NaNoPrep2023: The Rebellion Begins

I have participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) since 2006. So this November, 2023, will be my 18th NaNoWriMo.

Holy Wow. That’s a lot of novels.

No, really, it is. I have nine (yes, 9) unfinished novels. And they are really good novels. Eight are related to existing series. (The standalone is 2021’s Super Sekrit Steampunk novel.)

So I came to the conclusion that I really, really, REALLY need to finish these novels. And I really, really need to spend my NaNoWriMo November writing time to achieve this goal rather than starting more new novels. Continue reading

Sex and the Seasoned Romance

In 2018, I was on a Seasoned Romance panel at the Emerald City Writers Conference. My topic was “Sex and the Seasoned Romance”. I was recently reminded of this presentation when another author posted a rather shocking comment in a seasoned romance author discussion group I am no longer a member of:

“I would not write an erotic romance about an older couple…simply because there’s a level of maturity that makes their sexual relationship much deeper and more meaningful, because of all they’ve been through.”

Uh…that’s exactly why an author can write a seasoned erotic romance! Or even just sex scenes featuring seasoned characters.

I’m still trying to get my head around what this author might have meant. Does she think “erotic romance” means lots of vacuous, meaningless sex? Because that’s not what an erotic romance is at all. In fact, the “maturity that makes their sexual relationship much deeper and more meaningful” feeds into what an erotic romance is: a sexual journey leading to a happily-ever-after. Continue reading

Getting to know me: Betty Bolte’s Musings 2020

This re-post of an interview I did with romance author Betty Bolte is the fourth in a series of blog interviews I’ve done over the years. The first post explains my purpose.

Betty Bolte’s Interview

Today’s post is from a 2020 interview I did for Betty Bolte’s blog to promote Resistance. Betty is one of the authors who participated in the Common Elements Romance Project, and she generously offered space on her popular blog for her colleagues. Continue reading

Getting to know me: Gemma Snow’s Interview 2017

This re-post of an interview I did with erotic romance author Gemma Snow is the third in a series of blog interviews I’ve done over the years. The first post explains my purpose.

Gemma Snow’s Interview

Today’s post is from a 2017 interview I did for Gemma Snow’s blog to promote The Westerman Affair when it was originally published by Loose Id. I met Gemma Snow virtually as a fellow Loose Id author. Loose Id is a now-defunct publisher, and both Gemma and I have republished our books.

The Interview

I got to sit down with Regina Kammer to talk writing, inspiration and her new book, The Westerman Affair! Continue reading

Getting to know me: Cameron Allie’s Author Spotlight 2016

This is the second in a series of posts re-posting blog interviews I’ve done over the years. The first post explains my purpose.

Cameron Allie’s Author Spotlight

Today’s post is from a 2016 interview I did to promote my novella Undamaged way back when it was part of Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World (I have since re-released it). I met Cameron virtually in the Romance Writers of America (RWA) erotic romance chapter Passionate Ink. She graciously offered to host me on her blog. Continue reading

Getting to know me: Francesca’s Mindstream 2014

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

NaNoPrep2019: Victorian erotic romance! Plus NaNoTips!

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) (and check out my fake NaNoWriMo cover!). Continue reading

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

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

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

Republishing Madness: Two steps forward, one step back, but still moving

For the last three years of my author life I’ve felt like Sisyphus pushing a stone up a hill, only to have it roll back down, thus negating any progress. It has been very frustrating, to say the least. Instead of writing, I’ve spent time and energy (and money) republishing novels and stories. Too often, I think I have given a story a good home, only to find it orphaned.

Republishing involves: re-editing (sometimes editing out a publisher’s style and reasserting my own); new covers; possibly new blurbs; ebook formatting; paperback formatting; new ISBNs (stupidly expensive in the US); uploading to retailer sites; plus promotion, promotion, promotion.

Basically everything an author has to do when self-publishing, except all of that stuff had already been done and now you have to do it all over again. Sigh. Continue reading