Point of View

Before I started writing or thought about being a writer, I never thought much about point of view in a book. I knew if I liked a book, but I didn't necessarily know why. Either an author's work had that wow factor or they didn't. A couple years ago, when I first started writing and entering contests, I got a rude awakening about pov and the unwritten 'rules'. This revelation has certainly helped my craft, but I have a different kind of pov question.

In novellas and short stories, I generally only care for 2 (the hero and heroine), but in longer works I like more points of view. Recently I've discovered authors who use up to six and I find I really enjoy it as long as the story doesn't get so complex I'm pulled out of it and wondering where I got lost. I'm not talking about pov per scene, but total pov per book. There are a some authors who can carry off head-hopping, but there aren't many.

As a reader how many points of view do you like in a single title work? Does it matter? Why?

Guest blogging & Contest

Hi all! Tomorrow (Monday) I'll be a guest at the very talented Melissa Schroeder's blog so please check it out if you get a chance!! There will be a giveaway!


No, Gerard Butler won't be there, but he's fun to look at ;)

What do you look for in a heroine?

Okay, you should have known this was coming. Now that I know what you look for in a hero, I want to know what you look for in a heroine.

My DIK buddy, Katiebabs and I have been discussing Lisa Marie Rice and the greatness of all her heroes. Seriously, the woman knows how to write HAWT men! The kind of guy you want to cuddle up with in front of a fire or the kind of guy to kick 100 terrorist asses all at once...with one hand tied behind his back. Basically, LMR heroes kick ass! Which leads me to my next point. I like her heroines, but they all have a sweet, almost virginal quality and don't stand out to me the way a character like Eve Dallas does. (from J.D. Robb's In Death books) There's nothing wrong with that. There's always going to be a stronger character in a book and LMR's heroes are usually that. I think her heroines mesh well with her heroes.

When you're reading about female characters, what do you look for? Does it depend on the genre? i.e. Historical vs. sci-fi? What mood you're in? I know we don't like reading cookie-cutter heroes any more than we like reading about cookie-cutter heroine's so I want details. In what genre do you have a specific 'type' of heroine you like reading about? Not outward appearance, but are there any personality traits you hold higher than others?

Desert Island Keepers!

It's my 'about me' day over at the Desert Island Keepers!

Check it out if you want :)

July Contest Winner!!

Shannon is the July contest winner! She wins a print copy of City of Secrets! (Unless she prefers the digital version)

If you didn't get a chance to enter I'll be a guest on Melissa Schroeder's blog July 21st where I'll be doing another giveaway!

My first Sherrilyn Kenyon book!

I finally read my first Sherrylin Kenyon book, Seize the Night! Not too long ago St. Martin's had a promo for her and offered a free download and I'm not one to turn down something free. I thought I might be lost since it wasn't the first in the series, but it was easy to keep up and understand all the character's backgrounds. Originally I thought I'd just read a few pages, but ended up staying awake until two in the morning to finish it. I wasn't expecting it, but I actually teared up a couple times. Valerius is the type of character I love reading about. Dark, tortured, totally misunderstood, and just wants to be loved. Be still my heart. Tomorrow I'm going to the bookstore and purchasing all of Ms. Kenyon's Dark Hunter books. Now I really understand the hype of the new book Acheron!

What do you look for in a hero?

For a while I was reading only books w/ alpha heroes. Not by design, it just happens that a lot of my favorite authors write those kind of heroes. I've branched out and since then I've discovered some great new authors. Alpha heroes are great, but after a while, reading about them gets tiresome. It's almost like, when does it cross over from being 'alpha' to just plain controlling and annoying? The great authors know how to pull it off without crossing that line, but it's nice to read in different styles.

Linda Howard is my favorite author and one of my favorite stories by her is Cover of Night. I don't think it got her normal rave reviews, but I loved it because the hero is so down to earth and likable. He ends up being a bad ass, but he's totally undercover about it.

What do you look for in a hero (from a romance novel)? What are your favorite characteristics? Do you prefer alpha males? Or not so much? Do you like to mix it up?