#WriteTip - @HoustonHavens Gives Tips on How To Master the Deep POV, along with an #erotic excerpt from her #SciFiRom #NewRelease

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It's been a while since Houston visited. She's quite tied  up (pun-intended) with the promotion of her erotic romance new release, but she nonetheless spared the time to give me a writing tip. The fourth book in her Psychic Menage series just came out, and if you're a fan of naughty sexiness that crosses genre lines, scroll beyond her advice to read the smoking hot excerpt. 

Mastering the Deep POV 

by Houston Havens

One of the most important writing tips I can offer is to learn writing DEEP Point Of View with your two main character in any novel. To master that technique means you understand - Deep Point Of View is more than just writing a character's thoughts.

You'll know when you've accomplished mastering deep POV because you'll have awesome comments in your reviews about how the reader "felt" so "in-tuned" or "in love" or "I felt the character's pain as if it were my own" type remarks.

When you "get" the secrets on how to use DEEP POV through descriptions AND thoughts - you'll have hooked the readers' imagination and their hearts. They will not put your book down.

Deep POV used correctly makes the reader identify with the character even if she's never experienced in her life what is happening in the heroine's life.

Your well-crafted words of emotions and descriptions can draw them a vivid picture and drop them into the depth of the character 's emotions through thought and actions.

Deep POV isn't just typing down how the character is feeling about something. It's showing AND telling through description as well.

A good description deep in the emotions of your character will whisk your reader from her world into the character's, it will grab your reader's heart and her own emotions and not let go until the end of the novel. That's how deep you have to get. If your heroine is crying...the reader should be crying too.

The secret in reaching this depth is not easy...it will require you dig deep into your own emotions (something you might not want to do) to discover your heroine's pain. IF you do it right your readers will be thinking about those characters long after they finished the story and they'll be waiting at the edge of their seats for the next book.

Here is a sample from my book Sinful Surrender Book one of my Psychic Ménage Series

Twenty minutes later, they strolled back into camp. Fay's gaze found Mr. tall, dark, and handsome sitting on the ground near the fire with his back supported against a log, one leg stretched out in front of him. His other leg was crooked, foot flat on the ground, knee raised with his arm draped across it in a lazy hang. He looked comfortable and appeared to be enjoying a rich aromatic drink. He looked their way and held up his tin cup in greeting.
"Coffee!" Arlo strolled to a log near the fire and grabbed a cup. Squatting down, he tipped the cup against a taller can sitting in the embers of a smokeless flame. He poured a black liquid into the tin. "I hope you made enough for all of us."
Drakker squinted his steel-blue eyes. His right eyebrow arched, and his jaw clamped in a hard flex. The cool, calm exterior she had observed for most of the day looked ready to crumble. So, there is a sensitive side to this quiet man. How interesting.

Ok, so the italicized sentence is your standard descriptive POV. It's telling you what the heroine's feeling about what she saw. Its purpose is to let the readers know they're in a female's POV.

Now, the bold-italicized portion is the deep POV of the heroine's thoughts. The reader is hearing her thoughts (Standard deep POV)

But did you notice the first two (bolded) opening sentences of this paragraph? Since this chapter is clearly in the female's POV I couldn't head-hop into the hero's thoughts ... yet because I only have 100,000 words to a novel, every word I write must pull at my readers and reveal all my character. So, I had to find a way to draw the readers into her deep POV yet show how the male in this scene [in this cast - Drakker] was 'feeling' so the readers could begin to identify with him. I had to find a way to show his DEEP POV through description and dialogue rather than through thoughts as I used with the main POV character, and I had to do this without head hopping.

If you read the rest below you will see how I foreshadow Drakker's deep POV without over-shadowing the Main character's deep POV in this chapter.

In an accusatory tone, Drakker asked Arlo, "Why would you assume I wouldn't?" At Arlo's shrug, Drakker got up and tossed the last of his coffee out. He rinsed his cup in a large pot next to the fire and refilled it with the black liquid. Leaning over the fire, he handed the cup to her. "Have a seat and try some."
Seeing the exasperation in his eyes, she chose to obey and sat before taking a sip. Oh my God! She wanted to spit. It was bitter and foul tasting. She swallowed hard.
Turning back to Arlo, Drakker griped, "That's the one thing about you that irks me. Why do you always assume the worst of me? I could understand it if I were guilty of being incompetent or always forgetting something, but I'm not."
Arlo waved Drakker's temper down. "That's not what I meant. You know that."
"Yeah, well anyone listening doesn't know that." He jutted his hand out to indicate Fay was the anyone he was talking about. "It gives the wrong impression, and you're always saying shit like that. It irritates me."
Arlo gave Fay a devilish wink before looking back at Drakker. "You'll live."
"You might not." Drakker strode across camp and propped his foot on a stump...

I hope this sample showed you how to layer your characters POV's, and showed you how you as a writer can write a full story by showing deep pov's through thoughts of the main POV character yet reveal another character's POV, even deep POV, through description and dialogue.

Once you learn how to use POV's through thought, actions, dialogue, and description you'll create a story with such depth your readers will never forget the story or the "like real people" characters they fell in love with.

Good luck and happy writing!

Hugs,

Houston

Intimate Betrayal

PSYCHIC MÉNAGE: BOOK 4

by Houston Havens

Kindise Wyatt escapes her Star Rider captor and returns to Earth. With the help of a sexy Old World Mole and his mysterious friend, she's determined to uncover the whereabouts of her lover. Instead, she finds nothing but betrayal and her captor in pursuit.

On the lam after betraying his evil ruler, ex-Dirt Dweller and drifter Jaden Valenti confirms his name is on a hit list. Finding what he believes will be safety amongst the Airbornes, he recreates himself and hides his past until trouble walks back into his life in the name of Kindise Wyatt, the woman he was ordered to assassinate and didn't

.Due to the obsessions of a Fae woman Sori gave up his hard-earned royal title and left his homeland of Elfame. Love is the furthest thing from his mind until he is sent in Jaden's place to pick-up some cargo...human cargo in the form Kindise Wyatt. He feels the Fae magnetism of his soulmate in her. Problem is; she's in love with someone else.

Will Jaden fulfill his orders to kill Kindise and get his name removed from the list, or will his secret be exposed and betray the friendship he has with Sori? Does Sori help Kindise find her lover, or will a love between them have a chance to flourish before a fatal attraction and a determined captor rip their love asunder? Will Kindise find true love or will betrayals at every turn crush the fight out of her? Can she find her inner strengths to keep fighting and lead The Freedom Fighters to defeat the Dirt Dweller elites, once and for all?

Excerpt (Mature Audiences Only)

"Oh God--"

"Mmm, so you like that." He set her butt back on the railing as he continued his steamy kisses while moving his hands in a seductive path up her back, enticing her to go with the desires heating up between them.

"Yes." She returned his kisses with the same hunger and devotion she felt in his. He groaned in obvious pleasure, deepening the passion in his touch. She moaned at the withdrawal of his mouth from hers.

He lovingly whispered against her lips. "One look and I wanted you." He glided his smooth hands up under the skirt of her dress, tracing a rakish path up the outside of her full but firm thighs until she released a wistful cry. His intoxicating scent teased and tempted as he leaned into her. "One look and I wanted to make you mine. Forever."

He found her mouth again, kissing her with a heat and yearning she never dreamed a man was capable of possessing let alone expressing. A kiss so gentle yet so intense her own buried needs sparked, bursting wide open, demanding to be met right now. It was a burning lust she didn't know lingered inside her. Once again, she entwined her arms behind his neck, pulling him closer, kissing him with her own sultry desires, before murmuring, "I want you too."

"How badly?" His hands gripped her rounded hips and pulled her crouch against his erection. She gasped. His eyes shined with the devil's light as he rubbed the inches of his cock against her. "Do you want me this much?"

"Yes." She breathed in heavy pants as she wrapped her legs higher around his back, encouraging him to thrust his cock against her pussy again.

About Houston Havens

Erotic romance author Houston Havens, a former successful model enjoying an adventurous jet-set lifestyle, intrigues her readers with a mix of the past, present, and future, and sexy blends of futuristic science fiction, paranormal fantasy, and western romance, always with love everlasting. A tenacious Irish lass filled with passion and mystery hopes her sultry stories will entertain and fascinate those who dare to take the journey. She’s also a social media junkie with an award winning blog. http://houstonhavens.com

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#WriteTip + #Giveaway - @Starla_Kaye Provides Sexy Inspiration (and a closer look at her @DecadentPub #Western #Romance #AudioBook - Cowboy Dreamin)

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I'm delighted to welcome fellow Decadent Publishing cohort Starla Kaye  back to my blog. Today, she has a smoking hot audio book to pimp.  Deviating from my usual MO, I'm going to put this FOR MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY disclaimer before her writing tip. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this little nugget of wisdom is on the sexy side. 

(P.S. Don't let all this sexiness distract you from Rafflecopter Giveaway at the bottom!)

The Power of Fantasies

by Starla Kaye

I wasn't sure what to use as a writing tip, so I decided to provide inspiration--especially for anyone struggling with their next sex scene. After all, it can't hurt to give your potential audience exactly what they want. 

Men’s Most Powerful Fantasies

  • Having sex with two women at the same time
  • Watching a woman undress
  • Watching a woman masturbate without her knowing he’s watching
  • Having sex outdoors or in a public place
  • Having sex in a body of water (pool, hot tub, lake, or ocean)

 Women’s Most Powerful Fantasies

  • Being seen by others
  • Being ravished
  • Being in complete control
  • Having other male partners
  • Bisexuality

In case you prefer the text version...

Cowboy Dreamin’

by Starla Kaye 

Kendra spends her days and nights running a business, sculpting, and leading a Tahitian dance group in Kauai. She can’t squeeze anything else into her life, but she dreams of cowboys. Sexy, hot cowboys in tight jeans, low-tipped Stetsons, and dusty boots. Men who know all about how to please a woman. She enjoys her fantasies, but can’t imagine ever settling down. But one night with one would be so nice. Surely that would get her dreams of a white knight cowboy sweeping her off her feet out of her system.

Because of an accident that Shane believes left him “less of a man,” he doesn’t see a wife and children in his future. Carson, his ranching partner—and sometimes lover—thinks Shane is wrong. Carson refuses to let Shane settle for a life of rodeo bunnies who only want a romp in bed with a bull rider. Shane deserves more than that. He manages to sign Shane up with a matchmaking service to, hopefully, meet another kind of woman, maybe someone who will appreciate Shane for the man he is. Except Madame Evangeline expects both of the cowboys to go on this special one night date. It doesn’t take long for either cowboy to realize that one night with the purple-haired, hip-shaking beauty in Kauai might not be enough….

Excerpt

“Let’s take care of our cowboy.”

Before Shane could protest, Carson gripped his hip and held tight while he pounded into Shane’s ass. Shane turned red. He grunted and strained. What did it feel like to have a thick cock up your ass? She couldn’t be certain, but she didn’t think this was new to them.

When she couldn’t stand it any longer, she squirmed as close as she could and feathered soothing kisses on Shane’s agonized ace. She inhaled the scent of two aroused men, mixed with her own scent. Needing to comfort him even as he suffered pleasure/pain, she stroked his muscled arms and his sweat-covered chest, whispering words of encouragement to them both.

When Carson roared his release, Shane grabbed hold of her. He pressed his mouth to hers and kissed the blazes out of her. Seconds later, Carson rolled away and Shane flattened her to the bed.

He climbed over her, panting, frantic. He drove his shaft into her in one long thrust. Nothing held them back this time, no protesting that he wasn’t man enough. He rode her hard, fast until they both cried out.

About Starla Kaye

Starla Kaye wears many hats professionally and as a writer. She is the community coordinator for a Midwestern accounting firm, a gerontologist who volunteers with an active group of senior adults, a mentor/teacher of writing, and a multi-published author. She dabbles in writing romances of many sub-genres: contemporary, historical Western, medieval, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, and Regency. To date she has published 20 novels, 38 novellas, 8 anthologies, 3 audio books, and 18 short stories. You can learn more about her work at http://starlakaye.com

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#WriteTip - Rosanna Leo (@LeoRosanna) Explains the Joys of Plain, White Paper (and shows off NIGHT LOVER, her @HartwoodBooks #PNR)

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I'm delighted to welcome Rosanna Leo back to my blog today. She's developing a reputation as quite the paranormal romance guru, and she's also one of the more prolific authors I've met to date. As such, this writing tip has my rapt attention (along with her newest paranormal romance from Hartwood Publishing). 

The Joys of Plain, White Paper

by Rosanna Leo

Thanks very much to Tara for hosting me today. I love her writing tip segments and am honored to be featured in them.

Today’s writer has so many resources. There are programs out there that help you plot your book online, that will dictate your work to you and God only knows what else. Of course, I’m sure we all use our trusty Microsoft Word to the pointwhere our laptops want to give up the ghost. My own keyboard is so well used some of the letters are rubbing off. It’s a good thing I know where to find ‘S’ because it disappeared long ago.

However, there is a tool I use frequently and I sometimes wonder who else still makes use of this archaic resource. I’m talking about plain, white printer paper. Yup. Your basic 8 ½ x 11 stock, the kind you find in offices and homes everywhere. It’s not fancy. It doesn’t write for me but when it comes to those crucial early days of plotting a novel, it’s invaluable.

I always plot initially on paper. Why? Well, because I change my mind about a hundred times or so. I never have a complete picture when I set pen to paper and for me to start creating Word docs at this point seems ridiculous. I prefer to set out several sheets of paper, one that documents my hero and heroine in detail, along with their histories. Others may chart the course of the action in the novel. Others still may detail certain motivations or the background of my villain. Once I see it all on paper, and it makes sense, then I feel ready to move it into a soft copy.

Does this seem old-fashioned in this age of technology? It probably is. It may not even be the most efficient use of my time. However, it makes sense to me. My brain likes it and whatever makes my brain happy during the plotting process, makes me happy.

I would urge other writers to explore their options as well. Gadgets are fun, but sometimes tried-and-true methods streamline our thoughts. Writing on paper allows me to disconnect and concentrate on the task at hand. It frees up my thought process. If it’s been a while since you’ve written “old school,” I would encourage you to try it.

Like Harold and his purple crayon, sometimes all you need is a pen, a clean surface and your imagination.

Night Lover

by Rosanna Leo

Canadian soprano Renata Bruno is tired of waiting for her big break. Unfortunately, her boss, the conductor of a chamber ensemble, sees her as little more than background material. When she learns of an opportunity to sing solo with a different troupe in England, she knows she must seize it. Especially when she hears the group is to perform Mozart's Requiem, her favorite work.

As soon as Renata decides to make her move, a strange, sultry presence invades her life. She begins dreaming of a man, one who makes love to her, bewitching her. It isn't long before her night lover leaves startling proof of his nocturnal presence, making her doubt her senses.

To compound her discomfort, she learns her new conductor is the college boyfriend who broke her heart years ago. As Renata grapples with old hurts and renewed passion, she must also fend off the increasingly fervent advances of her night-time visitor. She realizes she is under the influence of an incubus, a sexual demon.

It becomes harder to resist the incubus when she learns he has a name and had a tragic history. The more she discovers about his past, the more she realizes they are linked in more ways than one. Renata begins to rediscover love and her sense of faith, but will it be enough to save her night lover from an evil curse? And will it destroy her in the process?

Excerpt

When I saw the face in this painting, I gasped, feeling as if someone had punched me in the gut.

Him.

It was the portrait of a man, much in the style of a Gainsborough painting. Full-length, it displayed the man in Regency dress. Tall Hessian boots reached up over his pants, accentuating his height. A waistcoat peaked out from under his soft blue riding coat. I looked up to the face above the coat, clean-shaven and somehow boyish with its round features. His hair was the color of honey and quite curly, with long sideburns travelling down his cheeks. Although he bore a fashionably serious countenance, his blue eyes smiled.

 It’s him.

The man from my recurring dream, the man from the theater mezzanine in Toronto. I blinked several times, not believing my eyes.

I couldn’t move. I returned the stare of the man in the portrait. A friendly face, it still managed to unnerve me. The artist must have been a master because its subject seemed to be looking right at me. His pale eyes bore into mine. As I continued to gaze at my dream man, other objects in the background began to blur. The portrait frame and the wallpaper behind him dissolved into nothingness. I could only make out the man, and his gaze seemed to issue me a challenge, daring me to look back at him. My head swam. My tongue grew thick. Pain shot through my stomach and I clutched it so I wouldn’t keel over.

Lizzy came out of nowhere and bounded up behind me. “What's up? Ooh, he's cute.” She, too, had noticed the portrait. She also saw how intently I stared. “Hey, are you okay?”

“No.” I couldn’t look away from him, couldn’t stop myself from raking my gaze over every painted inch. “It’s him. The man from my dream.”

“Yeah, right.” She frowned.

Finn walked up to us and put a hand on my back, oblivious to my shock. “So you’ve found the lord of the manor.”

“Huh?”

“Hugh Dawlish, scion of Dawlish Manor. The women in the ensemble love this portrait because they think he’s, ah…easy on the eyes. So, shall we rehearse?”

I let him lead me away, but I couldn’t stop looking back at Hugh Dawlish’s portrait.       

He was real. Not a wraith from my imagination.

Real. And dead.

Lizzy elbowed me. “You look like you’re going to pass out.”

“I’m fine.”

As we left the room, I looked back once more. The eyes of Hugh Dawlish followed me. I shivered.

A slight smile played on his lips.

ABOUT ROSANNA LEO

Rosanna Leo is a multi-published, erotic romance author. Several of her books about Greek gods, selkies and shape shifters have been named Top Picks at Night Owl Romance and The Romance Reviews.

From Toronto, Canada, Rosanna occupies a house in the suburbs with her long-suffering husband, their two hungry sons and a tabby cat named Sweetie. When not writing, she can be found haunting dusty library stacks or planning her next star-crossed love affair.

A library employee by day, she is honored to be a member of the league of naughty librarians who also happen to write romance. Rosanna blogs at www.rosannaleoauthor.wordpress.com

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