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My friend Adele Dubois agreed to give us a "behind the scenes" peek into her new book, DO ME GOOD. So without further ado, I happily turn my blog over to Adele.
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I grew up in a household filled with drama--and I mean that in the most literal sense. Ours was a family steeped in theatre, art, and creative writing. We were voracious readers, too, and curled up in the family room with our books in the evenings. I was one of those kids who read with a flashlight under the covers when bedtime came too early.
You might think a family of artists would be disorganized and untidy, but our house was neat as a pin. Every night my mother would remind us to put our things away, saying, “The elves and fairies won’t clean our house for us.” That bit of training stayed with me the rest of my life.
The last time I warned my own kids, “the elves and fairies won’t clean for us,” the story concept for DO ME GOOD popped into my head. What if the elves really did help? What if they completed chores in the middle of the night? And what if they were handsome and sexy and…available?
And what if you accidentally caught one?
To my surprise, with a little research, I discovered that such immortals existed in Norse mythology. These pre-Christian celestials, called Nordic Light Elves, “came from the place between heaven and earth” under the rule of a fertility god. They were “fairer to look upon than the sun” and interacted with both gods and mortals. Their sole purpose was to work for the benefit of humankind.
Though I’m still waiting for the elves and fairies to clean my house, I thought it would be fun to offer the fantasy of capturing a handsome immortal who does chores to romance readers. I hope you enjoy DO ME GOOD. Coming April 14, 2010, from Ellora’s Cave.
Buy Here!
Emily popping in here for a second. Here's the backcover blurb for DO ME GOOD by Adele Dubois
Penny throws her hot, but worthless mooch of a boyfriend out on her front lawn with his clothes, and vows never again to be a bum magnet. Exhausted by overwork and mountainous debt, Penny pleads for divine intervention.
Gunnar, a rebellious Nordic warrior cast into servitude by an angry god to learn humility, answers. While Penny sleeps, the celestial arrives to complete her chores, but she awakens and finds him. The handsome immortal kisses her, sparking a passionate, forbidden sexual encounter.
Dark forces seeking vengeance for Gunnar’s past misdeeds mark Penny as a target. To protect his lover, Gunnar tests immortality in a death battle using a god’s magical sword. But the strength of Penny’s love might be what saves them both.
Emily again. Thanks for sharing with us today, Adele. You know I'm a sucker for a Northman!
If you'd like to learn more, please visit http://www.adeledubois.com/ or stop by Adele's Blog.
And Adele has a special giveaway for 6 readers who leave a comment or question today--a heart-shaped notebook just right for tucking in a purse! (Sorry. Only continental US addresses this time.)
28 comments:
Interesting how a child comment can turn into a book. Thanks for the background!
Adele, I think it's wonderful when research backs up the idea for a story. And quite frankly, what could possibly appeal to a woman more than a gorgeous warrior who come to clean her house? This sounds like a fun, sensual read. Thanks for introducing us to your friend, Emily.
Janell--I think that may happen more often than we might imagine. Elizabeth Boyle says a question from her son got her thinking about a magic ring that grants wishes in an unexpected way and His Mistress by Morning was born.
Gillian--I always tell my DH there's nothing sexier than a man with a vacuum cleaner.
Love the idea behind your story, Adele! That would be a dream come ture! Your story sounds great!
Cheers!
What a neat idea for a story! Sure beats the Jul Nisse image I grew up with (little Danish Christmas elves with red caps and and red outfits.)
I am a teacher and sometimes a comment or question a student asks is a basis for a lesson or a fun unit. Thanks for sharing how your Nordic idea became a story, Adele.
Adele,
Your cover model is perfect for the purpose. I enjoyed your anecdotes.
I'm hosting a guest blogger today, too, on rowenacherry.blogspot.com
But, we're talking about productivity!
Can you multi-task and write well?
Hi Caroline! Do you have a new release coming soon?
Deb--Are you Danish? Did you celebrate with St. Lucia Day growing up? Or is that Swedish?
Hi, Emily. Ja, I'm Danish. My grandfather immigrated from Denmark when he was 21. St. Lucia's Day is Swedish. But, we did and still do celebrate with Danish traditions: garlands of Danish flags on the Christmas tree along with heart-shaped woven baskets filled with goodies, pebbern nodder, klejner, and Danish coffee cake to eat. I used to belong to a Danish folk dance group, too. :)
Denmark is pretty. It looks a lot like Iowa (except for the ocean), so I know why Grandpa settled here.
Thanks for the great thoughts, Emily!
Adele,
What a great story idea! I could use that handsome hunk to help me clean today, send him my way. Have a wonderful week ladies.
Adele,
LOVE the Nordic 'Light Elves'-- I'd never heard of them before. It's a great idea for a story--wow! an unlimited supply of 'new' supernatural beings. Perhaps you'll start a trend :)
I'll be looking forward to reading the book.
Many thanks to Emily for hosting me to celebrate my new release DO ME GOOD. I'm so glad you all came to read my guest blog.
I've heard that angels will be "the new vampires" in fiction. Maybe my pre-Christian angels, Nordic Light Elves, will catch on as a new take on the trend. Since Nordic Light Elves are pagan, they also fit very nicely into the more sensual stories I write. The story came very naturally to me.
I do love my DO ME GOOD hero, Gunnar, and hope readers love him, too.
For excerpts, check out my website at www.adeledubois.com/ and also the Ellora's Cave site.
Best--
Adele Dubois
Deb--My DH is 3/4 Norwegian, 1/4 Dane. We have a pic of his grandpa when he went back to Denmark to collect his bride. It's a group picture and everyone else is frowning into the camera. He's gazing off into the distance, the obvious maverick of the bunch!
Rowena--My pleasure. YOu've got an interesting blog topic going today at www.rowenacherry.blogspot.com. Enjoying the conversation.
Jane--It's always fun to think about having a cleaning lady or a cleaning hunk. But I wonder if I'd spend more time cleaning before they arrived because I'd be embarrassed to have them see my condo in its natural state!
Barb--In Norse tradition, there are also Svart elves (dark elves) as well. So Adele has some pre-Christian demons to play with too.
Adele--I'd heard that about angels. My editor tried to explain that fallen angels weren't the same as demons. She envisioned fallen angels as heroes and demons as villain, but I'm sorry. Theologically speaking, they are the same class of being.
I like your idea of using Nordic elves better. So long as everyone thinks Tolkien instead of Keebler.
Emily--It's funny you should say that about Tolkein vs. Keebler. In one scene of the story the heroine touches the hero's ear and is surprised not to find points. His ears are smooth. He says, "I'm not that kind of elf." Her reply? "I was hoping you'd bake me some cookies later." LOL. Of course, Gunnar didn't get the joke.
LOL! Too cute!
"....a handsome immortal who does chores to romance readers."-- Now isn't that a thought? LOL!
This book sounds really good!
Chelsea--sounds like Adele has some exciting extras on her honey-do list too!
Chelsea--I agree that a handsome immortal who cleans the house before making passionate love to you is the ultimate female fantasy. :) Thanks for your enthusiasm. I hope you enjoy the book.
Best--Adele Dubois
Deb - I was thinking the same thing: household elves reminded me of the Julenissen I heard about at Christmas in Norway :).
Adele: this sounds great! And I like the cookie joke, although I never would've got it without googling Keebler (European as I am).
Em: love the image of your grandfather-in-law getting heroically gazing beyond the horizon and getting his bride!
Isn't amazing what inspires us, and what the end result turns out like.
The book sounds great, Adele. DH is painting and decorating, but I am not getting the right vibes from him. LOL
Emily, thanks again for sharing a fascinating author with us. Has anything like this happened to you?
Glynis and all--Thank you for your comments, and thanks for joining us!
Best--Adele Dubois
Sounds like fun. If the fairies and brownies showed up at my house right now, they would run screaming into the night. I'm sorting thins from the storeroom and things are more of a mess than usual.
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