Fiona McGier, EroticRomance Author

The first cultural anthropology book I read was The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris. I provided the link to the Amazon page, because though it's not available as an ebook at all, there are a lot of used copies there.  You can just get it out of the library, but if you're like me, you'll be underlining and making notes in it, so it's best you buy your own copy. He writes for the lay-person, who isn't a scientist, so don't worry about not being able to understand. He makes his prose readable and interesting.

Desmond Morris examines what makes us human.  How and why are we different from our simian cousins?  What makes humans unique as a species?  First published in 1967, this book has only eight chapters, but they will all make you think about what you've read.  The one on sex is fascinating for a romance writer--indeed, for anyone who has ever been in love. Even though he refers to the three stages of human intimacy as pair-formation, pre-copulatory activity and copulation, non-sexy titles all, and he describes them in scientific language, you still will find yourself marveling at how he can put names to, and explain things that are processed by us through our senses, primarily, not our brains. 

Of course, I then had to obtain everything else written by Desmond Morris, so I also own The Human Zoo, in which he examines things like why people who live in crowded cities are different from those who live in rural areas.  As pack animals, we want to reach out and have relationships with everyone around us, to give us a pack to keep us safe.  But in cities, you pass by hundreds of people everyday, and you can't possibly relate to all of them.  So you develop street-smarts, a way to ignore them--headphones, eyes down, phones in hand, etc.  All of these are survival mechanisms that allow for us to live in such an unnatural environment--we alter our behavior unconsciously, to survive.

In Human Intimacy, he delves more deeply into intimate relationships, and examines our actions and reactions involved with sexual relationships. And in one of my favorites of his books, Babywatching, he starts out by stating he's going to examine infancy as if it was another species, because there is just so much going on with infants that we don't ever think about.  In this book, I learned three facts about pupils.

1--When you first fall in love with someone, you will gaze at them a lot--why?  When you look at a loved one, your pupils will expand, as if to drink in the sight of them. The loved one's lizard brain, the instinctive part of us that reacts unthinkingly and without our knowledge, will recognize that my pupils have enlarged, so that must mean that I love you.  In reaction, that person's pupils will also enlarge.  This is essential to pair-bonding.

2--Why are all babies around the world born with very light-colored eyes, no matter what color they will become as they get older?  The reason is that, just like the fontanel on a baby's head that is odoriferous, allowing mom to bond with her baby's smell, she will gaze into her baby's eyes with love--and of course, dilated pupils.  The baby's amygdala will react by dilating baby's pupils as well, to let mama know baby loves her too.  If the baby's eyes were dark, it would be hard to see.  Since the baby's eyes are lighter in color, mama can easily see that baby returns her love, and their pair-bond is enforced.

3--If you show pictures of newborn babies to a woman who is a mother, her pupils will expand so much there will only be a thin corona of color left, as she gazes at the sight.  If you show pictures of newborns to a woman who isn't a mother yet, her pupils will expand, but not as much.  If you show pictures of a newborn to a man who is a father, his pupils will expand almost as much as the mothers'.  But if you show pictures of newborns to men who are not yet fathers, their pupils will pin, shrinking down as if they are trying to shut out the unwanted sight

Fascinating stuff, right? I think so!  And since I write romance, I need to know the language of love, how our bodies react to loving emotions.
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Now join me in blog-hopping to see what other authors think are the non-fiction books we should all read.

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So how should you celebrate?  For starters, I have a button that I put on my jeans jacket that says, "I read Banned Books."  That usually starts a few discussions when I'm out and about.  Then you can look up what books were banned and why, during 2019, then pick some of them to read.  That's what I do every year!

If you've never read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by
Sherman Alexei, then you need to drop everything and get a copy--from the library, from anywhere, and read it! I'd never heard of this great book, since I don't have kids living at home anymore.  But when I saw it was on the Banned Books list, I figured if it was good enough to get someone's undies in a wad, it must be a good book.  I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me--and I've been telling teens and everyone else I know to read it since then.

Most books are banned for not being up to "community standards", which means they might have LBGTQ themes--picture books with gay or lesbian parents of young children are frequent targets. Or they might deal realistically with what today's teens have to face, be it discrimination, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, being abused by parents, unwanted pregnancies, realizing they're gay or gender-confused, etc.  All of the things that teenagers should be reading about, so they can deal with the real world.  But someone feels threatened, so the books are banned.

My thinking has always been that it's a free country.  If you don't want YOUR child to read the book, that's your prerogative as a parent--if it's an assigned book at school, there will  be an alternate for students whose parents might object to certain subject matter.  If your child feels ostracized by your actions, that's on your head, not the school's.  But you have NO RIGHT to say that MY child, or anyone else's, can't read the book because you don't like it. 

Most of the time the objectors haven't read the books--they've just been warned about them from a religious community they belong to, or by other parents.  Read the damn book yourself!  Then you can decide if you want to keep those blinders on your kids, or if you want to expose them to objectionable ideas in a safe manner, through having them read a fiction book, and discuss it with you.  A parent/child book analysis is a perfect way for you to inculcate your child with your morals and opinions.  Have at it.  But let my kid read whatever he or she wants to. I'll deal with the repercussions, and the inevitable questions as I see fit.

Sorry, but as an English teacher who has been reading whatever I want to since I learned to read at age 5, this cause  is very near and dear to my heart.  End of soapbox preaching. 

This week's topic is Favorite TV show of all time, and why.

I had an epiphany of sorts recently, while filling out some questions for an MFRW blog. One question asked what was your favorite toy as a kid.  Mine was my collection of Barbies, and a couple of male dolls--Ken and Alan.  And I started thinking about how I used to play with them.  All of my dolls were international secret agents, living exciting lives, doing dangerous things to keep the world safe for humanity.  Just where did I get ideas for the adventures my dolls had?  From my favorite TV shows!

Honey West was the first female spy on TV, though there had been male spies like Secret Agent Man Patrick McGoohan, who went on to star in The Prisoner also.  Then there was The Man From U.N.C.L.E, followed by The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. (Why a girl?  She was way over 18! I was upset about this anti-feminist issue even back then.) And Get Smart, though that was just played for laughs. 

But my favorite show was Mission Impossible!  I can hear the theme song by Lalo Schifrin in my ears--I even learned to play it on the piano. Each week, Jim Phelps would assemble the I.M.F. (Impossible Mission Force)  team to interfere in some madman's scheme to create chaos and gain power.  Each week they would foil the villain's plans, and walk away, smug in their knowledge that the world was a safer place because they'd done their job well. 

When the TV show was rebooted in the 80's, it still had Jim Phelps, who was older but still suave.  But he had a new crew of IMF agents.  Among them was the son of one of his original members--Grant, the sole Black man on the new team,  was the son of Barney, the sole Black man on the original team.  And there were a few episodes where both were involved in the plots--Barney as a retired agent.  They were played by an actual father (Greg Morris) and son (Phillip Morris).

And in one of their episodes, a female agent actually gets killed, so she's disavowed by the agency, as the taped voice that provides the assignments every week says in a monotone. It's up to the team to bring her killers to justice, with the help of another woman who then joins the team. Because there can't be more than one Black man, or more than one woman on the team at the same time--that does kind of date the show, but I love it anyway.

My husband bought me both seasons of the reboot, so I can watch the episodes any time I want to.  I tell him they're comfort viewing for me, because no matter how despicable and execrable the villains are, they're always brought down by the IMF team.  And how often in the real world, does that actually happen?  So many evil villains achieve their goals, and no one can touch them, because their money and power protects them.  Where's the IMF team when you need them?

If you've read this far, I have a reward for you.  Leave me a comment, and I'll send you a Smashwords coupon code to get a free copy of my first female spy book: Secret Lover.  I'll send it via email, which I can access from your comment. Then you can decide if I've done the genre justice.  And maybe, should you choose to accept it, you'll want to read the sequel, Undercover Lovers, which features my first attempt at a menage scene.

What are the favorite shows of other authors?  Check it out!

This week's blog-hop question asks about favorite autumn activities.  My first response, since our AC broke years ago and we never replaced it, is "Besides enjoying NOT sweating while sitting still?"  LOL. 

But really, the first thing I think of is fall camping.  Fall is the very best time to go camping.  Why?  In the spring, the ticks and other biting critters wake up thirsty, so you have to check yourself regularly. In the summer, it's too hot to enjoy a campfire, and the skeeters will ensure that you don't anyway.  Sitting in a screened in dining tent is preferable, unless you truly enjoy wearing eau de DEET.  But in the fall?  Oh glorious fall!  The bugs have mostly died off already, or they leave you alone.  Besides, you're wearing jeans and a sweatshirt, so they can't get at you, can they?  The nights are cool enough to enjoy building a big bonfire to sit around.  The humidity is gone, so the stars appear brighter, with no moisture-enhanced haze to cloud your view.  The only negative is that it gets dark so darned early. But still--best time of the year to go camping!

My second most favorite thing to do in autumn is to go apple-picking.  We've been going to the same orchard for almost 40 years, to pick apples, and buy such necessary items as cinnamon/apple donuts, fudge, cider, etc.  This year, due to Co-Vid, we instead did the drive-through touchless pick-up, where we drove to the shed, got a menu, made our choices, then drove to a parking space where a runner went into the barn to get our items, and put them into the back seat of our car, before we paid.  Easy-peasy.  Though if I still had little kids, it would not have been as much fun as riding behind the tractor to go pick apples. 
And what do I do with those apples?  Bake!  Apple crisp, baked apples, taffy-apple cake, and of course, apple pie!  My favorite apple pie recipe, along with my never-fails crust recipe, are both on my pie page. 

What do other authors have to say?  Hop to the next blog and find out.
www.longandshortreviews.com/miscellaneous-musings/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-for-september-23-2020/

Get hooked on my Minnesota romances!  NOW through October 22, read the first book, For the Love of His Life, for FREE!

Then read the second book, the steamiest one in the series, Only One Man Will Do, for $1.02 through October 22.

Want more?  Get Her Last Resort, book 3, and No More Secrets, book 4, for $1.49 each, also through October 22, 2020. 

That works out to only $4.00 for all 4 books!  What are you waiting for?  Create a Smashwords account and go download all 4!  Enjoy one last vacation trip on me!

Note: if you have a kindle, you download the Mobi format of the book.  Then send it to your kindle as an attachment.  You'll get a query from Amazon asking if you want that book on your kindle.  Click yes, and it will be delivered.

This month's Round Robin question: Most novels have an easily understood point to make to the reader--do your stories ever have more subtle or
intuitive themes? Of course they do. Because there's a little bit of me in every book I write.  Not only have I raised four kids,  I've also been a teacher for many years, so I just can't stop myself!

In my six Reyes Family Romances, I often deal with family themes, and the ramifications of the actions we take, on the ones we love--or at least are related to.  There's a scene at the end of Love Therapy that has a man on his deathbed, trying to make amends to his three children that he ignored their whole lives, especially after he divorced their mother to go chasing after ever-younger women. That scene is so intense that a loyal reader told me she cried while she read it.  I'm not surprised. I cried while I wrote it! We all need to make sure the ones we love know how we feel. while they're still alive to enjoy hearing those words. And forgiveness isn't something you do for the other person--it's something you do for yourself, so you can let your grudge go, freeing you from having to carry it inside of you.

 In my most recent series, since people live with their families on the grounds of the Northwest Maine Academy, there are often family issues that arise.  Toward the end of When a Wolf Howls, the first book, the heroine Saoirse, runs back home to her parents, convinced that she married too quickly, and that she's not cut out to be the wife of a pack leader.  Without sharing too many particulars of her situation, she cries on her mom's shoulder. Her mother, who raised ten kids, listens, then dispenses sensible advice.  And when Saoirse's father gets her alone, he also shares a story from his life with her mom, making her realize that all relationships take work, and that the rockiest moments can be overcome, if the two people involved love each other.

In my newest book, Worth the Wait, once again family issues are an important element of the story.  In one of the four romances in this book, Grant, the blond hunter from Canada, is trying to woo Monique, the fiercely independent Black widow of a pack leader who lost during a challenge.  She's been raising her three kids by herself for the past five years, but her oldest is her only son, and he's stopped talking to her almost entirely. So even though her wolf wants her to mate with Grant as much as his wolf wants them to, she won't allow it, because she fears the ramifications on her family.  Saoirse is not a mother yet, but she helped raise the seven siblings that came after her, while their parents worked to provide for them.  She offers advice, including the fact that girls are easier to raise than boys, because when they're upset, girls will tell you all about it--sometimes more than you want to hear!  But boys will obey the unspoken rules of our patriarchal society, and keep things bottled up inside of them.  Monique has to learn to trust Grant's instincts, as he attempts to create a relationship of his own with her adolescent son using the sci-fi books they both enjoy as the bridge between them.

What do the other authors on this blog hop think of this topic? Read on--
I know I will!

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Diane Bator http://dbator.blogspot.ca/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-22c
Anne Stenhouse  http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com/
Victoria Chatham http://www.victoriachatham.com
Helena Fairfax http://www.helenafairfax.com/blog
Rhobin L Courtright http://www.rhobincourtright.com

I've been super excited this week to get some new reviews for my werewolf books! Two are from a long-time reader who always lets me know what he thinks of my books. This book is so new that few have had a chance to read it yet--it's still only available on the publisher site, and Amazon--but it will be more widely available soon. A. Owen gave it 5 stars!

This book really blew me away. I read the first one and loved it - witty, smart, heartfelt, and sexy. Worth the Wait brings all of the same charms, delivering a complex, three-dimensional world of shape-shifters and the people who love them that had me laughing, in tears, and turned on in all the right amounts. While the first book focused on one romance, this one tells at least four very satisfying romance stories which are intertwined by the location (a werewolf school in Northwest Maine) and by the politics and relationships of the Pack.
 
The first half focuses mostly on Grant, a muscular white man/wolf, and Monique, a beautiful and self-possessed Black woman/wolf who is the widow of a leader from a different pack and is now the second to the Northwest Maine Pack leader. Monique & Grant's wolves know that they are meant for each other, but Monique has to find a way to let a new man into her heart and into the lives of her children, whom she has been raising on her own since her husband's death. Meanwhile, Grant must prove that he's up to courting this powerful woman and helping to raise her family.

The second half of the book focuses a lot on Nathan, a lean green-eyed white wolf/man, and his mate... Who I actually don't want to tell you anything about! Her story took me completely by surprise, and it blew me away - let's just say it's a crazy roller-coaster which plays with Ms. McGier's unique take on werewolves and you will love it. And she's a famous pop star!
 
Those two main stories are not nearly all that happens in this book - the characters from the first book play intimately into this one too. Saoirse & Diego and John & Freddy steal the spotlight and run away with it at various times in the book, and continue to be just charming as hell.
 
That variety is really what strikes me most looking back at this book - each and every story was amazing and very different in its own way, to the extent where it's impossible to pick favorites, and yet when I finished the book it all still felt like one novel. Ms. McGier juggles the stories so well and keeps you so invested in the characters at all times that it all feels cohesive and satisfying. If the first book was a good meal, this sequel is the giant dessert table you get after the meal with all the tasty things to choose from. Except you don't have to choose, you get them all! Enjoy.

As for the first book in this series?

A. Owen gave this book 5 stars--
I have been a fan of Ms. McGier for some time - this book is her first in a few years, and it does not disappoint, delivering on all of her best hallmarks - well-developed characters, smart writing, a setting that really draws you in, and x-rated sequences to curl your toes.

It has a slow build early on as Ms. McGier builds up the characters and the world, but once it gets going it does not let you go! From the steamy romance between Saoirse and Diego to the tense conflict between the new pack leader and his challenger, you will probably have to finish the second half in one sitting. And speaking of that time Ms. McGier devotes to the characters and setting - it pays off! The setting, a remote school deep in the Maine forest run for (and largely by) shifters, is a very cool concept, and Ms. McGier makes you feel like you're right there discovering it with Saoirse. And the fact that McGier really takes the time to show you who the characters are inside makes the sex scenes as rewarding as they are hot. She also has one of the more interesting takes on shifters that I have read in a while. I've heard this is going to turn into a series, so I'm excited to see what comes next!

My good friend, author Lisabet Sarai took the time to review this book, and here's part of what she said:
Fiona McGier writes contemporary erotic romance, a genre I find all too often is sadly predictable. Fortunately, Ms. McGier brings an original twist to most of her stories. In When a Wolf Howls, she has created a surprisingly rational and believable world in which werewolves exist but are biological flukes rather than paranormal monsters. Lupines have a double identity, wolf and human, and must constantly compromise between the two. The syndrome is inheritable but unpredictable. Until puberty, when an individual undergoes his or her first shift, there’s no way to tell whether someone is a were or not.

The sprawling, luxurious Academy shelters the were-pack along with their non-were mates and associates, in an environment close to nature where their wolves can run free. Once Saoirse recovers from the shock of meeting Diego in wolf form, she’s forced to recognize the powerful emotional and carnal bond between them. Their fairy-tale romance takes a darker turn, however, as she comes to understand what is expected of her as the mate of the new pack leader.

I really enjoyed When A Wolf Howls. It has the luscious erotic heat I’ve come to expect from Fiona McGier, but touches on more substantive topics as well: female agency, child-bearing and motherhood, mismatched expectations between men and women, the clash between moral principles and love. The book is rather loosely plotted, with several crises rather than a single narrative arc, but the conflicts do become more fundamental as the novel progresses, until they seriously threaten Diego’s and Saoirse’s happily ever after.

When a Wolf Howls is warm-hearted, genuine, creative and arousing. Saoirse’s a fantastic heroine, a strong woman who’s ready to fight for justice, her own safety, and that of the people she loves. She’s definitely well suited to be Diego’s mate.

 This week's question is: As a reader, what attracts me most to a character? That's easy, and it's in my title.  Give me an alpha female any day--an independent woman with attitude to spare, who can stand on her own two feet, but likes it when she's got someone to share her life with.  She doesn't NEED a man--but having one around is very nice indeed! Because my kind of heroine has a high sex drive, and it takes a strong man with stamina, to handle her!

What I don't like is heroines in danger, or virtuous mousy females. I can't identify with them.  My kind of heroine doesn't need to be rescued, or taught anything, other than maybe how to enjoy a new position!

Now for the hero, I usually prefer beta males, in that I don't want some alpha-hole who thinks he always knows what's best for the little lady in his life.  Bleah!  Maybe that's why I dislike BDSM?  I mean, from the books I've read, the sex can be really hot!  And the whole idea of holding off as long as you can, to enhance pleasure?  Yes, please.  But the idea that he's always totally in charge?  Um, hell to the NO!

I've been told by some of my reviewers that despite saying that the heroes I write are beta, that some of them are very alpha.  Maybe--if the conditions call for it, they can be.  But as a rule, the heroes I like best are easy-going men, who are always up (ahem) for whatever their woman has in mind.  But they don't want to always be in charge--they prefer to think of a good relationship as being a partnership, where each can take turns being in charge, and each can coast along when they're tired.

I've read two books recently that had heroines and heroes that satisfied my desires.  Origins: The Chosen One is Home by Celia Breslin, had a strong, independent heroine with a whole lot of snark!  She has lots of family and friends around her, but when push comes to shove, she takes care of business herself--and since she was born with a power that she's only just learning about, during the course of the three books in this series, she's eminently capable of dealing with whatever the bad guys throw her way.  Oh, and she'll relax with her honey, her fated mate, who is totally hot and attentive, yet also able to stand up and deliver when needed. This paranormal romance series made me tingle with delight!

The other was Blurred Lines by Nikki Prince, a contemporary romance with heart--and heat. The heroine is a counselor in a jail, and her job is to help the guards deal with the work-related stresses they're under.  The hero is one of the guards, and he's been hot for her for a long time, but mindful of their jobs both being in jeopardy if they act on their desires. This hero may actually be an alpha, but he's sweet and vulnerable when expressing how he feels to her.  So I fell in love with him along with her.

Of course, in all of my books, the heroine is alpha, and the hero is my interpretation of a beta male.  But since they all grow in my mind, to please me, they're the kind of characters I like. I hope you like them too.

When a Wolf Howls introduced readers to the Northwest Maine Academy, a private high school run by and for werewolves. 

Now the saga continues in Worth the Wait. 
The two romances from the first book will continue: WW/HM, BM/BM.

But two new romances are added! BW/WM, BW/WM.

For more information, head to my blog page for these books:
www.fionamcgier.com/werewolves.html