Guest Post with Louisa Edwards and Giveaway!

Today, I'm so excited to have "Just One Taste" Author Louisa Edwards guest posting here on my blog!! Thanks for stopping by, Louisa!

Here's her post!


Seduced by the Secondary Hero

I knew I was in trouble when my agent asked me to rework the very first chapter before she sent out my proposal for Can’t Stand the Heat. The scene was a pep talk between my professional chef hero, Adam Temple, and his Brit punk best friend and sous chef, Frankie Boyd.

Maybe the way I described the two characters gives you a hint as to what my problem might’ve been—I was in love with my secondary hero. Frankie, with his flamboyant cockney slang and tough swagger, took over the whole scene, which was supposed to be about Adam’s nerves and excitement before a party launching his brand new restaurant. I ended up cutting Frankie right out of it and introducing him later, which let Adam shine in his first appearance on the page. (Although if you want to read the original version, just for fun, I posted it on my website here.)

Frankie has his own subplot that arcs throughout the three books that comprise the Market trilogy, Can’t Stand the Heat, On the Steamy Side, and the most recent release, Just One Taste. It was a constant struggle to rein him in. Readers and reviewers invariably comment on him and his story, which involves a rocky romantic relationship with a young server at Market.

I deliberately included a romantic subplot because my favorite romances almost always have one. Often, the subplot begins in one book and continues through a series until those secondary characters finally take center stage. Suzanne Brockmann has done this several times with her Troubleshooters, with Sam and Alyssa, Max and Gina, and my favorites, Jules and Robin. Eloisa James, too, is an expert on the art of the subplot—by the end of her recent Desperate Duchesses series, I was panting for the Duke of Villiers’s story!

Subplots are a great way to build sustained interest in a series, because readers have the chance to meet and get to know the characters over multiple books. With a subplot, you don’t have to wrap everything up in a single story—as long as the main couple gets their happily ever after, you can draw the secondary romance out, end on a cliffhanger, and not have readers wanting to kill you! Well, in theory. Because readers know the score—they expect to see those secondary characters again in the next book, and they’re even more likely to rush out and pick it up if they’re already invested in one of the plot elements.

And as I wrap up Frankie’s storyline in Just One Taste, I’m excited to share the conclusion of his story arc with his fans! I hope it’s as satisfying for them to read as it was for me to write.

What are some of your favorite ongoing series subplots? Who are some secondary characters who steal every scene they’re in?




GIVEAWAY RULES:One lucky reader will win an autographed copy of "Just One Taste" as well as the Recipe for Love kitchen set, including two spatulas and an apron, one for each of the books in Louisa's Recipe for love series!

All you have to do is follow my blog publicly and answer Louisa's questions or leave her a comment with your email address!

Please follow publicly or I can't tell that you are following :) Also, if you aren't comfortable leaving your email here, go ahead and leave a comment and then send me an email with your email addy.

Extra Entries:
  • +1 Tweet this contest (leave link in comment)
  • +1 Post link in sidebar of your blog (leave link in comment)

Rules:
  • US only
  • Must be a follower and leave Louisa a comment to enter
  • Extra entries are optional and can all be left in the same comment
  • Leave a comment with your email address
  • Books will be mailed out by the publicist
  • Ends Monday Sept. 27
Thanks to everyone for entering! Good luck!

23 comments

  1. I really want to read this one. One of my favorite series that I've read in the last several months is the Lumby series. I don't know if they really have any scene stealers except maybe Hank?

    teresasreadingcorner at gmail dot com

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  2. Thanks for stopping by, Teresa! I've heard about the Lumby series!

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  3. Great post, Carrie! Aw yes, subplot. The book feature readers both love and loath all at once. A nice tidy ending is wanted sometimes so as not to be left hanging, but often that means saying goodbye to characters we've grown to love. A tricky line to walk but it sounds like this author is balancing it well. Thanks for the post!

    (not an entry)

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  4. Hi GMR!! Actually, this post is 100% by the guest author, Louisa Edwards!! :)

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  5. There are definitely several secondary characters in the urban fantasy books I read that steal the scenes. I love when new books are written of these characters. For authors with many books, character hierarchy sheets are a must. Your book looks delicious!

    robin [at] intensewhisper [dot] com

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  6. Can't enter, just checking in :)
    love the cover. And I do know lot of secondary characters that could steal the spotlight, like Lord Akeldama from Carrige'rs series

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  7. Sherrilyn Kenyon stold the spot light in every dark hunter book entill she findly gave him his own book.Love that series
    sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com

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  8. Hi Stacey! Which character from Sherrilyn's books do you mean? :)

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  9. Teresa - The Lumby series, huh? I'll have to check that out.

    GMR - Thanks for commenting--I hope I manage to walk the line, but I agree, it can be tricky. : )

    Robin K - Thanks! And my books are 100% calorie free. :P Yeah, spinoffs are a great way to get even more of the secondary characters we've come to love.

    Blodeuedd - I've been meaning to try Gail Carriger's books! Knowing there's a great secondary hero makes me want to even more.

    Stacey - Sherrilyn Kenyon is a master at building anticipation for her heroes...

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  10. Louisa, love your books as you know and you tie all three together nicely! Agatha

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  11. this is a hard question to answer really the one that sticks out the most as far as scene stealers is Todd from the soul scream series if you havent read it you should

    Seems there are so many that spin of fin to series of their own couldnt name just one have to say the one that sticks in my mind besides ur books is the soul screamer series

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  12. Hi Louisa
    What do you mean "not want to kill you"? LOL. It took all the discipline I had not to scan through Just One Taste to see what happened with Frankie & Jess. I loved all the characters in all three books but this pairing was so poignant and a "little bit" of wonderful every step of the way. I've finished the last book last weekend and I still can't make myself put the books away. Don't enter me. Have them all.

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  13. I read the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich and Lula and Connie always have great wit and one liners. I call these books "brain candy."
    I also read the "in Death" series by Nora Roberts and Eve's partner is a "new ager" who has some great lines too. The series just wouldn't be the same without her.
    lvsgund @ gmail.com (follower)

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  14. I think that the diane mott davidson series, has some good subplots. I think they add a great dimension to the characters' lives. I really like a book that adds cooking in it. I would love to read this.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

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  15. Oh heck, subplots kill me with their greatness, and yet I can't think of a single side character that steals the scene right now...perhaps I'll go with little itty bitty Rue from the Hunger Games series. She stole that book for me :)

    iswimforoceans at gmail dot com

    +1 sidebar :)

    Great guest post!

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  16. she has some great points there and sounds awesome!! to bad it's us only :(

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  17. The only secondary character I can think of at the moment is Kemble who is in many of Liz Carlyle's books.

    mce1011 AT aol DOT Com

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  18. Thanks for the contest! I love the cover of this book, but the story is just as enticing!!
    schlarmette[at]gmail[dot]com

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  19. I'm only just now starting to get back into reading after a couple of years away (hard to take care of baby and read at same time LOL) but Iris Johanson has this knack of taking great secondary characters in one novel and giving them their own story in another. I always know when I read one of her books and I meet a dynamic person in it that she will give that person their own story.


    giveawaymommy at yahoo.com

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  20. gfc follower

    felecia@twinoaksfl.org

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  21. I think that Nalini Singh takes the cake on subplots and great characters (mostly because they end up having their own story). She is just phenomenal at it!!

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Thanks so much for your lovely comments!