Well I went to my first RT and what a time I had. Good, bad and ugly LOL all rolled into one. I look happy and excited don't I?

It didn't last, I came home to find pissy emails and complaints that I didn't answer them while away. My appologies, I left my laptop at home while in the us, not that we had internet access anyway. The hotel was under construction, so there were a few lacks of amenities.

The Costumes were spectacular, I'd never seen anything like it before. They were so vibrant and detailed. I can't wait to see what happens next year.









Check my blog to find more pictures of my time at RT. http://alinedechevigny.blogspot.com/

Aline

Yeah, I'm so boring I'm going to tell you to go vote. BUT I'm going to tie it in with something writing related :)

We hear this all the time, votes add up. Just because you are only one vote doesn't mean you won't make a difference. After last year when everyone I voted for lost in the area it was one of those times when I said, "WHY AM I VOTING? It obviously doesn't matter."

I'm going to vote again this year. Even if my candidates lose. Why? My voice, my opinion, my vote does count. As a writer I have sometimes received emails from fans. I love when someone writes to me and says, "You wrote that so well. So many authors write this topic but you did it realistically." My sales on the book weren't astronomical. In fact there weren't as high as my last book. I'd gotten depressed. That one voice. That one opinion - I heard it. In several cases, a comment made a huge difference to me. One time it pushed me to challenge myself and see what outrageous things I could come up with. I am not in this for the money, although it would be nice to earn a living writing. I write for the joy of it. Does that mean I don't care if readers pass illegal copies of my stories around? I do care. I can't continue to write if I don't make enough to cover my expenses. My husband will make me quit, and the IRS will hound me :)

I bet you all know what I mean. If you've ever had a really lousy day - week - month - year. There is usually that one person who gets you, who understands, who helps you.

I'd like to see everyone go out and vote, but I also want to let the readers know that your one voice - one opinion - of our story, could be the reason a tired, out of money writer doesn't stop - doesn't quit. Every person counts. I cherish each and every email I received. Thank you all for being brave enough to share with me, and I hope that you all find my stories brighten your day even a little.

Michelle

I am so happy to announce that thanks to your votes, Irish Dreams is this week's 5 Heart Sweetheart!

You can see it over at The Romance Studio.

This week's 5 Heart Sweetheart...

"I absolutely loved this story! I have not read a tale this captivatingly charming in a very long time. It had a bit of all the elements that to this reader make a story perfect ñ a smart, sensibly sexy heroine; the dark, mysterious, gorgeous hero; a well balanced mix of love and lust; beautifully written passionate scenes...all mixed together with that little bit of magic that is Ireland. More than worth the time spent reading. I will definitely be recommending this tale to others." - Rosalynne Writer

Michelle

Hi all, Tambra here

There's a debate going on in the romance writing community about erotic romance.
I don't think readers care what's going on. They want a good read, erotic romance or not.

THE GOOD:
Erotic romance is giving women readers what men have had for years. A choice.
Some women are saying their marriages have improved by reading erotic romance. My guess is they are finally speaking up to their partners about fantasties they have and would like to try.

Erotic romance has detailed love scenes and the language is plainer in what the body parts are called. We do not degrade our heroines and our heroes. Read any of my titles. ALL of them are romance. In fact, all of my publishers have guidelines for their erotic romance lines and they all specifically state, it must be a romance.

It is a fact that women who read romance give their husbands more sex than the women who don't, so I can see how the erotic romance readers would certainly fall into this category.

Women appear to be enjoying this newfound freedom because our sales prove they want to read it. The readers are showing with their pocketbooks what they want.

THE BAD:
Am I a bad person because I write erotic and sensual romance? No.
Am I prostituting myself to get published? No, again. My first published romance short didn't even have a love scene in it. I let my story dictate the best way it should be written.

Commercial fiction is all about entertaining the reader. Some readers desire to read stories where the bedroom door is open and want more than what traditional romance offers.


THE UGLY:
The problem the erotic romance writers are having is other writers accusing them of writing porn and prostituting themselves by writing in this genre. Professional jealousy? Perhaps. Are they threatened by the elements we incorporate into our stories? That's another possibility.

Number one, the accusers should do a little research before they start calling people names. It helps to know exactly what pornography is and does.

Here is what Pornography is: Pornography degrades and exploits women and represents them as nothing more an object for sex, not a fully functioning human with feelings.

Erotic romance writers stories do arouse and there's no doubt about that we who write it won't argue that point. But just because our stories are sexually stimulating doesn't make it porn.
We also have well developed characters and plot just like traditional or sensual romance.

Has any of these people read more than one erotic romance? I've read a number of books that were not up to standard, yet if I stopped there and proceeded to paint all the genre with a black brush would that have been fair? No. It would not.

There is plenty of room in the romance genre for all us. If you don't like what we write, then don't read it. It all comes down to choice.

Time will tell if this area of romance will be accepted by those within our ranks. What matters most is whether or not the readers decide if erotic romance is good, bad or ugly. If sales are any indication, they think erotic romance is a wicked good read.

Hugs to all,
Tambra Kendall
www.tambrakendall.com