I have two releases this month, a paranormal M/F romance entitled Hot Spell and a contemporary M/F/M ménage, Wild About That Thing. The two books are very different in tone. Would readers be able to tell they were written by the same author, if my name wasn't there on the cover?

It's common wisdom that each author has an individual style, a “voice” that tends to be similar from one work to the next. Readers get accustomed to the voice of their favorite authors.  I sometimes wonder whether I'd be more successful, in terms of sales, if my various books were more similar in tone.

Not that I can do much about this, even if I'm right. When I start working on a story, I don't consciously adopt a particular voice. The story itself seems to “choose” an appropriate style. If I'm writing steampunk, for example, my sentences tend to be far more elaborate in structure than in a contemporary piece. This isn't deliberate on my part; it just seems to happen. If I'm working in the paranormal or fantasy genre, often (though not always) I find myself using dreamlike imagery and more poetic language.

The point of view in the story also affects the voice. I like to write first-person stories. When the character is narrating the tale in his or her own words, my personal style will be eclipsed by the characters'. The style will be more conversational and informal, and often less descriptive, than in a book told in the third-person.

Of course, I'm certain all my books shares common elements, in terms of language. I know I have favorite words and phrases - I work very hard not to repeat them too often! I tend to focus more on my characters thoughts and emotions than on their actions, especially in my sex scenes. I'm perhaps overly fond of metaphors as a way to evoke sensual experience.

But do readers notice these commonalities?

I know that some authors use multiple pseudonyms for different styles or genres. I can barely manage one literary persona! But I do have different voices on the page, in different books.

Here are two quick excerpts, one from Hot Spell, the other from Wild About That Thing. If you read these two excerpts, in separate places, would you recognize that they were both by the same author?

 From Hot Spell:

He came to her in dreams first, conjured by the sweltering night.

Naked, she tossed in her sweat-damp sheets, drifting in and out of uneasy slumber. The muggy air settled on her skin, a stifling blanket she couldn’t kick off. Like a physical weight, humidity pinned her to the mattress. The feeble breeze coming through the open window offered no relief. If anything, it was warmer than the air in her bedroom, carrying with it all the heat that had been trapped in the concrete and asphalt during the day.

Her limbs were leaden. A dull ache pounded behind her forehead. When sleep overtook her, she found herself wandering barefoot on empty, baking sidewalks. The sun’s relentless glare reflected down upon her from the glass-walled towers on either side. Rivulets of perspiration trickled down her spine but failed to cool her. Her skin felt scorched, ready to crack and peel.

Then the dream changed. The oppressive brightness faded to sultry shadow. Flesh, not air, weighed upon her. Smooth, hot skin, slick with sweat, slid against her own. Strong legs tangled with hers, easing her thighs apart. Fingers of fire skittered across her breasts and danced in her sex, kindling incendiary pleasure. A scalding tongue licked its way to the hollow of her throat, then returned to seal her mouth with a steamy kiss.

He tasted of mulled wine, melted chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne. A sharp tang of ozone hung around them―the smell of summer storms. Lightning crackled wherever he touched her. She ran her hands down his muscled back to his firm, full buttocks, marvelling at the power she sensed in him. Her palms tingled and stung at each contact, as though she’d been slicing chillies. The strange sensation added to the pleasure simmering in her pussy.

She pressed her fevered body against his, trapping his erect cock between them. Hard against her belly, his rigid organ felt like a bar of steel fresh from the furnace. Every searing instant made her want him more. They writhed together, sparks of scarlet and gold whirling around them. Her clit was a live ember. When he brushed his cock over the swollen nub, she burst into flames.

From Wild About That Thing

Ruby could feel it in her bones. It was going to be a good night. Only ten thirty, but most of the tables clustered ‘round the stage were full. Lori had already lugged two extra cases of Heineken—tonight’s beer special—up from the basement, and from the looks of the empties accumulating in front the customers, they were going fast. The bartender caught Ruby’s eye and gave her a thumbs up. Everything under control.

Up front, the Night Travellers hit a dark groove, wailing through Born Under a Bad Sign. Zeke’s fingers flew over the strings, improvising a high riff, while Jojo’s bass kept the song grounded. “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,” Zeke growled, torturing his guitar to match the pain in his voice. Damn, but the man sounded black, despite the mop of straw-coloured hair he kept pushing out of his eyes. Born in Mississippi, he must’ve soaked up blues in the water and the air. Certainly he could play with the best. Ruby was lucky to have him and his band, given the pittance she could afford to pay them.

As if he sensed her attention, Zeke picked her out of the shadows at the back of the club. She felt the warmth of the smile he beamed to her, a smile totally at odds with the desperate mood of the song. You know why Zeke plays here, her inner critic commented. You’re just taking advantage of him.

He gets what he wants, she argued with the internal voice that sounded so very much like her mother’s. I treat him fine. Of course, she got as much out of their relationship as he did. Zeke was a strong man with powerful desires. He could set her on fire. It wasn’t her fault that he was so sentimental. You wouldn’t expect it from a rough and tumble guy like Zeke Chambers—ten years a New York cabbie, a guy who’d seen every horror the city could dish out.

****

By the way, I'm doing a mini blog tour this month to promote these releases - with a giveaway, of course! Leave a comment on this post and you'll be entered to win. The prize is the winner's choice of either of the two new releases. Today's the last stop on the tour, but you can go back and check out the earlier posts. The side bar of my blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com) lists all the stops. 

I want to thank Ann for letting me visit. I hope you had fun!

BIO: A dozen years ago LISABET SARAI experienced a serendipitous fusion of her love of writing and her fascination with sex. Since then she has published three single author short story collections and six erotic novels, including the BDSM classic Raw Silk. Dozens of her shorter works have been released as ebooks and in print anthologies. She has also edited several acclaimed anthologies and is currently responsible for the altruistic erotica series COMING TOGETHER PRESENTS.

Lisabet holds more degrees than anyone needs from prestigious universities who would no doubt be embarrassed by her chosen genre. She loves to travel and currently lives in Southeast Asia with her highly tolerant husband and two cosmopolitan felines. For more information on Lisabet and her writing visit Lisabet Sarai's Fantasy Factory (http://www.lisabetsarai.com) or her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com).

Needless to say, I’m exasperated.  In the manuscript a sentence read: “Her wide gray eyes gazed into his, growing even larger, as though he’d taken her totally by surprise.”  The comment was, “All by themselves?  Body parts can’t act independently.”

Yeah?  It may not be the greatest sentence in the western literature, but I beg to differ about the body parts acting independently (even though I know I will lose the battle).

While I realize publishing houses have their standards and the editor will prevail, and I understand the concerns editors have for eyes that fly across rooms and arms that lift, I’ve also done a fair amount of research into body language.  Under certain circumstances, some body parts do, in fact, take actions independent of conscious thought.  And that’s a scientifically proven fact.

So, What's The Problem?
Are readers so unfamiliar with body language that they will be confused or will misinterpret the words we write?  Personally, I don’t think so, and my research backs that up.

The study of body movements is called Kineses, and there is abundant research available on the topic that shows the following:

● Most humans communicate through body language as well as through speech.

● Most humans are very adept at interpreting body language.

● Body language is so important that descriptions of it have become integral parts of our written and spoken language.  For example, you say that someone blinked to mean that person was confused, and so on.

● A substantial portion of human body language gestures are reflexive and unconscious, but it is possible to learn to control most of them except the pupils and secretions of the eye.  Not necessarily easy, but possible.  For example, eyes may widen when a person is surprised without any conscious thought or intent on the part of the individual.  However, a person can widen their eyes on purpose, and the widening of the eye is a reflex that one can learn to be control.

● Individual body language gestures can mean more than one thing and should be interpreted only in relation to other gestures, activities, and other kinds of information (particularly since it is possible for a person to control the body language gestures).

Kevin Hogan, Psy.D., Body Language Expert, says nonverbal communication is between 60% to 75% of the impact of a message.

“What people say could often be very different from what they're thinking or feeling. It's very easy to say something untrue or insincere, so we can never rely on words alone.  Let's face it.  Even if you trust someone with your life, you'll never have peace of mind unless you know exactly what they're feeling or thinking inside.

The most effective way to uncover hidden desires, thoughts, or emotions is by reading and interpreting body language correctly.  And guess what?  Your own body language signals can also influence what other people may think or feel about you.”

Body Language Indicators
Body language is defined by some as a reaction to an emotion.  Because writers use those non-verbal indicators of mood and emotion in their writing, it’s good to be familiar with reading and understanding body language.  At the end, I’ve listed several links for interpreting body language that you may find useful.  Below are categories of body movements that authors can use to describe mood and emotion.
● Posture
● Head motion
● Facial expression
● Eye Contact (or lack of contact)
● Other movements and aspects of the eyes
● Gestures
● Paralanguage
● Voice and tone, speed of speaking
● Space
● Silence
● Listening

Retained Neonatal Reflexes
To some extent, humans retain a few of the involuntary reflexes (controlled by the lower centers of our brain) from the womb when the central nervous system is not fully developed.  In the early years of life, as the higher centers of the brain begin to mature, these reflexes are gradually integrated, but certain residual primary reflexes stick with us.
● Fear
● Pain
● Surprise
● Anything that triggers the fight or flight reaction.

According to Body Language Insights, “Body language is a largely automatic response to fearful situations.  The behaviors of our body language are mostly innate to us, though some might be "inherited."  Either way, we have little knowledge of or control over when our bodies react to fear and how.  Depending on the severity of the situation, our fear can excite us, encourage us, shock us, or completely paralyze us.  And it will be written all over our faces!”

Most of us are familiar with the "fight or flight" adrenalin rush of the sympathetic nervous system.  This reflex readies the body for survival during stressful situations.  According to Bookrags.com, “interactions between the neural and hormonal systems of the body work together to get the body ready to stand and fight the challenge or run away from it (flight).  When faced with life-threatening crises, unnecessary functions are temporarily shut down and energies are diverted to functions vital to survival.  Any stress, whether physical, psychological (anticipation of an unpleasant event) or emotional (anger or fear) will produce some, if not all elements of the fight or flight response.”

Therefore, in situations where our fictional characters are startled or surprised, hurt, or stressed (including anticipation of something unpleasant), the body may react without conscious thought, both viscerally and physically.  Sure, the reacting body parts are attached to a person’s central nervous system which is sending signals to cells as electrochemical waves traveling along thin fibers called axons, but that’s happening at a subconscious level.  For all intents and purposes, the body parts are acting independently of the cerebrum.

So, if your heroine is startled by a loud noise and gasps or her hand rises rapidly and reflexively (God forbid that it “fly”) to the base of her throat, it isn’t because she stops to think, “Wow!  That startled me.  I am going to raise my hand to cover my racing heart.”  It happens as an involuntary action.  The hand does raise itself of its own volition.  (1,000 W)

A Word Of Advice
Go ahead and argue, if you want, but your editor will probably prevail.

Body Language References
http://www.businessballs.com/body-language.htm   (This is one of the best)
http://communicationtheory.org/body-language/
http://femalebodylanguage.net/
http://www.kevinhogan.com/bodylanguage.htm
http://bodylanguageinsights.com/fear.html
http://www.squidoo.com/readingbodylanguage
http://bodylanguageinsights.com/sadness.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_language               
http://sapientology.com/body-language/eyes/