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Some of you know I'm a Kresley Cole fan. And a Gena Showalter fan. Well, Kresley's new book is out, Pleasure of a Dark Prince. I've preordered the book ages ago, so I'm hoping Amazon doesn't mess me around again, as usual. To commemorate the release, Gena Showalter has a fantastic contest on her blog, but even if there weren't any prizes… I had to spread the word a bit anyway. Kresley Cole does it for me, her heroes are scrumptious, the books dark, yet full of fun and off-the-wall moments (and characters!), so yeah… they are all in a neat line on my shelf here. You can read an excerpt on Kresley's Site, or if you trust me to steer you in the right direction — click here to order the paperback, or here to order the ebook. Go on, treat yourself! |
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I promise you won't regret it.
14
Feb
First of all…
Happy Valentines Day.
As a romance writer, naturally I had to blog about it, but really, it won't be what you expect me to say.
I'm supposed to gush, and go all lovey dovey, I think. True love and all that… Well.
When I grew up, Valentines Day was about secret admirers, not about flowers and chocolates.
It was about sneaking an unsigned message to someone you fancied, someone you wanted, but who didn't notice you. It was about letting them know someone is in love with them, without telling them who. It was up to the object of your desires and fantasies guessing it was you, and declare they felt the same about you. (Or not.)
It was never about hassling your boyfriend/husband/lover to get you something special.
I sat at work the other day and two of the guys were having a discussion about what women expect. I heard my name mentioned and naturally I paid attention.
Turns out they wanted a woman's perspective.
I said I'm the wrong person to ask, because I really don't give a damn about Valentines Day. Couldn't care less.
There were two very stunned guys staring at me.
"What? Are you serious?" one said, eyes wide.
"Yup. It's all hype and forced and it was never about getting presents." I replied.
"Will you marry me?" one of them said.
I laughed and let them get on with it.
Seriously though, listenting to my colleague… wow. What has Valentines Day come to?
What good is a forced declaration of love? Isn't it something that should come from the heart, regardless of the date?
We don't bother with Valentines Day. No cards, no flowers, no chocolates. Nada.
I much prefer the way it works with us. My better half came home with a tub of meat salad once and I was totally over the moon.
There used to be a meat salad where I grew up, and I could never get it here. For him to find it, and remember that I like it, and get it for me means SO much more than any flowers on Valentines Day.
It means he was in the supermarket, and he was thinking about me.
Sounds trivial, doesn't it? But really, isn't that what we want? What does it say about our relationship when you remember little things, stuff that gets overlooked and forgotten, a gesture, a dish, a favorite scent? I've been with him for over twenty years — and he remembers a meat salad I used to like some 18 years ago.
He knows the things I like, I know the things he likes. So occasionally, when we see something and remember, we'll get it for each other.
Sod Valentines Day, seriously. Give me what I got any day of the year.
Think about it. Think about what your guy does without you asking him, think about the little things he remembers. That's how they show they love you, not with massive bouquets of flowers, red roses, a romantic dinner. That kind of stuff makes guys utterly uncomfortable, and they get really insecure and panicked by the prospect of "doing it wrong" on Valentines Day.
They don't forget, they know it's Valentines Day, they just don't know how to deal with it.
A pretty flower picked by the side of the road and brought home to you says much more than a dozen red roses on Valentines Day. (And who cares if the pretty flower is a weed. Put it in a vase and say thank you. Your guy actually picked a flower for you.)
Cut them some slack. 
8
Jan
…might contain clockwork laptops and steam driven airships.
Yup.
Steampunk.
As one of my fellow critters asked the other day: "What on earth is it?"
Steampunk is a sci-fi subgenre, based in a world where the future has collapsed and silicone, plastic and any other modern technology has been replaced by — you guessed it — steam powered, clockwork driven gadgets made of brass and copper.
The world is a re-invented Victorian era, complete with long dresses, walking sticks and whatnot.
Never mind that those long skirts are held up by leather and brass buckles big enough to knock out even the most courageous mugger.
We're talking about a very dystopian world, where anything goes, as long as it involves brass bolts, clockworks, steam and copper screws.
And let's not forget the funky goggles!
In case I've whet your appetite… here are some images of Steampunk gadgetry:
Cool, eh?
The idea has been around a long time, if you want to get right down to it, H.G. Wells and Jules Verne were the grandfathers of the genre.
You've guessed it. The Nautilus… is a steampunk submarine.
It's kind of cyberpunk in reverse, where the women are strong and resourceful, the men adventurous and brave.
Personally, I love the whole look of the Steampunk stuff, but I couldn't write it to save my life. I'll leave that to the braver souls out there.
It's an up and coming subgenre for romance as well, you mark my words.
9
Sep
“Substitute "damn" every time you’re inclined to write "very"; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be” — Mark Twain
But… but… I use "damn" quite a bit!
Should your characters swear?
Maybe.
It depends on the character. What’s more, it depends on their character. It wouldn’t do to have a mild mannered 18th Century schoolmarm go effing and blinding throughout the novel. It would be out of character. (Although the reaction of society would be interesting to observe, if she did.)
Your acerbic demonslaying male lead would most likely not be using flowery prose. (Could be interesting if he did, though.)
Still, where do you draw the line?
Which words are acceptable (and I use that in the loosest sense of the word), and which aren’t? I have an aversion to the C-Word. The female one. I don’t want to see it in books. It jerks me out of the story and makes me dislike the writer. Especially if that writer is a woman.
There is absolutely no need to use such a derogatory and degrading word in women’s fiction. If you’re thinking about it, then think hard. Most women find the C-word extremely offensive.
If you write Erotica, fine. I’d expect it there. Romance? No. Make that a Hell no.
Consider your market before you go down that route.
Other swearwords have become acceptable.
It’s nothing unusual anymore to find a mans penis described as a cock. Or a dick. Or to have the word Fuck in a novel. Shit is prevalent too, and damn… well. It’s everywhere.
Not unusual, but is it necessary?
No, I don’t want us to go back to using "Manhood" etc, but I can truly do without words like cunt, snatch and twat. I’ve seen those in some books already, and I’m sorry… if you’re writing romantic fiction, what on earth are you doing using demeaning words like that to describe a womans vagina?
It’s not easy to get around, but it’s possible. Other writers manage.
I am as guilty as the next person for using words like fuck, damn, crap and shit. My heroes aren’t the kind to think twice about using those words. They would all draw the line at telling a woman they want to fuck her, though. (Even when they do. ) They’d phrase it differently, use make love or have sex, even if in their mind they’d call it something else.
And absolutely NO way would they refer to any part of her by a derogatory name.
Being crude doesn’t make your heroine tough. It just makes her a foul mouthed heroine. I’d much rather see her be tough, take tough actions, make tough decisions – while keeping a civil tongue. This way, actions have that much more impact.
Maybe I’m turning into a prude.
Maybe I’m being too sensitive.
Maybe I’m drawing the line where no one else draws it.
I don’t know.
I do know that, if I pick up a romance, and I’ll read something like "He fucked her cunt.", then I’m going to give up on the entire genre, because it will be a sure sign for me that romance is dead.
What’s more, I’ll join the "Romance is Trash" brigade. Resorting to using demeaning (to women) words for any part of the anatomy is turning something that should be an escape, into something that isn’t.
I want to read a love story, not have my anatomy insulted by the man who is supposedly the hero.
And if you’re an editor or agent who lets stuff like that pass, then you’re as guilty as the author if it hits the shelves.
Aside from all that… I find stuff like that in a romance I read… I’ll be burning it.