of words. So many words, in fact, that I’ve begun dreaming of my stories. This is a first. But I’m dreaming of scenes and things I’ve written...

Ah, the Ides of March. Not the movie, dear reader, but the date notoriously associated with the assassination of Julius Caesar. It is also, in a way, the culmination of the Roman New Year, the day that marks the end of the celebration. It’s a good time for me, even though I’m not Roman, to look back and assess the previous year and compose this little missive.I’ve thought about what 2013 was and what 2014 might be, where my New Year’s Resolutions have blossomed and burned and the what the rem...

I’m a little behind on my blogging because I’m frantically wrapping up the second “Pleasure Before Business” book. Justin’s story is just killing me. I mean it. He’s such a good guy that beating him up on the page justhurts. But that’s not why I’m here. I want to let you all know that:

released yesterday! How awesome is that? Even better? You guys have helped it climb the Amazon rankings so it’s (at the time of writing) #13 on the Harlequin Nocturne charts! Woot! Woot!

Dominic’s story was so mu...

This was my face today (minus the fur, but only because I get waxed) when i learned my website had voluntarily started caching entries on January 14, 2014. What does “caching entries” mean, exactly? Think of it like this: I made deposits (blog entries) and the website accepted them, but instead of giving me a receipt, it socked the entry away under some random file and smiled benignly. *I* could see the posts, so I had no idea *you* couldn’t see the posts. So my brilliant, amazing, talented W...

Sometimes blog titles can be misleading. In this case, it’s not. I’m actually going to address all three things. The scary part? They’re all relevant.

Beginning with my first Harlequin Blaze release in September 2014, I’ll be taking on a pen name — Kelli Ireland. All things related t contemporary romance will be found under this name, from books to blogs to, yes, even this website. The cool thing is that my paranormal works, including urban fantasy, will be found under my current name, Denise...

The first thing that comes to mind when I say sexy is something like this:

I have a thing for men–all shapes, colors, sizes. Men can be such beautiful creatures. Of course, like anyone, I have my preferences. But as I was writing my current Blaze “Pleasure Before Business” novel, WOUND UP, I started really thinking about what defines “sexy.” It’s a difficult thing since everyone has a different standard of traits they find sexually attractive.

As a writer, this is one of the most difficult thin...

(Sort of a cumbersome title, isn’t it? Sorry about that. Hopefully the post makes up for it. )

When I talk to other authors, often new authors, I’m often asked about GMCs: Goals, Motivation and Conflict. They want to know how to manage GMCs in their stories.How do I figure out what a goal is? How is motivation determined? What, exactly, qualifies as conflict in a scene? Is conflict always external? Howbig does the conflict need to be? All of these are good questions. There isn’t one answer to...