It’s Like … Magic
Guest Post by Nina Pierce
I’m a very visual person, which is really rather funny since my vision is not correctable to 20/20. Yet, very much like a man, it’s seeing something that stimulates emotion for me. So much more than a sound or a smell, the sight of a beautiful sunset, a vibrant painting, a handsome face, a lickable torso, a nekk…(oh, sorry, I got carried away for a moment), or a romantic photo, all of them create a visceral response.
So it’s no wonder when I write that I “see” the story unfolding in my mind like a movie. I can visualize the setting and the characters moving and reacting within that setting. What’s so fun for me is playing around with the details as I write. It never ceases to amaze me how one word changes everything or creates a detail within the readers’ mind.
Let’s take a look at a scene from my newest release from Ellora’s Cave “Maid for Master” …
Claire walked steadily along the path. Tells exactly what she’s doing and “steadily” tells you Claire was moving with determination. But what if I tell you something about her feet and where she’s walking?
Claire’s bare feet tread steadily along the sandy path. Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. She’s feeling the sand between her toes and now she’s “treading” or picking her way carefully.
Now where do I want her to be? In someone’s back yard? A forest? The jungle? Perhaps the beach? Notice every time I offered a setting, a different vision of the path came to mind. How about this? Palm fronds surrounded her. Ah, she’s in the jungle, but it doesn’t tell the reader anything about how she’s reacting to her surroundings. Shafts of sunlight flickered in the cool shadows of the palm fronds Lush leaves of thick underbrush tickled along her breasts and belly, raising goose flesh. Wow! She’s naked. Did you see that coming? She’s got goose bumps, because it’s “cool” or because the foliage “tickled”. The reader’s left to wonder.
She’d never been so aware of body. The ocean breeze blew through the foliage. Okay, so those are the facts, but it doesn’t really bring the scene alive. Adding deeper details is what pulls the reader in and takes them from reading the story to experiencing the story with your characters. Here are the last two sentences as they appear in the story. Never had she been so aware of the sensations playing over her body. Even as the warm breath of the ocean breeze danced with her hair, caressing her sensitized skin like a lover’s touch, peaking her nipples and stroking her damp folds, Claire tried not to condemn herself for what she was about to do.
That’s the magic writer’s wield; the ability to change the scene with just a descriptive word or two. Now that’s power! It makes me smile every time I manage to draw the details I see in my head with the words on the page.
So, what pulls you into a story that you’re reading? What sense triggers an emotional response for you?
BLURB:
When lust and deception collide, will her complete submission be enough to bind their hearts?
Treat herself to a carnal weekend at the hedonistic retreat, XTC Resorts? That’s not something Claire Calderwood, a three-time loser in the relationship department would ordinarily do. But at forty-one, having a successful cleaning business is no longer enough. She wants a chance to let go of all responsibility, submit to a stranger’s sexual demands and satisfy her darkest fantasies.
Jonathon Brierton has known his best friend’s sister long enough to recognize her submissive nature. He would like nothing more than to have Claire bound naked and at the mercy of his flogger as he teaches her the sensual art of obeying her Master. At thirty-something, he’s a successful real estate developer, owner of a BDSM resort—and hopelessly in love with the older woman.
When Claire follows him to his resort, Jonathon is certain he can keep his identity secret long enough to convince her that being restrained in his stocks is something that will satisfy them both. But lies, deceit and broken hearts may not be so easy to overcome.
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**Giveaway** Nina’s giving away a box full of goodies, including her erotic suspense novel, “Healer’s Garden” to a random commenter from all the blogs she visits during her tour between Jan 17 and Jan 25.
Nina Pierce is an award-winning author of erotic romance. Her stories fall in all genres from contemporary to paranormal. When she’s not sitting at her computer creating stories of lust and love, she’s spending time with her real life hero and husband of twenty-six years, her three adult children and a menagerie of aging pets. You can keep up with all her latest books on her website or her blog or follow her on twitter and facebook
