Category Archives: romance novels

Evangeline Adams Guest Post – Writing African-American Romance

Posted on May 2, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Please welcome my guest, Evangeline Adams! # A year ago, after thinking I would write only historical romance, that I could never, ever in my life write a contemporary romance, ideas for contemporaries popped into my head like a stack … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, guest, historical fiction, romance novels | 5 Comments

Crystal Jordan Guest Post: How To Make The Mating Instinct Work

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Today’s post is by Crystal Jordan, author of On the Prowl and many other works. You can visit her blog here: http://www.crystaljordan.com/blog/ and her website here: http://www.crystaljordan.com/ Welcome, Crystal! It’s great to have you! How To Make The Mating Instinct … Continue reading →

Posted in guest, paranormal, romance novels, werewolves, writing craft | 4 Comments

My Favorite Romance Tropes, and Not-So-Favorite

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I will always pick up books with plots based on these ideas: *Nice, ordinary heroes (think Carla Kelly, or the so-called “beta hero”) *PTSD, Napoleonic Wars-style; angstful spies from the same period *Marriages of convenience *Virginal males (not that you … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, reading, romance novels | 4 Comments

Why I Don’t Like Vampires

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I have never loved vampires. Rather, I don’t like the idea of vampires. This does not stop me from reading vampire novels, of course. I just don’t prefer them. The heart of my dislike is vampires killing humans for their … Continue reading →

Posted in genre, paranormal, reading, romance novels, vampires | 16 Comments

Playing Dress-Up

Posted on March 27, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

The first romance novels I remember reading in my adolescence, or at least skimming, were Harlequin Presents. Few details stick with me now, but I still remember that getting dressed up was an important part of feminity in those novels. … Continue reading →

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Contemporary Romance is Alive and Well, Right?

Posted on March 13, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I noted in passing the other day a passing comment on twitter, that a particular writer would “save the contemporary.” Does the contemporary need saving? It doesn’t look like it to me. From perusing bookstore shelves, I see contemporaries and … Continue reading →

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Romance Reading So Far This Year

Posted on March 7, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

In 2009, I’m keeping track of my reading. Here’s my romance and erotica reading so far for the year, divided by sub-genre: Contemporary:Janice Kay Johnson, What She Wants for Christmas [category]Victoria Dahl, Talk Me DownKathleen O’Reilly, Once Upon a Mattress … Continue reading →

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Where’s the sexual line in shapeshifter romance?

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Today’s wild speculation–where’s the sexual line in shapeshifter romance? I don’t think I’ve ever read a paranormal romance, or even a fantasy novel, in which a sex scene happens between one human partner and one partner who’s shifted into an … Continue reading →

Posted in erotica, paranormal, reading, romance novels, sf/f | 18 Comments

Sex scenes in romance novels: what I like

Posted on February 24, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

Sex scenes in romance novels, I feel, need to move the plot along by encompassing some sort of character change or modulation. But what else makes a sex scene a success? Clearly, it’s one of those questions in which individual … Continue reading →

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

Suspension of Disbelief in Romance Novels versus Short Erotic Stories

Posted on February 22, 2009 by Victoria Janssen

I’m not making a huge point here, but I think it might be a significant one for how I approach writing erotica as opposed to longer romantic works. I think the reader of a short erotica story is more willing … Continue reading →

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