Reading and Romance

While I’ll always hold my friends and family nearest and dearest, when it comes to material possessions, the books on my shelves and on various storage media are quite precious. After a busy workday, one of the best ways to banish stress is by reading a great book. No matter what the genre or sub-genre, simply by slipping into the world created by an author, the hours pass as I turn the print or e-pages. I escape harsh reality and immerse myself in the tale being told.

Romance fiction has some of the finest writers in its ranks. My favorite Romance novel is MORNING GLORY by LaVyrle Spencer. Some of my other favorite literary works from the thousands I’ve read over the years, also solid examples of excellence in storytelling, are TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, THE GRAPES OF WRATH, and THE GREAT GATSBY. Why these? Strength of story, setting and characterization are the elements factored into my decision. These are well-written books I’ve read countless times. They hold my attention from first page to last, and various times I’ve read each of these in a single sitting.


We authors strive to strike certain chords with readers. Chords that resonate long after the book covers are closed or the e-reader is turned off. I’m an avid reader of romance, literary and women’s fiction, and I enjoy the infusion of reality in the romance. And believable conflict. When it comes to romances, I prefer a hero and heroine who can function independently of each other but who thrive when together. Though I embrace a romantic commitment and happily-ever-after, these are not necessary elements in my reading material. You’ll notice my selections are ones rife with conflict. More reality than fantasy. I’m a woman who delights in true romance—in real life and in my reading material. At heart, I’m a romantic and sentimentalist. One who delights in preparing for a date or a fantasy getaway. I also consider flipping through photo albums time well spent for the pleasant memories it stirs. But when I read the Romance, I must be able to put myself in the heroine’s position and accept her goals, motivations and decisions. Her romance must ring true and her heart must not be too easily won. When I read the novel’s final sentence, I want to believe that couple has a solid chance at staying together and not becoming another grim statistic.

What about you, readers? Which books would top your list of must-keeps and ones you never tire of reading??

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
TORMENTED -- Now available at Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Happy Halloween

Sorry I'm a day late and I don't have men in kilts like Nicole or eye candy like Shawna - just a lowly pirate..or two..or three.

I'm sure I'll see lots of pirates tonight trick-or-treating and vampires and ghosts and ghouls and princesses and witches. I haven't dressed up for Halloween in a very long time. I think the last time I dressed up, I was a saloon girl with a big petticoat and fishnet stockings. I never did get too creative with my Halloween costumes. My kids are past the age where they want to buy a costume and be a Power Ranger or Batman. This year my younger son is going to be a "bloody In-N-Out worker." For those of you outside of Calif. In-N-Out is a very popular fast-food hamburger chain. Anyway, he's wearing a paper In-N-Out hat, a t-shirt with their logo, and he's going to bloody-up his face. My older son has decided he's going to be Michael Phelps. He wants to go out in a Speedo and eight (Judo) medals hanging around his neck. My husband and I plan to veto that costume...

In addition to trick-or-treating, we'll head over to a neighborhood haunted house. This haunted house is no walk in the park with a little wet spaghetti either. These folks put together an amazing and very scary haunted house, using their covered driveway and garage. One year they had an insane asylum, one year it was a haunted pirate ship, and last year it was a creepy circus, which is the worst for me because I hate clowns! They have live people jumping out at you around corners. Some of my boys' friends refuse to go inside.

So now that I have kids, Halloween is pretty much all about them. Our traditions center around carving pumpkins - we let the boys do their own this year with some interesting results, (my older son had his jack-o-lantern vomiting his insides - he's 12, enough said), going to our town's "Halloween Frolic" with games, costume contest, jumpers, food, and another haunted house, and then trick-or-treating at night.

What are your Halloween traditions? Have they changed over the years? Hmm, maybe I can get my husband to start a Halloween tradition of wearing pirate underwear...

Halloween Candy

Though I'm a chocolate lover, with Halloween approaching I'm in the mood for more than a bit of eye candy. You know, the kind of sexylicious sweets without calories that turn up the heat in any room.

To satisfy the craving, here's an assortment of fantasy candy.

















Wishing you all a happy, hunk-filled Halloween,

Shawna Moore
TORMENTED -- Available now at Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Last week in one of my favorite TV shows, HBO’s True Blood, Sookie finally has sex with the vampire, Bill, and allows him to bite her neck. While she’s giddily telling Lafayette, the cook at the bar where she works, about her experience, she mentions that when Bill first bit her neck it did hurt, but then she felt euphoric. Lafayette remarks that he’s all for great sex, but when there’s blood involved that’s “crossing the line.”

We all know erotic romance has been pushing the envelope (straining the condom?) more and more each year. Different publishers have guidelines about what is and is not acceptable in the sexual arena. But are those lists of guidelines getting shorter and shorter?

Bondage – OK. Golden showers – not OK. Sex with a werewolf – OK. Sex with an animal – not OK. Ménage a trois – OK. Gang bang – not OK. Are these fine lines, or does the “ick” factor rule the day? Of course, one person’s “ick” might be another’s “mmm.” Although, I do believe there are universal “icks”—deviant behavior, behavior harmful to non-consenting people, illegal behavior, etc. I think those will always remain off-limits to publishers of erotic romance (although perhaps not to publishers of erotica).

At the end of the scene between Sookie and Lafayette (who’s gay, by the way and earns extra cash by starring in his own homemade porn videos), Lafayette gushes to Sookie that if you don’t cross lines in life, you’re not truly living. But then when Sookie walks away, he mutters, “Skank.” LOL – I guess for Lafayette, Sookie crossed that line.

Do you have a "no-crossing line" for erotic romance?

What Is Sexual Tension and How Do You Write It?

Here is a little excerpt from my workshop, Turn Up the Heat, which I'll be teaching in November.

Sexual tension is the “want it but can’t have it” factor. The intense attraction and awareness of another person. The excitement, the anticipation. Chemistry. When two people feel a mutual, unfulfilled desire. In most cases, the longer they wait to fulfill that desire, the more the sexual tension increases… until it is almost unbearable.

Sexual tension is a sort of magical ingredient in romance novels, just as it is in real life. Think back to a time when you’ve felt sexual tension between yourself and someone else. Maybe someone you just met and WHAM! attraction hits you when your eyes meet. You don’t know why, it just IS. Chemistry, magnetism. It is so subtle on the outside, no one else may notice it, but inside your heart rate increases, you feel flushed and giddy. You garble your words or knock over something. And you wonder what’s going on?? This person has taken away your equilibrium momentarily and you may want to get away ASAP, especially if you are already in a relationship or have reason to steer clear of this person. Same with your characters. Sexual tension isn’t cerebral or rational. You can’t THINK about it too much. It’s more something you FEEL with your emotions and viscerally, in your heart (pounding), stomach (knotting), gut (wrenching), lungs (shortness of breath), etc...


Workshop: Turn up the Heat! Heightening Sexual Tension and Sensuality in Your Manuscript

Presenter: Nicole North

Date: November 1 - 30, 2008

Description: Editors want to buy spicy-hot romance stories now more than ever before. How do you do it? In this class we will discuss all aspects of sexual tension and sensuality and how they relate to the developing romance in your story. You'll learn tips for successfully building sexual tension over the course of the hero and heroine's relationship from first glance, through climax, to happily ever after. Several examples will be used to illustrate different nuances of hot romantic chemistry and how to employ them in your own story. Learn how to avoid clichés and use sexiness in fresh new ways. Strengthening sexual tension will take your story from ho-hum to so hot and delicious your reader can't put it down. We'll do exercises for hands-on learning. (Please be aware this course contains explicit and frank discussions of sexuality.)

**Topics covered**
Using the five senses more effectively
Sexy talk
Word choice
First kiss
Foreplay
First love scene
How to rebuild sexual tension after sex
Why point of view is important
Hot characters
Combining physical attraction and emotion
Body language
Differences between romance and erotic romance
Revising to make a sensual romance manuscript spicy or erotic

Fun Extras
Visual inspiration
Multimedia examples and exercises

About the presenter: Nicole North writes sensual and erotic romance novels and novellas. She is the author of paranormal erotic romance novellas Devil in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Volume 27, July 2009, and Beast in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Volume 29. She has finaled in over a dozen writing competitions and won several awards. She admits sexual tension and delicious love scenes are her favorite elements of romance and sprinkles them liberally through her stories. What others have said about her works: "This author handles sexual tension very well. Her characters are completely drawn to each other..." and "Wow! Talk about sexual chemistry. This story has it in spades. You're a natural in the romantic chemistry department." She has a BA degree in psychology. Please visit her website to learn more and read past student testimonials: http://www.nicolenorth.com/

Cost: $20 non-members / $10 IRWA members

To register please visit: http://www.indianarwa.com/workshop_112008.htm

Thank you!

Nicole

Beneath the Surface

While searching for web and Myspace graphics recently, I came across this hauntingly beautiful picture. For some time I pondered the story that sprang from this scene. Raindrops pelted and rippled the water. A hero gazed at the obsidian surface. His beloved mermaid swam somewhere beneath. In a place where he could never exist. How delightful the way her lips puckered into a smile. Her blue eyes flashed like the finest sapphires. He'd kiss her full mouth and tangle his fingers in her wet hair. Her soft moans would fill the night air. Although circumstances currently separated them, the hero's heartbeats quickened at recalling how he'd discovered a way his ladylove might have a chance at survival in his world. He reached over the rowboat’s side and swished his hand in the cool water. Someday. Someway. They would be together.

When you see this picture, what images come to your mind? Share your thoughts with me, readers. Make the picture come alive with your creativity.

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
TORMENTED -- Available now at Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Back from Maui

This time last week, I was strolling on Front Street in Lahaina, a warm island breeze stirring the hem of my skirt and the sound of rolling waves soothing my nerves. What a difference one week makes! I definitely had to hit the ground running when I got back to L.A. The boys each had a soccer game on Saturday, another one on Sunday, and a fall baseball game on Sunday. Then they had to make up the assignments they missed in school. If that weren't enough, I have to finish up a very sexy menage story this week (OK, so that's actually fun), and I just got my final proof for my Feb. '09 Intrigue. Umm, Maui is getting more and more distant with each passing minute.



We did have a fantastic time though, enjoying beautiful sunsets and snorkeling in crystal clear warm water. We went on a wonderful hike where the boys got to jump into three different swimming holes and even swing from a rope into one of them. That's us to the left perched on some rocks above a pool minutes before I jumped in (what was I thinking?). My husband and I even got to kiss beneath a waterfall.

The boys went surfing with some very cool (and pretty hot, although they didn't notice that) surfing instructors from the Royal Hawaiian Surf Academy. The boys had surfed with them a few years ago, but that was before they were featured on the MTV show, Livin' Lahaina.

I'm also inspired to pick up on the Intrigue that I started, which is set in Maui. It's a great place for romance and a little danger. I already set part of my upcoming story from Red Sage Presents, THE GEE SPOT, in Maui. I wonder why more romances aren't set in Hawaii. Maybe it's just too much of a no-brainer.

Anyway, I'm back to the "real" world now. In fact, it almost feels as if I never left. I'll have to organize the rest of my pictures and maybe drink a mai tai...