Monday, February 14, 2011

Three extra ways to say “I Love You”.




Je t’aime  (Fr) 
Te amo (Span)
Ti amo  (It).

So I’m cheating, but the beauty of writing romance novels is that one can have a French, Spanish, Italian or other foreign hero. And what better than to slip in a little love talk and convey mood of foreign lilt in the hero’s voice. It’s incredibly easy to ensure interpretation for reader comfort, bearing in mind a reader may not be fluent in particular chosen lingo. 

Example: In a flurry of white shirt, pink dress, and scattered underwear, their bodies came together in that wonderful sensation of woman touching man. No fear enveloped, only love as she gripped his shoulders drawing him down to her. 'Max,' she whispered, trembling in the thrill of renewed intimacy. 'I love you.'
        'Te amo. Me haces muy feliz,' he murmured, his breath desert hot across her breast.
        'Oh Max, I shall have to learn Spanish if I'm to understand you in moments like this.'
        'I said I love you, and that you make me happy.'
        'Do I?'
        His tongue languidly toyed a nipple until he murmured, 'Soy el hombre de más suerte del mundo,' before his lips once again brushed hers.
        'Mmm,' she sighed, 'what did you say?'
       'I'm the luckiest man in the world.'

OK, cheat over. Love can be said in so many ways, not just in words, in actions too. Like sneaking up from behind and wrapping arms around waist hugging tight, nuzzling hair and kissing head or neck. Intimacy of touch is wonderful, yet intimacy of eyes across a crowded room can often mean more to lovers than words could ever convey.     

Nearly forgot: special Valentine's Day Eye-Candy!

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11 comments:

  1. margaret blakeFebruary 14, 2011 at 5:00 AM

    Oh lovely eye candy, thank U so much.

    Yes, foreign words, I've used these a couple of times, very handy. In Shadows of the Past I have quite a few Italian phrases, I trusted an Italian to have told me true...suppose he hasn't? LOL, had no complaints anyway.

    Nice excerpt for Valentine's Day.

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  2. Anne GallagherFebruary 14, 2011 at 5:10 AM

    Love those foreign men. My last book had some Italian in it and I think it added a whole other dimension. Thanks Francine.

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  3. Ana MorganFebruary 14, 2011 at 5:51 AM

    Great post, Francine. Your eye-candy is exactly how I imagine my current hero, Jeremy. He's Breton, so I'm using-inventing Breton love phrases. Finding a Breton-English dictionary was not easy. (Who is that guy? Gorgeously cosmopolitan.)

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  4. Paula MartinFebruary 14, 2011 at 7:55 AM

    VERY nice eye-candy - mmm!
    Here's a link to 'I love you' in probably any language you would ever need!
    http://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/iloveyou.htm

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  5. Wendy Tyler RyanFebruary 14, 2011 at 9:08 AM

    I can only add one. Ich liebe dich. German for I love you.

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  6. Francine HowarthFebruary 14, 2011 at 1:14 PM

    Hi Margaret,

    Yep, Italian men are really rather sweet - quite accommmodating in they like to please! ;)

    ---------

    Hi Anne,

    Absolutely. Nothing like a bit of spicy foreign chit-chat in a novel! ;)

    ---------

    Hi Ana,

    Oooh your looking to a little "Ooh la la", and the hunk in fact is Alain Delon at his best and in his early prime. I very nearly put up a pic of Antonio Banderas, but he'll keep for another special post. ;)

    --------

    Hi Paula,

    Thanks, but I'll stick to what I know is for sure 100% kosher interpretation. :o

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    Hi Wendy,

    Hee hee, German in deed, how about some Jackboots as well and a little "Ich wollte, diese Nacht könnte ewig dauem". :)

    best to all and Happy Valentine's Day,
    F

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  7. Debra St. JohnFebruary 14, 2011 at 4:24 PM

    Great post Francine. Awesome excerpt.

    Happy Valentine's Day all.

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  8. dolorahFebruary 14, 2011 at 6:59 PM

    Does this novel come with a hot tub and wine?

    .......dhole

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  9. erica and christyFebruary 14, 2011 at 8:30 PM

    I think the Italian and French fit the mood of the novel better than the German would have. (If I'm going off of how the words I didn't know rolled off my tongue.) Fun post! Christy

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  10. margaret blakeFebruary 15, 2011 at 1:59 AM

    Ah, sigh Alain Delon, my perfect heartthrob. So sexie, so enigmatic.

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  11. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    <3 foreign language! I'm bilingual (spanish and english) and I'm learning Italian so I love to see other languages in literature (whether I know them or not). It just makes things so much more complex. In my WIP the characters both speak Spanish and occasionally use expressions, including "te amo."

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