5 Ways I’ll Enjoy the RT Booklovers Convention Differently This Year

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Last year I attended the RT Booklovers Convention for the first time. I thought I was prepared. Sure, Elizabeth.

First, the event was so much more fun than I anticipated. Everyone was friendlier and more helpful than I expected. The books and swag giveaways were greater and the sessions and parties were grander than I could have imagined. So, this year, well…

1. I’ll be smarter about shoes. Everyone meant it when they said wear comfortable shoes. Even the kitten heels are staying home this year. Okay, maybe I’ll bring one pair of heels for the parties. I’m not going to be shy about slipping them off mid-dance, however.

2. I’ll prepare for goodies. Forget bringing the perfect wardrobe. Make sure you have room in your suitcase to bring home the books and tchotchkes. To this day I regret leaving a load of fun things for the maids to divvy up. Especially the little lava lamp from the Ellora’s Cave party. Not this year. I’ll pay the extra baggage fees to haul them home!

3. I’m talking! Last year I was too shy to utter a word to authors I’ve been following (okay, stalking) for years. There they were in the flesh – being lovely and generous and accessible. I froze. Not this year, baby. See that woman running to the front of the room to gush and genuflect before the famous author? Yeah, that’ll be me.

4. I’ll be at the hotel  bar a little bit more. It’s the happening place. Authoress Lynne Connelly spoke at the session for first-timers (go to that if it’s your virgin voyage!), and she gave this advice. She was right.  I met a dozen fellow readers and writers at the hotel bar. Pull out your kindle or iPad (or rolling suitcase of books) and compare bookshelves. It’s a blast! I must have downloaded ten books in the time it took to down one glass of wine. (For those of you who know me, you’ll recognize this as fast.)

5. I won’t be shy about talking about my own work. I’m still going to RT as an “aspiring author,” because my writing doesn’t come out for months. But, rest assured I’ll be telling anyone who asks how to access my books and short stories. My business card this year is a tad more helpful, including links to here and other places. I guess that’s a round about way of saying, once again, I won’t be as shy.

Okay, writing and reading friends, here I come! I hope to see you there.

My Beloved, Bloated E-Reader. Long May It Reign.

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I have so many books downloaded onto my iPad – using both the iBooks and Kindle apps – I’m surprised I can lift the darn thing. I’ve been hearing this mysterious new term lately – Kindle fatigue. What the heck is that? You mean people actually are tired of amassing a library of books? Not me. Bring it. In fact, I get a little itchy when the queue thins. I mean, what if I’m stuck in an airport or doctor’s office with no wi-fi and I can’t download anything and – gasp! – I don’t have at least 50 books to choose from? Perish the thought.

 What about you? How many books to you have on your e-reader? Can you have too many?

Hello Hollywood!

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Great Material Over Here!

Do you ever wonder why your favorite erotic romance novels aren’t made into movies? Yeah, me, too.

Okay, they’re making that “one” movie that we all know about. (In case you live under a rock in a cave in the deepest recesses of the Pacific ocean, it’s the movie with “50” and “Shades” in it.) But, what about all the other films that could be made?

So, I penned this open letter to Hollywood. Because you know they are waiting with baited breath to hear from me, after all, right?

Dear Hollywood,
Let’s face it. You’re in a bit of slump. You’ve made, re-made, re-imagined and basically regurgitated every other concept, story and idea I’ve seen in my, ahem, years on the planet. I mean, do we really need another Superman movie? No offense to those time-honored stories. (Henry Cavil, if you are reading, I really, really didn’t mean to insult your turn to play Superman. I think you should play one of my heroes, actually. Call me.) Hey, there’s an idea. Superman in an erotic romance! But, I digress.

Making an erotic romance movie would be new. And, exciting. And, fun. And…well, new.

Let us assess the facts, shall we?

1.     The romance category is the second best seller of all book genres, and the erotic category is building some serious steam around being a favorite genre in that category. This means choices, materials, and fans. Speaking of which…

2.     The fans of romance border on the obsessed. Seriously. We put NASCAR to shame. We love an author? Well, hello backlist. We order and preorder books, stalk authors on Goodreads, and leave gushy emails and Facebook posts on their fan pages. We are in a word: loyal. Hello, Hollywood! Built in audience over here!

3.     Sex has always sold. If a movie studio is filming that “one” movie aforementioned, they can certainly make a movie from a novel by Sylvia Day, Beth Kery, Joey W. Hill, Patricia A. Knight, Kresley Cole, Cecilia Tan, Lisa Renee Jones, ohh, jeez, I’ll stop there if I have to. A plethora of authors await your attention.

4.     The sets are pretty easy, except when they won’t be. Hear me out. Sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal could get pretty location-heavy. But, hey, that means it’s a blockbuster. You like those, right? If not, many erotically-charged novels are set in just one place: the bedroom, the playroom, the [insert room of choice]. Consider these the “little films,” the ones that win Academy Awards. Unless, the big blockbuster wins it first. In other words, an erotic romance film could be anything we’ve seen bestowed with gold statues.

5.     So many genres to choose from: Sci-fi. Paranormal. Fantasy. Contemporary. Historical and Regency. Cowboy. Steam punk. I won’t list them all here. But, there are at least two dozen more. I also won’t get into ménage, same-sex, happy ending, downer endings and more. Erotic fiction’s colors and layers rival general fiction. Your choices are endless.

6.     Series potential. So, I mentioned the loyal fan base. Well, so many erotic romances go on and on and on and… Well, you get the idea. We fans love our happy endings. We love our continuing happy endings even more.

I could continue, but I think you get the drift, Hollywood. So, let me know when you’re ready. I await with my wallet in hand. In the meantime, you’ll find me over in the corner reading or writing.

Smoochies!  

Why Write Erotic Romance?

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Very few people know my real identity, but the handful of friends who do have asked me (more than once), why write erotic romance? Why not write general fiction? Good question.

It’s because my characters tell me what to write. They are passionate (albeit fictional) people. They talk to me. They challenge. They refuse to go quietly. They have stories, and they want them told. They also have a lot of sex.

My alpha hero dominants are the most vocal. They insist I get everything right. I swear sometimes I feel hands descend on my shoulders as I type. They let me know when I veer off course – their course.

Naturally, my heroines have their own version of the story. They are spirited and independent, though they are willing to discuss where they might go next, hard and soft limits, and even wardrobe choices. The heroes? Not so much. They demand. Perhaps that’s why I find the male point of view faster to write.

And, write I must. The greater question is: would it be possible to NOT write erotic romance? No, it would not be possible. My mind fills with scenes, dialogue, silk panties begging to be ripped off, candles extinguished from bath water splashes, and commanding Dominants fulfilling fantasies of willing submissives.

I have dictated dialogue between characters into my iPhone as I drive. I have tapped out possibilities for scenes on my iPad in airports. I have annoyed my husband to no end by snapping on the nightstand light at two a.m. to scribble an idea on the notebook that is never, ever far from my grasp. I simply have to get it out of my head.

Never is anyone stripped to their essence more than when fulfilling their most primal urges. They swoon, they mate, they take and they give. My character’s erotic encounters are often both the beginning and the end of how they relate to one another. They show me how intimacy can be the light and can be the dark. Yet, they crash into one another again and again in hopes of finding that final, passionate communion.

So, that is why I write. It’s an obsession, one to which I’m happily addicted. I am honored they allow me to be part of their journeys.