Today I have the great honor of welcoming my first guest to this blog. The lovely Tanith Davenport is going to tell us a little bit about how she came up with the idea for her first novel "The Hand He Dealt". You can also read a juicy excerpt from the novel below, plus you have the chance to win a copy of "The Hand He Dealt" (see details below). Thanks for stopping by on your book tour, Tanith!
Tanith Davenport: In Dreams
I've been asked a lot where I got the idea for "The Hand He Dealt". My answer is always that it came from several different ideas combined, which is true - I had "sorority" written in my notebook way ahead of time. But the initial idea, the initial spark?
Nice clichéd answer. It came to me in a dream.
Dreams are invaluable for literary inspiration. Mine tend to be very emotional, very intense. They give me the chance to live through parts of the story, an opportunity not available from thinking and mind-mapping.
And, of course, after dreaming of a passionate threesome sandwiched between a cute blonde girl and a hot blond guy, writing it down is irresistible.
Of course, I don't include every aspect of a dream in a story. For one thing, not all of it will make sense in the cold light of day. For another, sometimes the scene in question has no place in the plot. Oh, how hard I tried to insert that specific threesome sequence into "The Hand He Dealt" - but the plot had developed so much by then that there was no room for it. Fortunately there was plenty of room for two other scenes of equal intensity.
The same stood for the character development of Astra and Harry. I woke up with the idea of a boy who thinks he's gay and his girlfriend who wants to be a man, and after some pruning I had Harry's inner turmoil and Astra's secret urge for masculinity. I also had a hot scene involving Harry that we get to view through his bedroom window - at least I was able to keep that one in!
Now I've been able to release "The Hand He Dealt" to the public and I'm working on two more, which also developed in my sleep, and I hope to be describing their genesis in interviews before too long - that would really be a dream come true.
The Hand He Dealt
by Tanith Davenport
ISBN: 978-0-85715-570-2
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Publisher: Total-e-Bound
Book Description:
Astra Scott likes to live life to the full. A sorority girl and Gaming Management student, she spends her days studying and practicing guitar, and her nights partying or working at the Fountain Casino, where she has an internship as part of her final semester. The only blot on her landscape is Ash Drake, her best friend Sasha’s boyfriend. Arrogant, physical and blond, Ash has never forgiven Astra for her rejection months earlier and enjoys annoying her at every turn.
But when Astra’s boyfriend Harry reveals a shocking secret, Astra responds in the only way she can think of: by finding a way to take on a more attractive, masculine role in the relationship. Her experimentation with sex toys finds a surprising outlet in Sasha, but when Ash discovers their secret and wants to get involved, Astra finds herself torn between dislike and desire… and as their undercover relationship grows, Astra finds herself falling in love, a path she feels can only end in heartbreak.
For Ash may be the only man whose own fantasies are a match for hers, but can she knowingly steal his affections from her best friend? Two hours later, and Astra stood in front of her bedroom mirror, holding in one hand the toy she had bought from Amy’s Delights.
Rubber underwear was laced through her fingers, a small plastic remote control dangling below on the end of a long cord. And attached to the front—
Well.
It was a strap-on.
It was a strap-on dildo.
And it was purple.
A purple length of shiny plastic. A perfect simulacrum of a veined, circumcised penis, five inches long and of a thickness Astra considered average, just the right width to wrap a hand around.
She stared at her reflection for a long time, contemplating the dildo, before slowly drawing it back towards her body, holding it against her stomach.
No.
One foot through the straps, two feet…rubber caught against denim-clad legs, but after a moment’s struggle the strap-on dildo was in place, and Astra’s image stood in front of her, the purple dick jutting out in front like the hilt of a sword.
Slowly she rotated her hips, watching the dildo glide from side to side, before stopping abruptly with a giggle.
Shit. It looks like a fucking light sabre.
Watching herself in the mirror, she closed one hand around its length, giving it a tentative stroke.
Nothing. Unsurprisingly.
She tried it again, this time holding the remote control and flicking the switch. A sudden buzzing, accompanied by a muted vibration through her jeans, made her jolt sharply.
Interesting.
Flipping the switch again, she rocked her hips slowly, her eyes glazing. In her mind formed a picture of Harry’s smooth back and bare buttocks, thighs parting to receive her, Harry’s voice gasping, begging for more, more, please, more…
Oh.
The switch snapped off.
Astra eyed herself coolly, squaring her shoulders, her legs automatically widening into a masculine stance.
Author Bio:
“The Hand He Dealt” is Tanith’s debut novel and was released by Total-e-Bound Publishing on 13 June 2011.
http://tanithdavenport.blogspot.com/Would you like to win an ecopy of The Hand He Dealt?
One copy is being given away tour wide.
To enter just leave a comment at one or all of the stops along the tour
A winner will be chosen from all the tour stops after the tour ends. The winner will be announced on the Bewitching Book Tours site.
Wow- you must have some really steamy dreams. My dreams are almost always a wacky combination of things that usually make no sense whatsoever.
ReplyDeleteSometimes something lucid will appear out of the chaos and I actually remember it but not often.
This is why I wish I could remember my dreams! Always interesting to learn where writers get their ideas :-) Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeletesmaccall AT comcast.net
Hi, Tanith,
ReplyDeleteYour tour seems to be going really well.
I've gotten story ideas from dreams - in fact I sometimes seem to dream entire novels! As you say, they don't always hold together in the light o day... Also, I've found if I don't write something down right after I wake, I lose the emotional intensity.
Hot excerpt!
Thanks for stopping by, Tanith. I really liked the excerpt too. I think, I'll have to get me a copy of The Hand He Dealt on my next TEB shopping spree.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the rest of your book tour!
It's always interesting to learn were writers get their ideas. This book sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteruby95660@yahoo.com