Guest Post with Jessica Lauryn, author of Dangerous Magic

An author of Contemporary Romantic Suspense, Jessica Lauryn is most intrigued by dark heroes who have many demons to conquer…but little trouble enticing female companions into their beds! She feels that the best romances are those where the hero is already seducing the heroine from that first point of contact. Jessica enjoys listening to a unique blend of 80’s and classical music and she attempts to spend as much quality time outdoors as possible, preferably in a kayak. Though she resides in New Jersey, her heart belongs to the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire.

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Second Chance Romances

As Dangerous Magic is a second-chance romance, I thought it might be fun to discuss second-chance romances and what makes them so exciting to so many of us readers. 🙂

A second-chance romance is, by definition, a story where the hero and heroine have been separated for period of time, perhaps many years, and are reunited only to be given a second-chance at love. The hero and heroine may have been previously involved with one another, dated, were intimate and/or were married to one another. In other cases, the two may have had strong feelings for one another but one or both of them were unwilling to admit to the other person how it was that they felt. Certain challenges or obstacles (different rankings in society, obligations to family members etc.) kept the couple from getting together the first time around. What these romances all share in common is the hero and heroine have had a relationship with one another which began before the first page. And this creates a very unique dynamic for the story.

In the majority romance novels, (or at least the ones that I’ve read) the hero and heroine meet for the very first time. They may meet by chance, often times under difficult circumstances, and as their attraction toward one another grows the couple typically shares a kiss, forms an intimate friendship, develops a degree of trust and ultimately, they fall in love. But it’s a whole different ball-game when the hero and heroine already loved each other once before, during a previous lifetime and they were torn apart by unforeseen circumstances–a misunderstanding, a death, a betrayal. There is a certain air of mystery that comes into play when we know two characters share a past, especially when we aren’t automatically given every piece of information about that past upfront. What we do know, by virtue of what we’re told, is that the hero and heroine shared something significant in a past life and our coming to understand what that something is going to strengthen our relationship with the characters in a very powerful way.

As readers reading a second-chance romance, we are often given the details of a hero and heroine’s past relationship in dribs and drabs. We are eager to turn the pages of these stories because we want to see what happened to the couple in the their past life, specifically, we want to see what was responsible for tearing them apart because we want to understand what it’s going to take for them to get back together again. In the instance of the couple who shared a past attraction and never acted on it, we’re anxious to see what kept the two from acting on their feelings the first time around. We want to see how their relationship first blossomed and what ultimately drew the couple together . Thankfully, these stories, which are often some of my favorites, give us exactly what we’re looking for.

It always adds character depth to a romance when we can see how the hero and heroine became the people that they are today. Evan more so, second chance romances allow us to see how the hero and heroine became who they are to one another, and that creates a very enjoyable dynamic indeed!

Dangerous Magic
(The Pinnacles of Power, #5)
Publisher: Siren BookStrand
Published: March 3, 2015
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense

Corinne Johnson’s world was shattered years ago, when a strange discovery in her husband’s briefcase led to her becoming separated from her children. Now, engaged to re-marry the man responsible, Corinne is determined to always be in Ethan and Mattie’s lives, even if it means being in a marriage without passion. But when she has a mysterious dream in which she kisses her once coworker Jack Madera, Corinne’s plans of securing her future quickly go up in smoke. Jack, the sexy and mysterious Wiccan she knew years ago, is back in North Conway. And in the midst of everything else, Corinne begins to suspect the most erotic dream of her life was never a dream at all.

After recently coming to a fork in the road, Jack Madera decides the only way he can move forward with his life is if he learns the identity of his biological father. But when his search takes him to North Conway, the town in which his old coworker Corinne Johnson lives, Jack realizes his visit may not be as short-lived as he’d hoped. Drawn to the woman he has always shared a deep connection with, Jack puts his non-existent heart on the line. He casts a spell which takes him and Corinne down a path they never saw coming.

*Dangerous Magic is currently $0.99 on Kindle for a limited time*

Jessica Lauryn is giving one lucky reader the chance to win the first book in The Pinnacles of Power series, Dangerous Secret.

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