Good morning! Grab a seat and help yourself to some caramel flavored Roobios tea and chocolate cookies. We've got one of our favorite authors visiting today -
Linda
Thomas-Sundstrom. So sit back and enjoy!
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PARANORMAL FOREPLAY . . . It’s
what we crave.
Hi everyone - I'm Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, author of
paranormal romance and urban fantasy tales for Kensington Brava, Dorchester,
Amazon Montlake, and Harlequin Nocturne . . . and I'm here to chat briefly with
you about "paranormal foreplay" in the books we love. I'd be really
interested to hear your take on this, as I confess my own thoughts on the
matter.
Paranormal:
What's so freaking cool about the romance in it?
What is it about a paranormal or fantasy story that turns
you on, as a reader?
I have my own ideas, of course. The first one revolves
around the phrase "Forbidden fruit." The "guys" we, as
um... good girls... aren't supposed to give the time of day to, yet curl up
with at night with when the lights are low and we have time to indulge in our
bookish fantasies. You know what I mean. “Others.” These guys are still leading
the best-seller lists all over the place, and for good reason. They can
tantalize with their eyes, they have bodies to die for, and most of them have
traits we somehow can relate to, even if we aren’t “Other.”
Foreplay
The second concept is a major one on many levels.
"Foreplay.” And not necessarily the meaning of the word that initially
comes to your mind. Because much more than just jumping into bed happens in a
well-written novel when a vampire or a werewolf or one of the long-lost Fey seduces a woman properly. In a
well-written paranormal (or any other genre, for that matter) foreplay
equals seduction. And who doesn’t
prefer a long seduction to a quickie? A slow build of literary foreplay carries
readers through the book as a lead-up to a great and satisfying culmination of
two souls finally merging.
This kind of “foreplay” concept is crucial in writing any
kind of romance.
Most of those "guys" of whatever species we
prefer, are of the tall, dark, and dangerous persuasion. So what makes one
character stand out over others? What makes one story stand out above others? What
keeps us turning the pages?
Here’s the answer: It’s the way an author crafts the
seduction of the characters through words on the pages.
The way a vampire seduces. The process of a
good alpha Were seduction. Dangerous, sure, but oh-so-sensual. So sexy. So very
special if it’s drawn out and done well. Here, foreplay means the
sighting, the chase, the intimate and immediate knowledge of another being “the
one,” and then having to
convince another character of it through actions, plot, dialogue, and sexual
tension.
Whether you’re writing or
reading, try to notice the story in terms of this take on “foreplay,” and see
if this rings true in the books you love. I’m pretty sure you’ll find that it
does.
I write both dark paranormals
(Wolf Moons series, Vampire Moons series. etc) and light paranormals (Barbie
and the Beast, Veronica and the Vampire), and have found that as a writer,
paying strict attention to the concept of “foreplay” in terms of character
seduction mixed with action and dialogue helps to pace a novel or novella, no
matter the intensity level of the story. Paying strict attention to how the
seduction is molded is an absolute necessity, just as that other kind of foreplay
is. (wink)
Just me:
I keep this concept fresh for
myself by playing with the further concepts of dark vs. light. Writing both
dark and lighthearted PNR stories keeps my toes, expands my love of the genre,
and helps me stay sane (though some might say I’m already over the edge – LOL).
I usually write a dark and a light story at the same time, and switch back and
forth. And so far, my Muse likes to sing. I’m working on my 17th
book now and am loving every minute of it.
In summation: For a paranormal story to really grip me and
suck me in, I, as a reader and writer, need to be seduced by the words on the
page, and seduced by the characters on those pages. I want to feel the foreplay
right along with them. Don’t you?
Writing: I’m working on two new novels for Harlequin
Nocturne right now, and am releasing a new series of urban fantasy novellas
under the heading of Dark vs, Light. Urban fantasy has different rules. The
story itself can seduce, rather than the characters. Yum. A blissful
rearranging of above. The first urban fantasy is out now, as of September 1,
and titled “Trapped in Stone.” Here’s
a brief blurb of the kind of thing that rocks my creativity:
“Trapped In Stone” – The forces of Dark and Light are
fighting for the soul of one man op top of Notre Dame Cathedral, and the woman
who loves him has vowed to change his fate.
I’ve attached a sneak peek snippet of “Trapped In Stone”
below.
Please wave and leave a comment. One lucky response will
receive a book from my backlist. PRIZES for being… well… you. And chatting with
. . . Moi.
Happy September 4th to you all.
Cheers from
Linda
Trapped in Stone
Tristan hadn’t seen
this coming. Not this part. The winged devil with the blood-colored eyes must
have been a diversion. A good one, Tristan thought as he was broadsided by a
body that hurtled in his direction with the speed and force of a runaway
boulder.
The fact that he and
Izzy had fallen for the black devil’s antics was a kink in the plans, but he
couldn’t concentrate on that now. Izzy had transformed right in front of his
eyes, and he knew this was the true Izzy, at last.
She was glorious,
sublime, wild, and outrageously seductive.
She had wings.
Row after row of
iridescent, jet black feathers the same color as her sleek, waist-length hair
formed fascinating patterns across a huge wingspan. In stunning contrast, her
pale skin was completely colorless. The whitest of white. Nearly transparent.
In brief glimpses of
her face, Tristan saw features that were extremely thin, with sharp cheekbones
and deep-set eyes. Her skin was luminous. Her dark hair flew around her like an
aura, like some kind of living shadow. Dangerous, yes. Magnificent for sure. In
reality, Izzy was as perfect as all of her former disguises, only more so by a
factor of ten.
Buy Link: Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Trapped-Stone-Dark-Light-ebook/dp/B00EWSHN88/ref=la_B002BMBNS8_1_25?
The second in the series releases in November, and is a much quirkier.
“Hot Holiday” – The Dark Side has put a hit out on Santa Claus, and send a Recruiter named Wanda to do the deed. But Wanda has to get past Santa’s unexpectedly hot heavenly bodyguard.
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-- Lynda Again
Great post! And I love the concepts behind these books! Okay, readers, do you agree with Linda about foreplay? Let us know!
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