Most romance readers prefer a particular heat level in romance. These levels range from inspirational, where there is no intimate contact below the neck, to sweet, aka “behind closed doors,” where intimacy occurs, but the reader uses her imagination. Next is sensual where romantic scenes are more detailed, but not as numerous as spicy, where heat level is high and intimate scenes are frequent. Finally, erotica, which burns up the pages (and the romance market). When I was having coffee with my editor, Julie Sturgeon, we had a conversation about these levels. She suggested that readers will read “down” according Read More
Tag: George Washington’s spies
Showing Characters Who’s in Charge (Hint: They Are) Part 2
As I told you in my previous post, I had to have a sit-down with Jenny Sutton to talk about how she was behaving. She had changed from brave and intrepid Jenny in Love’s Spirit to cry-baby, poor-me Jenny in Love’s Courage. Once we straightened that out and I did what she told me to do—go back and reread Love’s Spirit to see what she was really like—her character shaped right up. I had to have a heart-to-heart with another character in Love’s Courage: British Lieutenant Nigel Ashby. I don’t usually share my conversations with the voices in my head Read More
Showing Characters Who’s Boss (Hint: They Are)
Characters do not appear to me fully formed like Athena springing from the head of Zeus. Even characters that I’ve written into previous books can give me a bit of a go before they settle down. Take Jenny Sutton. We meet Jenny in Love’s Spirit, book two of The Brentwood Saga. She is feisty and courageous. When she learns that the hero, Jonathon Brentwood, has been captured by the British, she leaps on a horse to go save him alongside her love, Andrew Wentworth. She doesn’t blink twice, she just acts. When I started writing Jenny in the opening scene Read More
Love’s Courage Has Arrived!
When my books are published, I get a sense of freedom from my characters. They are finally alive within their story, moving about, living, suffering, loving, and celebrating triumph. This week, with the publication of Love’s Courage, I can feel Jenny and Andrew free from the bonds of drafting and revision. They are sighing, saying to each other, “She finally got our story right.” CeeCee Lawson wrote a wonderfully generous review of Love’s Courage on her blog, The Literary Melting Pot: “What an exciting novel! While I’m a fan, this author never ceases to amaze me . . . The anticipation kills Read More
A Not-Quite Deleted Scene in Love’s Courage
What could be more dramatic than a scene in which a spy’s message is hidden in a loaf of bread? This happened during World War II, why not during the American Revolution? And what if, as the message was being exchanged, a soldier from the opposing army appeared? I loved drafting this scene. But, alas, my research in Williamsburg, VA dashed my hopes for it appearing in Love’s Courage. Why? Because people baked their own bread in colonial times, so few bakeries existed. I was disappointed to discover this, but my research revealed an even better option–the apothecary. Eventually, Read More