At first glance, horror and romance are so different that the idea of combining them in one story might seem weird. While the genres have obvious differences, they also have similarities. Both horror and romance depend on intense emotions. One unlocks people’s fears and the other their desires. Romantic horror or horror romance blurs the line between genres, creating a dark fantasy in which love blossoms in a dangerous setting.
Vampires are a kink and have been for centuries. And that’s not an immortality joke. I’m serious. Ever since Bram Stoker scared the bejeezus out of pretty much the entirety of Europe, we’ve been fixated on bloodsuckers. I’m definitely not immune, although for me, it didn’t start with Dracula but with Lestat and Louis.
Arguably, sixth grade was a little early to be reading something as sensual as Interview with the Vampire, but I probably didn’t even notice the sexual undertones at the time. Or maybe I did, considering reading that book solidified in me what would become a lifetime love for these creatures of the night.
[Read more…] about Vampires are My Kink – A Guest Post by Sara Dobie Bauer (@SaraDobie)
What is steampunk? Well, I ought to have an answer for that, as it’s something I’ve frequently been asked as I stroll around in my top hat, goggles and bustle skirt, my trusty octopus familiar (the original Archie) by my side.
Like most things, it’s not all that simple. I can get it down to one word—retrofuturism—but only if I want to be met with baffled frowns and blank looks. The easiest way of explaining it to the uninitiated seems to be to invite them to think of Victorian science fiction, with HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, The Time Machine and The First Men in the Moon, or Jules Vernes’ 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
[Read more…] about Steampunk 101, A Guest Post by JL Merrow (@jlmerrow) #giveaway
I spent a quarter century writing submissions to the FDA for new medical products. In my late 50s, I read a well-meaning article in the New York Times Book Review by an older erotic writer, urging her sisters to create characters in their 20s, if they wanted to be published. Shades of the Bronte Sisters, writing as the Bell Brothers! The thought of older women writers closeting ourselves was so repugnant that I decided to start writing erotica.
Meanwhile, my second marriage had ended and my sex life was ramping up. Around that time, my friend Lynx Canon started a monthly event called Dirty Old Women, where women over 50 read their erotica to welcoming crowds at a local bookstore. All at once I had the method, motive, and opportunity to launch a different kind of writing career.
[Read more…] about Why You and I Should Both Write Erotica by Stella Fosse (@stellafosse) #erotica
Lions and tigers and bears oh my!!!! Well not really, but you will meet some awesome wolves, cougars and a bobcat… Did I mention wolves?
I can’t even tell you how I got the idea of shifters. Let alone a female shifter. I started writing Jilly and Dylan’s story and these characters just took over. As their story evolved, I fell in love with the secondary characters and immediately knew that they each had to have stories of their own. I don’t want to give away spoilers but there were some characters in my books that I absolutely hated and knew that they were going to have a painful death because as we know karma is a bitch and don’t mess with an author. LOL!! But, damn if some of those villains don’t grab a chunk of your heart and worm their way in.
[Read more…] about A Guest Post on Shifters by Anna Volk (@annavolk @goddessfish) #giveaway
My Character is Gay
As a Historical Romance Author, I put much depth into my characters. Even the minor ones. I like to create a background for them, who they are, where do they come from, why are they there?
Imagine my surprise when I realized that my character was gay.
You would think I would have noticed it before.
The subtle clues, their reactions to each other, and certain situations.
But no.