Emotional Writing - The First Four Stages of Intimacy

So, I've finally jumped head first into my new project and that all important first meeting of the hero and heroine is rushing toward me like a steaming locomotive...which is usually where I panic.

I don't want to rush them, but I do need to start from their very first moment on the page to build the attraction. I need to fan the flames of their intimacy as early as possible to give the reader what I promise from page one to the end...a spicy time travel with an emotionally satisfying HEA.

Everything from heat levels to the length of the story will dictate how quickly your characters will move through each stage.

With that end in sight, I glance over at my handy "12 stages of intimacy" chart and start at the top. Up today, the first four.

EYE TO BODY: We all do it, we've all been on the receiving end of this - whether it's a quick glance up and down or the slow burn of being undressed by his eyes. At this stage, unless they've met before, this is purely physical!

EYE TO EYE: Across the room or over a candlelight dinner. In an elevator or on opposing sides of a conference table - this is the first chance we have to give the glimmer of something more on an emotional level. Cold as steel or warm and inviting, doesn't matter...your hero or heroine is intrigued. Something stirs inside, they can't look away or can't look away fast enough. A split second connection or a need to get lost in the most beautiful eyes they've ever seen. Use it and punch up that emotion early!

VOICE TO VOICE: It's more than the sound, more than the accent, it's the way he says your name. Does the sound of her voice soothe his soul or stir the loins? It's in the whisper in her ear, the way she mumbles under her breath...so much can be conveyed when they speak. Maybe he doesn't even hear her voice, all he sees is her lips moving and losing control isn't too far off :)

HAND TO HAND: First time we have actual physical contact - skin to skin, oh my! Are they hard-working hands, rough and powerful? Is her skin soft and supple, so small in his? Jolts of energy, heat rising up their arms? Tight grips or a casual taking of her hand to lead her out of a crowd - this is a big moment - even if it happens in an instant. Give me that moment of knowing this is more.

And that wraps up the first four for this week...now I'm off to incorporate them into my first meeting scene!

Next week I'll be back with the next four!

Have any tips on using these first stages of intimacy? Do you linger on these or barely give them a few lines?

Happy writing!

52 Ways to Joy - A Moment of Prayer

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Prayer begins where human capacity ends

~ Marian Anderson

As the sun comes up no matter where we live, some days simply call for a moment of silent prayers of hope, peace and thanks.

This morning, in the wake of the devastating wrath of Mother Nature in Oklahoma I don't think it matters if you normally pray or not - it's just something we will all do. It doesn't matter what religion you practice (or even if you don't practice anything at all)  a simple moment of positive and healing prayers will be offered up for those in the path.

As for me, I do pray. So, my thoughts and prayers are with all the communities who will be searching for loved ones and picking up the pieces of their shattered lives.

Our prayers are the very least we can offer.

I have friends in Oklahoma and I have said my prayers of thanksgiving they were all out of harms way!

Today give extra hugs to your loved ones as they head out the door. Say one more kind word, think one more positive thought - for life can change in a heartbeat. Life turns on a dime, forces beyond our control can change our lives and leave us stunned - don't let a few moments of joy pass you by today!

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Today I'm also over at the new group author blog, Heart-Shaped Glasses! My topic? First time at a writing conference or on being a "Conference Virgin!" And don't forget...all comments on ANY post for the month are entered for a chance to win a $10 amazon eCard! See you there!

 

Sunday in the Kitchen - Summer Vinaigrettes

Welcome back to my kitchen!

Some of my favorite things about the weather getting warmer would be the fresh fruit and the light salads. For Mother's Day, I was served this scrumptious  homemade Belgian waffle with several different kinds of fresh fruit on top - it was awesome!

My writing news this week:  I finally started Book Two in my Prosperity Creek time travel romance series...Betting on the Gamber! Veronica and Gabe are already fun to write. :)

This week my "Hot Links" from around the blog-o-sphere are:

Through Heart-Shaped Glasses continued the monthly theme of "firsts" with posts on First words, First Kiss: Miss or Bliss with our first guest blogger, Robin Bielman, First Adventures, and First Lines.

On Your Writing Coach: 10 writing insights.

and on Kristyn Phipps' blog, Social Media 2.0 - blogging and Triberr

And now it's on to the summer vinaigrettes...

When the weather gets warmer and more salads grace our tables, I love to try different dressings and vinaigrettes. Here's a few I've tried and liked in the past (and all are from the Meals in Minutes cookbook by the American Heart Association!) The first two recipes are for small portions, so you don't have to worry about looking for a jar to keep it or for storing it for too long.

Classic Vinaigrette

3 Tbs balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

2/3 Cup fresh grapefruit juice

1 Tbs plus 1 1/4 tsp honey

2 tsp cider vinegar

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Fresh Strawberry Vinaigrette

2 Cups whole strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup raspberry vinegar

Process in a blender or food processor until smooth.

 Enjoy!

*Do you get Scribbling Through Time in your favorite reader? Please note I recently changed my feed from feedburner to feedblitz and I don't want leave you behind when I finally cut the cord and terminate the feedburner account! Take a second to click HERE and keep me coming to your favorite reader!* 

** Because I love my readers and am grateful you choose to spend some time with me each week, all comments from May 1 to May 31st are automatically entered into my monthly drawing for a 3 pack of mini travel-sized handmade soaps. Details and the scents for the month can be found on the "contest rules" page.

52 Ways to Joy - Letting Go

Some of us think holding on makes us strong;
but sometimes it is letting go.
- Hermann Hesse

It's taken me 49 years to admit that no matter what I do or say I will never get along with a certain family member. We are just on opposing sides of EVERY discussion. Her values are completely different than mine, she raises her child different than I raise mine and our opinions just don't mesh in any way shape or form.

She's not wrong. And it's taken the last 10 years for me to accept that I'm not wrong either. We're simply different sides of the same coin.

This past weekend after a good cry and seeing the situation through the eyes of my growing children - I realize for all our sakes, it's time to let go.

Every week writing this post I force myself to dig into my soul, into what brings me inner peace and joy - and this week I realized sometimes it really does have to be about ME. Why do we always assume that doing the right thing means stuffing our own feelings under the mat? Year after year I sit across holiday tables frustrated and annoyed with the choice I made and then forced on my children even when they begged to stay home.

When do we get the right to let go and allow ourselves to be happy?

I'll be the first to admit that this weeks post is about purging for me. Letting go and moving on are probably the toughest choices people make in their lives. I'm programmed to give another chance, to turn another cheek, to try again to keep the peace in a small family.

What's the right road to take? Continue to meet the challenge or let go? Is it more important to nurture a family relationship and keep all opinions to myself? I wish I had the answer that would assure joy in my heart - but I don't. Both choices will bring sadness.

Time to make a choice - your inner joy or suck-it up at the holiday table and keep the antacid bottle in your purse?

I wish you joy as you travel this week!

*Do you get Scribbling Through Time in your favorite reader? Please note I recently changed my feed from feedburner to feedblitz and I don't want leave you behind when I finally cut the cord and terminate the feedburner account! Take a second to click HERE and keep me coming to your favorite reader!* 

** Because I love my readers and am grateful you choose to spend some time with me each week, all comments from May 1 to May 31st are automatically entered into my monthly drawing for a 3 pack of mini travel-sized handmade soaps. Details and the scents for the month can be found on the "contest rules" page.

 ***52 Ways to Joy is a weekly post to celebrate the simple ways to bring joy into your life and those around you. It's about the small moments that makes memories and give us all a sense of contentment in the crazy world we live in. If you're joining me here for the first time, by clicking on the label "52WTJ" you can read the previous posts!

Writing Against the Current

Water Show in Atlantic City - May 2013

Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.
~ Pamela Vaull Starr

If you're a writer, you know this is a business, and not one to undertake if you've got thin skin and no vision.

Chances are if you're a writer and have completed, edited and polished a manuscript within an inch of its life and have sent it out to agents and editors, you've probably heard the following phrase at least once:

"This isn't right for us."

If you read this blog you know I write time-travel romance. If you're new here...now you know what you'll find.  Is it a popular genre with the agents and editors? Hell no.

Would it be easier to follow the stream and write what the agents and editors are buying these days? No, it wouldn't. At least for me.

Writing might be a business (and yes, it most definitely IS a business) but it's one of those careers that you're heart must be in, if you're not passionate about what's going on the page - the reader won't feel that fire either and you're writing will be flat.

Because my heart is in different places and times, that's what I write. I don't fit into a little box. That's not to say I haven't been discouraged along the way. Agents and editors can be blunt and focused on what sells and since it's a business, I can't fault them for not jumping at taking a chance on something that might not fit the style of their house.

I've been told by an agent, "Oh, time travel. Such a tough sell. So many rules of the genre. It's hard to pull off. We don't buy them often." This particular agent didn't even ask the plot or time period...didn't ask for even a query. Just heard time-travel and tuned out.

I've been told by an editor, "Don't bother even sending a query if it doesn't follow the current theory of quantum time travel." 

Hmmm...I read to escape. Last time I checked time travel wasn't really happening - but you know there are so many vampires and zombies running amok in my town, it's getting harder and harder to escape reality. So what do I know? I guess the average romance reader is a physicist and needs to be grounded in reality. Who knew?

So, while bucking the trends isn't an easy task...with the rise of self-publishing at least authors in my shoes have options. We are no longer at the mercy of agents and editors or feel we must be stuffed into little boxes of what's considered acceptable.

All of this doesn't mean I don't continue to write what I love and send it out into the world. I do, because I believe in my work and I am an optimist. But, with all the new options available to me, I'm not quite as devastated when I hear it's not right for anyone. Variety is the spice of life and while time travel might not be for everyone...it does have a niche.

I'm going to continue my travels against the current.

Are you writing what you love?