Getting to know me: Francesca’s Mindstream 2014

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I’ve done a lot of blog interviews over the years, each time offering a little view into my writing process or my personal history. I just assumed the interviews would be up forever, because the internet is forever, right? Well, sort of. Blogs go cold or end entirely, which means one wouldn’t get a chance to read the interview ever again!

This post is the first of a series where I re-post my old interviews from other people’s blogs. I thought it might be fun for my readers to get to know more about me, and for me to see how far I’ve grown and changed as a writer. Most interviews are done as part of book promotion, so I’ll note which book I was promoting at the time. Continue reading →

Love in the Time of COVID-19

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The world is currently a very stressful place with the COVID-19 pandemic. In the United States, and elsewhere, we are being asked to self-isolate which means hunkering down at home. For introverts, which many romance readers are, finding an activity to pass the time while being at home is not difficult. Romance readers will be reading romance, attacking their To Be Read piles with a vengeance.

But small brick-and-mortar businesses and people whose livelihoods depend on in-person interaction are already, and will continue to be, greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Brick-and-mortar businesses, such as your local bookstore, rely on foot traffic and in-person purchases. No customers means no sales. Many people forced to stay home cannot work remotely and will lose income. No income means no book purchases.

How can romance come to the rescue? Continue reading →

NaNoPrep2019: Victorian erotic romance! Plus NaNoTips!

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It’s preparation time for NaNoWriMo, an event also known as NaNoPrep. So, what do I have for NaNoPrep2019?

Another Victorian art world erotic romance with seasoned characters! Yay!

I have a rough outline (yes, I am somewhere in between a plotter and a pantser. So, like, a plotser.). I’ve made a fake cover. I have a working title.

Introducing my 2019 NaNoWriMo novel: An Improper Association (Art & Discipline Book 3). Continue reading →

Preorder Ancient Shorts! 5 hot stories for chilly weather!

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Ancient Shorts: An Ancient World Romance Collection is now available for pre-order! This collection features all five of my Ancient World erotic romance short stories, tales of discovering love in times long ago in Imperial Rome, Parthian Ctesiphon, and Byzantine Constantinople.

Pre-order now for only 99¢!

Then, on release day October 29th, as autumn descends, bringing with it cool and chilly weather, curl up with your ereader and warm up with these hot stories! Continue reading →

Romancing the Throne, Part 2: The Eunuch’s Submission

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In the opulent palace of Ctesiphon, the capital of ancient Parthia, lives a princess who searches for the stolen throne of her kingdom, the sella regia. She engages the services of a palace eunuch in her quest, a handsome and astute advisor. Over the years, respect and esteem transform into love, love deepens into trust, trust sparks sexual exploration.

Thus is the set up for my two short stories “An Unexpected Discovery”, an erotic romance, and the follow up, “The Eunuch”, a BDSM flash fiction erotica short. In “An Unexpected Discovery” the Parthian princess Roedogune searches for the sella regia with the assistance of Arashis, the eunuch assigned to her by her husband. It’s an erotic romance, so it’s not really giving it away to say Roedogune and Arashis end up together — romance is about the emotional and physical journey since readers already know there will be a happily-ever-after.

Creating a romantic connection between characters is what a romance writer does. And sometimes that writer is given an opportunity to explore the relationship beyond the happily-ever-after, to take a peek into the life of a couple after that first flush of excitement.

Continuing a romance is especially wonderful if the characters are beloved characters, more so if these are characters who almost did not make the page. Continue reading →

Preorder Resistance: A Common Elements Romance!

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Announcing the launch of the Common Elements Romance Project with the preorder of Resistance!

Resistance: A Common Elements Romance, an enemies-to-lovers contemporary seasoned romance, will be one of the first Common Elements novels to be released! And it’s available for preorder now at only 99¢!

Passions flare when duty confronts ambition… Continue reading →

Preorder Modern Shorts! Your next summer vacation read!

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Modern Shorts: A Contemporary Romance Collection is now available for pre-order! This collection features all five of my contemporary romance short stories, tales exploring the possibilities of love in this modern age. It’s perfect for your next summer vacation read!

Pre-order now for only 99¢!

Then, on release day July 30th, grab your ereader and head for the beach, the mountains, a pool-side patio, wherever! Continue reading →

Definitions: Erotica, Erotic Romance, Steamy Romance (Reprise)

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In a couple of discussion forums I’m on, the question of what is erotic romance vs. what is steamy romance has come up yet again.

As a writer of both, and of erotica, I know the answer. I wrote a blog post about it way back in 2015. Since some parts of that post are no longer relevant (especially the bits about a now-defunct publisher), I decided it was time to reprise my definitions post, with some updates.

I’ve been writing erotica, erotic romance, and steamy romance for well over a decade, and am mystified (and annoyed) that our industry has not yet solidified the definitions of these genres. Does definition diminish creativity? Not at all. What it does is help industry professionals better understand what is being written, marketed, and sold. With definitions, the industry as a whole would be on the same page. Continue reading →

NaNoPrep2018: A(nother) Victorian spanking novel! #NaNoPrep2018

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I have a title! A hero and heroine! Plus a fake cover! I’m still working on the blurb and the outline!

That’s right — it’s October and that means NaNoPrep2018 (also called Preptober and NaNoPlanO) for National Novel Writing Month 2018!! Continue reading →