Dear Author goes 20/20

From Dear Author: The week of October 2nd through October 8th we will be featuring an interview and several reviews of an author that the Two Ja(y)nes and Janine love. Today marks the first of a three part series on Romance Publishers Promises to Romance Readers. Today’s articles addresses Advertising (the delivery of the promise), next week will feature an article on Branding (the promise), and finally we’ll end with What to Do When a Good Author Goes Bad (or when the promises are broken). First up: Advertising (the delivery of the promise) go forth and read... I could be wrong, but I don't think this is about the never ending debate of 'What makes a Happy Every After'. Is it marriage and a baby makes three? Can a Happy for Now be a HEA? Can a couple end HEA without a ring? So forth and so on... I *think* we are going with: Romance = HEA (YMMV on what that means ) Erotic Romance = HEA with steamy, throw the door wide open sex Romantica = same as ER but trademarked to EC which some people 'get' and know and some choose to ignore Erotica = Fiction story where the plot is driven by sex Porn = sex, sex, sex, and sex no rhyme or reason, plot? what plot? Personally I think all of the above are peachy and all have their fans. What I think the dear ja(y)ne's are addressing is, well, what they say they are addressing... Advertising and the way publishers choose to market their books. Jane please correct me if I am wrong.

New to me Blog

The Berkley Babes

And yet again...

Booklist: Core Collection: Erotic Romance, by John Charles and Shelley Mosley from the ever fab Kate Duffy: In 2006 Kensington launched Aphrodisia, an erotic fiction line. Although it can be difficult to distinguish between erotic romances and erotica, Duffy has a simple yet effective way of separating the two kinds of books. "While there is often a lot of really great sex in an erotic romance, the focus of the story is always on the romantic relationship between the two protagonists. In erotica, while there might be a relationship between the two protagonists, the focus of the story is on the really great sex." Thanks jay!

If you haven't seen this

read it great post... shall tie into some other posts later...

Romance courting erotica

Erotic Romance, Erotica and or Romantica, no matter what you label it or how you define it, you can't argue that it is a hot market right now. HOT is an understatement, it has exploded and just about every publisher is coming out with a line or buying books to fit this market. It has been talked about, blogged about, printed in newspapers, made a talk show or two and now even has its own idiot's Guide. Since this is Avon Red Week, figured we would start with... WHAT THE HELL is erotic romance, erotica and/or romantica. In the interest of time (raining! make the rain go away!) we will retro post... because as I said, this has been blogged about before *g*. BUT first... Avon Red Where do you see this fitting? I think/thought it was Erotic Romance but the site at Harper (not updated and rather on the eh side of websites , sez I) says: In today's marketplace, Erotica is one of the fastest-growing segments of women's fiction. Avon Red is committed to providing the best, most sophisticated erotic fiction available in the industry, written by the most talented authors. With our striking cover designs and steamy narratives, Avon Red is in a class by itself. Erotica... is that a lack of understanding in the difference or could Avon be taking the opposite (and much better) approach of Aphordisia and marketing its books as erotica and allowing for a HEA or not. I could not find submissions guidelines for Avon Red but there was this note on Karen Fox's site: May Chen oversees the Avon Red (erotica) lines. They will put out one book a month in trade size starting September 2006. This is very hot but emotional sex. It can be historical, contemporary, time-travel, paranormal, urban fantasy, and short story or full length. She recommends you query her first. Send the query to (go look it up). If she requests you to snail mail the manuscript, be sure to include a copy of her email. Follow up with her if you haven't heard anything in a month. Maybe one of the Avon Red Authors will chime in and let us know if these are HEA only or not. Fever isn't such a new scene First Posted February 10, 2006: Helenkay blogged For Further Confusion regarding the March Romantic Times trying to, as Alison Kent sez: Define Eroticism . I happen to agree there is no right or wrong. But as I sit here trying to assign sensuality rating, the question is running through my head. I have read books recently that are called hot, hot baby but seem very mild to me. I am missing something? LOL or just too jaded and on romantic erotica overload ;). 1. How do you define erotic vs erotic romance in your personal reading or reviews? 2. Do you have any personal examples of authors you feel fit the two? 3. Where do you feel romantica fits in between erotic vs erotic romance? 4. Is the sensuality rating something you even pay attention to before you read a novel? Or do you look after? Do you find yourself agreeing or disagreeing? 5. If you do look at the ratings before - you are looking for hotter stories? Or are you looking for the sweeter ones? 6. If you write, is the level or page amount focused on sex something you even think of when you plot out a story (if you outline) or do you just 'let the characters lead?'? 7. Do you think we are flooding the market with too many hotter books? Or are you happy to see so many new erotica lines? 8. Where does BRAVA fit in with erotic vs erotic romance? lots of questions... and I have more! readers and/or authors answers as many as you want or not ;) ETA: Cindy's answers [note: beta blogger is being goofy if you have issues posting use the option 'other' and type in your name... if you use anon, make sure you type your name in the post]

Guess that answers that question

From HelenKay's blog: In the never-ending Aphrodisia v. Brava debate, the editors say: Aphrodisia is about sex and Brava is about romance. Hillary Sares (the main Aphrodisia editor) says the term “erotic romance” with the imprint is a misnomer. The books are not really romance and don’t have to be. Use of the title is for marketing - Kensington wants the books in the romance section and wants to reach romance readers. That’s it. And, the only limit on the sex is that it be legal. I have to say this annoys me greatly. Since when is misleading and lying ok marketing? What is next, erotic sex in inspirationals? hmmmm ::see that isn't as much fun without the lil pictures::

I know this is black lace... but what are my chances of a HEA...

The historically accurate part leads me to think no chance on HEA. An historically accurate, erotic romance set in Pompeii during Roman times involving two lovers, an angry general, fighting gladiators, and a Dionysian cult, with a rumbling volcano as backdrop. I think I have read one black lace other than Emma Holly but hell if I can remember what it was called. Might be time to read another. cover and summary from blacklace site After a failed uprising in Brittania, Sirona, a princess of the Iceni, and her lover, Taranis, are taken to Pompeii. The city is a symbol of the power and wealth of the Romans, with its large forum, paved streets and luxurious villas. Taranis is sold as a slave to a rich Roman lady, who wants him for her bed, and Sirona is taken to the home of a lecherous senator, who is charged with her care until his stepson, General Lucius Flavius, returns home. Flavius rescues her from the corrupt household and takes her to his villa outside the city. There, Sirona soon succumbs to his charms. However, with the help of the general's sister, Taranis and Sirona are briefly united but the senator discovers their deception and the situation takes a turn for the worst. Sirona must escape from the clutches of the followers of the erotic cult of the Dionysis, while Taranis must fight for his life as a gladiator in the arena. Meanwhile, beneath Mount Vesuvius, there are forces gathering that even the power of the Romans cannot control. Barbarian Prize by Deanna Ashford