How many tropes can a writer stuff into one story anyway?
Apr 30, 2023 10:45 pm
Combining tropes:
How many tropes can a writer stuff into one story anyway?
And how many tropes are there?
Hello my romance-loving besties!
Let's talk tropes. You might want to call this my trope-a-palooza newsletter edition. We all have our favorites. There are also tropes we didn't even know we liked and tropes we didn't even know existed! So many tropes everywhere, even in one story.
Check out the trope-a- palooza article below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
There's also a CONTEST!
In the meantime, I have a NEW blurb for my upcoming book, THE BIG PUCK. Let me know what you think of it.
Check out the NEW BLURB below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
ALSO, another serving of Today's Sizzling Snippet, an
🔥🔥🔥 'adult audience only' 🔥🔥🔥excerpt from He Has Game.
Check out the snippet below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
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At SQ's House
She is a long-time romance author mostly known for her romantic suspense novels.
And here she is now writing a book-club type of book.
The story included the best of familiar romance elements--such as a happy ending and a hunky guy--but also had a very interesting plot thread about the life of Vincent Van Gogh and his family.
I recommend this book, Secret Life of Sunflowers, so I won't say more about it. No spoilers from me!💜
Anyone else read a good non-romance novel lately? Please do share!
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
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I know I say this all the time, but it's true!
I'd truly love a chance to get to know you better and would love you to join my Facebook group so we can do that. I share draft covers with the group for your opinion. We talk about thoughts on romance books and whatever fun or funny things we want to share. I also have occasional contests and giveaways and make ARCs available. Please consider joining me and the team.💜
➜➜Join the SQ Team on Facebook Here
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Romance Trope-a-palooza!
How many tropes can there possibly be? I read one article that listed 145 romance tropes from abducted by the hero to ugly duckling becomes a swan and in spite of over a hundred in between, the list didn't even include the grumpy/sunshine trope that's popular in rom-coms these days.
Then there was the Me, My Trope & I post in Tote Bagsn' Blogs that talked about only 11 tropes.
The truth? There seem to be as many tropes in the romance genre as our imaginations as writers and readers can create. Unlimited? Maybe.
Confusing? Quite possibly.
Since I have my favorites, I'm betting you do too. And I also have a few that go very well together, like in The Puck Bunny, I combined hockey with rom-com with workplace romance with slow burn with celebrity loves commoner with clueless love with disguise with older man-younger woman.
Whew! Maybe I missed some, but you get the point.
The possibilities are infinite!
Combining tropes is fun and intriguing and leads to endless variations and plots twists that keep us reading what's familiar, but not exactly.
My favorite tropes:
Fake engagement/marriage
Second Chance
Single Dad
Enemies to Lovers
Forbidden Love
Now you tell me your TOP FIVE favorite tropes, no matter how crazy, new or old they are!.
You could WIN A PRIZE! I'll pick 2 lucky winners!
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE TROPES TO WIN A FREE E-COPY OF THE PUCK BUNNY
Deadline: May 6th
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WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT!
🔥🔥Today's Sizzling Snippet 🔥🔥
from HE HAS GAME
Finn
She leans in so that her body, overly clothed as it is, bumps against me. My hand automatically goes to her face, to touch the soft warm skin of her cheek, sliding down to her chin as I lower my mouth close to hers, watching her. She stares right back at me, eyes intense green, pupils dilated, lips quivering.
“You don’t mind?” I whisper into her mouth, breathe her in, testing her resolve.
“No.” she swallows. “Kiss me.” Her whisper is rough and desperate and ignites me, so I press my mouth against hers, taking it easy and slow. No tongue, no hard pressure, only banked desire and curiosity.
She’s electrifying, tender and sweet and real, with very, very soft, pliable lips, and a shy tongue she knows exactly how to use, darting and caressing, opening me up. I groan as she plays with my tongue like we’ve known each other before. Maybe in my dreams. With my eyes closed, I picture a different Vivvie. Then I back up, because this is the Vivvie I need to keep at arm’s length and my cock is starting to take notice again. Why hadn’t I noticed the sexy plumpness of her mouth before?
Read the rest...
READ FOR FREE ON KU
OR BUY ON AMAZON
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SQ Books Featured Review
"I'm a fan of Stephanie Queen and this one didn't disappoint. Quinn is a great character, with depth and a ton of baggage... The banter is good and the other characters bring the whole story together.. "
Sioux M-- Amazon Reviewer
READ NOW!
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Coming NEXT!
THE GROUPIE - a hockey rom-com
Rylee
I walk into a bar in Boston that night after my close call, by myself, to see what my hometown has to offer a girl wanting to forget her mortality.
When I see a group of ladies in a corner having a ball with a group of guys who are hot as sin and out for trouble I head straight for them.
I want a part of that trouble. I want to belong in that group of ladies.
I introduce myself by sitting on the lap of the biggest, hottest guy there.
He’s sitting next to one of the women who gives me a surprised look, but before she can b*tch at me, I smile.
“Hi, I’m Rylee.” And I put out my hand to shake hers. The hot guy I’m sitting on clears his throat and shifts. I turn to him and my tummy does acrobatics like I swallowed a circus performer. Dark playful eyes that shout take me home to my lady parts stare back at me and if I try to speak, I might stutter...
The Groupie is the answer to the question: What happens when a one-night-stand turns into a whole complicated mess?
PRE-ORDER THE GROUPIE NOW
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NEW BLURB!
Release Date: August 7, 2023
The BIG Puck - a Grumpy Single Dad Saved by the Nanny Romance
Portsmouth Whalers: a hockey romance series
The good news is I was recently named head coach of the Portsmouth Whalers hockey team, the youngest coach in the NHL for their newest expansion team.
The bad news? Brace yourself. I wish I had when I found out my half-brother just took his life. When I got up off the floor I also found out he left me with a mountain of debt—and his baby daughter.
Even though my Aunt Hildie promises to come live with me in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to help me take care of the kid, she won't be coming until after her hip surgery.
The upshot: I show up on the first day of pre-season training camp in a dented up old Jeep with a stroller full of trouble.
Lucky for me--and luckier for the kid--the sister of one of my players is at the rink and she offers to help me out.
She's a little young and a little crazy, but It’s only for a month. What could go wrong?
She’s laid-back.and I'm an in-charge type.
(Read: I'm grumpy and she's sunshine.)
She loves kids and I don’t know what to do with the little girl.
She teaches me.
My girlfriend objects…
(Warning: Adult language and sexual content.)
PRE-ORDER NOW!
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The Do-Over Girl - a hockey rom-com
Find out in this hilarious non-time-traveling take on 17 Again meets Welcome Back Kotter set at an exclusive prep school and featuring a former cheerleader turned teacher and ex-hockey player turned coach.
This story is for all of us who have regrets about that high school sweetheart we lost when he disappeared into his new life after graduation. We went our separate ways because we were too young and foolish to know back then what a good thing we had...
This story is the antidote to the cynical maxim that says you can never go back. She proves them all wrong when she goes back and erases all her regrets, turning them into star dust, spun gold, flying unicorns and a big fat happy ever after. Laugh, cry and get a zing of sizzling excitement when you read this story!
The Do-Over Girl is a Boston Brawlers spin-off and part of the Some Girls Like It Cold Series.
(Warning: contains language and sex for a mature audience.)
Pre-Order The Do-Over Girl Here!
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Coming later in 2023...
A player goes out for a one-night stand with a woman and connects with her.
But she disappears before the morning.
She stays on his mind but he doesn't expect to ever see her again.
Until he goes home for Christmas to his grandma's in Boston.
And there she is. She's his grandma's caretaker.
With so many unanswered questions, he doesn't trust his attraction to the mystery girl--no matter how much his d*ck disagrees.
Pre-Order Now!
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More books for your reading pleasure
SQ's Featured Book Deals
ROMANCE BOOKS IN KU
STEAMY ROMANCE READS IN KU
SPECTACULAR ROMANCE READER GIVEAWAY
STEAMY ROMANCE GIVEAWAY
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ROMANCE FANS: CLICK HERE to Follow Me anywhere on social media and keep in touch!
Feel free to drop me a line any time to talk sports or romance books!--or both. Meanwhile, treat yourself well and indulge in all the new romance books coming this spring. Looking forward to sharing another excerpt from THE GROUPIE with you next week! 💜
Warmest Regards,
