I enjoy reading romance novels, particularly those set in the Regency era. I got to thinking about why this is so and realized it was because of the societal norms portrayed in the stories. Yes, they're fantasies about what it would be like to be a Lady hotly pursued by a rakish Duke, or even an Earl, and finally be the one who tames his wild heart. But for me, it's more than that. In Regency romances, men treat women like ladies, and I find such courtesies sorely lacking in modern life. I was raised in the 50s when men still held doors for women, so a desire for those small bits of what I consider to be masculine grace is woven into my DNA. At that point in history, members of the male sex were not as yet fearful of excoriation from some nascent feminist more determined to stake out her own boundaries than to be grateful for a simple act of courtesy. Now when I reach a door at the same time as a man, I see the poor thing looking at me with terror-stricken eyes and f...

Welcome Scott Eagan , and thank you for participating in “romance month”. We’ve been talking to and about male romance authors, but you have a little different perspective in that you are a male agent who specializes in romance. How did you come to the decision to be a romance agent? When I first opened Greyhaus Literary Agency , I looked at representing a lot of different genres. After looking at the market, I realized there were a lot of benefits of focusing in on just this genre. At that time, there were few agents who were this focused. With this market always shifting, I felt that trying to keep track of trends, editors and lines of just the romance and women’s fiction market was going to be tough enough. I also believed that focusing my attention this much allowed me a chance to better work with my authors. I was able to really study the genre and know all the angles of it. On a personal level, I just love this genre. I like the fact that we get the chance to explore human...

Last month, our theme was sex and romance. I was talking about the 12 Steps to Intimacy which romance author Linda Howard adapted from Desmond Morris's book, Intimate Behaviour . There wasn't enough room for all 12 steps in that post, so I'm continuing them here. If you missed that first post, you can find it here . However, if you missed that post, then you missed the link to the foundations for human sexual behavior, so you might want to start here . A quick recap of the steps, for those who simply want a refresher without the details: 1. Eye to Body 2. Eye to Eye 3. Voice to Voice 4. Hand to Hand 5. Arm to Shoulder 6. Arm to Waist Moving on to the last 6 steps: 7. Mouth to mouth Kissing. The first kiss is a milestone in any romance novel. Both parties are vulnerable. Look at the romance books you've read and see how many of these 'first kiss' encounters are cut short. The author is creating tension by pulling the characters apart. How is the...

Romance novels were, and still are, in some circles referred to as "bodice rippers." Early romances often depicted pirates, or other invaders capturing unsuspecting females, and taking liberties with them. Despite their obvious mistreatment, for some odd reason, the captives fell in love with their captors. Governesses were swept off their feet, and readily succumbed to the advances of the Lords of the Manor. In those days, dark, brooding Alpha heroes dominated the romance scene, and the poor weak heroines didn't stand a chance against their animal magnetism. Along with the growth of women's rights, romance novels underwent a change. Spunky, clever heroines are now in, no matter what their stations in life. Vapid, helpless ones somewhere along the line evolve into strong, thinking women. Those who are inept in some ways often possess special talents to compensate for their flaws. A case in point is Zoe, my heroine in Her Handyman . She's a klutz in som...

I wrote my first book in 1979, as a way to postpone getting a "real" job. I'd had many and various temp and part-time jobs, from construction to writing and editing definitions for a dictionary of science and technology. Then, after moving constantly, we settled down and bought a house. It was time to get serious. At least, it was time to look as if I were getting serious. I sat down at the kitchen table with a pad of lined paper and a ball-point and started writing. Why Regency? I'd reread Georgette Heyer's often enough to know what was coming on the next page. I wanted more, so I started reading some that were written around that time—late '70s—and they were so awful, I reckoned I couldn't possibly do worse. I didn't really expect to write an entire book, still less to get it published (Warner), let alone for it to lead to a 35-year career and still counting. In case the term "Regency" means nothing to you: Strictly speakin...

Our guest today is author Lynn Rush, who is touring her new release, Awaited , second in the Wasteland Trilogy . To celebrate, she is offering a FREE “Prelude to Darkness” short story. About five years ago, when I first began writing for publication, I just wrote. Seriously, I just put down everything that came to mind. Heck, I didn’t even know what point of view (POV) meant—much to the dismay of my very first critique partner.  As I learned the craft, I soaked up anything and everything I could find about my new-found passion. Then around six months into my journey as a writer, I was told my characters were too young for Adult novels yet they were too old for Young Adult (YA) novels.  Naturally, being a newbie I asked, “So what should I do?” And the overwhelming response was, “Change the age of your characters.” That didn’t sit right with me, so I didn’t change anything.  Then, as I continued writing, I heard that my romance was a bit sweet for Adult but a little...

Quis Cetera Nescit? (Ovid:  “ Who Does Not Know the Rest?” ) Some years ago, I was invited to speak at the St. Andrews University Science Fiction and Fantasy Society. I had so much fun, I started regularly attending their meetings - and thereby hangs the tale. During the week of Valentine’s Day, the president of the Society gave a talk on the subject of Sex and Romance in SF/F Literature. The presentation featured a selection of readings from works by Robert Heinlein, Robert Howard, and Anne Rice, among others. Given the fact that many of these passages were uproariously funny when read aloud out of context, I was more than a little taken aback to find myself represented on the agenda by a passage from Spiral of Fire , the third volume of my Garillon trilogy. In this scene, Margoth, the novel’s leading lady, seduces her beloved and leads him off to bed. The chapter ends thus: She traced the sharp-cut line of Serdor’s lips, stoking downward to the base of his throat, wher...

Over the past ten or fifteen years e-book publishing has steadily grown as an industry, but the debate continues as to whether it is a legitimate outlet for quality books or just a repository for work not up to standard. As the e-book reviewer for ForeWord magazine for several years, I would have to say that a lot of what has been published was not up to standard, but more and more e-publishers are taking a stricter stance on what they accept and doing a much better job with editing. For a new writer, going with an e-publisher might be a good option. There are a number of e-publishers that have been in business for a long time, such as Hard Shell Word Factory , New Concepts Publishing , and new ones such as Uncial Press . In addition, there are there are a slew of new publishers for erotica. A directory of publishers can be found here So, should you as a new writer consider going the electronic route? Before you decide, there are a number of things to consider: Are there benefits to an...

Question: I would like to know in contemporary romance, what is the rule of thumb as to how many sex scenes there should be in a novel. Michele Cameron Moments of Clarity Michele, I’ve edited about fifty contemporary romances during the past four years and have never required a certain number of sex scenes, although I do recommend at least two. Some of the novels I’ve worked on have an abundance of sex scenes, and some have virtually none. However, a contemporary romance does need to have certain basic elements, which I abbreviate by thinking of the acronym CLICK : conflict, longing, intimacy, climax, and kiss. I have to scramble the final three letters of my acronym in order to discuss these elements in sequence, but it’s a good memory tool. Conflict lies at the core of any novel, and in a romance it’s crucial. A romantic couple without any sparks is like Ashley Wilkes and Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind —nice and sweet, but boring. Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett But...