WELCOME AUTHOR BARBARA M. BRITTON

WELCOME AUTHOR BARBARA M. BRITTON
2/10/2018 12:20:00 AM by: Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: Building Benjamin: Naomi’s Journey

AUTHOR: Barbara M. Britton

PUBLISHER: Harbourlight Books (an imprint of Pelican Book Group)

GENRE: Biblical Fiction

STAND ALONE OR SERIES: Stand Alone from Tribes of Israel series

TARGET AGE: 13 and up

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR BARBARA M. BRITTON TO PATTI’S PORCH. BARBARA SHARES THE SECRET TO WRITING ROMANCE WITHOUT THE ELEMENT WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT – PHYSICAL CONTACT.

BARBARA IS OFFERING A GIVEAWAY! SIMPLY LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW TO ENTER THE DRAWING FOR A COPY OF WINNER’S CHOICE OF ANY OF BARBAR’S PUBLISHED BOOKS.

LOVE BEHIND THE TENT FLAP

(How to Write Romance When Your Characters Can’t Touch)

Barbara M. Britton

Have you had your fill of Valentine hearts and candy clogging the aisle at the store? Valentine’s Day means romance is in the air. Romance—the best-selling genre in fiction. Every romance novel has a blueprint. I have the equation on a mug. It goes like this:

H/H (hero/heroine) +TP1, TP2, TP3 (Turning Points) + BM (that’s Black Moment) = HEA or Happily-ever-after.

In Mainstream fiction the turning points above involve physical intimacy. Certain types of PI cannot be shown in Christian fiction. I write Biblical fiction. In Biblical times men and women rarely touched. No physical intimacy came to pass until they were married. So, how do I weave romance into my Biblical fiction? To make it easy to remember, I thought about the ABCs in my novels.

A is for admiration. You may not like someone, but you may admire their work, especially if it’s something you hold dear. Your neighbor’s loud music may be a bother, but if you see him carting meals to feed the homeless, you admire his service.

When I have characters that can’t be physically intimate, I bond them with common fruits of the Spirit: patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness. The key is to have one character witness the other doing one of these fruits. My hero may see my heroine helping an orphan. A trait he holds in high esteem. And of course, the heroine must view her hero doing the same admirable trait. This brings about respect and an emotional awareness.

B is for beliefs. People that share the same belief in God, have a foundation already set from which to grow. My Old Testament characters are often bonded through their belief in the One True God and his laws for living. When they have to fight for these beliefs, they are on the same side against a common enemy. And those beliefs also hem in any pre-marital hanky-panky. With a firm foundation established in faith, characters can discover personality traits and hidden talents that further their attraction to each other.

C is for culture. My characters are Hebrews. They speak the same language, eat the same foods, and know the stories of Abraham and Moses. This may not seem important, but after my son returned from five weeks in West Africa, the first place we stopped was at a Wendy’s for a hamburger. We identify with our place of birth. This familiarity can draw characters closer together since words and actions don’t have to be explained.

After you have an A, B, and C, you can have a D! D is for diversion. If you want your characters to break tradition and kiss, you can do it in a secret place or during a diversion: war, chaos, storm. My characters have kissed in some unromantic places, a shepherd’s pit, in a dark cave, and behind a door. Not the most romantic of places, but they weren’t seen. Of course, after they’re married and start kissing, I close the tent flap. Usually, my readers have been cheering for this marriage because of the ABC’s above.

Below is the blurb for my most romantic novel, Building Benjamin: Naomi’s Journey. This story is taken from Judges 19-21 and I had to use all the ABC’s to unite my characters in this enemies-to-lovers story. My husband said, “There’s a lot of sexual tension in this book.” And I said, “Yep. Blame it on the Bible.”

What makes you fall in love with a character?

Book blurb for Building Benjamin: Naomi’s Journey

Love Grows Where God Grafts the Tender Shoot.

Naomi desires to dance well enough to catch the eye of a wealthy landowner. Her father needs a substantial bride price due to the deaths of her brothers at the hands of the tribe of Benjamin. But when Benjamites raid the Ephraimite feast and capture young girls, Naomi is bound and carried from her home by Eliab, a troubled shepherd who needs a wife.

As Naomi awaits rescue, she finds Eliab has a strong faith in God and a just reason for abducting her. A reason that affects all the tribes of Israel. The future of the tribe of Benjamin hangs in the balance, but if Naomi follows her heart and stays with Eliab to rebuild his lineage, she must forfeit her family and become a traitor to her tribe.

DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE DRAWING TO WIN A COPY OF WINNER’S CHOICE OF BARBARA’S BOOKS BETWEEN NOW AND TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH AT MIDNIGHT MST.

Barbara M. Britton was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but currently lives in Southeast Wisconsin and loves the snow—when it accumulates under three inches. Barb writes romantic adventures for teens and adults in the Christian fiction and Mainstream markets. She is published in Biblical fiction and enjoys bringing little known Bible characters to light in her stories. Barb is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America and Wisconsin Romance Writers of America. She has a nutrition degree from Baylor University but loves to dip healthy strawberries in chocolate.

Find out more about Barb’s books:

website

Facebook

Twitter

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Comments

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/20/2018 1:31:30 PM

Thank you, Michele. I appreciate you joining us. I'm glad you liked the ABCs. I think "A" is the most fun to work with as an author.

Michele From Wisconsin At 2/20/2018 8:27:29 AM

Great advice, Barbara. I love your steps on building the relationship to win the characters' hearts...and ours too! Thanks for laying them out for us. Best wishes on your future books. ~Michele

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Michele. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a message for Barbara. Barbara offered some great advice in an easy to follow manner in this post.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/19/2018 3:59:39 PM

Hi Kelly, Thanks for joining us. It is a challenge to build the romance in Biblical fiction, but when I'm done with a book, it doesn't seem that hard. Good thing, right?

Kelly From Goshorn At 2/19/2018 2:09:40 PM

Hi Barbara, Your book sounds good. I think Biblical fiction would be very challenging to write. Fascinating how you build the romance without the physical contact between the love interests.

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Kelly. Thank you so much for stopping by and leaving a comment for Barbara.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/13/2018 7:06:51 PM

Patti, we were low on snow fall, but in the last two weeks, we have had consistent storms. Maybe they will come your way.

Reply by: Patti Shene

I can only hope! LOL!

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/13/2018 6:31:18 PM

Hi Kelly, Thanks for joining us. I'm a former California girl. I'm about ready for some California weather as I gaze upon 8 inches of snow outside.

Reply by: Patti Shene

Oh, Barbara, I would love to see a decent snowfall here! We've only had a couple of inches. I love a good snowstorm. This year, I'm still waiting!

Kelly Dobyns From CA At 2/13/2018 5:36:42 PM

Thank you too, Patti!! So happy to locate your Porch! :-)

Reply by: Patti Shene

I hope you come back and visit, Kelly!

Kelly Dobyns From Livermore, CA At 2/13/2018 4:59:58 PM

I love that I have found you, Barbara to follow and I know that I will love reading your books. Thanks for the great writing! :-)

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Kelly. Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to let us know you were here.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/12/2018 6:51:58 PM

Thanks, Pam and back at you. You've been a big help to all us PBG authors. Thanks for joining us.

Pamela S Thibodeaux From LA At 2/12/2018 6:07:33 PM

Wishing you the best of luck and God's blessings with your books Barbara! PamT

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Pam. Thank you so much for stopping by to offer Barbara best wishes and blessings for her writing success.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/12/2018 4:24:37 PM

Hi Zoe, I enjoy showing romance without the hanky panky. When the reader gets to know my characters, and figures out they would be perfect together, they cheer for them to have a happily-ever-after. And the reader keeps reading! Thanks for joining us.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/12/2018 4:20:45 PM

Hi Ruth, Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate the support.

Zoe M. McCarthy From Southwest Virginia At 2/12/2018 11:04:11 AM

Barbara, I appreciate your ABCs. In an interview with a local newspaper the interviewer included my quote: "I believe a romance author can send chills up reader's necks through kisses, words, and actions without graphic sex."

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Zoe. This is so true. My dad always said the sexiest scene in Gone With the Wind was when Rhett Butler carries Scarlett up the stairs. Imagination takes over from there. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.

Ruth Buchanan From FL At 2/12/2018 8:26:09 AM

Good stuff. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Ruth. Thank you for stopping by and letting us know you were here.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/11/2018 9:05:02 PM

Hi Vivian, Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you like Biblical fiction. I'm a big Tessa Afshar fan. I also like print books. I spend too much time in front of a computer.

Vivian Furbay From Colorado Springs, CO At 2/10/2018 11:01:34 PM

I enjoy biblical fiction. I am currently reading Lydia of Phillipi. If I am considered as a winnder, I can only take print copies. Thank you!

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hello Vivian. Thank you for sharing with us.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/10/2018 5:34:23 PM

Hi Paula, I think it's harder to write a romance without the "love" on the page, but I enjoy the challenge. Thanks for joining us.

Paula Shane From Las Animas At 2/10/2018 12:42:19 PM

I enjoyed reading Barbara's ABC's for romance. It helps me appreciate the skill it takes to write! Thank you.

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Paula! It's always a pleasure to see you here. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment for Barbara.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/10/2018 10:55:02 AM

Hi Tanya, Thank you. I had fun coming up with the ABCs. I'm glad you stopped by.

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/10/2018 10:53:32 AM

Hi Emily, My books would be longer if I added all the "romance" stuff, but I find it challenging and fun to have characters fall in love with the true person. Thanks for your kind comments. I appreciate you joining us!

Barbara M. Britton From Milwaukee At 2/10/2018 10:51:07 AM

Hi Melissa, Thanks for joining us. I definitely like a positive outcome in stories. I'm a wimp when it comes to too much tension and conflict.

Melissa Henderson From Mount Pleasant SC At 2/10/2018 10:05:34 AM

Great post. When reading, I fall in love with a character when I can relate to what they are going through or can see the potential for a positive outcome.

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Melissa. So glad you stopped by. I am the same as you. I get very invested in characters.

Emily Conrad From Wisconsin At 2/10/2018 9:46:15 AM

This sounds like a fantastic story, Barb! I love this look into how you build a romance without much for physical contact. That seems like it would be challenging, but having read one of your books, I know you're good at it! :)