How To Think Like A Man

Please welcome Juniper Bell to Three Wicked Writers!

I know, I know, so many jokes come to mind. Something about which body part men use for thinking … or maybe how many times a minute they think about sex. But seriously, if you’re a woman, haven’t you ever wondered what it would be like to be inside a man’s head? For at least a few seconds, just to see what it’s like in there?

When I first started writing m/f erotic romance, I started from the woman’s point of view because, well, that’s what I am. But I like reading stories with both points of view … how else are you going to know how hot the man is for the woman? The first time I wrote from the man’s point of view – it was the strangest feeling. It was like putting on the skin of a wild beast. I found myself holding my body differently while I wrote. I jabbed at the keys. I read lines out loud in a growly kind of voice, and when they had too many flowing phrases I’d hack ‘em to bits.

Okay, I exaggerated at first, to get a feel for it. But men talk more directly. They don’t couch things as much as women do. “If you don’t mind, do you think we could stop at the store on the way home?” No doubt that’s a woman. What would a man say? Most likely, he’d just turn the steering wheel and head for the store.

Writing like a man, I had to think about what men notice in their surroundings. For instance, what looks like a boring hunk of metal to me is an excavator with a front-end loader to my sweetie. Writing from the man’s point of view means stepping inside an
alien world where you know the makes of the cars, but not the names of the flowers. Where a house is “blue,” not teal or sapphire. Where boobs draw your eyes like magnets. Where you don’t notice what people are wearing, unless it’s short and tight.

Of course, these are huge generalizations. Results may vary with individual men. The hero of my new book, “Doll,” is a Maine fisherman. Writing from Dustin’s point of view, I had to make sure his brain was filled with things like fuel prices, engine parts, fish-houses, boats … and of course, how hot Chloe (my heroine) is!

And then there’s the big question I had to ask my sweetie: what does sex feel like for a man? He’s more into action than words, so I had to translate his answer. I hope I did the male point of view justice in “Doll.” One of the best things about being a writer is living in other people’s worlds for a while … especially that fascinating world known as the male mind.

Readers, do you enjoy the female or the male point of view more? Authors, which do you enjoy writing more?




Even a plaything can be pushed too far…
Power.
Chloe Barnes thought her marriage to a wealthy politician would be the stuff of fairy tales. Instead, he took advantage of her naiveté and used her as a plaything to fulfill his twisted sexual needs. Ten years is enough. She returns to Bellhaven Island to sell the summer cottage she inherited, hoping the money will buy her freedom—and custody of her daughters.
Memories.
Fisherman Dustin McDougal never forgot the childhood crush he once had on the fairy-like Chloe. The woman she’s become has a haunted look that brings his feelings back, stronger than ever…with a mature edge. Along with all his protective instincts.
Sexual healing.
Their passion blows stronger than a Maine nor’easter, awakening Chloe to the joy of true love. Yet it may not be strong enough to free her from the past…
Warning: This title contains politicians doing all sorts of nasty things and flashbacks of male domination. It also features hot sex on a boat, hot sex in an attic, hot sex on a work bench…you get the idea

Available HERE


Bio:
Juniper Bell lives with her sweetie in a cabin in Alaska with no running water and a spectacular view of glaciers. She wound up in the frozen north after leaving her career as a stressed-out Los Angeles TV writer. Luckily, her love for writing survived the move. She’s been writing erotic romance for three years. “Doll” is her second book. Her first book, “The Extremist,” was published by Liquid Silver Books. Her next release, “Training the Receptionist,” will be released in March 2010 by Samhain Publishing. Visit her website at http://JuniperBell.com, her blog at http://AuthorJuniperBell.blogspot.com, friend her on FaceBook or follow her on Twitter.

Three Wicked Writers, thanks for having me on your blog!

Juniper Bell