I find the "fire feasts" fascinating. So many stories revolve around them. From the times of Druids, they have been revered as a mystical time of year. That being said, the vernal equinox is my favorite. I love spring-it is the renewal of life to me. Buds on trees. Grass turning green. Flowers blooming. This year, the weather has been incredible, to the point of skipping over spring and going right into summer. "Spring has sprung" early. I have a magnolia tree in my front yard that has bloomed and is now losing its flowers, and it's only March 23.
The vernal equinox is the first of the fire feasts, a thought the brings to mind the winter one. DH has friends that have a winter solstice party every year. This year, if you believe the Mayan calendar, that day will mark the end of the world. Would that be so bad? For me, I'm in the middle of March Madness at work (not the basketball kind), so I'm overwhelmed, and tired and over stressed. After 25 years of this, I think I've learned to handle the pressure with a little more grace, but that doesn't keep me from wishing for a little more peace. "Stop the world" I want to get off sort of mentality. Isn't that what the Mayans are proposing? Although right before Christmas does seem awkward timing - or maybe fortuitous timing.
Something to think about.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Steamy romance?
I'm seeing a lot of more established writers weighing in on how to write sex scenes over the past week, so thought I'd serve up my two cents, FWIW.
There is a perception that women want a little steam in their romances, but it has long been my contention that a well written story doesn't need to show a lot of body parts. I recently read a number of romances (my favorites are the historicals) where the story is about how the heroine strives to be a societal parriah by seeking out to "ruin" herself, these under the guise of "fractured fairy tales" (a number of authors seem to be jumping on this bandwagon). The focus of these stories isn't the story itself, it's how Jane Eyre loses her virginity.
Reading a romance can be a lot like buying a magazine, in these terms, a Playboy, or a Penthouse, or a Hustler. I'm not adverse to the Playboy versions - after all, there are some good stories to offset the pictures, aren't there? (that's what I'm told anyway.) There are erotica lines, which would fall into the Hustler category. But what I've seen lately is more of the Penthouse variety romance. Lots of gratuitous sex disguised as romance. I grew up reading Victoria Holt, and in all but one of her novels, there isn't even a reference to sex, and yet its easy to fall in love with the hero even without him taking his clothes off. These are novels we can hand to our teenage daughters, rather than the newer variety of sex-equals-love that I've been reading. When I was a teenager, you couldn't find these types of books in the library. There is very little plot development, and for a historical to be true to the time period, there are standards that should be observed. Yes, times have changed, but is this the message we want to send to our children? (okay, off my moral soapbox.)
I don't object to a little sex in my stories. You'll find it in my own novels. In fact, I had a friend of mine come up to me and say how much she enjoyed the steamier sections of Intimate Distance. Certainly, I'm not an authority, and likely I haven't always gotten it right myself. There seems to be a market for sex inside the story. My objection is sacrificing the story in favor of the sex.
When I've met with agents and/or publishers at conference pitch sessions, I ask them if the market demands sex in romance novels. The answer is almost categorically no. If it has a place in the story, that's one thing - if it advances the plot - not as a gratuitous intrusion.
Women enjoy sex, too. Clearly there's a market for the erotica romances, but I've been seeing more of the "Penthouse" variety stories that are not marketed as erotica, they're marketed as romance novels.
My favorite authors are the ones that can weave a story, not rush me into the bedroom and tell me that love is dependent upon sex.
There is a perception that women want a little steam in their romances, but it has long been my contention that a well written story doesn't need to show a lot of body parts. I recently read a number of romances (my favorites are the historicals) where the story is about how the heroine strives to be a societal parriah by seeking out to "ruin" herself, these under the guise of "fractured fairy tales" (a number of authors seem to be jumping on this bandwagon). The focus of these stories isn't the story itself, it's how Jane Eyre loses her virginity.
Reading a romance can be a lot like buying a magazine, in these terms, a Playboy, or a Penthouse, or a Hustler. I'm not adverse to the Playboy versions - after all, there are some good stories to offset the pictures, aren't there? (that's what I'm told anyway.) There are erotica lines, which would fall into the Hustler category. But what I've seen lately is more of the Penthouse variety romance. Lots of gratuitous sex disguised as romance. I grew up reading Victoria Holt, and in all but one of her novels, there isn't even a reference to sex, and yet its easy to fall in love with the hero even without him taking his clothes off. These are novels we can hand to our teenage daughters, rather than the newer variety of sex-equals-love that I've been reading. When I was a teenager, you couldn't find these types of books in the library. There is very little plot development, and for a historical to be true to the time period, there are standards that should be observed. Yes, times have changed, but is this the message we want to send to our children? (okay, off my moral soapbox.)
I don't object to a little sex in my stories. You'll find it in my own novels. In fact, I had a friend of mine come up to me and say how much she enjoyed the steamier sections of Intimate Distance. Certainly, I'm not an authority, and likely I haven't always gotten it right myself. There seems to be a market for sex inside the story. My objection is sacrificing the story in favor of the sex.
When I've met with agents and/or publishers at conference pitch sessions, I ask them if the market demands sex in romance novels. The answer is almost categorically no. If it has a place in the story, that's one thing - if it advances the plot - not as a gratuitous intrusion.
Women enjoy sex, too. Clearly there's a market for the erotica romances, but I've been seeing more of the "Penthouse" variety stories that are not marketed as erotica, they're marketed as romance novels.
My favorite authors are the ones that can weave a story, not rush me into the bedroom and tell me that love is dependent upon sex.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Read an E-Book Week
While the day job is occupying most of my time, I'm taking time out to remind you that my books are available on all e-readers! This is Read an E-Book Week. I've included the most common links below, but if your e-reader isn't on the list, you can find my books in other formats at this link (i.e., click here).
Intimate Distance is available for the low, low price of just 99 cents, and Touched by the Sun is available for $1.99. Living Canvas is VERY CLOSE!
The kindle versions are up at Amazon, the iBooks versions are in the iBookstore and the Nook versions are available at Barnes and Noble.
• click here for Kindle versions
• click here for iPad
• click here for the Nook
Watch this space for more information about Living Canvas.
Intimate Distance is available for the low, low price of just 99 cents, and Touched by the Sun is available for $1.99. Living Canvas is VERY CLOSE!
The kindle versions are up at Amazon, the iBooks versions are in the iBookstore and the Nook versions are available at Barnes and Noble.
• click here for Kindle versions
• click here for iPad
• click here for the Nook
Watch this space for more information about Living Canvas.
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