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My good friend Laurie Sanders and I chat often about books and publishing, she was the founder of BVS and my editor for many years.  I wanted to share one of her blogs on how to hook a reader into your story.  I considered writing my own version of this blog, but I couldn’t really add anything, so why reinvent the wheel.    I would recommend looking at her website.  I would also recommend signing up for one of her workshops and sign up for her newsletter.  Please enjoy Laurie’s post as it was written. What Fishermen Can Teach Us...

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Just read a couple of scripts, who’s writers tried to write about alternative lifestyles and got it so wrong.  With the 50 shades phenomenon, lots of writers have had a go at writing D/s and BDSM themed stories.  There is an old adage “write what you know”  and so many of the scripts I have read really do not understand the lifestyle at all.  You don’t have to practice a lifestyle to have to know it.  For example, you don’t have to drive a car to write about how it feels like to be in a car, but if you...

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It is a Monday morning.  Has anyone any guilty pleasures they would like to confess?  This thought came to me the other day when I had a message from one of our readers.  She said that she had a busy home life, and she made private time for herself by locking herself in her un-suit bathroom, decorated the room with candles and would read our books in the bath.  She made this time a couple of times in the week.  The family was told that this was “her time” and that she was not to be disturbed. This made me think...

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I have to say that there have been a couple of books that have been life-changing.  The first was as a kid, the Biggles books, by W. E. Johns.  These books were my first introduction to me reading for my own pleasure, which has been a life’s passion.  The second was Story of O an erotic novel published in 1954 by French author Anne Desclos under the pen name Pauline Réage.  This opened up the subject of erotic literature to me.  My artwork also took a turn towards the erotic after reading this book.  The next book that changed my life was...

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At the start of a romantic evening, how would you set the mood?  There would be a difference between a first date that a long-term relationship, for example, I am not sure I would trust a date who brought along 50 shades of great to the first date, especially if he had a pocket full of cable ties and a length of rope.  Though on reflection that might be exactly what you do want? What would be in your top 5? on a date night, romantic movie list? Titanic, Pretty Woman,  Notting Hill, The Notebook, Sleepless in Seattle? What about...

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In a genre where we know that it ends happily ever after what drives us to read the next romance novel? I have been reading through scripts and wondering if there really is an ultimate love story?  Or is it the quest for the ultimate love story the thing that drives us on to read the next? When I start reading a script I often hope for a big romance scene, something epic.  It doesn’t always happen but I live in hopes. So what is it you look for? For me, a good example would be from Temptation’s Edge by Eden Bradley is an...

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In olden days, a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking.  But now, God knows, Anything goes. From a ladies perspective, I have been told that stockings with garter belts are uncomfortable and a bit of a chore, hold-ups are not much better.  Yet knowing the disadvantages female Authors still write about them.  Historically tights were seen as racier, as it was a part of a performers apparel.  The mini skirt in the ’60s prompted the advent of tights for practical reasons, though I mourn the departure of stockings from the everyday clothing.  I wrote something the other...

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Why is it that we hate certain words, either spoken or written down.  We all have an aversion to certain words, mostly profanities I am guessing, but is there ever a time to use them?  Is there a space in literature for profanities?  What word makes you cringe when you are reading?  What about in the heat of passion?  Or has bad language become so commonplace that people really don’t take any notice anymore? In romance novels, we try not to influence or writers, most, being ladies use bad language sparingly though if it is in context it would be...

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