From
the raised eyebrows, I see I have your attention. *winks* No, this isn’t that
kind of post. J I'm talking about
writing romance from the male point of view. Point of view (POV) is one of my
favorite aspects of the writing process. Allowing your hero to tell the story
changes tone. Change pov and your whole story world shifts focus.
A
lot of thought goes into making a believable hero. No matter how perfect your
heroine is, if your hero isn’t realistic, he may as well go hang out with
the standard slasher flick girl who just has to leave the safety of the
cabin and greet the psychopath. No one likes a cardboard character.
Writing
from the hero’s pov shouldn’t be that hard right? Words on a page, spoken by a
character who could be either sex until that speaker tag is included. But creating
a hero just isn’t that simple, and thoughts like these are why some heroes fall
short of the mark. He can’t just exist, he has to breathe.
So
how do you give life to ink and paper? Some writers have a talent for
making their characters breathe, but how do they do it? Is it the deep point of
view we hear so much about? The hero and heroine’s emotional and physical
encounters with each other? Their past? Their growth through the novel? Or is
it simply an innate ability on the author's part, a talent that can't be
taught? Maybe it’s a little bit of all of those things.
I
ask my heroes a simple question. (For those of you wondering, I do
actually talk to them out loud.) What does a guy want? What do you want? Other
than the obvious answers. *lol* I want to know who he is, what he wants from
the story, how will he grow as a person as he falls in love with the heroine.
What does he look like? Why does he look that way? What are his flaws? (Hero
must have flaws.) Dozens of questions spring from the first one. If he likes a certain brand of soda, I want
to know why. Talking to him, treating him like a real person is easy; slipping
into his pov is a bit more difficult. He thinks and reacts differently; regards
sex, food, work, money, time on a different wavelength than your heroine.
Falling
into your hero’s thoughts means leaving all your learned or preconceived
feminine notions at the door. What does
he see when he looks at the heroine? Touch, taste, smell, hear, what do his
senses tell him? Look at the story world
through his eyes. What you learn may just surprise you.
Blessings,
Brynna
Author Bio: Paranormal romance and romantic suspense author Brynna Curry is a
lifelong believer in the importance of reading. She enjoys the writing process,
helping others hone their craft by lending her time to review books, critique
manuscripts and serving as a contest judge. She loves hearing from her
readers.
When she isn’t writing,
she’s often found haunting the library for new books to read, at the park with
her children, or just spending an quiet evening at home with her husband Jackie
watching old westerns on TV. She lives in North Alabama where the history is
rich with music and culture, forests and lakes are abundant and beautiful, and
every day is another adventure.
Visit her at www.brynnacurry.com.
Twitter: @BrynnaCurry http://twitter.com/#!/brynnacurry
Fire’s
Ice
Author: Brynna Curry
Series: Elemental
Magic Book 5
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Genre: Erotic Romance/Paranormal
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Length: Novella
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ePub Page Count: 83
Publisher: Lyrical Press, Inc.
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Publication Date: June 18, 2012
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Cover art by: Renee Rocco
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Blurb: Ultimate power, or endless love?
Born the son of a
Scottish laird a thousand years ago, but now trapped by his cousin's spell,
Devin McLoch has seen countless battles and death. The erstwhile thief has
turned away from darker pursuits to lead a life of peace, protecting those he
loves and considers part of his clan. However, there is one woman he can never
forget, who must be given a chance to change, to accept her heart and his.
Arianne Farrell is just
as dangerous and intoxicating as her power. Imprisoned in an ancient stone
dance more than a thousand years ago, her only chance at freedom from the spell
is through love--a love she denied. When Devin asks for her aid to save another
from imminent death, she realizes there is more at stake than just her freedom
or her heart.
WARNING: Two stubborn
sexy wizards using magic with no bounds, scorching love scenes, and happy ever
after. Ever play with fire?
Excerpt
– (Hot) *edited slightly – actual book
text may vary
Slipping into the frothy
bubbles, Arianne sighed and let the reality of her situation sink in. I am
finally out of that wretched circle. True enough, but she was still in a
prison of sorts. One with running water, walls, food that didn’t taste like
air, and a sexy male witch bent on driving her to frustration. Not so bad, all
things considered.
Being trapped didn’t
mean she hadn’t noticed changes in the world around her for the last thousand
years. She tipped her feet out of the water, waved toward them, and turned her
toenails a bright fiery red. A soft tapping sounded at the door. Her maddening
laird had returned.
“Okay in there?” Devin’s
voice sounded hesitant. “Breakfast is ready.”
Time to ruffle the phoenix’s feathers a bit. “There is no need to be shy, Devin. You can
come in.”
* * * *
The sound of splashing
water rippled past Devin’s ears. Temptress. Knowing Ari was
just on the other side of the door, naked and wet, willing to succumb to every
fantasy he could imagine, was a torment in itself. All he had to do was accept
her sultry invitation and toss aside his plan. But she deserved a sweet slide
into love, not the wild, mad rush of pleasure he craved. One palm rested on the
door of its own volition, ready to comply. Not
yet. Now, if only his traitorous body would listen to his heart. “That
depends, sweetheart.”
“Oh?” she called out
from the other side. “On what?”
Devin chuckled at the
line, but he just couldn’t resist teasing her. “What are you wearing?”
She laughed. “Bubbles.
Lots of bubbles. Share them with me.”
He saw it so clearly. Ari’s
creamy skin peeking through the frothy bubbles. Open, welcoming. Need clawed
under the skin, screamed at him. Why the hell not? Feeling a quiver of desire
vibrate through his body, he called her bluff. “And what would you have me do
with those bubbles? Hmm, Ari?”
“Oh, I am sure you could
think of something. Something deliciously wicked. I have shared your dreams. I
know your fantasies, lover.”
Oh, you have no idea. His mind made up, Devin opened the door.
She lay in his huge
garden tub, feet propped up on the rim, eyes closed, waterfall of black hair
piled on top of her head. A soft smile graced her face. So she was enjoying
their teasing banter. “Have you changed your mind and decided to join me?”
“Maybe.” No reason he
couldn’t push them both to the edge. Pulling the t-shirt over his head, Devin
tossed it into the corner. He laid his cellphone on the sink--out of
danger--kneeled by the edge of the tub and dipped one hand into cooling water,
using his magic to heat it.
“Mmm. Nice.”
He let his voice drop to
a whisper as he leaned close to her ear. “I want to slick my hands over every
inch of your skin until you shiver from the heat.” His fingers found the back
of her knee in the water and trailed higher along the inside of her thigh until
he touched her softness. “Then I’d slip inside you, Ari. Make love to you
slowly until you cried out my name. And then…”
“And
then...”
“I’d take more.” His
name fell from her lips with a sigh and the sound of it, the moment was one he
wouldn’t trade for any other. Mine. Always.
Link to extended
sample on publisher’s site - http://www.lyricalpress.com/samples/brynnacurry_firesice.html
Thanks for hosting me today, Wendy!
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