Do you have a Sally, Sissy, Sibyl, Shani, Sharon, Stacy and Starr in your story?

Over time, I've heard editors, publishers, other writers and sometimes fans complain about head-hopping (switching POVs within the same scene), lackluster sex scenes, sex scenes with no romance just gymnastics, tacked on endings, stilted dialogue, you name it.

However, I've yet to hear the one thing that really bothers - and confuses - me. Writers who give their characters similar names.

Recently, I finished a hefty (800+ pages) novel by a NYT bestselling author. No, it wasn't a romance. It was kind of mainstream horror (I think). Wasn't a bad story, but OMG, every freaking character's name was so similar I had to keep stopping and thinking, "Now,who is this guy (gal)? Was this the one who did - no wait, that was the other one, wasn't it?"

Even after finishing the book, I'm still not sure.

Imagine getting into a plot, then having the writer do something like this:

Breathless, Tom strode into the room and spied Troy. "Troy," Tom shouted, "have you seen Tim? Did you shoot Tim...or was it Trent?"

"Trent?" Troy gasped. "Of course not. Trent and Tim are friends. They're as close as Theo and Tate are. You know that Tom."

Tom's chest puffed with his heavy breathing. He didn't believe Troy for a moment. He knew Troy had never liked Theo and Tate and as far as Trent was concerned, Troy didn't know anything about the bastard.

"Fine," Tom growled, "we'll just have to bring Tad into this to see if he can sort it out."


Good luck with that Tom - or Tim, Tad, Trent, whatever. EEEEEEEEE. My eyes are still spinning.

Early on, I learned never to use similar names for characters. To avoid this, I write "First Names" on a sheet of paper. Beneath it I have the alphabet - A to Z.  Under that, I write "Last Names" with the alphabet beneath that heading. As I name my characters, I strike through the letters of the alphabet, never using one more than once if I can help it.

But I don't stop there.If I have a Brandi, I don't also want a Teri, with both names ending in 'i". If there's a Theo, I don't use Otto for another character. I make certain the names not only look different from each other but sound different.

Trust me, it helps with comprehension and doesn't drag you out of the story as you're trying to figure out who is who. :)

My latest erotic romances have just been released!

Losing Control, Book Two Appointment with Pleasure

erotic contemporary

Come Fill Me - Book One The Prophecy

erotic paranormal

Tina

Tina Donahue
“Heat with Heart”

LOSING CONTROL (available now)
COME FILL ME (4 STARS - The Jeep Diva)
ILLICIT DESIRE (4 STARS - ROMANTIC TIMES)
SENSUAL STRANGER (BOOK OF THE YEAR 2010)
DEEP, DARK, DELICIOUS (HOLT MEDALLION AWARD OF MERIT)

Website: http://www.tinadonahue.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/authortina/my-books/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/tinadonahue

Double the Pleasure

This month I have two releases!

Come Fill Me, erotic paranormal, Book One in The Prophecy series for Samhain. And Losing Control, erotic contemporary, Book Two in my Appointment for Pleasure series with Ellora's Cave. I love the covers. Wow.

Here are blurbs for both. Enjoy. :)



Two men will stop at nothing to have her gift, her desire...and her love.

The Prophecy, Book 1

Years ago, with the healing abilities afforded by her blend of Aztec and extraterrestrial blood, Liz was free to do as she wished. Now she is trapped in a blood feud, forced to heal one of her clan's most dangerous rivals so they can exploit his gift of prophecy.

As she drapes her nude body over his, the rush of his returning strength overwhelms her, and his stunningly sensual caress pushes her to her sexual limit.

Zeke Neekoma never expected to hunger for a woman he's supposed to hate, but now that he's tasted her, he has no intention of denying himself the pleasure of her body - or of kidnapping his enemy's most cherished plaything.

Brought to Zeke's stronghold to heal his brother, Jacob, Liz surrenders her body's most traitorous needs to the unrestrained desires of two powerful men. And the brothers fill the lonely void she has too long endured.

But her clan doesn't intend to let her go without a fight...and the ecstasy that binds Liz to her lovers could be the thing that breaks them.

Warning: Worlds collide when two Alpha males crave a woman they shouldn't have. Their dominance and desire knows no limits, culminating in sex so torrid this babe's never gonna be the same...or free of one brother's touch.

Available for preorder - at fine retailers and websites December 18

More info and excerpt: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/come-fill-p-7125.html

When it comes to passion...there are no rules...

Appointment with Pleasure, Book 2

She wasn't supposed to hunger for him. Tim Bellamy was off-limits to Catherine, a high-priced call girl with an uneasy past. Indulging in his raw desire shouldn't have happened, especially at a District party attended by the nation's elite. Tim doesn't know she works for the agency. If he did... That's not something Catherine wants to confess. Drowning in his strength and heat, aching to see him again, she keeps her secret.

From old wealth, Tim has never met anyone quite like Catherine. Exotic, elegant, earthy, she's the best of all worlds. Their evenings are sensual delights where voyeurism, bondage and a growing bond satisfy carnal needs and stir something deep within...until he stumbles upon the truth.

Shaken by her lies, Tim needs to prove the depth of Catherine's lust and yearning once and for all. For him, their erotic adventure has only begun.

At fine retailers and websites December 28

More info and excerpt: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10594-losing-control.aspx