Scariest real-life ghost story

 Long and Short Reviews came up with a good topic this week - I'm looking forward to reading everyone else's stories. For me, I've had a few paranormal experiences, but the one I remember best happened when I was eight years old.

I woke up in the middle of the night to a pitch-black room - not surprising at that time - but when I looked over towards the door, I could see a dark figure standing there. For whatever reason I assumed it was a burglar, but I was too scared to scream, so I just stayed in bed and stared at it.

After a moment it started to cross the room towards my bedroom window. As it reached the window, I blurted out "Who are you?" Why I thought it was a good idea to say this to a burglar I have no idea.

It turned around and started approaching my bed, at which point I dived under the covers and screamed for help, at the same time kicking out at it - and hit nothing.

My bedroom door flew open and the light came on, revealing my dad standing in the doorway completely naked. Not the best sight in the world, but at that point I really didn't care. Of course, there was nothing standing beside my bed, nor was there any sign that anything had been in my room at all.

Dad insisted I had been dreaming. I am well aware that when you're half-asleep it's possible to see strange things, but I still say I was wide awake when it happened. 

Whatever it was, I never saw it again.

So what about you?

Do you buy books new or thrift them?

 This topic from Long and Short Reviews was an interesting one, because it took me back to my teenage years. We had a local market which had a bookstall and every week we would be there looking for cheap novels.

My friend was much more into it than me, I have to admit, because most of their stock was Barbara Taylor Bradford or Mills and Boon, neither of which I was really into. However, I did pick up a few while I was there - and donated them back a few weeks later after reading them.

These days it's new all the way. That said, if my current local market has a bookstall, it might be worth a look.

So do you prefer new or thrifted?

Using the library versus buying books

 I really wish I had a different answer for this topic from Long and Short Reviews, because as a child I was always in the library and still consider it a worthwhile thing to have in a city.

But I have to admit, while I own a library card, I haven't been to a library in years. I always have new books lined up on my Kindle and download more samples all the time, so I am definitely in the camp of buying books rather than borrowing them.

I don't even get any royalties from people borrowing mine, because most libraries wouldn't dream of stocking the sort of thing I write (unless it's written by E. L. James, who seems to have a pass). So I'm ashamed to admit I tend to forget libraries are there these days.

Speaking of my own writing, I have a new cover to reveal...

He dominates the charts, but can he dominate her heart?

Pop-rock singer Tamsin Keller likes to dominate, but when she breaks up with her cheating ex-boyfriend, she visits BDSM club Dante’s for another reason—to submit.

Her experience is heightened when she locks eyes with a mysterious stranger, who turns out to be rock star and Dominant Aspen LaRoche. Fascinated by Tamsin, he invites her to his holiday home for the weekend and Tamsin accepts, hoping to discover more about her submissive side.

Aspen proves to be an expert tutor, and Tamsin finds herself addicted to the pleasures he shows her. When Aspen also discovers she is a singer, he offers her band an audition with his recording company, and Tamsin jumps at the chance, knowing he can provide opportunities that she has never had before.

But when Tamsin’s jealous ex reappears in her life, will Tamsin’s career and happiness be over, or will this be the start of something for both her and Aspen?

"The Start of Something" is out on December 27th and I'm looking forward to it already.

So do you prefer buying books or using the library?

What makes you pick up or buy a book?

 I had to think about this topic from Long and Short Reviews, because a lot of the time I have books by my favourite authors on pre-order, so it can be quite rare that I'll choose a book from someone I haven't read before. I also get lists of new releases from Goodreads, so I'll use those to check out possible new reads, but what about them makes me pick up a book?

If a book is a historical, the period in history might get me interested. I often enjoy books set at royal courts, but I'm also into American history so that would draw my attention. I also love stories set in schools or universities, so that would probably get me to at least download the sample.

And of course, there's the title.

I admit I'm a sucker for a good title. I read "Here Be Sexist Vampires" and "Stacy's Dad Has Got It Going On" purely because I found the titles irresistible. As a writer I know it's very important to pick one that grabs the reader, and I always work hard to make sure I pick the perfect one for my own writing.

So what makes you pick up or buy a book?

A plotline you love to read or watch and why

 After the topic from last week, this one was a little more difficult. There are very few plotlines I won't at least try, so which are my favourites? Hard to say.

I do know that I've always loved stories in school settings, but I have one preference there - I would rather read about the cool kids. Obviously there is still going to be conflict and that's fine, but speaking as someone who was the nerdy introvert in school, I don't particularly want to live through that again when I'm reading. There was a film I saw last year, "Seance", which handled the cool kids dealing with a ghost in a boarding school, and it was exactly what I was looking for.

And the other point is probably obvious for a romance writer like me - I want a happy ending. Nicholas Sparks is great if you like that kind of thing, but I don't want to read a love story where one or both end up dead. I want them to walk off into the sunset together, and I can promise they'll always do that in my writing.

So what plotlines do you love to read or watch?

A plotline you refuse to read/watch and why

 This particular topic from Long and Short Reviews was fairly straightforward, as one plotline immediately leapt to mind. There may well be more if I give it some thought, but I think most will be connected to this one.

Rape.

I'm not saying it's impossible to include it in a story and have it be good, but all too often I've seen this lovingly lingered on by the writer and it drives me mad. I put down a historical novel once not because the heroine was a victim of rape, but because it was constantly mentioned in every chapter - her parents used it to blackmail her and her rapist was always hanging around her, and after four chapters of this I simply gave up.

Another instance was a TV drama about a couple who liked to spice up their sex life by typing up the wife in her underwear in a public place and have the husband pretend to find her there. According to the description in the Radio Times, the tied-up wife is horrified when her husband's car pulls up and another man gets out and approaches her. That may have been an excellent episode, but my immediate response was "Nope!" I don't want to watch it and I don't want to read about it.

So which plotline do you refuse to read or watch?

Bookmark, scrap paper or dog-ear?

 I can already see this topic from Long and Short Reviews will be a polarising one. I've seen many posts about how people hate people who dog-ear their books.

Fortunately, as I have a Kindle, it's not usually a problem. However, I do occasionally collect signed copies of books, so I have on occasion read hardbacks or paperbacks. But no, I don't dog-ear the pages. I don't have any bookmarks, so I generally use a piece of scrap paper.

Or, horror of horrors, I just leave the book open, which I'm sure does terrible things to the spine.

So what do you prefer - bookmark, scrap paper or dog-ear?