I have a special treat today – My very first visitor!  I feel like I’m in the big time now.  Cool!  Fellow Etopian Charley Descoteaux is blogging here today about Romancing In Place.  And while Charley’s here, I’m over on her blog chatting about today’s technology.  So, please head over there later and check it out.

Now, please take it away Charley…

Thanks so much for letting me take over your blog, Anne!  I just love the cover of your book, and it started me thinking about what makes a place romantic.  Are some locations inherently romantic, or is it in the eye of the beholder?  I’ve never been there, but when I think of Paris I think Romance.

 For some, it’s London or Victoria, BC, or maybe a beautiful provincial park with a waterfall . . .

As I start another story set in Portland, Oregon, I can’t help but wonder how romantic it seems to readers who have never been here.

 Before I moved to Portland I didn’t have much of an opinion about the city.  All I knew was what I’d heard in high school – that pot was legal.  *lol*  Turns out that’s not true, but Portland has a lot going for it romantically.  Whether you’d be happiest on a moonlit stroll along the river, a drive in the country or out to the coast, Northwest Oregon has you covered.   We even have plenty of waterfalls.

 Most of my fiction is set in the greater Portland area, in part because I don’t have to go far to find the perfect location.  I like to walk the same streets I drop my characters onto and eat at the same food carts.  My characters can start on a family farm and in less than two hours make an appearance downtown at The Nines for dancing and drinks, or be happily wiggling their toes in the sand on the beach.  If I want to, I can even strand one of them in a rough part of town so a sexy stranger can swoop in and be a hero.  Nothing says Romance like having a hottie save your life!

 What’s the place that says Romance to you?  Leave a comment and let us know what place speaks Romance to you.

Thank you for visiting Charley .  I’ve enjoyed swapping places with you today.  Please don’t forget to skip over to Charley’s blog to see what I’ve been chatting about.  But before you do that, keep reading and find out all about Charley’s latest release Comfort and Joy

How much love does it take to heal the wounds of hate?

 Sam and Charlie have been together over a decade, and their commitment to each other has only grown stronger through the years. But love isn’t always easy, and eighteen months after a violent assault, their fairy-tale relationship is still struggling. Charlie can’t shake the lingering fear of attracting more violence by displaying affection, and he’s angry at himself for not getting past it. Sam would do anything to help Charlie feel better—if only he knew what that was.

The century-old farmhouse in Northwest Oregon is the perfect place to spend the holidays with Sam’s family, but it was their refuge after the attack, and it still holds painful memories of those difficult first months. Christmas should be a joyful time, but even being surrounded by people who love him isn’t enough to make Charlie feel safe. He could try to keep to himself, but even if Sam agreed to give him the space he needs, Sam’s warm and loving family might not. And even though they agreed not to exchange gifts, Sam has a surprise up his sleeve that he hopes will make everything merry and bright. But he may end up more surprised than Charlie before the week is out…

Excerpt:

 Sam continued up the stairs, considering how to go about putting Charlie’s perfect ass on a piano bench became entangled with the unfortunate fact that as long as they slept upstairs they would be showering separately.  He gave Charlie first chance at the hot water and then sped through his shower as fast as he could.  Sam stopped just inside the bedroom door and closed it quietly.  He toweled his hair and let his gaze linger on Charlie, lying still on top of the quilt, bare feet on the floor, partially covered with a green towel.  A slice of moonlight filtered through the curtain on the opposite wall and across Charlie’s body, which was a work of art even when not bathed in romantic mood-lighting.  After a few moments Sam realized Charlie was also watching him.

 Charlie flipped the towel up and away from his body and Sam felt as though someone had just grabbed him by the throat.  After barely a heartbeat’s hesitation he strode to the foot of the bed and leaned over Charlie to kiss him.  Sam’s free hand caressed his slender chest and shoulders.  When he felt goose bumps Sam lowered himself over Charlie but kept all his weight on both knees and one hand.

 Sam moaned softly and moved his dark hand over the fair skin on Charlie’s abs.  He hadn’t regained any of the bulk he’d lost but made up for it with dizzying definition and a solidity he hadn’t had before.

 “Vanilla ice cream.”  Sam began to kiss his way down Charlie’s chest and felt a cool hand on his head exerting a gentle pressure, urging him lower.

 “You’re lactose intolerant.”

 Sam looked up and grinned for a short moment, then slipped down even farther.  “I’ll just have to lick you instead.”

Charle’s BIO:

 Charley Descoteaux has always loved stories and began writing them down to appease the characters in her head who insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough.  Home is Portland, Oregon, where the weather is like your favorite hard-case writing buddy who won’t let you get away with taking too many days off, and in some places you can be as weird as you are without fear.  As a shamelessly out and proud bisexual and life-long weird-o, she thinks that last part is pretty cool.

Buy Links for:  Comfort and Joy 

Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00APRADZ0

 Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00APRADZ0

 Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00APRADZ0

 Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/comfort-and-joy-charley-descouteaux/1113992806?ean=2940016096100

 All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-comfortandjoy-1026128-145.html

 Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Comfort-and-Joy/book-NgpEaEW_5kGP3Bi7tPuolg/page1.html?s=mehq_0pakkyhZc-4-7QV1g&r=2

Rattle her cages:

Blog: http://cdescoteauxwrites.wordpress.com/

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/CharleyDescoteauxAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharleyDescote

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13665577-charley-descoteaux

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charleydescote/

e-mail: c.descoteauxwrites@gmail.com

Photo credits:

#1 Eiffel Tower. Attribution: ttp://www.flickr.com/photos/acoffman/2068198632/

photo credit: thecoffman via photopin.com”>photopin cc

#2 Portland at night: Attribution: http://www.flickr.com/photos/footnoteblog/124079322/

photo credit: jack satta (fnb) via photopin cc