Guest Post: Danica Avet!
Today I welcome onto the blog my friend and critique partner, Danic Avet! Give her a warm welcome, folks!!
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Well, it took me long enough to come up with a topic for today's post. Seriously, I must've brainstormed for a month, wrote a crappy post about violence and then had an idea two days before the post was due. Yeah, I work on a deadline. Do I deal well under pressure? I'll let you decide.
I was going to talk about violence in my books because someone gave me a verbal review of my first novel, Ruby: Uncut and on the Loose, saying the book was too gory for her. When I think "gory" I'm thinking of the Saw movies. You know, having to mutilate yourself to save your life. I would promise you that none of my books contain violence, but that would be a lie. But when I thought of today's post, I realized that she might have meant the sex.
What gave me that idea? Well, my best friend in the whole wide world told me something a while back that made me nearly pee myself laughing. She's a big reader, always has been. We've shared books back and forth for nearly twenty years, so when I became a published writer, I just knew she was going to hop on my books and ride them like a bronco. That didn't happen.
Ruby: Uncut and on the Loose came out in January, Succubus-in-Waiting came out in February, and Lifestyles of the Fey and Dangerous came out in April. She bought the books (because she's a good friend who wants me to be rich *snort*), but didn't read them. She kept putting it off. She had to clean house. She had to watch her kids. Her kids wouldn't leave her alone. She had to go to a birthday party. You get the idea?
Finally, about a month ago, she started reading the first book in the series and finished it. Her surprised e-mail to me was sort of like, I finished reading Ruby and it was great! I was worried about the steamy romance scenes. I guess had a mental block about reading it because you're my best friend and I didn't want to picture you having sex. Or something like that. That's the part where I nearly peed myself.
Some people are uncomfortable reading detailed sex scenes. I understand that, but I like writing and reading them. Does that mean I picture the author performing those acts? Um, no. I'm the star in all of my readings and writings. In fact, unless the scene is particularly strange or very different, I don't think about the author at all until I'm finished reading the book. (Unless the story is horrible, then I make a mental note to never read that author again.) I also don't want my readers to picture me doing these things. Really, why should they? I can't turn into a tiger, I'm only 5'4" instead of 6'0", and I'm about as graceful as a bull in a China shop. I'd make a very poor heroine in a novel. Psst…that's why I'm a writer.
Then you have the inevitable family members who read your books and tell you the next time they see you, "You are so bad! Oh my God, I was blushing! Where did you learn all that stuff?" And trust me, it isn't like I have kinky stuff going on in my books; it's just old-fashioned, dirty sex. On the other hand, my friend said the sex scenes weren't what she thought they'd be and she enjoyed the book. And as fabulous as I know I am *snort* I doubt she had to try very hard to avoid picturing me as the heroine.
So now I have to know…when you're reading a good, steamy sex scene, do you imagine yourself as one of the characters? Do you imagine yourself a spectator during sex scenes? Or do you think of the person who wrote the book? Leave a comment and I'll pick someone to win an e-book of Lifestyles of the Fey and Dangerous.
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Blurb:
It isn't every day a fairy gets an assignment with only one outcome: her death. As an assassin with the Eturian army, Noelani "Shade" Fayard has killed more than her share of traitors, but for the first time in centuries, she hesitates to take out her target. The Halfling marked for death makes her wonder what life would be like if it weren't for the blood staining her hands and soul. He makes her feel for the first time in centuries.
Malachi Cromwell, a former Eturian general, wants to reclaim his place in The Veil, not fall in lust or love. He knows better than to let his heart take the lead, especially when he discovers Lani was sent to kill him, just like she'd killed the very people who held his fate in their hands.
Can they overcome their distrust and bitter pasts to forge a future together?
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Author bio:
Danica Avet was born and raised in the wilds of South Louisiana (that would be somewhere around Houma) where mosquitoes are big enough to carry off small children and there are only two seasons: hot and hotter. With a BA in History, she figured there were enough fry cooks in the world and decided to try her hand at writing. For eight years she played at writing, but in 2008, she decided to get serious and began down the rocky road to publication.
Unmarried with no children, Danica is the lucky pet of a compulsively needy dog and two cats. The pitter-patter of little feet has been known to make her break out into a cold sweat.
Writing is how she gives the voices in her head a way out. They speak to her constantly wanting their stories told and she does her best to accommodate them. She writes paranormal romance and may eventually branch out to contemporaries. When she isn't writing, working, or contemplating the complexities of the universe, she spends time gathering inspiration from her insane family, reads far more than any sane person would want to, and watches hot burly men chase an oblong ball all over a field.
