Real life date VS fictional date

Apologies for the late post. Family issues arose the other night whilst I was in the midst of writing this blog. So, I had to save and finish it today.

Monday's question from Dianna is both fab and amusing: What would be your ideal "real life" first date and how would that compare to the first date in one of your romance novels? Pros and cons of each?

Fab because it is an interesting question, but amusing because none of the characters I have actually written have had first dates; at least, not in the sense that one character has asked out another. They have either met on nights out, or known each other for a while and inevitably one thing leads to another and, well, I write erotic romances so I'm sure you can guess ;-P So, this is going to be an interesting question to answer.

No matter how well you know the guy - or girl - you're bound to be nervous on your first date, right? It's only naturally, which is why it doesn't surprise me that a lot of people now-a-days try to keep dates casual; meet up for coffee, or go to a wine bar in the afternoon etc. keeping it casual kinda takes the edge off a little. I mean, no matter what you will take your time getting ready because you want to look nice and go about the usual process of making an effort, but - and I don't know about you - I find going to a restaurant for a first date adds a little more pressure; you have to act a certain way - meaninglessly on your best behaviour, though I'm sure a lot of people don't - and your kinda on display a lot more. Anyone else feel that way? I think restaurants are something to enjoy when you are a couple and our comfortable with one another.

Personally - and now to actually answer the question - my ideal first date would have to be casual but fun, an activity of sorts so you're both not sat starring at each other in case the conversation dies. My ideal date would be going to a fun fair - day or night, or all the way through. Why a fun fair? Because who doesn't like fun fairs? There's all types of rides to go on, and booths - hook a duck, anyone? - to go to. There's fair food and snacks; fresh doughnuts, yum! A fair entitles you to be a little silly, laugh at yourself and your date - if they have a sense of humour - you can talk about anything over a cup of coffee and doughnuts as you watch people screaming as they are thrown around in the air. The pressure is completely off, and if it turns out that you aren't interested in seeing each other again, well, at least you had a fun day out.

How would that date compare to one of my characters . . . well, there would be no sex. What? I'm not that type of girl. It would take more than a bag of candy floss and a go on the waltzers to get me in to bed.

A lot of my characters end up in bed, or against a sofa or wall, on their first "meeting." Mainly because a lot of my characters are very sexually active or are willing to let their hair down for a night, or in some characters cases they have been interested in one another for a while.

Pros of the ideal real date: I, personally, would feel at ease. I wouldn't have to dress up in killer heals that I would no doubt break my neck in or be worried that I would look too slutty. I could dress nice/sexy/casual, because let's face it we're dressed in casual clothing most of the time and if you look good on a day to day basis and your date thinks so then you're off to a great start. I would have fun no matter what the outcome of the date would be.

Cons of the ideal date: Possibility of being sick? I've never been sick at a funfair, but there's a first time for everything. Your date might hate heights, or fun fairs, or get sick easily.

Pros of character "date": Sexy fun. They get laid, because let's face it that is often very fun. And for the characters who have been interested in each other for a while, it would be a fantasy come true.

Cons of character "date": Jump in to bed with someone - as in real life - possibility of feeling like shit after ward. If you ended up dating would you constantly be question if they were really in to you? You might wish you would have taken time to get to know one another instead of opening yourself up in such a vulnerable way before really knowing if you could trust the other person.

There the pros and cons that come to the top of my head, but what do you think; is there anything you would add to them? Also, what's your ideal date, or the best date you have ever read about?

Future genres I'd like to write.

Elizabeth's question to me: Is there a particular genre that you would like to write (which you haven't already?) And do you think you will someday?

Quite a few! I'd love to write an erotic horror - and I mean a full-out HORROR with the suspense and shit-scary shenanigans and gruesomeness, and so on.

I'd also quite like to write a contemporary romantic or chick-lit erotic comedy, sort of like Friends or Sex and the City in erotic novel format.

I'd also love to write some kind of really intelligent literary, ground-breaking novel, that would probably be like a psychological thriller/suspense or something, but I'm pretty sure I never would because my slightly lewd sense of humour (and love of weaving eroticism into everything) would pretty much ensure it's not ever going to win a Nobel Prize! There seems to be this undercurrent train of thought in the public consciousness that says if it has eroticism in it, it can't be that intelligent. That is so so wrong (Lolita, for example). I actually feel in some ways that we are more judgemental about taboo and controversial subjects that we used to be, what with all the "political correctness" that colours our culture nowadays. It's a great shame - minds need encouragement to be opened, and not a scolding for trying.

Now, I am not comparing my work to that of such literary masterpieces; merely saying that I'd like to be able to write something like that one day and weighing up the reality :)

Thanks for the great question, Elizabeth!

Dianna xxx

What was the first book you ever fell in love with?

Todays question from Dianna: What was the first book you ever fell in love with?

As an author I feel ashamed to say that I didn't actually read a lot as a child. Books didn't really hold any interest for me in my youth. I wanted to be an actress and because of that I was very much into television, films, and theatre. I read in school because I needed to, and when I was very young I enjoyed having my mother read a story to me at night, but that was as far as it went.

Cover borrowed from Patricia Briggs site

In my teenage years I did read the odd book here and there, but I can't say that I actually feel in love with a book until a work colleagues of mine handed me; Moon Called by Patricia Briggs.

Now, he leant me this book and I held on to it for an entire year, before I actually picked it up and started reading it, but once I started I couldn't stop and once it was done I asked to borrow the next, and the next until he couldn't lend me the following because it hadn't been published.

Why did I fall in love with this book?

Firstly, it's about shape shifters. Secondly, it has vampires. And thirdly, it basically has a whole collection of mythological creatures run a muck in it.

Mercy, the heroine, is a coyote. Now, in fairness that isn't a big bad werewolf like the ones living next door to her, but she can hold her own. She is tough, smart, funny, and sexy. She owns a garage. She is an interested characters with an interesting past and I have to say that throughout the series she goes through some tough shit, but she comes back from it. She pulls herself through it.

Adam, Alpha Werewolf, fell in love with him immediately. He is alpha male. He is a gentleman. He has a laugh with Mercy. She irritates him. And I just love the very subtle hint at interest in the first book. The type of interest you know is going to continue growing throughout the series and just get sexier and stronger, which it does.

The Mercy Thompson series has it all; it's dark, gritty, and funny. You have different myths, legends and creatures come in to play in a modern world. You have soft, sexy moments which are never long enough, but continue to grow with each book, between Adam and Mercy. I have to say a lot of the bad guys have freaked me out. I remember reading the second book in the series "Blood Bound" at Christmas and it was dark in the living room with only the lights on and there is a part where the baddie is scratching at the glass . . . gave me shivers.

I have always loved anything to do with the paranormal and at the point I was reading this series I had been playing around with the idea of writing a book. Before this point I had written scripts - mainly because I was in college studying Musical Theatre, and I still wanted to act. So my writing came out as scripts. A friend had suggested I attempt writing a book during our days at college, but I had pushed the idea aside until that point.

Moon Called, by Patricia Briggs inspired me. It gave me a taste of writing on a larger and more detailed scale. I fell in love with the entire series and still enjoy each book that Mrs Briggs continues to write.

So, what about you; what was the first book you ever fell in love with?

Which Paranormal Creature would I like to be trapped in a room with?

So, I'm late in posting this because I was kinda tired last night when I came online to whip this post up - I know, my bad for leaving it so late - but also because although today's question from Dianna seems like a fairly straightforward and fun one I wanted to give it a little thought, because it is a straightforward question, but the answer depends on the circumstances.

Today's question: If you were trapped in a room with no hope of escape with ONE paranormal creature - and you could choose which one - which would you choose?

Now, it might sound nuts but in order to answer this I need to know the following; do I know the creature? Are they trustworthy/are we friends/are we enemies? Do they want to eat me/kill me? Will I ever escape, will we both? Is my escape dependant on them in some way?

I guess if I know the creature and trust them then it really wouldn't matter what they were, because I'd be trapped with someone I was friends with and if we were too die, because there was no means of escape at least we would have one another for company.

If we were enemies and they wanted to kill or eat me I actually think I would prefer to die at the hands of a vampire, because they will simply drain my blood. If it was a rabid/crazy or at the very least pissed off werewolf or shifter it might not be so bad because they might just rip my throat out or break my neck; hopefully a quick death. 

I know for a fact I wouldn't want to be trapped with a nixie or a zombie, or any creature that would eat me alive and possibly very slowly, because that would be horrible.

Demons are crafty and would no doubt leave me to die and get out and save themself. Angels - depending on your view of them - could be rather helpful as could a witch or a wizard. A genie would be fab because you could wish yourself out of there.

I realize that there are tons of creatures, but if I sat and considered them all I would be here for a very long time, and truth be told I think in the right circumstances - as in the scenario where I don't die at the claws or teeth of my cell mate - I would pick to be stuck in a room with a Werewolf. What can I say, they are my fave creatures. Superhuman strength means that they might be able to bust us out of the room one way or another, but I think I would like to sit and talk with a werewolf about what it's like to be one. If he is a super fine wolf, even better.

If I could actually pick a werewolf it would have to be Brendan from my Blood Series. I will no doubt get earache from Owen for stating that, but Bren was my first werewolf. I have a soft spot for him and I always will. <3

Then again it would be rather nice to be stuck in a room with all three of Dianna's leading Werewolves from The Eye of the Storm Series. ;-P

So, what about you; what creature would you want to be stuck in a room with?

How I get my story ideas.

That was Elizabeth's question for me this week: How do you get your story ideas? (Do they come in forms of dialogue, images? Do you meet the characters first? Does everything hit at once or does it come in pieces?)

I have a philosophy: if I have to work too hard for an idea, I'm not going to be able to write it.

Most of my ideas are just in my head; I don't have to work so much to get them. Sometimes, writing one book (or one scene) will lead to another idea. It was writing about the difference between werewolves and shifters in The Sands Of Time, that gave me the idea for some of the storyline for the Eye Of The Storm series.

The idea for The Witching Pen literally "fell out of the sky and onto my lap" when I was trying to figure out what to do with my domain name.

'Til Death Do Us Part, I didn't think about at all - that book was fuelled with pent up anger that I simply had to get out of my system. I started writing it, because if I didn't write something, I would explode, and that book just became what it is.

And I have some ideas for other stories there in my head. Sometimes the ideas work out and sometimes they don't, but I'm a character-led writer: Start with good characters and just one scene, and the characters will lead me to where they (and me, as they are me) want to go, and eventually (hopefully) I end up with a book.

I have a vague idea of the end - sometimes a concrete idea - and I roughly know what's supposed to happen in the middle, but other than  that, I let it all flow and see where I end up. Sometimes, it's not where I thought, and that just makes both the writing and the story all the more exciting, as far as I'm concerned :)

All of my current ideas, can now be downloaded from Amazon ;)

Dianna xxx

What do you to chill out after you've finished writing a book?

Hello pretty people, it's Monday, again. I swear the weeks keep slipping by quicker and quicker. Freaks me out. The one good thing about today - other than the chocolate cupcake I had - is that it is exactly one month till  my birthday. Yay! No idea what I'm going to do for that, but I plan to have a good one.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Today's question from the lovely Dianna is; What do you do to chill out after you've finished writing a book?

Hard question at this point in time since the day job, family drama, and every day annoyances have decided to gang up on me for the last year in a steady flow with absolutely no breaks. Meaning that my writing has been slow - although, I did manage to hammer out another 1K on my project yesterday. Better than nothing - and that all of my spare time is spent on trying to get some writing done, because I feel frustrated and guilty doing anything else . . . *end rant* But we shall ignore that, because I do actually have things I like to do after I complete a book.

Firstly, toward the end of the book even though there is excitement because the end is in sight, when I do actually finish I feel an enormous amount of relief. That might sound horrible but nine times out of ten I have become frustrated with the project somewhere in the middle and hit that point where I have to finish it. Sleep, food, bathing . . . none of it matters. I have to finish the book, but at the same time it feels like it will never end.

So the moment I do finish any project the first thing I do is play "Ride on Time by Black Box" and have a good rhythmic scream with the singer. I might even do the funky chicken and attempt the running man depending on the time of day I complete the project.

For your enjoyment:

After that I tend to pass out for a while, perhaps watch a movie, or even play The Sims 3 because I have a huge addiction to that particular game. Basically do something that doesn't require me to think too much. I tend to read a book or two before I dive back in to my project and edit it.

To be honest I tend to catch up on anything that I have forbidden myself from doing while writing. And if I'm having trouble writing I still forbid myself from doing "chill out" activities. Mainly because in these instances they aren't "chill out" activities, but distractions. Needless to say my TBR pile is massive, and there are a ton of films that have been released the last two years that I haven't even got around to watching, very bad.

At this moment in time my attention is torn between getting my garden neat and tidy and at a stage I'm happy with, working, and my current WIP. Nothing exciting to report, but hopefully that will change real soon.

So, what about you; what do you like to do to chill out after you finish work/writing a book?

Writing the male POV.

The lovely Elizabeth's question for me this week is... "The male POV (point of view). How do you go about getting into a male's frame of mind? Does it come naturally?"

Great question, thank you, and first of all, I really do need to say that I don't know if I write the male POV well. I think I do; I feel I do, and yes, it does come more naturally to me than writing the female POV, but because I don't actually have a penis, I don't know if I am qualified to be the final judge on whether I do it well.

Having said that, I know a few men who I personally feel "think like women" :D so who knows... I don't really know if I believe that men are from Mars and women are from Venus. Those are just more labels, and you all know how I feel about labels. We all just think the way we think.

As a child, I always got on with boys better than girls, and as a woman, I generally still get on better with men than women. Of course, there are exceptions.

I don't do anything special in terms of "thinking a certain way" when I write from the POV of Gwain, Pueblo, Paul, Karl, Lawrence, Taylor, Ryan or Amil. I mean, they're all men, but they still all have different personalities. Some men are nerdy, sweet and quietly insecure. Some men are cold and calculating. Some men are giant, protective teddy bears.

The female characters are all different too, I just find it a little harder to express their thoughts sometimes. I couldn't tell you exactly why though. I tend to be quite a visual person, like many men are, and I can have quite a dry, crude, gory and inappropriate sense of humour (most of which I keep to myself in real life because I don't want to lose the very few female friends I have, lol) which I'm sure I channel into my males as a way to get it out of me - ha! Who says writing isn't therapeutic.

So, there you have it.

But you all already knew I was a little weird, right?

Dianna x ( <----- I still do girly things, though, like put kisses at the end of posts and comments :D )

Favourite Genre/Sub-Genre to Write

As some of you may know I often struggle to find a topic for my Monday posts. It is somewhat irritating and I don't wish to ramble on about nothing just for the sake of posting something. So, Dianna and I have decided that we will choose each others topics each week in the form or questions - unless we have something we wish to talk about - but we also want to invite all of you to ask us questions, which we will answer the following week in our blog post. So, please do feel free to use the comment section below (and on any post) to pick our brains. :-)

So, my topic for today is on which genres I prefer to write. Main genre would be romance.

I have yet to have an idea which has not involved romance. It's not purposely done, but at the heart of it I am a romantic and no matter what I read or watch I find that I am drawn to any sprinkle of romance that appears. I have always enjoyed the little moments between the hero and heroine. I love the details, the glances, the small touches, I find I crave those moments in any story. So, I guess it would make sense why I enjoy writing romances. I like being able to help two people find one another. Sure some of my characters have rockier roads and bigger challenges than others, but I enjoy going on their journey with them. I want happy endings. I want hope and passion and fulfilment.

Sub-genres . . . Erotic romance would be the main sub-genre that mingles in, because sex is a part of life and of any relationship. It's the conclusion of chemistry, caring, and opening up to someone; trusting them.

Although we can all understand love (to some degree) it's very different for all of us. We each feel it differently and can do on many occasions, but it can be confusing. So can sex, but it is something that we can all understand biologically. We can all relate to sex. We have all had sex.

I actually prefer Erotic Romance to Romance, because although romance is lovely, and sweet it is very innocent. I am of course talking in the sense of the Romance genre when both books and films close the door on sexual side of the relationship. You just know those characters are going to be ripping each others clothes off at some point, but to push that side of the relationship out kinda makes the genre seem like a fairytale. Not that there is anything wrong with fairy-tales (I'm a huge fan of fairy-tales) and not that there is anything wrong with closing the door and keeping a story sweet. Sometimes a story is sweet, or has to be because there is a bigger plot going on. (I have written a sweet romance, so I'm really not against them, I promise.) But we have hormones; we lust, we crave intimacy and that physical, deep connection. I just personally feel that erotic romance makes the relationship a little more real.

Otherwise the Paranormal Genre would be the sub-genre I tend to lean toward the most. I grew up loving fairy-tales, and stories to do with the supernatural. I found the Greek Mythology fascinating due to the idea of these gods and goddess, Hades and the underworld, and creatures like Medusa, Scylla and Charybdis etc.

I believe that every creature that has every been placed under "supernatural" or a being of "myth and legend" did actually exist at some point in time. Perhaps that makes me sound crazy, but I really don't care. Everything starts with a grain of truth, and the idea that magic is truly alive and real just makes the world and existence that extra bit interesting.

The paranormal genre is a playground of endless possibilities. So many creatures to choose from. So many ways to view each of those creatures. So much you can create with them. They will never get old.

The above three tend to be the genres I stick to the most. Contemporary is a fourth component as every story I have written so far - even if it contains a supernatural being - has always been modern; it's always been set around this year and time zone.

But I don't plan to stick or even limit myself to these particular genres. I enjoy reading period stories, steam-punk, fantasy, and futuristic and would like to at least write one story in each of those particular genres at some point in my life time.

So, my question to you (readers and fellow writers) which genres (and sub-genres) do you enjoy reading and/or writing?