Iconic Reads In The Romance Genre

I was talking about my dream wall-shelves and that led to me playing with my older books.  I have many, most of them reissues, since I bought mine when I was in my early teens and the original ones are all probably lost in a drawer at my house in Malaysia (my mom is also a stasher).

Anyway, I thought I'd make a list of, IMO, the top  Iconic Books that changed/expanded/influenced the Romance genre. The list below is not in any particular order.

1) Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers
It changed everything.  Sweetness and light? Sorry. Here's the first taste of the Extreme Alpha Male, a hero that is thief, mercenary, bandido, everything a bad boy is.  I remember all my romance books afterwards changed direction in portraying the hero.

Today: No longer popular. Bodice-ripping and rape are considered politically incorrect, but I think it's making a comeback disguised as paranormal romance vampires and weres who could use supernatural strength and magic to bind the heroines.

2) Born In Fire by Nora Roberts
I think Nora's "Born In" trilogy made romance more mainstream. I've met readers who don't read romances who still read Nora today because of this book.  Also, this book made trilogies of connected characters popular.

Today: Nora is still the queen of trilogies ;-).

3) Naked In Death by J.D. Robbs
A modern futuristic with romance. Fast paced. Dark. Brutal. It's not your mama's romantic police procedural. I know truck drivers who read this series.

Today: So many tough heroines who carry the story. Some of them are too tough and their snarkitude grate.

4) Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann (actually tied with McKenzie's Pleasure by Linda Howard because they were both published in 1996)
Those of us who have never heard of SEALs and their speshulness would never be the same again. We don't need no mo cops. We want SEALs! A whole team, if possible, with one romance for each, with lots of heroic military action, please. We don't want the aftermath (war heros with PTSD).  We want them actively macho, waving weapons and making hot love.

Today: Oh man. Or rather, men in Spec. Ops. outfits. Cindy Gerard. Roxanne St. Claire. Marliss Melton. Cherry Adair. Many, many more.

5) Dark Prince by Christine Feehan
She started the whole trend of vampires that aren't really vampires. She made "mated" a religious incantation. She also made world-building a challenge for future authors of this sub-genre. How complicated can you make your blood-suckers universe? Umm. Sherrilyn Kenyon, anybody?

Today: Feehan's Carpathians are still going strong. Sherrilyn Kenyon. JR Ward. Kresley Cole.

6) The Ultimate Betrayal by Michelle Reid
This is the Harlequin Presents of Harlequin Presents.  It starts with the first two pages of the heroine finding out that her husband of seven years has cheated on her...and the whole book deals with the aftermath of this discovery. Although the heroine does come across as unbelievably naive and the very successful husband's ability to hide his family not probable in this day and age, this read packs an emotional wallop that still gets me today.  The confrontations were very realistic; the husband's guilt and angst very well done.  A classic read.  Haters of cheating in their romance will be surprised at the ending. It's not what you think.  I think this book gave permission to explore the heroine's position in a different light.

Today: I can't think of one Presents from then till now that equalled this one. A couple of Reids have come close. In spite of the "sameness," the Presents line has done different things through the years including a virgin hero. The authors of this line is also very long lived. I've been reading some of them since mid- to late 70s and they're still writing! I mean, wow. Reid. Graham. Bianchin. Thorpe. Donald. Mather. Forty years and counting, folks!

7) Bad to the Bone by Debra Dixon
A Loveswept that gave the heroine the power to kill.  The first assassin and not your namby-pamby virginal spy that you come across in your series romance these days. This heroine has angst in spades and her secret is not a baby. I loved this book. It gave me permission to write my kind of heroine.

Today: Many heroine-centric urban fantasies today. Many romantic spy thrillers.

8) Lord of the Storm by Justine Davies
Another classic that changed all futuristics, imho.  The heroine is the warrior commander.  The hero is a kept sex slave, with an electronic collar with which one could control his emotions.  He couldn't tell his feelings from the manipulated ones.  Space romance has never been the same. LotS opened doors for those who wanted more space SF instead of medieval-oriented planets with Conan/Fabio warlords who are into spanking.

9) Sinful by Susan Johnson
Her first book was Love Storm, but I think SJ hit her stride with this one. She started what is today known as romantica, a combination of erotic and romance. Her older books were meticulously researched, rich with historical flavor, and lush heroes and heroines.  Her sex scenes are epic and very, very naughty, and yes, being an erotic romance, her heroes are unconventional and...umm...long-lasting.  The historical genre has historically (heh) been hot reading, but Susan Johnson definitely upped it a notch. Several, actually.

I'll leave #10 for you to fill in.  I know many of you are long-time readers who have seen trends come and go.  Please add in the comments which of your reads would you consider an "iconic" book that changed/expanded the genre (creating over-saturation, but that's another topic!).

Also, if the past shaped our present genre, what do you think, looking at all the diversity, does the future hold?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on authors you've read that you think are different and made you rethink the romance genre.  This is a difficult one because we even have a Buffy the Vampire slayer mashed with Victorian era series!

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Zen and the Art of Writing Maintenance

A writer, new in her quest to take on writing as a career, asked me to give her ten rules/wise things to remember for the next ten years, since I've been around, to her knowledge, for that long.  That gave me a few moments of heart palpitations.  Geez. It's been that long?  Oh yeah.

Actually, I've been around longer, way before one could actually trace one's roots on the Internetal Wayback Big Brother Machine, but why let people know about my antiquity? I'll just pretend to be one of those Immortals I love reading about, morphing from one identity into another, living lives with no real roots ;-).

Okay.  Ahem. Ten rules/pieces of advice, she asked. I'll oblige to share my wisdom, with one caveat. The rules aren't set in stone and they might, depending on the direction of your writing career, even cause you to ponder your sanity for actually thinking you could make it.

Here goes:

1) Action is better than perfection.

2) Break your best writing friend's heart. Don't edit her. Make suggestions, but don't edit.

3) Don't ask for quotes from very famous authors you don't know who have personal assistants.

4) Plot matters. But it must also make characters interesting. Boring plot = characters standing around making noises.

5) Trilogies are for the brave. And the very famous. Unless you wrote all three books first.

6) Make your bed EVERY morning. The temptation to crawl into bed and pull the covers over one's head is always present, especially around deadline time.

7) Remember the paralysis of analysis.  Every page you print out for research, someone has already written another page.  Knowing everything about your topic will drown your story and kill your interest.

8) Remember to read a book for fun. Every roofstory is different and you might learn something cool. Or not. I can stand on the ground and look at a roof and know it's mine, and why I did certain things that way, and that's from walking on other roofers' finished roofs.

9) Know your editor. Know your business. And even then, when you least expect it, you'll get the equivalent of a silent movie's piano falling on top of you. Worse, it's your piano, for which you're still paying.

10) Your readers are not your personal psychiatrist. Share discriminately on the Net. Rant discriminately.

11) I'll throw in a freebie ;-).  Your Muse is not your bitch either.

There. The above has moved my writing journey along.  It's not a terribly exciting or new list of observations, I'm afraid, and there are actually quite a bit of in-between stuff that are missing.  Actually, the more interesting wise sayings have been left unsaid because wise sayings become gossip when names are thrown in, yes? ;-).

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Steampunk Confusion

The site, Regretsy, sells things.  And many of these things make one wonder.  And also not, if you had ever gone to yard sales and watched other people's junk being snatched up like treasures.

Anyway, Steampunk is being hailed as the new up and coming HOT TREND.  What is Steampunk, you ask?  Well, it's hard to pinpoint because many of the new books published under that heading have various twists of the founding (although they didn't coin the term) writers such as H.G. Wells and Mary Shelley.  Think Victorian age, steam-powered machines, and throw in some science fiction.  Many writers have incorporated alternative history and time travel elements, but definitely, the culture and feel of the setting is Victorian-ish, from fashion to speaking mannerism to architecture.

What has this to do with Regretsy?  Regretsy has a label at its site called "Things That Are Not Steampunk" which had me choking over my coffee.  First, they show the item for sale that the seller has labeled steampunk, then they used their own artists to render a Steampunk depiction using said Sale Item.

For example, ladies and gentleman, venture closer and marvel at the Steampunk Jesus Clock.

Real Item:

Regretsy's depiction:

You can read the hilarious comments HERE.  Personally, the hole where the hands are supposed to is very disturbing.  Also, why no hands?  You have to read some of the wittier observations, such as the hour the Lord is happy. *choke

Another item is this Steampunk Hat:

Okay, a space Jedi on a hat does not a Steampunk story make.  BELOW is Regretsy's depiction of this hat Steampunk-style:

You can check out the visitors' mockery HERE.

:D 

I suppose the readers' confusion will grow when more and more Steampunk books hit the shelves.  Especially when the werewolves and vampires start showing up.  Come on, you know they will.  Werewolves and vampires all wear Victorian clothes!  All righty, then.

Happy Labor's Day!

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Feed Me

I have two re-roofs to do before the end of the month when I fly off to the RT Convention in Columbus, OH. That's cutting it close, between weather, luck, and waiting for permits and inspectors. It's been back to working to 7 or 8pm at night this past week--not complaining but my body is! And tax time is coming up too! Why, why, why do pile-ups like this happen to me? :P

Anyway, here's a dateline assignment that you might be able to help me with. One of the Romantic Suspense panels I'm moderating is called Bond, James Bond, and I've invited three male and two female authors.

I have an idea about questions I'd be fielding, but would love to hear your suggestions too. From the topic, the general idea is to focus on the authors' main characters--how they work and why they work within their stories and how they appeal to the fans of those books. Just like James Bond, ya know? You hear the name, you immediately know who and what he is, and certain things about him appeal to different fans--his debonair suaveness for the players; his high-tech toys for the geeks; and his tall, dark, ruthless self for those of us that like eye candy with a dangerous flair.

So, if you could just throw me a couple of bones to gnaw on. Here are some general questions for you to get specific on, and the more specific, the better, since then I can steal your wonderful ideas to make my panel more interesting! It doesn't need to focus on the romance because a few of the writers aren't writing full-out romantic suspense. I'll expand more on the following questions afterwards so you don't just say "ditto" to my thoughts because that isn't going to help me at all, you know :).

1) What attracts you to the hero/heroine/main character?

2) Something characteristic

3) Bond kills. Killing factor in novels

4) Balance of romance and suspense. In Bond? Relationship? Growth?

5) Power balance

6) Point of View

7) Why you can't put the book down

It'd be so helpful if you could pick a couple of points and run with it here. I want the panel to be the Most Awesomest Evah. Ha. Actually, I want to engage my guests and the attendees in an interesting conversation that would give a clear idea why certain characters attract many readers/fans, thus giving those who are writing some insight into tightening their own novels as well as those who are just fans a good time discussing their favorite authors' characters.

Okay, then. I roof, you write.

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Question to Readers

An audio publishing company has approached me to get my works into Itunes, Amazon and Audible.com.

Question: Would you be interested in an MP3 (audio) file of Big Bad Wolf? Or any of the other books if I can get the audio rights back? My NY publishers hadn't put out any audio GLow books, so this seems like an interesting opportunity.

If you're interested and if you're an audio book buyer, do you prefer a male or female narrator?

Alsom I don't know what the pricing is like, so I'm going to have to research further. Any information you can pass on to me is appreciated!

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Numbers & Intentions

It never fails to amuse me. All I have to do is post sexy vege pictures and a Gerard Butler video and my site numbers spike up by hundreds. Many people from all over the world (Indonesia, I'm looking at you) are in love with Gerard Butler. I'm not sure what people have in mind when they google for sexy veges, LOL.

I know writers don't share sales numbers because of...I don't know...because of some unspoken professional rule, but since Big Bad Wolf was a self-pubbed experiment, I'll do so on my blog for those who are interested in whether this option is viable for you.

At the end of 2009, one year after BIG BAD WOLF came out, I've sold 700 copies, mostly through Amazon. Those that I sold from Createspace are mainly orders from overseas, especially from wonderful Australian booksellers who keep my Aussie readers Glow-happy and to whom I'm eternally grateful.

Overseas sales are about 100 copies, ordered by readers from Australia, Malaysia (yo, homies!), Singapore, Thailand, England, and France. I'm sure I missed a few international readers, especially Canadians, who ordered through Amazon, which I must seriously thank because I know the shipping charges got to be painful to the wallet.

When I started this project, my research said I could expect about 250 sales at most because, other than family and friends, self-published books aren't going to catch much attention. So that was my target. I figure I could possibly get 250 sales at 12 or 13 books a month.

My main worry was the price. Amazon takes a big chunk of the $11.55 price I put on the book, almost 80 percent. I needed to make back some money to:

1) prove that it's a business venture that can bring in profit
2) pay a bit of taxes (I didn't have a contract with Samhain when I started so I needed to show income for my GLow entity)
3) pay for the odds and ends, like the cover art and shipping charges

Most trade paperbacks are $14 and above. Most self-published books are set at incredibly self-delusional prices (some at US$40). I really tried to get it as close to $10 as I could, but couldn't do it at that time. I think, at this point, after a year, I can lower the price to $10.55.

My only problem was that I didn't know how to set my .pdf file into Amazon's .css requirement. Someone mentioned that Word would automatically do this but maybe it's a newer Word since my version (2003) doesn't seem to have this function. I just didn't have the time to sit down to learn. I'd love to be able to get on Kindle and sell it for $4 or whatever it was the wise and funny J.A. Konrath was teaching at his blog. Maybe that would be my 2010 goal...learn Kindle-ese.

Okay, that's my self-pub numbers in a few paragraphs. I'm not an expert. I mostly muddled through the process and did very little publicity except blog about it. The numbers stand on their own, with no big stores selling the book, no big push from anyone, a couple of wonderful reviews from Mrs. Giggles and Riley Merrick (sadly, I'm heartbroken, I couldn't get Harriet Klausner to give me five stars, heh), and no advertisement. All I had were my readers and I'm eternally grateful to everyone who ordered the book because you trusted my writing enough to know that I'd try my best to give you a worthy book. Thank you.

I think I'd try another self-pub book this year, so that I can LOWER Big Bad Wolf's price. Just to see whether Amazon would do a 2-for-1 sale or something like that. I'm curious at how they recommend their Createspace books. Besides, the income from those 700 books was enough to pay for most of my health insurance. So, yay. That was much, much more than my original 2 bks a month expectations, yes?

***********

Last year I also went epubbed for the first time. My New Year's resolution was to sell Virtually Hers by-hook-or-by-crook and I accomplished that in May, when the wonderful Angela James, then Samhain editor, bought my book.

Virtually Hers has been out three months and has done okay. Again, with a two-year lapse between Book 1 and Book 2, I wasn't expecting much, so was pleasantly surprised at the first month's sales number (in the hundreds). I'm looking forward to the print version of Virtually Hers coming out this August because I know many of my readers are waiting for the print format to read Jed's and Hell's continuing story.

Many readers are still not familiar with the e-book world. Or they don't hear much news about it. I get a number of emails a month asking where they could find Virtually Hers, after they googled the item and found that it was out in 2007. That's OLD news, of course, and I have to explain that THAT book never came out, and that it is now available through Samhain. Two out of three would then re-email me, confused about how to order the print book from Samhain, even though I've earlier explained that VHers was an electronic book first.

So, as an e-author, I've to learn how to communicate clearer about book formats and how the e-book world works (first e-format, then months later, print format). Most of my readers are looking for the print format and although some are willing to download the e-book, many opted to wait. I adore their patience. I adore their wonderful steadfastness. I adore that they keep looking for Gennita Low's books.

Many of my emails often ask about Alex's and T's story. I cannot tell you how popular these two are to readers and how many times I've to explain to them that although my agent is shopping their story around (with my proposal), she hasn't been able to sell it. And you know I love Alex and T as much as you do. I wrote their story in series-contemporary format years ago and even then they were special. I posted their original meeting a while back as a Christmas gift and I still get readers asking for a repeat after I've taken it off. I'll probably have to do it again.

So, anyway, I guess I should be bold and announce that my 2010 resolution is to get Alex's and T's story published by-hook-and-by-crook, eh? But I do have two projects that I need to get to:

1) For my agent, a new proposal about treasure hunters, with a spec. ops. flavor

2) For the self-pub, the Viking Dude urban-fantasy/alternative first POV story. It's not doing too well as a proposal, so I'm going to get it done (because I love my story) and put the first five chapters out for you to read free to see whether you'd like to continue. If there are enough thumbs-up, I'll self-publish it on Amazon.

Enough about boring numbers and intentions. Thought I'd share with you my 2010 writing plans after Virtually One (Samhain, hopefully late Spring 2010). I should be doing my first e-book signing at Romantic Times Booklovers Convention! Another first, and not sure what that entails. And yes, I'll be giving away free copies of Big Bad Wolf ;-).

For those who have requested, I'll put up the first chapter of T's and Alex's story again this afternoontomorrow (sorry, had to take off to measure a roof. In the cold, argh! And after that, I was so frozen, I was tempted into putting liqueur in my hot chocolate....) some time and put the link here. Stay tune.

Now, if only I could put a Gerard Butler original video in my ebook, you know I'm going to get some fantastic sales numbers :-).

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The Older You Get The Older The Hero Gets

As I slowly work my way through editing and updating Grace's story, a few things struck me about this particular manuscript.

1) The heroine is my youngest ever.
This being Grace--you know, Jed's daughter--she's a little different from most young ladies. She's around 22. Her story starts around five years after Big Bad Wolf. To give perspective, it's also roughly a bit after that period of time His Jedness gets entangled with a certain Hell ;-).

Anyway, the way Grace behaves and thinks is a challenge because she has that "I'm young and immortal" psyche crossed with "I'm uber spy's daughter and I've seen stuff" attitude. There are moments when she acts overly-confident thus driving her lover up the wall because he has trouble seeing her beyond that 22 year-old facade.

2) This is also the biggest age difference between h/h. The hero is around 31, nine years older than Grace. To the old girl in me, he's really just sliding into real manhood ;-) but while writing Grace, I have to see him through her eyes. When I was around 20, anyone 30 or older is out of my league and vice-versa. The nine-year age gap is bigger during that time than between a 26 and a 35 year-old.

So Grace (and I) has a lot of fun out-witting this poor OLD dude of 31 who doesn't know that he's messing around with Number Nine's daughter. Needless to say, the youth thing keeps tripping him up.

As you know, I wrote this book many years ago. I have to update the lingo and technology as I rewrite. It also made me think whether I could write another story with such a youthful couple. They are quite different compared to later couples I created who are a few years older. Grace doesn't have that sophisticated layer that her GEM friends have nor does she have any baggage. In fact, she's pretty well-balanced in spite of her strange upbringing. If you've read her in BBW, you'll find that she hasn't changed much since then.

My curiosity then is this--how old do you like your couples? Especially the hero?

When I started reading romances in my teens, the heroines were forever around 18 or 20, with the heros at the disgusting ages of 36-39. This vast difference in age was quite normal back then, and yeah, even though I loved those stories, I was always quite horrified at the thought of my hero being that OLD. When I returned to romances a decade later, a lot have changed, including the age difference. The heroines are now older too, usually between mid- to late- twenties. The heros are also younger, thank God. Reflection of the times and all that.

However, I'm now past the disgusting ages of 36-39 and suddenly, early forties heros are quite reasonably acceptable in my mind again ;-). Hey, early forties can be the new sexy, you know. Isn't that funny how that works?

So now I'm curious because I have both Grace-age readers and readers who are in that "disgusting" age group ;-). What do you younger readers think of the older heros? Conversely, what do you more, ahem, experienced ladies think of the younger heros? Admittedly, 31 here is quite acceptable, but I'm not sure whether I'd get into a romance with, let's say, a 25 year-old hero.

For example, the youngest hero I've ever read was in a Susan Johnson historical and he was a very, very, very, very, very, VERY experienced 18. I couldn't get into that story at all because well...18 is a BOY, no matter how sexy. I kept seeing my neighbor's son while reading it. Ugh.

I'm looking forward to reading about your take on hero's and heroine's ages/age difference, so please chime in.

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Post #3: Another Writing Question, Then

So now that you've defined urban fantasy to me, how is it different from a futuristic? See? I know nothing. NOTHING.

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Post #2: Little Uber Books

I love categories. A well-written and tightly-paced cat is so difficult, especially in the new shorter format. I used to read them a lot but haven't lately. Yesterday, I spotted four authors I really enjoy with books out and counting change (argh, quarters and dimes!), I had enough to scoop them all up!

The Martinez Marriage Revenge -- Helen Bianchin (Presents)
Mind Games -- Merline Lovelace (Romantic Suspense)
Danger Signals -- Kathleen Creighton (Romantic Suspense)
Sex, Straight Up -- Kathleen O'Reilly (Blaze)

Some of the big names today started from categories--Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Ann Stuart, Kay Hooper, Janet Evanovich, Iris Johannsen--just to name a few. Each of them contributed so much to the growth of the genre, with their unique voices. If you can get some of the older cats from the local UBS, try them. You'll see the first hints of the heros/heroines and themes in their later, bigger books.

I think I have 98 percent of all of Anne Stuart's books, all the way from the seventies. I love the way she broke the hero mold, bringing in the dark gothic anti-hero into my romances. She wasn't the first, of course (Bronte's Wuthering Heights!), but she was the first that gave me the happy endings I yearn for those poor, tortured males. And she's never sappy.

I also collect La Nora's cats, but man, those take up a lot of shelf space! I have most of the Flower Series. I also own some of her hard-to-find earliest books. I love her families--nothing like a NR family squabbling and loving scene. She's the best at cats and I wish she still writes them.

Another one whose style fits cats is Linda Howard. Not a wasted scene in her romantic suspense. I reread all her categories, especially her McKenzies. She taught me so much about balancing romance and suspense.

So many authors who have been on my to-buy category list: Donna Kaufmann, Judith Duncan, Suzanne Brockmann, Rachel Lee, Kylie Brant....If you have never read a Judith Duncan, you don't know what you're missing. A writer whose words drip emotion. Her books are keepers on my shelves.

Read any categories lately? Any authors you miss who aren't writing them any more? Share some titles?

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One Of Those Meandering Posts About Writing And Reading

Announcement first, long boring dissertation after that:

I found something interesting for those who are thinking about going to the RWA Convention in July:

***PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED***

Now that the prices for San Francisco are out, it might be a good time to enter the Valley Forge Romance Writers Rafflemania (yes, we do have alicense for this, and it's RWA approved):

Valley Forge Romance Writers Presents The 1st Annual VFRW Writer's Rafflemania!

The Prize$ 1,500.00 Check To Defray Your Costs For the 2008 RWA National Conference Fee! Held In San Francisco, CA July 30 - August 2, 2008. 4 Nights Hotel Accommodations! Roundtrip Airfare To San Francisco! Raffle tickets cost $5.00 each or (3) for $10.00.

Go to Valley Forge Romance Writers' website http://www.vfrw.com/ for information or send a self-addressed stamped envelope to VFRW Rafflemania, PO Box 248, Lenni, PA 19052.

Grand Prize drawn on March 28, 2008. Any checks received after March 1, 2008 will be returned. Prize is non-transferable. All entries must be postmarked by February 29, 2008.

Valley Forge Romance Writers' Rafflemania Rules:

The Prize: Winner will receive a check in the amount of $1,500.00 to be used for one 2008 RWA National conference registration fee, one single room, including tax, single room rate for July 30 through August 2nd, 2008 at the San Francisco Marriot, the conference location, and one round trip coachclass airfare. Winner is responsible for making their own reservations anditinerary. The total amount awarded will be $1,500.00 regardless of total cost of conference, hotel and flights to winner. No amount over $1,500.00 will be reimbursed and any extra monies due are the sole responsibility ofthe winner. Prize package is non-transferable for any reason andnon-refundable.

To Enter: All raffle sales are final. There will be no refund of raffle chances for any reason. By entering the raffle you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the conditions and rules as listed on the VFRW website and/or VFRW Rafflemania flyer. Raffle chances are valid only for the San Francisco, 2008 RWA National Conference. Contest is open only to residents of the United States and members in goodstanding of Romance Writers of America who are at least 18 years old as ofFebruary 29, 2008. All funds must be received in US currency drawn on a US bank or money order.

To enter USING WHITE 3"X5" CARD(s), Print The Following: Name, Address, Phone Number, RWA Number, Email Address. Place your raffle cards in an envelope along with a check or money order for the appropriate amount. Make Check or Money Order payable to: VFRW. Mail your 3"X 5" card(s) and check or money order to:

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P.O. Box 248
Lenni, PA 19052

A confirmation of receipt will be sent out via email but raffle chances will not be valid until all funds clear. If a check is returned for insufficient funds, the entrant will be notified by email that they are no longer eligible and the check will be shredded. It is up to the entrant to send another check to re-enter the contest (including any NSF fees incurred byVFRW) postmarked by the deadline of February 29, 2008. Any raffle entries received that are not on white, 3"X5" cards will be pulled, the entrant notified and given a chance to correct the error before the contest deadline. If the entrant does not provide the correct 3"X5" card entry postmarked by the February 29, 2008 deadline, the check will be shredded and the entrant will not be eligible for the drawing. The Drawing: All 3"X5" raffle tickets will be placed in a large bin for a random drawing on March 28, 2008. Winner will be notified by phone on or about March 28, 2008.

The Winner: For IRS tax purposes, the winner must supply in writing his/her social security number before receiving the prize check. A1099 form will be issued to the winner by Valley Forge Romance Writers. If the winner does not supply his/her social security number in writing by April 15, 2008 to the president, vice-president or treasurer of VFRW, the prize is forfeit. Any and all taxes are the responsibility of the winner.The winner agrees to allow VFRW to use his/her name and/or likeness for publicity purposes. Winner agrees to hold VFRW blameless for any credit card finance chargesincurred, and from liability for events beyond control, including an act ofGod, conference cancellation and/or hotel overflow. If the officialconference hotel site does not have any rooms available, the winner is welcome to make reservations at an overflow hotel; however, no amount above the $1,500.00 will be reimbursed.

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Super way to get some of those expenses taken care of some of the expenses, huh? I've already registered for Nationals, so I'm hoping to see some of you there too!

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I was talking to a friend of mine that, for the first time, I understood why some readers can't read First POV. First person point-of-view means a narrative that is told with "I" or "We," thus giving a sense of intimacy to the reader. The reader's focus is narrowed to just the main character and everything else depends on that character's ability to tell what's going on in the story.

When I started reading, first POV is mostly found in gothic novels, you know, the kind with the heroine in a flimsy dress walking in a dark danky castle while holding a small candle in one hand, with a brooding hero/monster probably lurking nearby. The first person POV worked in these stories because the heroine's fear enlarged her inner and outer demons and made me, the reader, really cared for her (in a way...if she's not too stupid to live...okay, she's already TSTL for walking around in a danky castle in her $235 Victoria's Secrets see-through cottons, but that's another topic).

These days, urban fantasies are written in first person too. I never had any problems identifying with the heroine of those stories. Kickass vampire slayer? Okay, go forth and stake some bloodsuckers. Falling for various weird species? Romancing with fang or fur? Not a problem making that leap of imagination at all. I follow the heroines through their trials and tribulations and cheer them on as they leave a path of blood in their wake. Their feelings for their supernatural heroes were identifiable to me.

Until Lilith Saintcrow's Danny Valentine series, that is.

You see, I still talk about this series a lot, especially with friends who are just reading the books. The world building is so complex (in a good way) but there are so many big holes caused by the heroine's inability to understand what was happening to her and around her that left me, as her reader, very frustrated.

I have many moments making personal yelling conferences with Dante Valentine. She is not a stupid character, not TSTL. Dante Valentine would not walk into a danky castle without her trusty sword. That's not the problem here. In these stories, she's connected/bonded with a demon from hell and other than in bed, did she have communication problems with her lover, or what!

I thought her very stupid on several important occasions. In fact, she was guilty of many things that make me cringe when it came to heroine antics: charging into some big action scene without adequately understanding a situation; not asking questions when the right time appeared; trusting the wrong people when they're WRITTEN SO obviously untrustworthy. In fact, when another character in the story said to her, near the end, that she "gets dumber and dumber," I actually jumped up from my seat and did a wave, yelling, "Hurrah, HE got it right!"

I love this series like an addict on crack, but the heroine damn near gave me brain seizures with some of her maddening blindness. I couldn't understand why she couldn't see what I saw. Then, lightbulb moment while talking to my friend.

Like I said in the beginning, I have had no problems whatsoever before reading first person POV. Most readers hate the limited knowledge but I was okay with it because in the past I was able to go along with the heroine on her journey as she learned about the other characters, as she made her mental leaps, and finally came to that magical moment near the end of the story where she and I go AHA!

My lightbulb moment clarified everything to me. My problem with the Dante Valentine first person thing is that I was able to be WAY AHEAD of Dante about so many things. I couldn't understand her inability to trust her demon lover in book after book as she kept making decisions to trust someone else, usually another demon. My initial reaction was, "Heck woman, he's a Fallen (in the story, a demon loses his power if he falls for a human); he's chosen YOU to spend eternity with...he literally can't live without you, so surely, you don't think he's going to kill you, right? I mean, maybe for one book, but three books later, you're still unsure?"

So, as a writer, I've learned something. POV is tied to pacing. If the reader is given too much room to speed up, she/he will get frustrated, especially in a complex world like the one Saintcrow built. Lastly, in a series, with so many unanswered questions, it's important to answer the main ones that's been voiced several times through the books. It's like a smoking gun. Showing it means it's got to be used some scenes down the road.

But with this particular use of first POV, I as the reader was never given the privilege to understand some of the "secrets" presented in the big story arc. I was frustrated because, for the first time ever, I felt that I was losing something without the Other Main Character's (the hero's) point-of-view. His actions and motivations appeared so clear TO ME, and therein lies the problem with first POV. If his actions/motivations are understood by the reader (me), and then the first POV (I, I, I) kept going on and on about being clueless, the reader (me) starts to gnash her teeth. And bang her head on the desk. And growl like a demon.

Because Danny was often second-guessing what was going on and trying to understand Hell's politics, it would have been so nice if just for a page or two, in between the intense angsting and even more intense action scenes, some of her questions were answered. However, I'm not sure she'll ever "get" her demon like I "got" him. That made me want to sit her down and give her a few clues.

;-)

I forget why I started this piece. Definitely, this is not to flog this wonderful series. For those who enjoy urban fantasy with lots of action and somewhat dark romantic elements, I highly recommend these books. They kept me enthralled for days, like early Anita Blake. I'm writing this to acknowledge that I now "get it," why first POV doesn't work for some readers. That's all.

Why do you think most urban fantasy use first person point-of-view, anyway? That's another writerly thing I always think about.

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Fangrrr Love

Now, after reading THIS BIG AUTHOR's rant about Nora Roberts which was deleted, I'm tempted to edit my play from last Sunday and add her for the More Cowbell scene. But really, you should just read this from Google cache:

When The Most Successful Author in Romance Judges Others

9:06 AM PST, January 11, 2008, updated at 10:03 AM PST, January 11, 2008
Hi, y'all. I debated whether to post publicly about this tempest in a teapot in the romance world, because the last thing I want is to be eviscerated by Nora Roberts' avid fangirls. But there's a quiet little stream of conversation in the world of romance writers as to why Roberts, unquestionably the richest, most award-winning, most successful romance novelist in the world -- in fact, one of the most successful novelists in the world, period -- hangs out at a blog site called "Smart Bitches," where the topics include open attacks on authors so far down the food chain that one wonders how Nora has time in her busy career to even notice they exist.

Now Roberts has weighed in (via an interview with the national press) on a controversy surrounding old-school historical author Cassie Edwards. I don't know Cassie Edwards; I've never read one of her many (nearly 100) historicals. But so far as I can tell she's a hardworking, 71-year-old author who's never slammed any other author in public. To the best of my knowledge Ms. Edwards is considered a rollicking good storyteller who likes to write westerns and pirate novels. She does not appear to have any pretensions, and her fans clearly love her books.

But -- according to reports launched by the Smart Bitches bloggers, who admitted beforehand that they don't like Ms. Edwards' old-style books, and have spent considerable time making jokes about them -- the author "plagiarized" bits and pieces of research material. The horrendous offense? Some passages about (I'm not kidding) buffaloes and ferrets. Looking at the passages myself, all I see is a writer who maybe should have paraphrased some research info a little better. I don't see malicious or greedy intent; I don't see "plagiarism" in any serious legal interpretation of the charge. If there's more to the issue than that, I haven't seen the evidence.

But I kinda doubt that Ms. Edwards' success is built on her nature writing. I kinda doubt she sat at her computer thinking, "If I use this other author's description of a buffalo, I'll sell ten times more books."

But now this grandmother (and accomplished violinist) is fielding national wire service inquiries about her alleged misdeeds. And Nora Roberts -- unsolicited, unharmed, with no personal beef with Ms. Edwards in any way, as far as I know -- has stood up atop her unassailable pile of money and awards to say -- in the national media --that Ms. Edwards appears to have committed plagerism.
Why does Roberts feel compelled to play lawyer, judge and jury regarding a fellow author? Roberts has achieved a level of good fortune 99.9 percent of authors can only dream about. But does that make her not only the spokeswoman for the romance genre, but also its enforcer of public condemnation for unproven offenses?

Not for me, and not for thousands of other hardworking authors trying to earn a living down here in the trenches, that's for sure.


Wow, huh. I'm speechless. BTW, the comments after this "new" post on Amazon were obviously addressing the original post above. They'll probably be deleted next ;-).

My deleted scene would definitely have:

La Nora standing "atop her unassailable pile of money and awards" saying something smartass ;-).

The big topic around the Internetz this weekend was about fangrrls. What is a fan/fanatic/fangrrl? It's a negative term these days because of the swarms that can attack your blog if you so much as say a bad thing about their favorite author's books. I repeat, in case it's not loud enough: BOOKS. B-O-O-K-S! Now, it's also a term tossed at readers who agree with an author's opinion. Opinion. O-P-I-N-I-O-N!

I'm so confused. So are we all a bunch of fangirls fighting, unable to think for ourselves? Am I crazy, but is it okay for some people to say something is wrong, but not others? I really don't get that. Sometimes, dealing with crapenters seems like a cakewalk.

Talking about fangirls, Bad Puppy (also now known as Horny Bad Puppy(TM))'s new year resolution is not to destroy any more of mommie's romance books:





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Uberly-Used Romance Terms

I've been having a weird puter issue for a few months now, but have managed to ignore it because it was bearable. For some reason, every time I access a few websites, e.g. Romancing The Blog, I get an error page. Or that the page doesn't exist. So far, this phenomena has happened with six or seven sites I've wanted to visit.

I have tried every way I could to see whether there is some kind of problem affecting my puter--trojans, Viruses, something--but to no avail. The only way I can access these sites is through an anonymous proxy, meaning the target sites then don't know it's my ISP that's dropping by. It's not as if I'm trying to hack into a non-public site; I'm talking about Jaci Burton's blog or Nalini Singh's website. Every time I type their URL, I get an error page.

It's a mystery to me why those sites are blocking me and what's causing it. I know it started happening around May 10, when I was in Colorado. Before that, I seemed to be able to surf anywhere I want.

Being me, as long as I could still get in through an anonymous proxy, I just continue my merry way. But the mystery of it all still bugs me. Computers--the most frustrating things in the world when they don't do what you want them to do!

If you have any idea how to solve this issue, please help!

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While traveling around the romance blogosphere, I notice some readers not familiar with the terms being tossed around by others while discussing romance books. So I thought it would I'd make a list of them here today. Most are self-explanatory.

1) HEA: Happily Ever After

This is the Must Have for all romances. If they end with a break up or a divorce, it is not considered a romance. The romance genre is often sneered at because of this one rule. HEA, according to sneerers, is just unrealistic crap, and that's why romance readers are stupid and naive. By the way, sneerers are usually bad logicians and have very odd stereotypical ideas about what romance readers/writers look like (hausfrau with no life).

But I digress ;-). Back on topic, HEA is definitely uniquely romance genre.

2) TSTL: Too stupid to live

Let's face it. Some of our heroine's decisions make them TSTL. This happens in movies too, like the heroine who decides to stay overnight in the house that starts talking to her. And hey, walk down into the dark basement in your see-through nightie, will you? Granted, I am more forgiving of those movies because most of them are written by males suffering from the delusion that half-naked damsels in distress screaming and being chased around is something sexy. In Romancelandia, however, not so much, since I expect a woman writing my kind of book would know better.

Unfortunately, there are many, many heroines who had been given TSTL status. Do you remember the one who insists on doing something dangerous on her own when she has been told to stay put? What about the one who calls the murderer to arrange a meeting behind the backs of those who protect her? And hey, let's not forget the one who keeps insisting on going after the bad guy without any weapons.

3) POV: Point of View

We are so used to reading the hero's and heroine's POV these days that we feel cheated if a book is just from one character's POV. Most romance readers, for some reason, hate first POV books. Urban fantasy, the latest hottest trend, is all about first POV. And romance readers as well as fantasy readers are scooping them up like hot buttered rolls from Ryan's. Huh. Go figure.

4) Mary Sue

When a book is obviously a wish fulfillment fantasy of the author's. The term started in fanfiction forums, in which you find the writer incorporating his/her fantasies through his/her character with a character from a favorite TV show or book.

5) H/H: Hero/Heroine

5) Duke of Slut: You know, that lord of everything, who just sexes up the entire London ton before the appearance of the heroine in his life.

6) Fake Rake: the opposite of the Duke of Slut, just all reputation, but really, he's not like dat.

7) The Big Misunderstanding: Obvious insertion when conflict is needed.

As in the scene when the hero walks in and sees the heroine drinking tea with his rival, he snarls out "Whore!" and stomps out, vowing vengeance, and promptly goes out on a date with the booby bimbo that has been hanging around the story waiting for this cue.

8) Purple Prose: very flowery and stilted language found in all kinds of books

In romance, though, there is a lot of eye-rolling when we read phrases like "purple helmeted warrior of love," "dragon of lust," "hot pocket of love," "dewy mound of heat," and "raging staff of desire." Wonder why? ;-)

Any other terms you need clarifying?

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Should Every Author See The Big Picture?

Thank you for the words of comfort here and through email. I'm sorry I can't answer every one of them at this time, but please know that I appreciate your reaching out to me. It's strange how you never know how much space your loved one has taken of your heart till he is gone. My heart aches.

But I'm doing okay. So.

Let's see, while I've been preoccupied, what was preoccupying the world(s) I walk in, eh?

For those in the know:

1) Sometimes it's best not to say a word when under fire. I lurv you, Sherrilyn Kenyon.

I'm not doing any links to this particular trainwreck that has been occupying the blogosphere for the last few days, but just google "big ass swan hat" and "costumes at RWA nationals." If you want to waste away an entire day of your life, there is a comment thread that's 634 comments long in a popular blog out there. Over a swan hat and two pairs of stockings on three authors.

Question: Should I worry every time I put on a big ass swan hat that I'm giving ammo to the critics of my genre, bringing back memories of Barbara Cartland and her pink poodles? Check out these old publicity photos of eight very famous authors in 1981:

EIGHT WHO WRITE OF LOVE FOR MONEY

You see what I mean now?

OTOH, today's readers are more "diverse" because the genre has spider-webbed into other genres (there was no urban fantasy in 1981, sweeties, and a heroine sleeping with more than one man/specy would have gotten your books banished from romancedom). What IS the face of romance, barring the stupid intelligentsia who insists on bringing up Fabio with every discussion? So thirty years ago. But. The image persists. It doesn't bother ME, but it bothers a heck of a lot of people, very, very smart people who defend this genre at every opportunity.

I admire them, truly I do. Nobody wants to be looked down upon, especially by their loved ones at home, who mock them of reading "trash." I have no solution to this dilemma, since I have never been in their position. Hey, I'm a roofer. My workers can barely read. And my other friends are supportive and friendly about my writing. They may make fun of the love scenes once in a while, but I've never felt a need to defend myself. I just ask them whether they thought reading the love scenes was hotter than watching McDreamy slipping off Mere-Death's panties on TV.

2) For those who wish to know why Karin Slaughter's wishing herpes on any reader who tell anyone about how her latest book ends:

Quoting specifically from her site: "© Karin Slaughter. Please do not copy, duplicate or otherwise disseminate any of the contents of this letter. If you do, you are a total jackass and I hope you get herpes."

Since her letter starts right after that warning I'm hoping my quoting those lines exclude me from jackassdom and herpes.

YOU CLICK ON THIS LINK, YOU'RE AGREEING TO READ ABOUT ITS CONTENTS THAT MIGHT CAUSE YOU STRESS ABOUT HER NEW BOOK WITH ITS SHOCKING ENDING.

http://karinslaughter.com/spoiler/spoiler.doc

3) Talking about shocking endings, was there really one in the last saga of Harry Potter? Were you really shocked? I mean, at least there's no shocking death of a major character, is there?

Question: Regardless whether it's a romance or not, how do you feel when an author in whom you've invested, oh, ten books of your time and love kills off the beloved characters (say, Harry himself)? Would you feel horrified? Disgusted? To the point of needing to scream at the author? Lest you think what an author does to his/her character shouldn't affect the readership (and sales), let me bring up the example that when Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes in 1893 in a story published in Strand magazine, TWENTY THOUSAND upset readers cancelled their subscriptions.

So. What if J.D.Robbs killed off Roarke in Book #44 because it was time to push Eve's growth? Are you hyperventilating yet?

It does happen in romance books. Lately, there seems to be a trend. One I remember that brought about passionate cries from readers is Cameron Dean's vampire series. She killed off the hero in Book Three after two very hot books of hero/heroine growth. There was carnage in the forums, let me tell you. For those who loved this series, did Ash's death bother you?

For myself, I readily admit that I'm a romantic. I have enough pain from the real deaths of loved ones; I don't need to read about my beloved fictional characters' deaths too. Yes, me hypocrite, since I kill people, especially bad guys, in my books ;-). But I'm not going to invest my soul into creating the loving relationship of two people for a few books and then destroy it with a violent death. Why be cruel to myself and my readers?

And oh, I learned a new Web acronym. YMMV (Your mileage may vary).

YMMV, of course.

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Uber Spies Don't Have This Problem

Whoa, I just traveled around and personally saw some of the damage the recent tornadoes caused. Scary. The builder I work for has a feature called hurricane/tornado room, where a family can secure itself. But, the tornado hit at 4am, when everyone was sleeping. So...does that mean that every time there is a violent storm at night, the whole family has to sleep in the one tiny room?!

We don't really get that many tornadoes down here in Florida, but yeah, when they happen, instant damage. We had a mild hurricane season last year, so this was Nature's way to balance it out, I guess. I hope my Florida readers are all okay.

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Regarding the title of this post, I meant to add: Not human uber-spies anyway. The things an author must do to accommodate her non-human lovers....I'm in awe at the imagination of those wonderful paranormal authors who have gone in romanceland where I never thought was possible ;-).

We were cracking up over shapeshifter paranormal romance books that have barbed penises and how our NHAH (Non-human Alpha Hero)'s penis would be too painful for his poor human heroine, remember? ;-) I was just googling about cats in heat, for research, ahem, and found the most hilarious information site about how How To Calm A Cat In Heat. If you care to click on the link, be sure to read about the rotating Q-tip method. And the description of a female cat's orgasm. OMG. And do scroll further down and check out the entry where the poster is questioning her porno-relationship with her cat due this experience. LOL.

You cat people. Just get a dog. Bwah. Okay, so we have the male dog whining thing going but that's nowhere near as bad as yowling. And, I've never used a rotating Q-tip on my female furbabees, thank goodness. Squick!

But you see, that's the kind of research a writer must ingest because she needs authentic worldbuilding. I was thinking, if the shapeshifter is a female cat, would she go in heat every freaking two weeks?! That would be horrible for the poor heroine. And tough to write about! Furthermore, the queen (female cat) is a bit on the promiscuous side, mating with numerous willing dandies for five whole days, so that could be a problem with the mating for life sort of romance we like to read, eh?!

Then, I found out about the TEASER TOM. He is the stud muffin without the sperm. Oh my. He's gone through vasectomy but his testicles and barbed hoohoo are intact, so he can still perform. He has one job--to pleasure the queen while she's in heat without inpregnating her. Five times a day, if necessary! Whoa.

Can you see this erotica world I'm jotting down notes for? My non-human heroine, the cat shapeshifter, will need the service of a Teaser Tom every three weeks!

In the real world, we'd just spay the cat so we could have some peace and quiet but then she won't want sex or loving any more, and how is a writer going to write about a romance without those two elements?! My mornings are filled with such wonderfully complicated thoughts, aren't they? ;-)

You know, I wouldn't mind having a teaser tom of my own. Preferably, one who looks like this:

Next really interesting topic to discuss: knotted penises. LOL.

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Uber Penis Description, or Should Penises Look Human?

Ha, how should I label THIS subject, New Blogger? :-P

I need your honest opinion about some really deep thoughts about certain elements in our romance genre. Our genre has really, really grown, expanding into sci-fi, fantasy, and horror territory, with intricate worldbuilding that has grown from what I fondly call the "medieval alien from some other dimension here to kidnap and breed with his mate" to really layered heroes, from were-animals to demons, who really display that side of their nature and never stray away from the fact that they aren't human. That is to say, their appetites--physical and sexual--are reflective of what they are. The werewolf would do it in a certain way; the demon another; the vampire yet another.

The question is about the, ahem, hoohoos of our Non-Human Alpha Hero (NHAH).

In the days of "medieval alien," he was always pretty much Fabio in disguise with just violet contact lenses. LOL. Okay, I'm not going to cite any examples or incite any fans into bashing me. I'm truly not bashing because I love paranormals and fantasy romance and read them the most compared to other lines.

Today's NHAH, though, is written in a more "realistic" way. LKH's Jean Claude, the sexy vampire, is really depicted as a corpse when he sleeps. When the heroine, Anita Blake, touches him, she talks about how cold he feels. Of course, blood heats him up, but that only emphasizes his non-humanness.

After all, a walking dead hoohoo would look like a human hoohoo, so for those of us who can suspend their disbelief and not get grossed out about our heroine sexing it up with a walking corpse, we can accept their coupling. But then there's the were-animal NHAH. In most romances, the authors have the sex done in human form, so I, the reader, am still in a happy place enjoying the story.

My good friend, the wonderfully talented (and beautiful and sweet and yes, I hate her) Marjorie Liu, pushed the envelope in Tiger's Eye, her first published novel, when she had Hari in half-animal form while he was in bed with the heroine. It was very nicely done and I had no problem with it, but I remember that scene became a conversation piece in one of the forums I hang out in because everyone wanted to know whether Hari's hoohoo was in were-tiger form or not. I mean, have you ever seen a cat's hoohoo when they are, ahem, excited? A Big Cat's Hoohoo has got to hurt, yo (Yes, Marjorie, I have demented friends but we all LURV AND ADORE YOU).

Then lately, I've read a few reviews that brought up even more details describing the hoohoo of the NHAH. For instance, a barbed penis. I read this while drinking coffee. Never read about a barbed penis engaging in human encounters while drinking coffee. I think I still have some caffeine stuck behind my eyeballs.

A barbed penis? With a human heroine? Ow, ladies, ow.

Are we stepping into TMI territory? Obviously, we're reading about the supernatural here, so we have to accept some out-of-the-ordinary details, but must we go that way in love scenes? Will a hero's barbed penis engaging in romantic human love stop your reading pleasure for...oh a few minutes? Or are you able to continue without a flicker of your worldly eyelid?

I'm not being judgemental here. I'm just wondering how old-fashion I am. I'm having painful moments writing about seduction in a virtual reality environment where the sex is all in the mind because I know some readers are going to object to the way I'm doing it (yes, I know, the writer is supposed to write the story and not worry about her readers but nonetheless, outside the box is outside the box and I'm aware of how far out of it I can push certain readers before they refuse to budge. Especially in a romantic suspense).

I laugh at the thought of a naughty scene with a barbed penis, but I can't help but wonder what the next bold description of the hoohoo of a NHAH would read like. Green, with stripes? Scaley (Hey, you laugh, but there's already a female demon making love in scaled form--talons, forked tongue, red eyes and all--and the hero loving it)? Double-jointed? Wait, wait, double hoohoos, one higher one lower? One with bunny ears, ala the Rabbitator?

Can you come up with some good description for a NHAH's hoohoo? ;-) Your imagination must be better than mine if a barbed penis didn't even faze you.

Read about any good penises lately?

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