What do you expect

What do readers really want from an author?

 

A good plot, of course.

 

A handsome hero and beautiful heroine. There’s no of course about that, is there? Common place looks are often quite enough if the character himself is lovable. The best heroes and heroines can sometimes be quite ordinary, but perhaps their character makes them special.

 

Lovable characters. I think is a must. You wouldn’t read a book through unless someone, or several someones, caught your eye. And more than that, caught your emotions.

 

A plot that has some surprises in it. Hard for a writer to do sometimes without infringing on another book she might not even know about.

 

Careful editing. OH YES PLEASE! Can’t tell you how it irritates me as a reader to find my attention drawn away from the book by a glaring mistake in editing.

 

I just asked my visiting granddaughter what she expected from a book.  Her answer…  fun and adventure. How could I have forgotten those?  Probably the most important of all.!!!!

 

An enticing cover and back blurb? Not so sure how important this is. I’m hoping to get some comments and further enlarging of this list.

 

Here's my newest cover and an excerpt. No release date as yet, but I love, love the cover.

  

A woman, no, a girl walked rapidly toward him, looking down as if absorbed in a problem of her own. Max moved even quicker, standing in front of her and blocking her way with his solid body. She raised startled eyes to him, and Max found himself drowning in the blazing green of gorgeous eyes that pierced him to his core. Surely it was the most astonishing moment of his life. His heart flipped over and settled somewhere in his pounding chest. Somehow through the roar in his ears he could hear a voice drumming the words mine, mine, mine.

For a moment he feared he’d said them aloud. Those amazing eyes flared for a moment, and then she dropped her gaze and blushed. Max was pretty sure he hadn’t spoken, but her blush told him he might have. What the hell was going on here?

She was carrying her hat in her hand, and her pale golden hair shone even in the dim light of the hallway. Only his formidable willpower kept his hands at his sides. If he could only stroke that shining hair he’d surely feel all his cares dissolve.

By god, he was going crazy.

Her face wary, she spoke a few words in a tone of pure curiosity. “Do I know you?” In an alluring contralto voice that enmeshed him even further into her web. Conscious or unconscious web? He wished he knew. She’d bewitched him with one glance. Did that mean she was really a witch?

Maybe he hadn’t spoken aloud, but she’d divined at least some of his thoughts. Her deep blush proved that. Max started forward to place his hands on her arms, barely touched her and then stepped away.

“No,” he said. “But you definitely will. I’m Chief Inspector Maxwell Lorimer. I intend to know you soon. And very well.”

Her eyes flashed again and this time he was positive of alarm in them. What had he said to frighten her? If she didn’t like police he’d have to change her mind. Right now his hard cock was almost bursting through his trousers and he’d better keep her from dropping her gaze again. He’d best keep her talking, and not put even a finger on her until he re-discovered his never-lost-before control.

“May I take you to lunch?” he blurted.

“Lunch? It’s not nearly time for lunch.” A devastating half-smile quirked her enticing lips.

“Coffee, then? There’s a small café around the corner you might like.”

He held his breath while she looked him directly in the eye for a long moment. She flipped back her splendid hair, then she flushed, crammed the hat back on, and nodded. He stepped back quickly so she could precede him out the door. A curious thought nagged at his detective’s mind. He’d swear she had her own reason for consenting to go with him. No matter. He’d delight in solving any puzzles this delightful girl offered. And coffee was the first step in his courtship.

Now where had that word come from? An outlandish word but courtship was what he’d wage. For the first time he knew he wanted more than a seductive interlude with a woman. He feared he craved a great deal more than her body. The body he could hardly keep his hands from caressing. Intelligence shone out of those mesmerizing eyes, and also basic purity. There was nothing to impede the courtship he’d never even thought about before. She was everything he wanted.
 

I've got a great trailer on this book and would love opinions on it to. Go to http://bit.ly/MQbaDZ
Thanks for reading all this....