Gift of Wind Q & A 💡
Dec 06, 2023 4:01 pm
Just a couple days ago, one of my successful indie author peers implied that readers always self-insert whenever they read romance novels. While apparently, readers of other genres like horror and sci-fi do not. 🤔
This concept was news to me. If it's true, then maybe I've been writing my books wrong this whole time. Never once have I sat down to write a novel with the premise of "Hmm, how should I portray my personal romantic fantasies in story form this time around?" in the center of my brain.
Is that what I ought to be doing? Should I be internally "becoming" the female lead in every romance novel I read (or write)? Like for real, most protagonists face a whole lot of crap before they achieve their happily-ever-afters.
And I'm 100% too lazy to do that stuff. 🙃
Seriously, send me a reply and let me know whether you envision yourself as the protagonist of every romance novel you read, the entire time you're reading. I totally get it if you imagine yourself during steamy scenes—don't we all? 😅 But for the entire freaking book?
Am I the only reader/author who doesn't do that?
Does that make me weird? (Probably.)
And if you're a dude and happen to be straight or bi, do you automatically insert yourself into the psyche of the male love interest whenever you're reading an MF romance novel? Or do you imagine yourself as the female lead? Or none of the characters because who has time for that, anyway?
Tell me! I want to know! Maybe I'll toss you a free eBook in gratitude of your intellectual insight. I love finding out how other people think. 💖
Gift of Wind Q&A
Okay, now that I got that off my chest—first, in hopes of garnering a huge batch of replies—let's unveil some more info about the latest release in the Elemental Bloodlines series. Gift of Wind stars Skye and Karl in a second chance romance replete with elemental magic, interpersonal struggles, small town drama...and a long-awaited raid on a creepy asylum. 😱
Q: You've mentioned this asylum in a couple of your emails. Does that mean Gift of Wind is a fairly dark story? I'd prefer a lighthearted tale, to be honest.
A: Skye and Karl collaborate with a group of characters from previous books in the series in order to bring better care to the Teutons languishing in the asylum. The chapters involving the asylum have dark undertones, so I would probably put Gift of Wind on the same 'darkness' level as Gift of Darkness. If you'd rather read a lighthearted Teutonic romance, check out Gift of Fire or Gift of Water.
Q: Is it okay to read the books in Elemental Bloodlines out of order then? What if I haven't read any of them yet...not even the freebie, Gift of Air?
A: Each book in the series can be read as a standalone, although some characters and plot lines appear in multiple books. The asylum side plot begins in Gift of Darkness, but you don't have to read that one to appreciate its resolution in Gift of Wind. So yes, you can totally pick up a random book in the series and start there!
Q: You just said Skye and Karl collaborate with characters from previous books to put the asylum issue to rest. I'm up to date on the series, so now I'm wondering if any of my faves reappear!
A: I certainly hope so! Many of the Teutons in Wildertal make appearances, like our favorite crone Lady Ilsa, Rolf, Doro and Amira, and a certain mysterious Black Priest and his yellow-fired wife. 💛 Zehra and Henning from Gift of Stone have roles to play, and Jasmin gets a short scene at the start involving her sweet little daughter.
Q: So Jasmin has a daughter now? How long after Gift of Water does this book take place, anyway?
A: I'm glad you asked that, because one of my beta readers got confused since a lot of the previous characters have kids in Gift of Wind. I made a graphic earlier this week to clarify the Elemental Bloodlines timeline—thus far.
Q: Just how steamy is this book? You shared a rather...interesting scene a few weeks ago in an email, and now I'm curious. ðŸ¤
A: Gift of Wind has 1 on-page sex scene, lots of smooching, several fade-to-black moments, and that one time when Skye and Karl became voyeurs. 😜 All such scenes can be skipped over if that's not your jam.
Q: Have to admit I might be getting intrigued. What sort of triggering content will I come across if I read Gift of Wind?
A: Along with the sexual content, Gift of Wind also has profanity, a piercing look at Skye's struggle with alcoholism, discussion of past trauma, a brief depiction of rape shown through someone's memories, and several instances of violence toward the end of the book. Despite all of this, I honestly don't think Gift of Wind is anywhere near as dark as Zehra's story in Gift of Stone. But you as a reader can be the judge of that.
Q: It's nearing the holiday season, so I definitely need a few stories to pass the time in between juggling family commitments. Where can I buy a copy of Gift of Wind—or your other books?
A: I'd be truly honored if you'd like to add some Elemental Bloodlines books to your holiday reading list. 😊 You can find all of them at my book shop:
https://clcarhart.com/collections/elemental-bloodlines-series-ebooks
Or you can get Gift of Wind at your favorite retailer:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP425LCG
Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/gift-of-wind/id6473271148
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=Dv3lEAAAQBAJ
Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gift-of-wind-c-l-carhart/1144419728?ean=2940186156901
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/gift-of-wind
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1485629
Universal link: https://books2read.com/ebgiftofwind
Thunar Says Hello
It's been a minute since I've shared a cat pic, so why not say hello to Thunar, my fuzzy gray boy. He's my oldest kitty who has put up with my crazy writing ideas for 13 years now! Wow! I doubt he realized what he was getting into when he first meowed at me as a tiny kitten in a far different place.
I think he still likes me, though. 😉
Feel free to send along some pix of your beloved animal companions when you answer my question up above. (Do you self-insert anytime you read romance novels or not???) Cats, dogs, hamsters, rats, horses, snakes, lizards, chickens, parakeets, potbellied pigs, caterpillars, pet spiders...all are welcome!
100 Indie Books To Browse
Exactly one hundred fantasy and sci-fi tales sprinkled with a dash of romance await you in today's book fair. I see some freebies in the mix, along with books in KU or Kobo Plus for readers on a budget. Witches, vampires, shifters, dragons...and a bit of midlife coziness. Be sure to browse the book fair today by clicking the graphic above. And don't miss out on the other book fairs & giveaways linked below.
C.L. Cannon's Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Fair
Michelle Bailey's Fated Mates Giveaway
Other Books You Might Like
As usual, I've got an entrancing pair of books by other authors that might strike your interest. One is a box set with a deep price cut, and the other one's in KU. (Apologies if you buy eBooks from another platform. I do that myself. But as the indie landscape currently stands, some of my peers publish only on Kindle. Maybe one day our corporate overlords will fall.)
Falling in love during the vampire war could cost these fated mates everything.
The Vampire War contains the first three books in the Chronicles of The Otherworld series at a discounted price! Enjoy over 600 pages of strong magical heroines and their protective vampire mates that will ruin anyone who tries to touch them, as well as never before published bonus scenes.
Book 1: Night Shade
Book 2: Night Fury
Book 3: Night Fall
Brooke
My brother’s murderer wants me during my next heat, and I’ll do anything to stay out of his grasp. Sebastian was my brother’s best friend, but that was years ago, and now he’s a different man. Or should I say wolf?
The Hell’s Knights are the only thing that can save me and my family, but will Sebastian care enough to accept my offer?
Sebastian
The garage is a success and saved me from the slums like we’d always planned. The only problem is, my best friend isn’t here to see his dream come to life.
Now his little sister needs help to avoid his murderer, but it could mean war for my men. I should say no and stay out of it, but the nerdy little girl I remember has grown into a woman I can’t ignore.
I tried to stay away, but with her brother’s death on my conscious, Brooke has become my new obsession. And no one touches what’s mine.
That's all for me this week, because I've got a wintry novella calling my name. One that's already written but hungry for bonus content and extra tension. I'm hoping to polish it and upload it to the retailers two weeks from today, so fingers crossed I can stay focused enough to get it done!
In the meantime, please hit reply and let me know whether you always envision yourself as the female lead—or a different character entirely—whenever you read a romance novel. I seriously want to know if you do this! Am I missing out?
And yes...I'll dish out a freebie from my catalogue to anyone who decides to reply. Even if you're just like me and don't picture yourself as any character at all. I can't be the only one, right? 🤔
Guess I'm about to find out....
Talk to you soon,
C.L. Carhart
Get Gift of Wind:
https://clcarhart.com/products/gift-of-wind-ebook
Get Gift of Air for free:
https://bf.clcarhart.com/6w57qgfhc9
Get Veiled Magic for free:
https://bf.clcarhart.com/jp1vp51i52
This week's book fair: