Alison Kent's Blah Blog

Thanks to all of you for the birthday wishes. I’m spending today working because it’s the end of the month and many things have to be done before the first. But I plan to do NOTHING tomorrow. NOTHING, I tell you! I may do nothing all weekend! (Except I have a book due and don’t have the luxury right now of being lazy!)

While at B&N yesterday writing, I found out (er, the husband found out) that all B&N’s will be stocking 5 copies of the CIG. I’m going to give you all a few more recaps today because doing nothing doesn’t discount the fact that I have a hectic weekend ahead, and then big changes in the works next week. (More on that then.) Don’t forget there will be a drawing on Friday, 9/1, at noonish central for a copy of the CIG and a copy of Julie Leto’s DIRTY LITTLE LIES. Click the links for details on the giveaways.

First up, the wonderful Nienke Hinton is GIVING AWAY a copy of the book. Click the link to her blog for the details on how you can win. Nienke read Chapter 22 – The Marriage of Fantasy and Reality and says:

Kent addresses the subject of writing about sex head-on and discusses when and when not to deal with the realities (or inconveniences) of sex.

Next up, multi-published author Saskia Walker tackles Chapter 19 – Intimacy: The Character/Reader Connection

In this chapter, Alison sets out the craft elements you can employ to strengthen your characterisation and make it really work for the reader, drawing your reader into the story by making that vital, deep connection between reader and character.

Michelle Rowen and Jaci Burton both read Chapter 4 – Planning Erotic Romance: Giving Sex Its Due

Michelle: Alison covers some important topics here. She talks about comfort levels with writing sex, and research, and how a sex scene shouldn’t just exist because it’s time for a sex scene. It needs to relate to the plot, the characters.

Jaci: There’s nothing worse than reading a book and knowing, just knowing that it’s a cookie cutter version of insert sex scene here. Ugh. Where’s the heart of the characters in a story like that? Sex is such an integral part of the characters, the plot, the storyline itself–something Alison covers quite extensively in this chapter.

Finally, Eva Gale discusses Chapter 14 – The Morning After: Post-Coital Tension

For me, as a writer of erotic romance, the after is as important as the act itself. And more often more important. Why? Because I’ve just tangled my characters up in a tight knot of string complicating the bejesus out of thier lives and now I’ve got to chart a map to smooth waters and a pretty bow (or not) out of that tangled skein. On top of all that I’ve got to keep that sexual tension high. Enter Chapter 14.

The winner of the Celebration B&N gift card/certificate is: EVA GALE! Congratulations, Eva! (I yelled down the hall at the husband, “Pick a number between 1 and 62,” as we were getting ready to leave for the afternoon. He yells back, “38.” And that’s about as random as it gets!)

I decided after reading Joe Konrath’s blog today to head to my local B&N and sit and write for awhile. If I can find a chair near the mystery section, I’ll participate in his experiment. Mostly, I just need to get away from the house to write and it’s too flaming hot outside to work at the park or even in the backyard. Plus, we have to stop at the son and daughter-in-law’s place and feed the animals …

Now, your next assignment, should you decide to accept it, is to come up with 32 great romances to help out Harlequin VP Isabel Swift. If you want to post lists here, that would be great. I can then grab them and send them to her, or tell her to stop by for a looksee! You don’t have to each post 32, but post at least 5 and we’ll see what sort of list we can come up with here.

UPDATE: I found the book indeed, so here it is!

To entice you to do just that, I’m going to pick up a giveaway book today while at B&N. (I have a title in mind, but will wait and share that after seeing if I can indeed find it!) I’ll award that book on 9/1 noonish central as well as the CIG book I’m giving away. So, get to posting!!

I’m so far behind on everything I need to do, I’m afraid I’m not going to be able to do justice to all the posts my chapter recappers have so generously written. I’m floored that authors I don’t even know would do such a thing for me, recapping with such detail and enthusiasm. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. (And, yes, anytime you need something in return, sing out! I’m there!)

Don’t forget the Celebration giveaway. The prize winner will be drawn tomorrow!

Today I’m going to share a few of the summaries written by authors who don’t write erotic romance – or don’t write romance at all (in the case of my two male reviewers).

Caro Kinkead takes a look at Chapter 17 – Lose Your Comfort Zone? Let’s Find It!

I have no intention of writing erotic romance any time in the near future. It’s not my style and not where my comfort zone lies. So why jump at the chance to read something from a book devoted to the subject — and why have I had the book on pre-order from Amazon since May? Because I’m trying to stretch those boundaries to the give the love scenes I write a bit more punch.

Jessica Berry goes over Chapter 21 – Doors Wide Open

I write romantic suspense, but being able to write a convincing love scene is an important part of what I do. Staying current with the latest techniques for writing about sex, as well as what is acceptable by todays standards, is crucial to avoiding stale love scenes and the dreaded “purple prose”, which can catapult an otherwise good manuscript into the editor’s rejection pile.

Sandra Barret talks about Chapter 16 – Writing 101: Sexual Tension

Probably the first question that came to mind – Why do I want to read a romance how-to that is based on heterosexual relationships? Well, because there is NO how-to for lesbian romance writers, for one thing. And for another – yeah there are base differences between the genres, but not as many as you might thing, once you take a step back. And this chapter on sexual tension highlighted how common the genres are, and how much the lesbian romance writer can learn from this book.

Sam Wright offers his views on Chapter 10 – What’s Love Got to Do with It?

The chapter reads much like a “how-to” guide for dating. I almost forgot it was about writing an erotic romance novel, and not living one. Alison delves into what each type of situation a character might find her or himself in. From being single and “on the make,” to being caught unaware, she gives the potential writer wonderful ideas to use in making the characters not only interesting, but fun to read, too!

Robert Gregory Browne recaps Chapter 24 – Getting a Rise out of Readers

First, don’t let the title of the book fool you. Yes, it concentrates on erotic romance and will serve as a wonderful guidebook for those interested in the genre, but the chapter I read can certainly apply to fiction of ANY kind. It’s a light, entertaining look at one of the most important weapons in a writer’s arsenal – GETTING A RISE OUT OF READERS.

Now, since B&N tells me they’ve shipped the copies I ordered (author copies haven’t yet arrived), I’m going to give away one in conjunction with this post. I’ll draw the winner’s name on 9/1 at noonish central time.

All you have to do is leave a comment here and tell me the working title of your very first manuscript! I’ll start off by telling you mine: A SEASON TO HEAL (Dramatic much? *g*)

I’m sure I have something to say, but I’ll have to come back and do so when I can find my brain. In the meantime, congratulations to Jennifer Y who won the Impossible Contest

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Update: Yesterday my B&N sales rank was 85,000ish. Today when I first checked it was 485. You people rock!

Today is all about celebrating!

First of all, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Erotic Romance is shipping from BN.com. I know this because I ordered copies yesterday to use as prizes! A cause worthy of celebration, yes?

Secondly, the dog’s stitches come out this week, hallelujah! No more dogging the dog to keep him from messing with them.

Thirdly, the youngest daughter finally got her car inspected Friday after she and the husband visited a wrecking yard to find a replacement for the column switch controlling her brights. (Said wrecking yard had a sign out front advertising hens, ducks, roosters, big billy goats and African groceries, ahem.)

Fourthly, I got ARCs of both HARD EVIDENCE and PALE IMMORTAL in the mail this last week, wahoo!

Fifthly, this is my birthday week, so yay on CAKE, CAKE, and MORE CAKE!

And finally, today is the day my son and his fiance are getting MARRIED!! Yes, earlier this month they set a date for next February – then said, forget it. Forget spending all that money on a big wedding. We’ve both got vacation scheduled for next week, so let’s get married and go to Jamaica, whoo-hoo! (Yes, Jamaica. Right in the path of Ernesto. Sigh.)

To celebrate everything, I’m giving away a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble. All you have to do to be eligible to win is comment here. (And, no, you don’t have to use it to buy a copy of the CIG. You can buy anything you want! And you can choose an online certificate or an in store card!) I’ll draw a winner at noon, central time on August 30th.

If you’re buying from B&N, the ship date is, uh, within 24 hours! And don’t forget the Impossible Contest where you can win a copy!

This recap comes from Selah March, an author of erotic romance for Phaze and Amber Quill:

The basic drift of this chapter is that in terms of erotic fiction, there’s something out there designed to blow a tingle-inducing breeze up each and every skirt. Kent carves it up into three categories: erotic romance, erotica, and porn. She then proceeds, with exceptional clarity, to describe the nuts, bolts and other raw materials used to construct a work in each genre.

This was a chapter it was tough for me to tackle, and I reworked it several times. I am no expert on anything but what I write. That’s not to say I’m not opinionated as to what makes an erotic romance work, and where I draw the line between erotic romance, erotica, and pornography. (But then aren’t we all!) I’ll simply quote Selah again, saying:

Kent never veers from her basic point, however, which is this: smut is in the eye of the beholder.

That’s my take and I’m sticking to it, but I do believe there are elements to each genre that hold true for most readers and authors. YMMV, of course, but I did explore and explain the similarities and the differences. I also said:

I define what I write as erotic romance. My own thesaurus includes the word erotica as a synonym for pornography, while my dictionary says that erotica is intended to cause sexual desire, and pornography to stimulate erotic feelings. How’s that for showing the interchangeable nature of the words?

Check out the rest of Selah’s comments at the link above, and check out the chapter’s headers after the cut! (FYI: These chapter headers were in the original manuscript, but some have been combined in the final version.)

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If you’re buying from B&N, the ship date is, uh, within 24 hours! And don’t forget the Impossible Contest where you can win a copy!

This recap comes from Evanne Lorraine, an aspiring author who says:

Ms. Kent pulls no punches, hitting hard with sensible advice focused on task and leaves me gasping with the brilliance of it all.

The brilliance stuff is in the eye of the beholder, but I kinda like this first chapter myself. It sets up the elements a romance novel needs to work as a romance novel, and is the kind of thing I would’ve loved to have had spelled out for me when I started writing. I was not a fast learner, heh. Conflict? What’s conflict? Who wants conflict?

Uh, yeah. Conflict is the meat of any story, no matter whether it’s romance, suspense, horror, etc. Conflict is what keeps a reader turning pages. Conflict is the basis of tension. Conflict is not bickering. Conflict is not fighting. Conflict is not some invention of NY publishers to keep epublished authors from selling there. (Yes, I heard that complaint several months ago.) Conflict is the push / pull that drives a book and no book without conflict has a chance of hanging together.

Hmm. Sorry about that. Just took me forever to get what conflict was, and I struggle with it still. I don’t like characters who are at odds with each other because it’s not in my peacemaking nature to create them. But I have come to terms with it. And conflict is only one element found in this chapter, but it’s my personal bugaboo so I got carried away . . .

Check out the rest of Evanne’s comments at the link above, and check out the chapter’s headers after the cut! (FYI: These chapter headers were in the original manuscript, but some have been combined in the final version.)

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If you’re buying from Amazon, the ship date is still listed as 9/6.

If you’re buying from B&N, the ship date is, uh, within 24 hours!

If you’re buying from a local brick and mortar store, you might ask them if they’re going to carry it. My local BAMM did not have it on order at all when the husband checked, sigh.

I’ll try to ramp up the chapter recap postings for you all – if you’re finding them interesting?