Getting Inside a Character's Head: A #WriteTip from Houston Havens - @HoustonHavens

It's been a while since Houston visited, so I dragged her from the promotional frenzy to give me a writing tip. By the way, the second book in her Psychic Menage series just came out. If you're a fan of naughty sexiness and crossing genre lines, scroll beyond her advice to read the smoking hot excerpt. 

Getting Inside a Character's Head

by Houston Havens

If an author has trouble making flat characters full or getting into deep POV with his/her main character(s) to draw the readers emotionally into the story, try using a little secret I discovered. Grab this illusive technique by trying to remember to write an emotion for that character (be it in thought, action, or description) every two sentences...of course you don't really want to do this literally, it's just a way to remind yourself not to forget this very important part about the craft. You should actually end up with an emotion in each paragraph, you'd be surprised how much fuller your character and story becomes. So if you aim for every two sentence in reality the emotions will come out at least once in a paragraph and that's a good balance.

Mature Content Warning: Everything below is meant for ADULTS ONLY. If you're below the age of consent in your country, please stop reading now. 

Phantom Desire

Psychic Ménage Series: Book 2

A multi-genre story: Erotic Romance, Ménage (MFMM), Paranormal, Fantasy, Futuristic, Suspense, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci-Fi, Light BDSM, and Psychics.

I can have sex with any woman I want. But I can love only one…that one is you

Mind traveler Chandra Lamar is on the run, not only from her post-catastrophic dystopian government but from a past she can’t remember. A psychic vision pushes her to recall her purpose for being, but it’s a ghost that awakens her desires for a life she fears she’ll never have. Both push her to remember the past because it threatens what she wants in the now; the Nodin men.

Andonis Nodin battles to accept his failures. The heavy burden nearly breaks him when he can’t save a loved one from the grim reaper’s grip and questions his desire for Chandra, the woman he blames for the death around him.

Nikias finds true love with Chandra in his arms, but is desperate to stop her from seeking revenge on a mission he knows is a one way trip.

Ortello knows for them to recapture the love they once felt for each other, he must be willing to let her go. But overcoming his obsession to make Chandra his and his alone isn’t easy.

Will Chandra go through with the vengeance in her heart or give it up for love? Who is the powerful woman in her haunting visions and will those revealing apparitions crumble her world with the Nodin clan? Does Chandra find true love in the arms of the Nodin men or does her Phantom Desire forever own her heart?   

Buy Links: Amazon | Createspace (Print) | H.A.W.K. PUBLISHING  

Excerpt

She’d developed a liking for spanking when she was sixteen. By chance she’d gotten in trouble at the Mind Traveling School for making a travel without permission of the location and was taken to task by the faculty head. He happened to be a very distinguished looking man but sexually deprived like most Dirt Dwellers.

The moment she entered his office he demanded she bend over and slowly remove her underwear. He positioned himself so he could see her exposed pussy. In that moment of brief eye contact between them she felt the power she had over him. She wasn’t the victim, he was, and that changed the experience for her.

To this day she could remember how he squirmed when she separated her legs, bent over, and shifted her weight from side to side making his hungry stare sway with her ass movement. When he demanded she lay across his lap, she purposely raised her skirt so his hand would meet her flesh. She did it to weaken and torture him further. At first her purpose was to get back at him for punishing her for something so simple. On subsequent times, she did it to get rid of her own sexual frustrations. The day he came looking for her with some made-up charge against her was the day she knew he was at her command. By confession, she decided how many times he’d swat her rump and if she’d let him get an erection or not before she promised to be good.

Because everything was monitored, the faculty head never dared stroke her pussy, but he sure did a lot of touching, bumping and resting of his hand over that area while scolding her.

She ended up getting into trouble a lot, and it was the reason she wasn’t promoted like Fay had been. Unknown to her at the time, to cover his ass the bastard had filed bogus reports of her disobedience so those watching couldn’t charge him with unlawful sexual stimulus.

“Go on. Ask me.” Andonis’ voice drew her back from her memories.

She just didn’t have to guts to say it. They’d think she was mentally sick. After all Andonis already used a soft whip on her breasts and nipples, if she requested more punishing behavior Nikias was sure to think she was a freak. Andonis, well, he was like the faculty head, he was getting off on it just as she was. Her gut told her he was very much like Ortello. Andonis instinctively knew she liked the wild passion of tempestuous sex. Even now, the devilish twinkle of comprehension in his eyes told her he knew she was looking for a strong outlet like a spanking to get her off at the highest level.

Without pushing her to voice it, Andonis handed his brother a knife. “Cut her loose. Cut only the green and blue ropes. Leave the red bindings on her.”

Nikias released her restraints and removed the spreader bar before bringing her over to where Andonis sat in a high-back chair, stroking his cock.

“Put her on her hands and knees, three feet in front of me.”

Nikias placed his hand on her shoulder. She followed his silent commands until she was stationed on all fours with Nikias standing behind her. Her limbs shook with anticipation.

“Does this position excite you?"

About Houston Havens

Houston Havens retired from a successful modeling career and an adventurous jet-set lifestyle to set the world on fire with her erotic romance books. A tenacious Irish lass, she strives to entertain with seductive stories created from her decadent imagination and traces of a provocative lifestyle she may or may not admit to.

Her interest in the paranormal, fascination with quantum science, passion with myths, and the lure of her mysterious Celtic Irish-Druid bloodlines are combined with generally unknown truths, strange facts, and questionable fiction. Her novels reflect a mix of the past, present, and future, with sexy blends of futuristic science fiction, paranormal fantasy, western romance, and always love everlasting. An author of six romances, a seven book erotic romance series and numerous articles in literary magazines.

Stop by for a visit and leave a comment at http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com

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When You're Stuck - A #WriteTip from Sara Daniel - @SSaraDaniel #DecadentPub

I'm delighted to welcome fellow Decadent Publishing author Sara Daniel here today. I always need pointers when it comes to writing, and she's been in the author game for a lot longer than I. Here's a brainstorming technique from Sara that should cure many a writer's block. 

(By the way, I can't give out too many details yet, but this picture is ridiculously relevant to my WIP paranormal romance.)


Giveaway

To celebrate her new release, A Model Hero, Sara is giving away a $20 Gift Card. Scroll to the bottom to throw your name into the hat. 


When You’re Stuck

by Sara Daniel

Whether I have a brand new story brewing or a manuscript that’s in need of serious revisions, at some point I always get stuck and don’t know how to make a plot work or what should happen next. I need to brainstorm for a solution. My go-to brainstorming technique is asking myself the same question over and over.

“What if?”

What if a woman will do anything to get her nagging, overbearing mother out of her home, so she can have her life back?

What if the last hope to revive a modeling agency sits with a man who refuses to model again?

“What if” is the process by which I make my characters come alive.  “What if” is how I solve my plot problems…and sometimes create new ones. “What if” frees my brain to think of far-fetched possibilities. After all, I’m not setting anything in stone. I’m just suggesting “what if.”

I begin these “what if" scenarios in my head. They often come to me in the shower, on long walks, and while driving. Eventually, I sit with a pen and paper and channel these half sentences and random musings onto the page. From there, “what if” invariably leads me to a story that I can share with my readers.

Buy Links: Amazon | Kobo | iTunes | Decadent

 

A Model Hero

by Sara Daniel

Gretchen Meyers is a full-figured woman living in a model thin world. Desperate to end her mother's constant, nagging stream of dieting and fashion “advice,” Gretchen tackles the challenge of reviving her mother’s faltering modeling agency. All she needs is to woo back Kyle Ramsey, once the hottest model in the country.

Making the preemptive choice to turn his back on his career seemed Kyle’s only option until Gretchen comes calling. He doesn’t care what she wants to offer him, the answer is no. Still, he’s intrigued by her refreshing personality and all her lovely, lush curves.

When tragedy strikes, Kyle finds comfort and healing in Gretchen’s arms. But he can’t trust her with his career-ending secret and she doesn’t believe their relationship will survive the long term. He’s perfect and she’s not even close. Can the fragile ties holding them together survive Kyle’s opportunity to become a true model hero?

Excerpt

The restaurant scene, then, had done its job. Gretchen would have to send Jamie flowers. No, she’d send a box of fattening chocolates instead. “Did you enjoy your evening after I left?”

Kyle’s gaze narrowed, he pushed himself out of the chair. “Did you arrange with Jamie to drop by our table?”

“How could I, when I had no idea where we were going for dinner until we were there?” Not to mention, she’d have preferred to sever essential body parts than ask Jamie Feldman for anything. But her irrational possessiveness was her own problem. “The important thing is you had a good time, and you’re ready to make up for everything you’ve been missing over the past year.”

“Those things aren’t important at all.” He advanced on her slowly.

She took a step back and came up against the door she’d closed a moment before.

Kyle flashed a predatory smile. He took her purse and briefcase from her shoulder, setting them aside. Then he rested his forearms on either side of her head and stared into her eyes, his lips a scant inch from hers as he spoke. “I’m here for you. Our date deserves another shot.”

Her heart thundered. The thick eyelashes framing his gray-green eyes mesmerized her. He stood too near for her to formulate a coherent response. This much physical perfection and sex appeal should be outlawed. Her mind was not equipped to handle it.

“What do you say?” he asked.

Yes, take me. “I say, why me?” Her voice rose with an embarrassing squeak as she struggled to compose a rational argument and remind herself she was in her office, just feet away from her employees who’d never seen her anything less than one hundred percent professional. “I get why you went out with me on Saturday. You’d shut yourself away from the world, and I was the first woman to find you. But you’ve been reminded you can have Jamie or anyone else you crook your finger for. Why do you still want me?”

His gaze softened with a tenderness that pierced her heart. He brushed his thumb along her cheek. “How could I not want you, Gretchen? You’re smart and funny and beautiful and not afraid to let a guy who has no idea what you like order for you on a first date.”

About Sara Daniel

Sara Daniel writes what she loves—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She lives her own happily-ever-after romance with her hero husband. Connect with her online!

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To celebrate A Model Hero’s release, Sara is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card. Fill out the Rafflecopter form here or on her Facebook page to enter. 

Describing Emotions - A #WriteTip from Sofia Grey ( @SofiaGreyAuthor )

I mentioned bringing the inimitable Sofia Grey back to give me a writing tip not so long ago. The day has come, and I can't help but wish I'd put this up before I spent the better part of last week wrestling with content edits. You wouldn't believe how many little comment bubbles from my editor had "telling not showing" on them, and a good portion were related to describing emotion. 

So without further ado, here's some sage advice from someone whose been a writer for much longer than I. 

Describing Emotion by Sofia Grey

The one reference book I come back to, time and time again, is The Emotion Thesaurus. At $5, it's one of my best buys. It details, for every major emotion, the physical & mental aspects of how it feels.

Let's say you're writing a scene where the heroine is agitated. You can look up AGITATION, and it suggests physical signals (e.g. avoiding eye contact / wavering voice and many more), internal sensations (excessive saliva / feeling overheated), mental responses (anger at oneself), and then it goes on to Cues of Acute Agitation - and what it may escalate to (e.g. annoyance / frustration).

So why is this so good? It's easy to fall back on the same words and descriptions in our writing, and this, like any thesaurus, can help to broaden the way we show things. 

Giveaway

I'm giving away a $10 Amazon gift card and a swag bundle to one lucky commenter. Comment at whichever site you visit on my blog tour, & you’ll go into the draw. The more sites you visit, the more chances you get to win. 

ABOUT SOFIA GREY

Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings.

Website | Blog (Gemini Girls) | GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Amazon | Tumblr

Lila’s Wolf
(Out of Time #1)

by Sofia Grey

The only way to save him, might be to leave him behind

When Lila Cammell is abandoned by her time-jump partner, leaving her alone in Britain in the Dark Ages, revenge is the only thing on her mind. She’d trusted Jared Grohl with her life and her heart, and bringing him to justice will be sweet.

Finding him captured and enslaved by the Saxons changes all her assumptions. Now it’s a fight for survival, but the only way to save him, might be to leave him behind.

Buy LinksAmazon | AllRomance B&N | Goodreads | Hartwood Publishing

Lilas_Wolf-Sofia_Grey-500x800 (1).jpg

Excerpt

Marc returned an hour later, tapping quietly on the door in the signal we’d established. Two swift knocks. Pause. One more. Pause. Then another two. I threw back the bolt and practically fell upon him, needing the comfort of another person. Needing his touch. He gave a short, pleased laugh and pulled me firmly into his arms, while sliding the bolt back into place.

“It’s okay. They didn’t see me.” He draped one arm around my waist, the other across my shoulders. I felt his fingers stroking my neck and I buried my face against his throat. The intimate embrace felt strangely comfortable and it was a long moment before I realized Marc seemed equally happy with this. He dropped a soft kiss on my hair. “Lila, we need to talk.”

I snapped back to attention and wriggled free. “He was here.” My voice came out as a whisper. “Rowena brought Jared here. She wanted to know if I knew him.”

Marc’s eyes widened. He grabbed my hand and led me to sit on the bed with him. “Tell me everything.” I recounted the tale, and he listened carefully, prompting me when I hesitated. He held my hand as I spoke, his thumb brushing gently across my fingers.

“The way she said cellar,” I couldn’t hold back a shudder. “It sounded like some kind of punishment. How soon can we leave and get him out of here?”

His hand stilled on mine. “That’s where we may have a problem. I can’t be sure the signal went through. The communicator failed.”

“So that means…”

“It means we wait for the scheduled pickup in two weeks’ time.” He hesitated, and my heart plummeted to my feet. “It means we’re on our own.”

Follow along on Sofia's blog tour...

08-Sept - T’irla’s Talk - Google & conspiracy theories

09-Sept - Tara Quan - YOU ARE HERE

10-Sept - Parker Kincade - Picture books & virtual streets

11-Sept - Pippa Jay - TARDIS & the grassy knoll

11-Sept - Book Boyfriend Junkies - Solar powered fridges & the right dress

12-Sept - Rosanna Leo - Battlefield & giant library

12-Sept - Diane Saxon - Richard Hammond & exotic food

13-Sept - Cover Reveals

14-Sept- Bookly Booknatics - Ghardians & timelines

14-Sept - Love, Lust & Laptops - Fluffy plans & dark ideas

15-Sept - A Coffee Addict’s Book Reviews - Time travel & love stories

16-Sept - Barb Taub – Writing & Coffee - Paradox & runaways

17-Sept - Epic Narrative Book Reviews - Beautiful society & Ghardians

17-Sept - Those Crazy Book Chicks - Loophole & ideas file

18-Sept - Barbara Elsborg - Rosemary Sutcliff & history classes

19-Sept - Loralie Hall - TETRIS & good bathrooms

20-Sept - JL Simpson - Giant library & dodgy Utopia