Category Archives: romance novels

Top 5 Angsty Heroes

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I love angsty heroes. You might have guessed that about me at some point. Ahem. Anyway, my top five: 1. Any Laura Kinsale hero. I mean, how can you top the boy prostitute who becomes a ninja? Or the vertiginous … Continue reading →

Posted in reading, romance novels, sf/f | 8 Comments

Marriage of Convenience or Not?

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

My current novel is not a Marriage of Convenience. I’d been thinking it was. In my mind, for many months, I’ve been calling it “The Werewolf Marriage of Convenience.” Alas, I was wrong. My desperate desire to write a Marriage … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, romance novels, writing process | 3 Comments

I Don’t Read It For the Sex.

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I don’t read erotica for the sex. Well, not entirely. I know. I write the stuff, so why I don’t I read it for its intended purpose? Possibly for the same reason that a pastry chef might not eat pastry … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, reading, romance novels | 4 Comments

Reading our Grandmothers

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Jessica of Read React Review, one of my favorite blogs, recently mentioned that she had never read Jane Eyre and had decided to do so. I and several others volunteered to read or reread it along with her. I’ll be … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels, writing | 3 Comments

The Bashful Hero

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I wish more romance novels featured bashful heroes.I’ve never been a huge fan of the romance novel hero who’s physically large and good at everything and gorgeous to boot. Except, I don’t mind that combination of traits if the hero … Continue reading →

Posted in reading, romance novels | 11 Comments

Sex for the Oppositional

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I’m sure I’ve seen another discussion, somewhere on the Internet at somewhen, a discussion of villains and sex. If I could remember where or when, I would hunt it up and post the links for your reading pleasure. But since … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, romance novels, writing | 5 Comments

Romance Series-Itis

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Series-itis: there’s entirely too much wordcount devoted to reminding us what happened to the hero when he was a minor character in a previous book, and setting up various other characters for their roles in future books, not to mention … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | Comments Off on Romance Series-Itis

Where Are the Older Heroines?

Posted on March 31, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Where are the older heroines in romance novels? Not there. Not often. Not that I’ve seen. And by older I only mean, like, getting close to forty. It seems to be okay for romance heroes to be forty or above … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, romance novels | 21 Comments

Why Not Twentieth Century Historicals?

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

Why are so few (print) romance novels set in the twentieth century? If you go to a bookstore and look at the section labelled “Romance,” certain things are there and certain things are not. With the exception of occasional outliers … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, historical fiction, romance novels | 20 Comments

Maintaining Sexual and Romantic Tension

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Victoria Janssen

I think that all Romance plots ultimately involve deferring consummation of the relationship, whether the desired consummation is intercourse, marriage, a marriage proposal, or simple acknowledgement by the couple that they are in love. If a consummation happens at the … Continue reading →

Posted in reading, romance novels, writing craft | 2 Comments