I definitely can use this advice! I am totally guilty of using the same words far too frequently…just ask my students!
How to Keep the Love Alive on a Page
It’s well-known that when you’ve been married any length of time, you have to work to keep things fresh. When you’ve written ten novels with romance at their core, the same applies.
I’ve realized, after some chiding from various editors, that I have certain words I like and certain phrases that are my favorite. If I’m not careful, my books could wind up sounding more like a cookbook than a novel. It’s amusing how many words can be used to describe a good meal or a sexy man interchangeably.
I try to combat this by exercising my mental thesaurus. Sometimes I give it such a workout my brain hurts. I can cruise through 10,000 words in no time flat and then come screeching to a halt over one paragraph meant to stoke the fire between a couple.
Sometimes I take a different approach, and I simply close my eyes to reach back into my memory, trying to recall stolen kisses of young love. I jot down any words or phrases or phrases that come to mind without worrying about how it sounds or where I’ll use it. Then I refer back to those notes as scenes arise.
Adding to the challenge is my desire to keep the book clean enough that I can live with the knowledge that my dad’s co-workers and my teenage nieces are both equally likely to read the finished product.
When it comes down to it, I find myself asking what I’d want if there was a delectable man who was madly in love with me sitting within arm’s reach (and no goats peering through the window and no chorus of “hey mom” in the background). That’s usually about the time nibbling happens.
Author Bio: 
Heather Huffman calls the beautiful Missouri Ozarks home. When not writing, this homesteading mother is busy raising three boys or tending the family’s myriad of animals, which includes alpacas, goats, chickens and ducks. Huffman’s optimistic and somewhat quirky view of life often finds its way into her novels.
Heather is the author of Throwaway, Ties that Bind, Jailbird, Suddenly a Spy, Ring of Fire, Tumbleweed, Devil in Disguise, Roses in Ecuador and Fool’s Game.
You can find out more about her family’s adventures as they strive to live off the land, as well as her writing and charitable work on http://www.heatherhuffman.net.
Author Links:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/HeatherHuffmanBooks
Twitter:https://twitter.com/Heathers_mark
Pinterest:http://www.pinterest.com/heatherhuffman/
Book Title: Waiting for You
Release Date: May 7, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Heather Huffman
Blurb:
Sometimes a single spark is all it takes to change your life for good.
For years, Karise McAlister has been running: from her family, from herself, and from her dreams. Now she’s made it, with a successful career and a promising engagement. But when she meets the compelling and creative Aidan Donnelly, his down-to-earth charm provides the wakeup call Karise badly needs. Moving across country to start over, Karise devotes herself to her work, convinced she needs to be independent. But with handsome Aidan just down the road and a mischievous group of friends determined to set her up, Karise must face her concerns about life and romance head-on.
Excerpt:
Karise stepped forward, holding a hand out to skim the tops of the flowers as she waded into their midst. “Magical,” she whispered.
“Yeah,” he agreed, his voice taking on a huskier tone.
Karise studied the field for a moment longer before turning back to smile at Aidan. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
He took a step toward her. “You’re welcome.”
“You may never get me out of here. I just might decide to live right here, in this field.” Aidan chuckled. “You might get cold at some point. Besides, the poppies don’t last long.
This is the peak of their season. After that, it’s just a field.”
“A field with a promise worth waiting for,” she amended.
“Something like that.” There was a pause. The expression on his face made Karise wonder what he was thinking. She was pretty sure that whatever it had been, it was more than his suggestion that they pick a spot to eat, which were the next words out of his mouth.
Karise only nibbled at the food he spread out in front of them. Her mind was racing in too many different directions, and her stomach had way too many butterflies for food to be a top priority. She listened as Aidan talked about how this field had inspired many of the designs used in his marketing material. The gentle cadence of his voice was like a caress. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of him – all of the excuses she’d been hiding behind faded away a little more with each syllable that fell from his lips.
Aidan paused mid sentence to eye her warily. “Is everything okay?”
Karise nodded. “Yes, sorry. Go on.”
“Am I boring you?”
“Quite the contrary.”
“You’re killing me, Karise. What is it?”
She hesitated then took a deep breath and threw caution to the wind. It’s possible she leapt at him. She couldn’t be entirely sure. All she really knew was that she was right where she wanted to be now: in his arms. His surprise quickly gave way to eager acceptance as he met her kiss with one of his own. He was salty and sweet at once. The hint of sandpaper on his jaw grazed her soft skin. A low growl of longing rumbled deep in his throat as he pulled her more firmly on his lap.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, arching into him as his mouth pulled away from hers to roam the skin exposed by the V of her shirt. Her fingers sank greedily into his dark hair as he left a trail of fire across her flesh. Karise couldn’t tell if she was flying or falling or something in between.
She kissed his temple, then his cheek, then reclaimed his lips. He leaned into her, deepening the touch. Time melted away. Karise was aware of only two things: She’d never felt anything remotely like this before, and she wanted more of him. She shifted positions, gently pushing him back on the blanket. She ran her hands up his sides, shoving his shirt out of the way as she did. Karise had lost many nights’ sleep thinking about the very muscles she now traced with her fingers. She moved to kiss his jaw, then his throat, then met her hands at his chest. He stopped breathing when she traced a feathery trail of kisses along his abdomen.
With lightning speed, he scooped her up and flipped her onto her back, his mouth setting fire to her throat while his hands splayed her small waist before moving up to her rib cage. He shifted his weight, the friction of his jeans against her shorts nearly her undoing. It hit her like a tidal wave – she’d reached the point of no return. Either she stopped him here or they crossed a threshold in this poppy field.
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