And we meet again so soon! Here we are with another tasty tidbit. Let's welcome D D Symms to the blog today as we dish the dirt on
In His Sights.
1. How did you start writing erotic romance?
About 5 years ago, I wanted to explore the sexual tensions
that reside in us. I feel that In His Sights deals with primarily hurts and
losses we experience and how the erotic aspects of love and acceptance heal our
wounds.
2. Plotter or pantster?
I'd say 60 percent pantser. Often, I'll jot down a rough
outline and then it changes as I dive into the story. I do make myself write up
key character descriptions, though.
3. What are three things you have on your writing desk?
Only 3? A cordless phone I don't use, a mini-water fountain
that doesn't work and a stack of post-it notes and a homemade paper weight one
of my kids made. Okay, that's 4. I won't count the loose papers!
4. Favorite food?
Ciopinno – the Italian seafood stew. Mmm, love the flavors.
5. Tell us a little about your new release. What character
in the book really spoke to you?
Dalton Blake is blaming himself for his lover's death in
Afghanistan and the hurts are beginning to engulf him and take him to a
dangerous place of no return to society. I've had those similar types of hurts
in recent years due to deep family conflict and Dalton's realization came alive
to me.
6. I write because ____...
I have stories that I'm dying to tell and the inner workings
of characters I want to explore.
7. What is your favorite type of character to write about?
A person overcoming struggles and overcoming self-doubt.
Perhaps because I see so much of myself in that way.
8. What is the sexiest scene you ever wrote?
The male-male pool scene at the end of In His Sights or
perhaps an outdoor love making scene in Getaway where the hero and heroine have
come together on mossy soil near a stream in the mountains.
9. What advice would you give new authors in the
erotica/romance field?
A hot story is about the characters in the story and the
erotica and sex flows from the connections the characters make. It may sound
odd but you should be able to take away the sex and still have a story and use
the senses, details, to heighten the erotic aspects of the story such as a
touch or a gentle kiss. Let the erotic emotions sneak up on a reader.
10. What is next on your writerly horizon?
I'm writing a non-fiction series on entrepreneurs and novel-wise
I've got a couple going. One is a follow-up to my novel Boarding. It stalled on
me temporarily.
Author bio-
DD Symms likes to capture the emotional struggles of loss and new love in his writings.
Fiction writing in university was his original
calling but took a detour of many years as he focused on journalism. The joy of
writing fiction is when characters seep into his imagination and take on a life
of their own with a story that must be told.
He lives in southern California and hikes in the
mountains with his wife, wishes his dog would stop sleeping on his side of the
bed, and would like to take more walks along the beaches north of Malibu.
Blurb-
Dalton Blake and his lover from college enlist to serve
their country and seek adventure. A roadside explosion in Afghanistan that
Dalton believes he could have prevented takes his lover's life and Dalton
returns stateside withdrawing into his own world to escape the emotional toll.
A base captain tries to break through and must find a way to connect before
Dalton makes a tragic decision. In His
Sights explores the impact of loss and the hope that new love offers.
Book excerpt-
Shafter
took a few quick steps and dove with his arms outstretched into the pool's deep
end. He dipped well below the surface and came up for air, shaking his head.
"Man, that feels good."
Dalton
followed. Pockets of cool water mixed with the warm and sent a tingle along
Dalton's back. He surfaced and brushed water from his eyes. A sense of relief
encompassed him.
Shafter
lifted himself out of the water, sat on the wall and dangled his legs in the
water while he reclined on his elbows and looked up. "The stars are
beautiful, aren't they?"
Dalton
rotated his arms and legs to tread water until he bolted for the wall in a
frenzy as though a bee had stung him. An urge to grip the side and hang on or
be swept back into the pool caused him to gasp for air.
"You
okay?"
Dalton
took a deep breath. "I thought I was. For a moment, I actually thought I
was okay." A panic attack had ambushed him.
Shafter
reached out and Dalton grabbed his hand as the captain helped him out of the
water.
"Sorry."
A sense of foolishness crept through Dalton.
"For
what?"
Light
shimmering from the water and the canopy of stars eased the stab of emotional
pain. Shafter's acceptance with his question and calm tone was an even deeper
balm. Dalton smiled. "For acting crazy." The captain's patience and
subtle persistence was a lifeline that Dalton hadn't recognized until now.
"Thank you." But it could happen again. Panic could strike at any
moment. Dalton tensed until Shafter laid a hand on his shoulder.
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