Aphrodisia Authors :: Blog

With the success of the “Twilight” series and the new TV series “The Gates,” it’s obvious our fascination for things paranormal continues. “What evil lurks in the hearts of men”–or women? Well, The Phantom knows–and Inquiring Minds wanna know, too!

Even as I begin a new Amish series of squeaky-clean romances, the kind Beverly Lewis and Cindy Woodsmall have so successfully published, I delve into the secrets and temptations and human inclinations that my characters try to hide from God…the sides of our souls that scurry from the light. Envy, greed, murder, succumbing to temptation…we’re all in there! Our dark sides are never out of reach, really, and my characters in Willow Ridge will strive to admit and forgive these tendencies.

And then there’s the other me who writes erotic romances as Melissa MacNeal. Now that gives my pastor something to pray about! It also gives Christian and inspirational editors pause, and I’m fully aware they won’t buy my work because they feel anything sweet Charlotte writes about must surely be, well–tainted, by that other stuff I publish.

And I’m OK with that! I thank God every day that I’m such a diverse writer, and that this ability to write on both sides of the Dark line has kept me published over the long haul.
(And yes, I’ll eventually get to the Chocolate part I’m taunting you with visually!)

So even as I delve into the soul secrets my new Amish characters are dealing with, my November book, SEXUAL SECRETS, features Maria Palladino and the Darington twins…a 3-way romance they flaunt throughout most of the story, even though their decadence flies in the face of Victorian morality. Once this trio learns about Lady Darington’s dirty little secrets, however, the hero, Jason, decides he wants Maria all to himself and they’ll play it straight once they marry. I suspect that because they’ve given their “badness” a chance to play itself out, they’re ready to give “goodness” a chance…although poor Jude’s none to happy about it!

Is there common ground here? Something that reconciles the desire for redemption with our tendency to be wayward? I found it this morning! And rather than moralize or delve any further into the human condition, I’ll simply say: DARK CHOCOLATE. It’s all you really need to know about heavenly decadence–and here’s a recipe that would delight my Amish baking ladies while satisfying the SEXUAL HUNGER my Victorian lovers create! Devour a couple of these sinfully delicious dark-on-dark cookies and I’m guessing you’ll see the light (or you’ll just keep snarfing them and think “Hey–temptation! Is that a BAD thing?!”

DARK-ON-DARK COOKIES

1 ¼ C. butter or margarine, softened
2 C. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 C. flour
¾ C. Hershey Special Dark cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 bag Hershey Special Dark chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter/margarine and sugar, then blend in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and mix into the dough, adding the chocolate chips last. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased/parchment papered baking sheets and bake 8-9 minutes. Cookies will be soft and puffy. Allow to cool on the sheets about a minute, until they settle around the chips, and then cool on a rack. About 5 dozen.

So, I’ve been watching a lot of TV lately. The fall premiers have kicked off, and I’m procrastinating on a major level to avoid writing my next novella. Yeah, yeah, I know. Bad Crystal.

I’ll get to it and make it in on deadline, I promise. I’m in the worst part of my teaching semester at ye olde university, so getting myself to write a little and not collapse the moment I get home from work is a challenge.

What have I been watching and what does it have to do with writing?

Well, it’s inspiring my characters, actually. Who knew?

First, I’m loving on Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs. Why? Because unlike a lot of the guys you see on TV, he pulls off manly. I mean, he’s buff and does dirty stuff for my entertainment. Nice.

The next is Bear Grylls from Man vs. Wild. I don’t know why, he’s just hot. And all my heroes are hot. So…he’s totally inspirational. It’s research, I swear!

Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Trading Spaces. He’s a carpenter, he has style, he’s a goofball. And he looks good without a shirt on. *happy sigh*

And finally, the whole cast of hot chicks on L.A. Ink. They’re sexy, they tattoo people for a living, and their work is fun to watch happen. This is totally inspiring the new hero I have in mind, who’s going to be a tattoo artist.

See, my TV watching procrastination habits are all for the good of my writing. No, really, I mean it.

What, you don’t believe me? Would this face lie to you?

I like to listen to music when I write. And unlike some writers who theme their music to the mood of their scene or book, I have no problem listening to wildly inappropriate songs. Even when writing the naughty scenes.

One of my critique partners puts her CD player on random and says it’s a little awkward when “The Bear Necessities” from Jungle Book starts blaring while she’s writing sex. My response: um, why?

For me it’s all about background noise. I can happily listen to the same song or CD over and over (and over and over) again. In fact, I find it better when I am on repeat for the background sound. That way nothing is pulling me out of the zone. And, yes, even if that means I’m listening to bears and apes singing about Man Cubs. The bad part about it is, I end up memorizing songs that I had no intention of ever getting that friendly with. When I start humming and singing random bits of lyrics in the grocery store lines, you have to understand it can get a little awkward. Especially when it’s Nine Inch Nails “Closer” and the only part I remember is “You let me violate you, you let me desecrate you, I want to f*ck you like an animal, I want to feel you from the inside, my whole existence is flawed, you get me closer to God.”

Um, yeah. Awk-ward.

I usually stumble across new songs while randomly clicking links on YouTube. This is either a way to find good music I’ve never heard before…or a recipe in disaster. It’s a toss up and has gone both ways for me. (I won’t talk about the time I stumbled across Japanese lesbian cartoons…and they say romance novels have unrealistic body expectations. Riiiight.)

One of my jaunts around YouTube helped me fall in love with the music of Missy Higgins, an Australia singer. I decided to include her video in my post today.

Have a wonderful Leap Year Day!

Crystal Jordan
http://www.crystaljordan.com

“In Ice” SEXY BEAST V – Sept 08
CARNAL DESIRES – Dec 08

The Muse has a tough job inspiring writers. She can’t just come up with any old idea; she has to give us one that makes us run straight to our keyboards and want to stay there so we can tap out the best story that makes readers wants to keep reading.

If writers are inspired by “Muses,” where do Muses get their inspiration?

Well, if it’s my Muse you were asking she’d reply in large part Disney. This is especially true since I treated her to a week long vacation in Walt Disney World. For my Muse there’s no better place and nowhere else that thinks like she does.

Talking mice, why not? Happily ever after, of course! Travel from Italy to Japan in under five minutes, no problem! Disney is a place that thinks like a Muse, asking What if……….

What if……we dropped an elevator 13 stories?

What if…….a giant Yeti really does live in the mountains?

My Muse works hard trying to develop story worlds & characters that pull readers into a detailed place that’s real. So, she appreciates getting to visit a place that works as hard, or even harder than she does creating a story world down to finite details (try changes in paving to signifiy progression from east to west of the Mississippi River.)

For writer’s What inspires you?

And as a reader what are the little details that make a story real for you?