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I’m happy to say Thank You to my cp Sylvia for pushing me to enter my erotic short story MEANDROS in the Amber Heat Wave Contest for Amber Quill Press. Because she pushed, I have now sold another short story!
AND…Sylvia also won the two year contract that is the prize, with her own entry!:laugh:
Look for them in June as part of Amber Quill’s HEAT WAVE Celebration this summer.
This guy doesn’t need to take off his shirt to be sexy.
for a Bigger one, read more….
Read the rest of this entry »
Alison finds all the good stuff on the internet. Like this post in Kate Rothwell’s blog.
Jut the other day I blogged about how the market for sexier, more erotic books is growing, and I see that I’m not the only one noticing it. However, some authors don’t think it’s a good thing. Like Author B (who doesn’t want her name posted.) who says
“It’s all soft porn, which will do nothing for Romance’s credibility as a genre.
We’re just starting to get some respect, starting to attract a broader readership base thanks to some gifted writers, thanks to clever dialogue and intriguing premises, and now the industry chooses to revert back to bodice rippers?? Only this time featuring alpha females. Spare me! “
Okaayyy! I wonder . . . could Author B perhaps be one of those romance authors that has never read real erotica? Remember this post ?
It sounds like it doesn’t it?
The real funny thing is, there is a lot of erotica out there that doesn’t even involve SEX. Read Dara Murray’s Music and tell me it’s about sex. It isn’t, it’s about emotion, and feeling, it’s about THE CONNECTION. And it’s erotic as hell.
In this post we talk about What is Erotic? It’s something different for everyone, and I think the growing market shows this.
And I sincerely hope that traditional romance authors stop looking down at those that write sexier, more erotic, and even explicit stuff as less than them, or something that can stop them from gaining respect. Because I firmly believe Emma Holly says it best with this quote. “ Many romance writers have become apologists for the sexual content of their books. They try to pretend that sex doesn’t sell them – even though it’s obvious to any child past the age of puberty that it does. Sex is not the only reason romance sells, but for a large number of authors and fans, it’s a big one. If you’re engaging in this sort of denial, your biggest barrier to writing steamy scenes may be guilt.”
I guess it’s too much to ask that each author and story be judged on their own, and not because of a prejudice against a genre.
There are times when I feel as if I have missed the boat, as a writer.
I can remember years ago, reading tons category romance novels where the hero was a cop/bodyguard/bountyhunter that save/protected the heroine. I loved them, but part of me (the part that has a black belt in karate and some years experience as a security specialist) wondered why it always had to be the man saving the woman. Why weren’t there any stories with the woman kick’n ass? Now, this was before I actually tried writing, and although I thought about giving it a shot, I never did. Then came along Bridget Fonda in POINT OF NO RETURN, and Geena Davis in THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT. Now that was what I wanted. And so it seemed, did others. Woman kick’n butt is a huge market now, from t.v’s ALIAS to Harlequins new BOMBSHELL series. And I missed the boat on it because I was too busy not believeing I could do it.
Three years ago, when I decided I wanted to “be a writer” I was told erotica was a great market for my “salacious imagination”. I took my tutor (I took a correspondance course on how to make money wiht my writing) at his word, and let my imagination run. At the time that I started out I didn’t know anything about “the business” of publishing. And I think that did me good. Instead of aiming small, I submitted my very first erotic short story to Virgin Books Black Lace, because it was what I read.
After I’d submitted it, my tutor mailed back my story (impatient me subbed it before he returned the assignment.) with some corrections, and the suggestion that I find a different publisher to submit to then BL. Something smaller as BL was the top of the pile and very hard to break into. Well, how happy was I when I got an acceptance letter for that story! Yehhaaa!!
That was the start.
And at the start, as much as I enjoyed it, I was a bit embarassed about telling people I wrote erotica. That’s changed, I now tell everyone proudly what I write. Not just because it’s become more openly accepted (with the success of ePublishers and some traditional romance publishers starting to push the envelope a bit more) but because I’ve learned that it is something that not everyone can do.
Not only can I do it, but I do it well. (I think so anyways, ;) )
And doing it well is key. Ther eis a difference between erotica and other womens fiction…and more sex scenes is not all there is to it. Alison blogged today about Harlequins new line SPICE, and the way their editor says ““If you took all the sex out of the story, the story would stand alone.” and how if that’s true, then this is NOT erotica. Yay, Alison!!
Anyone who’s read Alison’s books, from her Tempataitons to her newest SG-5 series knows that she could do straight erotica no problem if she wanted to. She chooses erotic Romance, and the happily ever after, and and she does a fantastic job of it. However, I’ve seen other romance authors try to keep up with the new boom by simply adding more sex to their stories. In my opinion, this doesn’t work. The sex, or the erotic aspect, has to be part of the story, the conflict, the character growth, and part of the resolution.
But, that’s a different discussion. Back to the market one…
The thing that worries me now is that I might miss the boat again. I can see the market starting to boom, what with Brava becoming such a strong impint. Virgin Books has started a new imprint CHEEK that is targeting the North American Market, even Harlequin is trying to get in on it with SPICE. The market is starting to boom, and I’m still worrying that I can write a full length novel. But as I said before, I can do anything when I set my mind to it. I just hope I can get it done, and done right, before this boat leaves port.
Sex…In the Office.
The first themed collection in the series, bringing together 15 unashamed, wildly entertaining stories which explore the forbidden lusts that abound in the work environment. All the favorite fantasy archetypes are here: lady bosses in high heels, executive hunks in suits, motorbike couriers in leathers and security guards in uniform – all doing something they shouldn’t, with someone they shouldn’t.
This is part of the back cover blurb for the new anthology. I’m tickled…the security gaurd one…that’s MY story! :hehe:
I’ll post the cover, and an excerpt this weekend.
I checked my mailbox for the first time all week yesterday. There were two packages from Black Lace in it. One was my author copy of Wicked Words: Sex in the office. (Due out Feb 10 in the U.K and a month later here in N.A) The cover is ok. Not one of my faves though.
The other package was full of their new guidelines, and some cover flaps for CHEEK books, as well as their guidelines. CHEEK is Virgin Books new erotic romance imprint, and they want North American authors for it. It sounds great, and me being a believer in ’signs’ hope this is one that they’ll like WILLING. If I ever manage to actually write it! :rolleyes:
I’m starting it today! Right now in fact. I do have bits and pieces of scenes I’ve jotted down before…I just have to find where I put them. One of these days I will get organized, but it seems like every time I try, I just get more disorganized. 
In other news. I’m frustrated with the whole weight gain /heath issue. I’ve been gaining weight again and I’m feeling pretty yucky about it. So I got serious about two weeks ago. And I’ve been doing well. Working-out at least 4 times a week, eating better, and on Monday, after I worked out and went to the grocery store for good wholesome foods. (I even bought a case of bottled water instead of a case of pop) I feel when carrying my groceries in, and twisted my freaking’ ankle again!! The same ankle I really messed up in June!! So although I went back to work last night, I haven’t gone to the gym again this week yet. I’m thinking maybe tonight…we’ll see after work.
Maybe I should just give in and be fat and unhealthy. :angry:
You are the mystery woman
Which Ultimate Beautiful Woman are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
I did it!! Yahooo! :hehe:
THE DEVIL INSIDE is finally finished! Well, the first draft anyway, but after a quick run through tomorrow it’ll be ready to send to my cp’s. (Technically it’s 6:30 a.m Tuesday, but it’s not Tuesday to me until after I go to bed and wake up again. ;) )
And because of this great feeling of accomplishment, and in honor of Suzanne’s post on Dot Moms . . . .I’m going to reprint a post I wrote almost a year ago. (Last March)
The Power of the Mind.
I never planned to be a waitress all my life, but just after I turned 30 I realized it just might happen. With nightmares about turning into Flo from MEL’s DINER filling my head, I searched my heart and finally acknowledged that I’d always wanted to be a writer. I’d even taken a night class at the local community college when I was 23 on magazine writing. Traveling is another of my loves, and if I could find a way to get paid to travel, then Whoo hooo! I would be in heaven.
Only, how was someone with only a high school education going to become a writer? I couldn’t even remember what a verb was, or a noun.
Lucky for me I was blessed in the fact that I was raised by a woman that taught me I could do anything if I set my mind to it. So I did. I found a correspondence course on “How to Make Money Writing.” And I sent away my check for $800 and waited impatiently for my books and lessons to arrive on my doorstep. The first thing I had to do was fill out a questionnaire about myself.
One of the questions was what do you like to read?
My answer: Romance, Mystery, Erotica, Thrillers, and Bill Bryson Travel Books
Next Question: What do you want to write?
My Answer: Travel Stories, Maybe a romance, maybe a screenplay. Short Stories, Articles. Anything but Poetry.
My assigned tutor jumped on the fact that I read erotica and asked me to write him 2 short stories for that genre. What about Travel stories? I asked…but he was quick to educate me on how hard it was to sell a travel article and that if I wanted to make money, that wasn’t the way to do it.
Determined to be a writer, I sat myself at the kitchen table, with heart pounding and not a clue about writing fiction. I armed myself with a pen and paper and attempted my first short story. He read it and told me…my salacious imagination was going to make me an excellent erotica writer. I don’t know about excellent or not, but I am a writer whether I make money at it or not…so it’s true.
Anything is possible . . . if you set your mind to it.
And now I can even say I get paid to do this! :D
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