Though DarkRiver sentinel Mercy is feeling the pressure to mate, she savagely resists when Riley Kincaid, a lieutenant from the SnowDancer pack, tries to possess her. The problem is not simply that he pushes her buttons; the problem is that he’s a wolf, she’s a cat, and they’re both used to being on top.
But when a brilliant changeling researcher is kidnapped from DarkRiver territory, Mercy and Riley must work together to track the young man—before his shadowy captors decide he’s no longer useful. Along the way, the two dominants may find that submitting to one another uncovers not just a deadly conspiracy, but a passion so raw that it’ll leave them both branded by fire…
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A reader recently wrote to me about how they see a particular character, and it got me thinking—when I write a book, I have very strong visual images of the characters in my head. As I write, I hope that image comes through on the page.
However, as a reader, I know that the person I visualize when I read (or write) a book, is unlikely to be the same as what another reader visualizes.
But imagine if there was a machine that could take the image from an author’s head and turn it into a photograph—so that, for example, we could then look at a photo of Roarke from the In Death books and know that that’s exactly what JD Robb had in mind when she wrote a particular scene.
Would you want to see that photograph? Personally, I’m not so sure. I think part of the joy of reading is being able to surrender to your imagination—as such, each time we read a book, our experience is different from our fellow readers. But on the flip side, if we all knew what a particular character looked like, would it affect how we discussed the books?
What do you think?
Everyone who leaves a comment goes into a draw to win a signed copy of Visions of Heat. You can read an excerpt over on my website nalinisingh.com
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Thank you for visiting, Ms Singh!
Remember to comment to enter the drawing.
No, no, no – I wouldn’t want a picture! Half the fun of meeting new characters is their description and how I picture it in my mind. Like having an outline of a face and I get to colour it in with my choice!
And having a picture of a guy would hinder things – we all have different tastes when it comes to men and looks and part of the fantasy of romance is having a character the way YOU want him to look. Besides, I might not fancy ‘your’ guy! 😀
Hm, I’m leaning more in the “no” camp too – not unless I have a mental image firmly established. I have to say, sometimes I’m curious – and sometimes the author’s chosen model really looks just like what I imagined – but sometimes when he’s different… well – haha I just ignore that 😛
I like to imagine what characters look like. I’m not a big fan of movies from books that I like, because then my mental image of the character will be replaced by that of the actor in the movie.
Hummm interesting question. I think I would want to see the photograph but at the same time, I don’t think it’d affect how I see the character. I know Sherrilyn Kenyon has images up for her characters but there are times, as with Ash’s image where the one in my head is completely different than the one she uses. But I love seeing the image she uses. It doesn’t really affect my reading.
The only time I think the image affects my reading is when the image, say the bookcover image is completely different from what the description says. So if the hero/heroine has blonde hair and is “fluffy” don’t have an image on the website or cover that is brown and skinnier than a stick.
As for images and book discussions, I’m not sure if it’d affect how we discuss a book or not. I’d have to think about that.
Such a great discussion topic! Is there an image/bookcover you’ve had that think completely captures one of your characters?
hugs,
WendyK
Although that sounds like an interesting device, I’d still want to form my own picture. It just adds to my reading experience.
I don’t think I would want a photo of the characters because that is part of the fun. To imagine the characters while you are reading helps intensify the story for me personally!!
No photo needed! I prefer meeting the character through the author’s description… 😀
Nope, no photo needed here…I have a very vivid imagination!!! But you know I often wonder about the book covers. Many times the cover model(s) are not even close to the characters in appearance. I guess it’s not supposed to matter, but sometimes when reading the first physical description of the characters, I’ll flip to the cover to see if my imagination is anywhere close. I have to admit Nalini’s covers are pretty darn close to my imagination.
No I wouldn’t want to see a pic. I like taking the author’s description and making my own image from that. Every person finds certain features appealing, and no one is universally attractive to everyone so I think it would be best not to assign just one image to a character.
However, I always find it interesting to see who people pick to represent how a character looks
Whenever I read a book I picture the charaters of how they look and the description the author tells helps me alot.
I don’t want a picture. I want to picture in my mind, from the author’s description, how a character looks.
No, probably not. If I wanted a picture, I think I’d probably watch a movie or read a comic book or some other visual medium. On the flip side, if we all knew what a particular character looked like, I think it would affect how we discussed the books. For example, if there was a picture, it’s possible that the character’s physical appearance might not be everyone’s cup of tea. That would change things.
i try to picture ppl (fellas,) i know as
I would not want to see photo’s! I think one of the best thing about books is that you can imagine the leads in books to look like and be whatever you like (to a certain extent)!
This book looks great 🙂
I totally agree with you. Photos only ruin it for me. It’s like someone picking out a flavor of ice dream for me before I even decided. If there must be a picture, I wouldn’t mind if they just show the person’s body, below the neck. =)
I love the written story so that I can in some way make it my own by picturing the characters and the place with my own interpretations. Of course I have the wonderful guidance of the author and her/his narrative but the rest is up to me. I have a hard time seeing the movie version of books I have read because of this….
I’ll have to say no, I wouldn’t want a picture – as many others have said, it is tons of fun creating images of characters in my head. That’s why I love many of Nalini’s covers: they show the hero’s torso (yum!), but not the face, thereby leaving the rest up to our imaginations!
I have to admit, though, I think it would be wonderful for writers to be able to show readers their images of characters. I’m sure that they would love for readers to know their characters the way they’ve been created, so that we could all know them as intimately as the writers do!
I wouldn’t want to see the photo. I much prefer getting the basic physical information on the character, adding the little quirks and mannerisms and building the image in my head. IMO it makes it that much more personal.
I’m not sure if seeing a photo would affect the discussion of the book. I think because each reader brings their own experiences along when reading there is still the opportunity for different reactions to the photo. Hope that makes sense. 🙂
When i read I don’t visualize the character as well as a 5 year old. It just doesn’t work that way I guess. But sometimes I take a peek at what the writers post up to see if I get the right image. Usually the characters are a lot hotter in my mind. Nalini, my question is how do these chracters come to you? In a dream, a thought?
Please count me in for the giveaway 🙂
Sometimes authors post pictures of actors they think look like their characters. Sometimes I agree. Other times I disagree. It varies. But I do like to have covers that look like the description of the people in the book. It annoys me when the covers don’t match the book. Please count me in for the giveaway.
I have my image of how a character looks in my head and I like to cling to that for as long as I can. I’m generally able to discount cover models and put their images aside when I read the book, but that whole magic machine photograph aspect? No thanks. I wouldn’t be able to resist taking a look and then all my lovely secret imaginings would be forever shattered. I’d be seeing the author’s photo in my mind from then on!
For me, it’s like Charlaine Harris’s Sookie and Bill and Eric. After watching True Blood, now I can’t get the actors’ images out of my head when I re-read the books. I even hear the actors speaking the conversations! It’s a measure of how fabulous the series is, I guess, but I still miss my own pre-True Blood versions–how I thought they looked and how they sounded.
What an interesting topic, Nalini. I’ve gone back and forth on this issue many times but usually end up settling on not wanting a picture so that I can use my own imagination to get a visual of the characters.
The first time this really became a big topic for me was when a couple of friends and I were discussing the Harry Potter series and comparing the actors with our own versions of the characters. For most of the people in that discussion, most of the actors in the movies came close to our own imaginations but everyone was worried about the visuals of the actors overtaking the images their minds had created while reading the books.
On the flipside, though, there are a few authors who will sometimes post pictures that helped them visualize their characters on their blogs. I’ve actually found that when I see those pictures it gives me a reference on which to build my own images when I start reading the books.
So, again, not really a definitive answer. All I can say is that seeing a picture of a character the way an author envisions him or her is fine if I only see it once and then can create my own visual while reading the book. However, if the visual is shoved on me constantly, I would get annoyed.
I mean, when you think about book covers, aren’t the people on them supposed to at least resemble the characters and give the readers a type of reference for their appearance while reading – though I know that’s not always accurate since the author doesn’t usually have a whole lot of say.
No, no pictures. I like coming up with my own images. Once I see someone as that character, I see only see them as they are photographed or cast.
A prime example is Henry from Blood Ties (well Mike and Vicky too). I read the 1st book in the series before I watched the show. After I watched the show, I envision the characters from the show as the characters in the book. The same goes for Dresden files and Sookie Stackhouse series.
No, I definitely wouldn’t want a photograph. I prefer to leave characters that I read about to my own imagination. I inevitably end up imagining who I want no matter the physical description of the character anyway as I’ve found that the cover doesn’t always match the description of main character/s .
Great topic, Nalini! I think that in general, I’d be in the “no” camp–part of the fun of reading is making your own mental images! I wouldn’t mind having the photos available, say as extras on an author’s site, so that if I really wanted to, I could see what the author was “seeing,” but I don’t think I’d want it right there in front of me, like a photo book or anything!
Part of the reason I tend not to watch movie adaptations is because of this issue–I find it jarring when the “real” picture doesn’t match my mental image, and it’s usually too much “ack” to overcome!
I have to agree with (almost) everyone above. The photo/picture would detract from my mental imagining of the character. But in the same way, a lot of ‘romance’ titles have the hero or heroine on the the cover. So I will find myself already viewing that representation as the person in the book.
Conclusion: image becomes immediately connected with the text. It may or may not be a good thing. I would lean towards preferring no image.
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I really dont know. I would love to know how the author visualized the characters but based on past adaptions I have been disappointed in how the characters were portrayed. They were nothing like what I imagined. I guess though if we could see the picture from the beginning that would just end up being how I picture them. But for a established character, I just dont know.
Hi everyone – thanks for the great responses!
Now, to answer some questions (and if I miss any, please repost :))
WendyK Is there an image/bookcover you’ve had that think completely captures one of your characters?
I’ve been really happy with my covers to date. I think they’ve all gotten been excellent at getting the “feel” of the books through. I do have a distinct fondness for the StS cover model – he just looks like he could be a panther, don’t you think? *grin*
I Heart Book Gossip Nalini, my question is how do these chracters come to you? In a dream, a thought?
Hmm, they just turn up, that’s all I can say. I turn around and there they are.
NO!! I don’t want to see a picture….when I read a book, it’s almost like watching a movie, and I get a very distinct visual. I think it’s one of the reason I’m never satisfied, or ever really even like when books are made into movies. Or, I should say books I’ve read and know what the charachters ‘look’ like to me, lol.
I like to check out hunky pics that authors use for inspiration, but don’t want to see that ONE pic an author might have used for vision.
Yup, I’ve thought about this alot, lol. Same goes for the heroine, really….I get this pic in my head, and that’s it for that story. I know her/him.
I don’t mind seeing who the author thinks there character looks like out of curiosity. If I don’t agree with their perception, just like when they are on the book cover, I just put it out of my mind when reading and envision him/her the way I perceive.
(Don’t enter into contest, already have it.)
I am kind of wanting that. Cos sometimes I just can’t imagine the person, and would sure love too. And even if I get a picture, I can still think of that person in my own way afterwards
What for a interesting question…
If the look of a particular character is fixed from the beginng, so I think “yes”, it would affect the discussion. Even if we don`t realise it. In our subconscious we would adopt the (e.g.) behaviour of this character on his/her look.
But on the other side, I think “no” is also a possible answer of this question.
– I, for example, was always a little dreamer (even now *g*), so I would simple ignore the fixed look if I don`t like the given look of the charakter.
For me reading is all about my fantasy. I wouldn’t want to see another person’s image. It’s like reading a book and after that watching the movie. For me that’s dissapointing in almost all cases. Nobody looks like I imagined and the movie never gives me the same good feelings a book does.
Definitely not! It would be disastrous if what the author pictures the hero to be clashes with mine!
No I wouldn’t want to see a photograph. I imagine what a character looks like in a way that appeals to me. Then what if I seen the photograph and they looked totally different because of what the author might find attractive. Different things appeal to different people, so I’d rather just stick with imaging them myself. One thing that does bother me is the covers of books, the characters on the cover is suppose to represent the characters in the book. I know that there not going to look like them but I would think that they would match a general description. I have found a lot of books where the character is described as having, say, red hair, then you look at the cover and they have black. For some reason that totally messes me up.
Well why not! If there was a way I could actually see how a character look like, why not do so!
I think it would reveal something about that character that I wouldn’t even imagine.
For example, Roarke. I have an image of him in my head. And if there was a picture that represented him, I would jump at a chance to see it. I could really see how intense his blue eyes. The exact shape of his mouth and face. It would be interesting to see a more “human” side of him instead of my own fantasy version of him.
It wouldn’t spoil the fantasy, it would actually make that character more realistic to me.
I don’t know, I’m always torn over this. I do want to see a picture to know what exactly the author sees in her/his work (what can I say, I’m a curious girl). Especially considering some of the characters that people create–Nalini’s wonderful Lucas, Hawke, Clay, Gena’s Lord of the Underworld, Kresley Cole’s Nix. I like having a visual in addition to the words. But, with that said, I would like to see it *after* I have read and absorbed the book. I don’t want it to mess with my interpretation and enjoyment.
No, I wouldn’t want the photograph simply because it would ruin the point of reading. Reading for me is a way to escape into my imagination with the help of the writer. That is the joy and fun of reading is seeing the story play out in your own head. As curious as I would be to see the picture, I think I’d rather stick to seeing the movie in my head.
Upon further speculation, however, after reading a book, it couldn’t hurt to see the photo, just to compare notes, right. Curiosity couldn’t have killed the cat, it has nine lives you know! =)
I don’t mind pictures but I believe half the fun is picturing what they would look like…I once heard it said best on TV when one of the girls from iCarly said “Its like watching a movie in my head.” and I totally agree..pictures would just muddy up the nice movie that everyone plays in their head as they read.
No, I would not want a picture. I love creating how the characters look in my mind and one of the more frustrating things for me is when I see a movie that is based on a book that I have read the characters do not look anything like what I had imagined.
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