Every time I think of you, that is how I see you, how I see
us, frozen for all time on that canvas, immune to the fading of memory. I spend
immeasurable moments imagining myself in that scene, until I feel I am entering
the space of the photograph and am no longer the man who observes but the man
lying beside the woman. Then the quiet symmetry of the picture is broken and I
hear voices very close to my ear.
“Tell me a story,” I say to you.
“What about?”
“Tell me a story you have never told anyone before. Make it
up for me.”
-Isabel Allende, The Stories of Eva Luna 1989
This
paragraph is about lovers in the midst of a good afterglow, and for me this is
sexy.
Chemistry
may be hard to convey on the big screen, but it is hard as hell on paper. If
the right mixture is combined correctly it explodes, if not it falls flat. A
wink here a touch there doesn’t quite make the cut in the literary world. There
is no swelling music that indicates what emotion the characters are feeling. An
author can’t very well write: Cue lovers—They
see one another from across the street. With perfectly coiffed hair they walk
toward each other in slow motion, action
smile and embrace. Not sexy, right? Yeah, yeah, sure this scenario could be
written a lot more artistically, but it still misses the key ingredient: heart.
According
to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, chemistry is simply a strong attraction
between two people. Easy peasy, right? *Shrug*
I’m
not talking about sex, which is so much easier to write. No, I’m speaking of
the hot stuff that happens way before our favorite characters do the deed. A
tilt of the head or lingering stare that makes the reader’s heart pump just as
fast as our heroine’s. Scientists haven’t been able to bottle the recipe for
chemistry just right. Big words, such as pheromones or composition, are thrown
around, but nothing tangible. Hell, even Match.com uses an algorithm that at
times is no better than a coin toss in the air.
Historical
figures Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett barely touched and yet their fictional
chemistry managed to last for centuries.
In
my hunt for examples of great chemistry, I stumbled upon several list compiled
of top romance novels. The same authors could be cross referenced on all of
them. Jude Deveraux, Jennifer Cruise, Beverly Jenkins, and Susan Elizabeth
Phillips are connoisseurs on chemistry. These women know the right mixture and
should probably be hired by OkayCupid.com if they ever get tired of their day
jobs.
Fear Nothing
Amber Malloy
Genre: Interracial Romance/ Action
Publisher: Resplendence
ISBN: 978-1-607350974-6
Pages: 130
Count: 40,000
Book Description:
One psychotic soldier was to blame.
Years ago, Skye Everwood survived a vicious assault, and now, she’s losing her eyesight as she faces her worst nightmare… Her attacker is back to finish what he started.
When the love of her life unexpectedly shows up at her restaurant, she knows it’s not a coincidence. Skye never understood why Bodhi King disappeared after that fateful day. Their plans to get married went up in smoke, just like her dreams to stay in the JAG Core. Unsure if she can trust him with her heart—let alone her life—she searches to find answers to why he left in the first place.
About the Author:
Amber Malloy dreamed of being a double agent but couldn’t pass the psyche evaluation. Crushed by despair that she couldn’t legally shoot things, Amber pursued her second career choice as pastry chef. When she’s not writing or whipping up a mean Snickers Cheesecake, she occasionally spies on her sommelier. Amber is convinced he’s faking his French accent.
Amber loves to talk to her readers and can be found at www.ambermalloy.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authambermalloy
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