We are happy to have Lynne Silver at Smexy Books today!
Cracktastic Books
We’ve all read ‘em…books that you inhale despite knowing they are less than stellar literature. i.e. not Shakespeare. And yet you can’t read them fast enough. Authors and series that come to mind are J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark Hunters, Lora Leigh’s Breeds, Kristen Ashley’s alpha males…and more. I’m sure you have a favorite.
Cracktastic is a new term for me, but five years ago when I set out to write Heated Match, it was my goal to write something in this vein. I just didn’t know what it was called at the time. I devoured a ton of books taking note of similarities between the books and planning for my own series.
Angela James of Carina Press confirmed the term for me when she put out a submissions call for Cracktastic books a few weeks back. It is a thing. It’s something most genre fiction writers dream of. We want our books to be a reader’s drug of choice.
The question is, did I succeed? Let’s go through the qualities. What makes a cracktastic book in the romance world? This answer is going to be different for everyone, and it’s fairly nebulous. I propose we create a rubric of a sort and run a book through it to see if it can earn the Cracktastic label. I volunteer Heated Match as the first book. ;-)
Hero: The hero in a cracktastic book is alpha. Alpha to the Nth degree. He never doubts himself or his place in the world and neither does the reader. He also is the chaser. He declares himself the protector for the woman whether she wants it or not. Wrath, the vampire king, in Black Dagger Brotherhood, epitomizes bad ass. He does have self-doubt but only Beth gets to see it, and only when she is firmly in place as his mate.
Heated Match: Hero is Adam Blacker, a genetically enhanced soldier. He can kick butt and recite the Magna Carta from memory. Not that he’s ever read the Magna Carta, but his brain operates better than the average Joe’s.
Heroine: She is sassy yet turns to mush in the presence of our hero. She is no wallflower to bend to the hero’s will. He doesn’t know how to duel verbally with her, so he often kisses her to cover his confusion. Think of Grace in Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon. She offers Julian something no woman has yet given him, respect and friendship.
Heated Match: Loren Stanton doesn’t lose sight of her career goal, despite meeting Adam, her perfect DNA match. She also sees Adam as flawed and accepts his flaws. He’s always had to try for perfect with other women.
Language: Here’s where the cracktastic really comes to play. J.R. Ward and Kristen Ashley may do it best. Their characters speak like no one we know in the real world. And yet we totally buy it. And love it. Babe, I’m looking at you.
Heated Match: Uuhh, hmm… How about I offer a tiny excerpt and let you decide.
“What do you need?” Adam asked again.
“Weeelll, now you mention it. Got in a little sticky situation last night.”
Shit. If Rowan thought it was a little sticky, reality dictated it would be a full-on glass of honey with a little Super Glue chaser. You’d think a twenty-seven-year-old male would’ve learned by now. But no, his brother continued to act half his age.”
World Building: It doesn’t matter whether our characters are vampires, animal shifters or nightclub owner pimps, readers move into the world and want to stay. Every detail of the world works and operates according to certain rules and standards. You know what to expect when opening the door to the world. Also, the books should be a connected series. Hence the term crack. Once is not enough.
Heated Match: We’ve got a top-secret government compound housing genetically enhanced soldiers. They run their missions and come back home to train. They’ve recently been outed by the media and everyone is gunning for them. No one, even fellow Americans, wants to hear the government has created a literal superhuman. They can’t fly or shoot webs from their wrists, but they can run faster for longer periods of time, develop stronger muscles and utilize more of their brains than the average human.
So what books are your crack? What makes it your crack? Introduce me to a new series, I love it!
Lynne Silver’s Website l Goodreads
Heated Match: Kindle l Nook l Ellora’s Cave
Today, Lynne SIlver is going to give away an e-book of Heated Match! To enter, just answer Lynne’s questions above. Open to all through October 24.
Thanks for having me. I’m thrilled to be on Smexy Books today.
Christine Feehan…no matter what, JD Robb in Death series, and Nalini Singh.
I love love Nalini Singh’s Psy Changeling series. I Heart Judd.
Kristen Ashley. Which is a total surprise to me because her books are over the top and not well edited. But she sucks me in every time. I think I must have read her entire backlist, with the exception of one or two that I am saving because she isn’t writing fast enough (and she seems to write pretty fast!). I am interested to know whether it is possible to set out to write something “crack-tastic”, or whether it just happens…
I got sucked in to Kristen Ashley after hearing the Twitterverse talk about her as their crack. Although there are certain defining traits of addictive series as I list above, I don’t think you can set out to write cracktastic. But boy would it be awesome to do it!
Kresley Cole – her Immortal After Dark series is a must read, and I also enjoy Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling and Guardian Hunter series.
I LOVE the IAD series and can’t wait for the newest one. Thanks for stopping by.
The Fever series – Karen Marie Moning – My favorite alphahole is Barrons.
Thank you for the giveway!
Karen Marie Moning, I read the fever series in one week. Barron’s is the ultimate alpha but Mac doesn’t let him walk all over her.
I’m obviously going to have to try Morning’s Fae series. Everyone raves about them. They’re more urban fantasy than romance, right?
They have plenty of romance for me, and a very romantic ending. Barrons is an ultimate alpha.
Laurann Dohner, The New Species series. Paranormal Erotica with huge growly men (well part man and part animal) that kick a** and say “mine” alot!
I would love to read Heated Match so thank you for the opportunity! Great cover too!
I have a few go to authors that are my crack. I love to read and almost any book is my crack. But some of the top favs are Laurell K Hamilton, Jeaniene Frost, Patricia Briggs, Lauren Dane, Melissa Schroeder, Elle Kennedy, Ashlyn Chase, and Kat Martin. Melissa & Lauren are new finds for me. All the rest I have been reading for a couple of years now.
Thanks for stopping by everyone.
Stacy, I love Laurann too, especially as we’re both Ellora’s Cave authors!
Chris, I can’t wait to try reading some of these authors. Yeah- Lauren rocks. Can’t wait for Tart.
Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series & J. D. Robb are my only two, but for either of those I’d be willing to spend some of my ‘food’ budget!
Thanks for the chance to win. :)
Lorelei James’ Rough Rider Series. Every time a new one comes out, I glom it that day and then start stalking her blog for tidbits on the next one. She’s three books out from finishing the series and I just don’t know how I’m going to be able to cope with no more McKays.
Love the Rough Riders. They make alpha contemporary cowboy totally work.
Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series is hands down my ultimate book crack. While waiting for her next book to come out I supplement my habit with Lorelei James’ Rough Rider series, Kallypso Masters’ Rescue me series and Jayne Rylon’s Men in Blue series… just to name a few off the top of my head!
kitcat76(at)hotmail(dot)com
Yay two new-to-me authors! Off to the bookstore to check out Masters & Rylon
Follow up: Masters first book was free for Kindle so I downloaded last night and read (after the debate, woo I’m tired). I’m in. I’m hooked. Expect my wallet to take a hit this week downloading the rest of them.
I like the Kelsey Cole series Immortal After Dark. Very good.
Yeah, I’d read the dictionary if it had rage demons & valkyrie in it.
Patricia Brigg’s Mercedes Thompson series is my crack.
I’ve never read Briggs, but people LOve her. I’ll have to try.
I love Singh, Briggs, Frost and Moning, all mentioned above, but cracktastic immediately makes me think of my other favorite, Kresley Cole’s Immortals – her whacky, nutty and fun Valkyries.
I’ve been working on my Wii skills for when my invite to Val Manor comes.
Nice post. Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter
I think my favorite is Gideon. Love blue hair punker.
My two favourites (at this moment :)) are Immortals after Dark by Kresley Cole and the Psy/Changeling Series by Nalini Singh.
Aside from the above mentioned points I think what draws me in these books is the intensity of the emotions. As far as the situations are from our reality, the emotions can just hit you right in the face, recognisable to the point of goose bumps.
Another very important part for me is good continuation and a strong story arc throughout the series. I always find it disappointing to discover discrepancies in the little facts. It makes me want to search for that point where I thought something else was mentioned, dragging me out of the story and into frustration…such a shame.
A good story arc is what really keeps me coming back. I’ll read a series without a strong story arc too, but it’ll be easier to put the series away for a while. If the story arc is really strong, it’ll be like having one really good, long book!
You’re right- it’s about the emotion and caring about the characters.
I am with you on the BDB, I also wait for Laurann Dohner’s New Species books, Cheryl Brooks Cat Star Cronicles, Olivia Cunning’s Sinners and Lorlei James anything she writes LOL!
Your book sounds like it may well be as addictive. Love the term Cracktastic! Carin
mawmom at gmail dot com
Thanks Carin, I hope my books are your new crack. I also love Cat Star chronicles.
So many great books, let’s see. I LOVE Jill Shalvis’ Lucky Harbor series, Sierra Dean’s Secret McQueen series, any books by Erin Nicholas, just to name a few.
What makes me addicted is a captivating writing/narrative style and well-developed characters in whose lives I’m interested. And if it has humour and passion, then it’s the best mix! :-D
Ooh- Stella I haven’t heard of Sierra Dean. Yay new author to try!
Ummm… for me to fall in love with a series.. it’s gotta have tension, each book has to have a good story, characters that I can obsess about and fall in love with and character growth. I love the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews and the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs.
Laurann Dohner’s New Species series is my crack! I love the way the species react to finding their mate. They are the ultimate alphas.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Meg, if you like the way the Species react, you’ll love the way my genetically enhanced soldiers react. (Sorry for the blatant pimpage of my own book) I love Laurann’s books too. Though I admit to liking her Cyborgs a bit more than her species. I have weak spot for cyborgs
i love nalini singh and j.r. ward’s bdb books. i just cant get my hands on them fast enough when a new bk comes out. Thanks for the giveaway.
i love jr ward’s black dagger brotherhood series. she is awesome. thanks for the giveaway.
I think the FBI/US Attorney series by Julie James is cracktastic although it’s not paranormal. My favorite thus far is About That Night (book 3).
I love any of Gena Showalter’s books. Thanks for the chance to win!
Okay so for me, the original cracktastic book/series is JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood. I must admit that the first book in the series is not my favorite and it took me a while to get into it but I’m glad that I stuck with it. Rhage’s book hooked me and Zsadist’s book made me fall in love with one of the most flawed and tortured heroes out there. So yeah, I so need my fix…
Then there’s Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed; I think this series gets overlooked but I truly love it. I love her take on the vampire myth, her world building, and I even love how evil the bad guys are – ’cause you got to admit that the Lesser’s in the BDB are just boring… I’m not sure how I feel about the next book since I tend to dislike big time jumps but I hope that she handles it well.
Can’t forget about Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark. This is such a fun series! The world building, the intrigues, the politics, Lothaire, and of course Nix and her not so subtle manipulations- what’s not to love.
Another series that ranks high for me is Larissa Ione’s Demonica/Lords of Deliverance. I don’t know what it is about those Seminus brothers that just do it for me – I love me some Wraith – but they tend to steal the show when they appear on the scene. Need a doctor, EMT? No problem, Eidolon and Shade will patch you up but don’t get in their way ’cause they’ll whoop your ass. Wraith will question whether you really need medical help and then whoop ass just because he’s bored.
I love the Fallen Series, Hush Hush series, Wolves of Mercy Falls and Shadow Fall series. Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me. Tore923@aol.com
I love Outlander, anything by Karen Marie Moning and the Ice series by Anne Stuart.
I think Karen Moning writes cracktastic books. My favorite is her Fever series. What makes the series cracktastic? Barron’s, of course!
Thanks everyone for stopping by. It seems so many of us have similar tastes in our go-to authors. But a lot of you named some new ones for me to try. Can’t wait!