The Fascinating and Illogical World of Time Travel Romance

Are you a fan of Time Travel romances? Most time travel romances are fish-out-of-water stories. The hero or heroine travels through time and ends up falling in love with someone from a different time period, quite different from their own. Most involve travel back in time, like Jude Deveraux’s Night in Shining Amour, or Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander.

I’ve read and enjoyed several time travel romances and see them more as paranormal romances than science fiction because they usually gloss over the technical details and mechanics on HOW the characters manage to get from one time to another. Usually there is no time machine, little or no scientific theory or explanation.

Some Mechanisms Used in Romance Time Travels

Magical amulets, stone circles or monuments, tomb stones, enchanted dreams, car crashes, casting spells, angering a sorcerer or witch, falling overboard into the sea and being rescued by pirates from another century, mysterious mirror, dimensional portals at a secret location, etc.

Butterfly Effect in Time Travel Stories

An author can get themselves tangled in the logical or illogical details of time travel. Best to keep it simple when writing these stories. Decide how to handle your world ahead of time, and how will the story end? The Butterfly Effect states that small changes can cause large effects. In time travel, a small change could cause catastrophic effects in the future. Read Ray Bradbury’s story, A Sound of Thunder demonstrates this very well. A time traveler literally steps on, and kills, a prehistoric butterfly and when the character returns to present day, society has completely changed in horrific ways.

How would you handle going back in time only a few years and meeting with your younger self? Watch Back to the Future movies. They also dealt with the Butterfly Effect. A current TV series Timeless goes back in time to major historic events and tries to stop an enemy from changing history.

Inspiration for Edge of Passion

 

Inspiration for the cottage in the forest

Bunratty castle gave me the idea for the story location 

Ancient Irish brooch is used in the story

Edge of Passion and Time Travel

Edge of Passion is my novella in the Naughty Novellas anthology. It takes place around an ancient Irish castle and a mysterious cottage in the nearby forest. This story does deal with a time travel element but neither the hero or heroine are from another time. But they both have to deal with people who are, and events and a cottage that are connected to the past. The mechanism I used in the story are ley lines. Ley lines are supposed to align spiritual, mystical and the earth’s electromagnetic energies. Many ancient monuments are built on ley lines. The cottage appears and disappears and those who reside inside are from another time. The hero has had a past relationship with a woman from the past and that plays into the story. I liked how the characters from the past interact with those from the current time and would like to add more stories in this world.

Read Edge of Passion in Naughty Novellas:

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Find Kathy Kulig:

Web site: http://www.kathykulig.com

Blog: http://www.kathykuligblog.com  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kathykuligauthor   

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Story Potpourri ~ Writing in Sub-genres #Romance #Craft #Humor

Happy Leap Year day, everyone! While you're enjoying this extra day in our 2016, I want to spend this bonus time giving a shout out to The Naughty Literati... I really do, yes, and a loud shout, at that.

Here's why:

At the end of 2014, while endeavoring to have my story rights returned to me by my former publisher, I was in the same leaky boat as a lot of authors I know - fairly bursting with ideas of all sorts but under contractual agreement to give right of first refusal of the next story to the very publisher from whom I was in the throes of separating. I couldn't see waiting, lingering, standing by, delaying - you get the idea - proceeding with my stories until my contractual release deigned to arrive. There was a real chance it would never come. Then what? 

Dire Wolf at the Door accepts CASH only!

The good news was that the Writer's Block from which I'd been suffering for ages suddenly vanished. The bad news: I was in Writer's Limbo, located just around the corner from Writer's Block and maybe even in a little worse neighborhood. You see, with Writer's Block you WANT to write and are ABLE to publish, but you CAN'T write for the life of you. When you're in the Seventh Circle of Writer's Limbo, you're DYING to write and you CAN write, but you CAN'T show it to anyone you want to. At least not for money. And the mercenary dire wolf that scratches perpetually at my door demands that writing be a cash-on-the-barrelhead kind of endeavor rather than something non-lucrative, like knitting (seriously, you should see the sweater I've been trying to make for the past five years; NO one is going to pay me one thin farthing for that cashmere piece of crap.)

Meantime, while I was dawdling, lollygagging, meandering, and loitering in Writer's Limbo, my pen was practically leaking heroes with bulging, er, muscles, and lurid, hot-as-Dante's-hell sex scenes all over the place. I was scribbling down hawt plot ideas wherever they struck me and on whatever surface I could find. I have an insatiable need to hand write all my stories in their germinal phases, the computer won't do. I'm a tactile writer and I love hearing the soft scratch-scratch-scratch of quill tip on parchment (or Bic to spiral notebook paper, gum wrapper, whatever's handy) and watching my fingers manipulating the bleeding pen to form the letters of each word using my muddled Southpaw clawmanship that rivals a doctor's handwriting. Seriously everyone besides Mom and me needs an Enigma machine to decrypt the eccentric flow of my cursive.

To stop my thumbs from twiddling whilst haunting my inbox for Ye Olde Reversion of Rights Letter to pop up in my email queue, I filled up all my notebooks with outlines and ideas. When I ran out of blank pads of paper, nary a Post-it note or damp cocktail napkin was safe in my proximity. I was sullying the inside leafs of telephone directories with my hero's slaked sexual thirst. I was doodling post-coital dialogue on the insides of both my forearms (I'm ambidextrous in a pinch).


The problem was growing inconvenient. I had to hide my forearms and the telephone directory from my mother when she'd visit. I was running out of random, available writing materials to the point where rolls of toilet paper were on the line. 

Show me the Fancy Feast and no one gets hurt, see?

Evil Feral Cat was not amused by my preoccupation since it often meant I was scribbling on the back of a barroom coaster while plumb forgetting it was Fancy Feast o'clock already. Do we see the issue here? I was getting worried.

I knew I wanted to indie publish in order to have more control over my own intellectual property without anyone telling me what I could and could not write. I wanted to write in any and all genres that I love to read myself. But for the time being back then, I was contractually able to write only stories under 10k words. My publisher didn't care about seeing any of my work under 10k. It's not very lucrative to publish those, so what was the point? My dire wolf at the door howled in agreement.

Remember those other authors in the same leaky boat I made mention of before? Well, this is where they enter stage right and we all decide to start bailing and paddling together. The Naughty Literati was formed in a romance writers' Yahoo Group and suddenly I found myself roosting in a new literary nest where I could write anything I wanted... as long as it was no longer than 9,999 words in length. The plan was we'd all publish our high heat level short stories together in a few bundled box sets per year.  It would keep us writing and keep our fan bases stoked until our other contractual obligations were resolved.

And just like that, I was released from Writer's Limbo. The only thing left to decide was which of the many stories I'd squandered a mountain of Post-its, napkins, and TP on would be first story up.

"Shifter!" The dire wolf at my door howled. Yes, I had a shifter tale outlined but it wasn't really a winter holiday themed story, which was the only loose perimeter for our first boxed set, Naughty List. The title How the Alien Stole Christmas took up residence in my head and refused to be evicted. It was seasonal and featured a sexy-as-hell alien hero who realizes the Earth woman of his dreams with whom he's lustily engaged in cybersex for months is in trouble alone on a deep space station. He's determined to be the intergalactic calvary and, while he's at it, steal her for his own. Before you could say, "Close encounters of the hot kind," I'd written not only my first sci-fi/futuristic romance but my first romance short story, to boot. I created a Naughty List book trailer if you wanna peek!

Next, I always loved Somewhere in Time and The Lakehouse and wanted to write a period time travel romance set around Valentine's Day. Valentime, about a contemporary woman who finds a Valentine addressed to her from over 150 years in the past sealed up inside the antebellum plantation house she's renovating fit the bill for our Valentine's boxed set, Naughty Hearts. Voila! I'd written my first time travel romance.


Since everyone knows in the spring a vampire's fancy turns to finding his blood mate I wrote How to Blackmail a Vampire for Naughty Flings, our spring antho. When your cousin has been brainwashed by a sleaze-bucket vampire, what do you do? You find the richest, most powerful (and drop undead gorgeous!) vampire around who also happens to be your boss, and blackmail his sexy ass into helping you! Before you could say "Vlad the Impaler" I'd written my first vampire romance.

"Shifter!" my dire wolf reminded me. To appease him, I wrote not one but two (2!) sexy twin shifters vying for the passionate love of an amnesiac she-shifter stranded together on a deserted island in The Bermuda Love Triangle for our summer boxed set, Naughty Escapes. This wasn't my first shifter romance, but it won't be my last. There's a follow up to this one coming soon, because my readers tell me in insistent tones that BOTH of these sexy shifter brothers deserve to find the hot she-wolf of their dreams!

And there you have it, how I came to write whatever the hell I wanted in multiple romance sub-genres while lifting myself out of Writer's Block and Writer's Limbo whilst appeasing the grumpy dire wolf at the door. All in a rather large, picturesque nutshell. I have The Naughty Literati to thank for that. Big time.

For my one year anniversary with The Naughty Literati, I compiled all of my NL stories into one handy collection, ABSOLUTELY ALPHA  ~ now .99 on Amazon!

"If you are a paranormal romance lover then this is a must read collection! ...Each story is a masterpiece!" ~ Roxie's Romance Reviews 

Four magical romances from Belle Scarlett's enchanted quill. 

Alien Seductions: How the Alien Stole Christmas EXCERPT
On board a deep space station Capt. Christmas Trent learns her sexy cyber lover, who may not be human, wants to steal her for his own. 

“Our heroine is a willing submissive engaged in cybersex with an alien. Beautiful imagery, fascinating premise. I’ve always wondered why there isn’t more good science fiction romance. This story is good.” ~ Lizabeth S. Tucker, Geneflections 


Timeless Lovers: Valentime EXCERPT
Valerie buys a South Carolina plantation and discovers a Valentine addressed to her from a previous owner who bids her to return to him in 1865. 

“I loved this hot and romantic time slip tale and with not just time but danger threatening I was willing the couple to find their HEA. Super read.” ~ Tina Williams, A Reader’s Review 


Blood Mates: How to Blackmail a Vampire EXCERPT
In the spring, a powerful vampire’s fancy turns to the blood lust mating hunt. A pretty, human blackmailer becomes the object of his thirst, but she’s not into vampires. Yet. 

“Hot and steamy. Couldn't put it down.” ~ Kristi Cisneros, Amazon reader 


Pack Masters: The Bermuda Love Triangle EXCERPT
Castaway in the Bermuda Triangle, Trista finds herself torn between two (2!) sexy shifters. Neither will share her so she must choose between them. Decisions, decisions… 
Note to reader: This story is not a ménage tale. 

“Quite the steamy read.” ~ MAustin, Amazon reader 

Note: All stories were previously published in The Naughty Literati anthologies ~ Naughty List, Naughty Hearts, Naughty Flings, and Naughty Escapes. 

***

PLUS! I'm thrilled my former publisher did eventually revert my rights back to my very first romance! My dire wolf howled in delight...

WHAT IF THE BIG BAD WOLF... WAS THE GOOD GUY?

Red Riding Hood never had it soooooo good...

Enchanted Lovers Book 1: THE WOODSMAN

Get THE WOODSMAN for only .99!

Watch the book trailer

Ciao, bellas! Please don't forget to leave reviews on Amazon for any book you enjoy ~ it's the nicest thing you can do for any author!

Happy reading, 
Belle

Connect with Belle Scarlett:

Website: www.bellescarlett.com

Blog: http://bellesobligatoryblog.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/scarlettwoman1

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/BelleScarlettAuthor/

Good Reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1463246.Belle_Scarlett

Belle is also a proud member of The Naughty Literati ~ www.naughtyliterati.com 

NAUGHTY HEARTS boxed set - Available Now!

Woohoo - It's here! The NAUGHTY HEARTS boxed set is available in both ebook and print.

  Naughty Hearts

Twelve Naughty Valentine's Stories including Contemporary, Dark Fantasy, Menage, M/M, M/M/F, New Adult, Paranormal, Shape-shifter, Steampunk & Time Travel from Amazon bestselling authors.

Purchase Naughty Hearts E-Book

 

Purchase Naughty Hearts in Print

Naughty Balls by Suz deMello
Two college basketball players find themselves alone on V-Day evening. (M/F)
 

Love Potion #69 by Alexa Silver
When Keith and Jenna accidentally fall under the spell of one of her Valentine’s Day love potions, lust is in the air!
 

My Valentine Lovers by Nicole Austin
All I want for Valentine’s Day is to get barbed by a feline shifter and act out a few of the naughty twin fantasies getting me hot and bothered.
 

Valentime by Belle Scarlett
Valerie buys a South Carolina plantation and discovers a Valentine addressed to her from a previous owner who bids her to return to him in 1865.
 

Delia's Heartthrob by Regina Kammer
Gadzooks! Valentine’s Day is fast approaching – what’s a scientist to do? Edward knows naught of romance. Can steam power prevail over chocolates to win Delia’s heart?
 

Two Into One Goes Great by Lynne Connolly
A booker at a top model agency learns she’s anything but ordinary when two sexy photographers point their lenses—and more—at her.
 

Under The Hood by Lainey-Jo Charles
How do you choose between an online crush you've never met and a secret crush that you have? Maybe you don't have to...
 

Buy Me A Rose by Francesca Hawley
Jessica and Nathaniel Whitewolf celebrate their thirtieth anniversary as True Mates but they’ve lost their bond. Now a hot couples’ retreat will get it back.
 

Chocolate-Coated Reunion by Berengaria Brown
Jake refuses to talk to Matt after he was very late on Christmas Eve. Matt’s determined to reconnect with Jake on Valentine’s Day.
 

Cupid's Curious Case by Marianne Stephens
Alan’s last job as Cupid 84 involves neighbor Amy and a special box of candy. Both secretly desire the other. Can they find true love?
 

Fifty Shades of Valentine's Day by Katherine Kingston
Dumped on Valentine’s Day! Melissa only thinks the day can’t get any worse. Until she damages her hot neighbor’s car, and he demands unexpected compensation.
 

The Reaper's Valentine by Charlotte Boyett-Compo
Sometimes a Reaper has to do what a Reaper does. It would be wise for a life-mate to remember that!

Excerpt from VALENTIME by Belle Scarlett

From the NAUGHTY HEARTS boxed set - Available February 1st

Copyright © Belle Scarlett, 2015
 

Chapter One
The ink was barely dry on the mortgage papers to the sprawling, old plantation house when Valerie Heart put a sledgehammer through her living room wall and discovered the Valentine addressed to her from the past. One hundred and fifty years in the past, to be precise.

She peered into the hole behind the plaster and plucked out the yellowed piece of folded paper. It rested on top of a hinged leather case about the size of a deck of cards. The brittle stuff ripped a little in her hand. Worried that the document might turn into powder between her fingers before she could see what it contained, she unfolded the creased parchment slowly. She removed her safety goggles for an unobstructed view of the sweeping, cursive lettering penned in faded ink.

I cannot sleep. I have no stomach for victuals or drink. I cannot think upon anything save having you in my bed again. Underneath me where you belong. Warm and wet as a soft spring night, with your legs wrapped around my waist as though to pull me all the way lost inside of you. Were you merely a ghost, after all? A wanton phantom come to delight my nights with your sweet body, only to vanish cruelly when the cock crows the dawn’s arrival? You torment my empty days with your absence.

To add to my misery of finding you lost to me comes the intelligence that Sherman has cut off Augusta from Charleston and the railway between. One of the last remaining Reb armies now in Charleston is in danger of being surrounded. The end of the war cannot be far off, but my land is in the direct path of the ensuing disaster with Union shells advancing every day to kiss my property line. I am long past my original plan of doing my bit to help end this bloody conflict and then quitting the area timely before I am happened upon by either side; the result of which in either case would surely mean my court martial in one instance or my immediate hanging in the other. Yet I linger on here and find I cannot make myself leave this place without you. My gut twists at the thought of never seeing you again.

I will delay my departure in the hope that Providence may help my letter to find you in the manner you told me it shall. I pray you will re-appear as mysteriously as you left. Come back to me, Valerie Amy Heart. Find a way back to me. – Grayson Hunter

Valerie Amy Heart? Valerie stared at the paper in her hand, uncertain whether to be more incredulous at the crumbling missive that implored her by name or at the impossible date on it. February 14, 1865.

“Is this a joke?” She heard her own words echo softly in the empty room but felt instantly that this was no prank. This would be a pretty big gag for anyone she knew to pull off, and she knew no one in the immediate area. For another thing, she could feel the truth and passion in the letter as though it were a tangible thing, reaching out from the page to curl around her like heat from a bonfire. Impossible as it was, her gut tingled with certainty that the paper in her hand was meant for her find and… do what?

The historical detail in the letter was correct, as every school child in South Carolina knew. Three days after the date on this letter, General William Tecumseh Sherman and his Union Army swept through this area and burned Columbia just a few miles away. Nothing in the Union army’s path, including this plantation, had remained unscathed. The local population even put on Civil War reenactments in the countryside every year to commemorate the siege.

Valerie’s eyes scanned the document again, more slowly this time. She couldn’t decide which burning question frustrated her more.

Who was Grayson Hunter? How, or when, had she told him to send this letter? How could he have known her in 1865, much less so… intimately? What had his fate been?

Then she shivered, recalling the small cemetery belonging to the former, longtime occupants that the realtor had told her was on the property somewhere down by the woods. A morbid thought snaked through her mind before she could stop it.

Would she find Grayson Hunter’s name carved on one of the crumbling tombstones in the Hunter family plot when she explored the woods tomorrow morning?