On March 24, near the start of the global lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, I had a brainstorm. I realized that I needed to make all my romance novels available for free on all platforms. Why? Stories are what keep us going, especially during dark times. In the past five weeks I’ve received lots […]
In January, 2015 the Wall Street Journal ran a front page article on the rise of professional cuddlers. These people might charge $1/minute to spoon. No skin-to-skin contact occurs. The cuddlers and their clients keep their clothes on. Their customers say that cuddling lessens anxiety and increases a sense of wellbeing. Cuddling is a form […]
I love to travel, and I love to evoke a sense of place in my novels. Either I go out into the world by setting foot outside my door. Or I let the world come to me, primarily through books. This is how romance novels give me a sense of place. Note: This blog is […]
What’s a Decameron Special? First, I made it up. Second, it refers to Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron of 1353. Third, the Special means that I am offering all my books for free on all platforms. For how long? I can’t say. For at least as long as we are all self-isolating. Why? Let me break […]
Relationship arcs have been on my mind since last week. My post on Opposites Attract got me started. I had just finished The Austen Playbook: An Opposites Attract Romance by Lucy Parker. The fact that the relationship arc of the story found its way into the subtitle interested me. Such a subtitle is a marketing […]
After finishing the trilogy London Celebrities by Lucy Parker, I picked up another by her, namely The Austen Playbook. This one announces in the title that it is An Opposites Attract Romance. I decided to ruminate on the category. First image to come to mind: Danny and Sandy from Grease. Danny is the bad boy […]
You remember the catch phrase of Pythagoras, don’t you? You know, the 6th century BC Greek philosopher? Of course you remember. He’s known for saying, “Every triangle is a love triangle when you love triangles.” No, wait. This bit of wisdom comes by way of comedian James Acaster in his Netflix special Repertoire. Acaster’s faux […]
When it comes to cross-species love, the ancient Greeks were way out ahead a long time ago. The title image of Géricault’s “Leda and the Swan” offers one possibility. To remind you: Zeus transformed himself into a swan and seduced Leda. Well, sure. Gods can do that. Or Zeus anyway. He became a cuckoo when […]
Heather Graham is a highly successful New York Times bestselling author of over 200 novels and novellas. Her work crosses many genres: romance, thriller, mystery, horror, paranormal. She lives in Miami and was the guest speaker at the Florida Romance Writers monthly meeting this past Saturday. She spoke from a wealth of experience. Her topic […]
Hotness. It’s currently a thing in romance novels. Has been for a while. So what I’m saying here isn’t new. It’s rather that the story I’m reading at the moment has prompted some thinking. Hotness: No Escalation I’m talking about stories that start: Boom. First page. Sometimes the first paragraph. Maybe even the first sentence. […]