Tales of Darkness

[click the question to see answer] First up the easy question, what is your upcoming release? Into the Darkness in April. What do you think Avon Red has to offer readers that is different from the other erotic romance prints? **I'm hoping readers will discover that, as with all Avon lines, the quality of the stories will surpass all others! I know for my part I pulled out all the stops, put my whole heart and soul into delivering the best book I've ever written! Speaking of erotic romance, how do you define the difference between 'erotic romance' and 'erotica'. **Erotic romance is still a romance story at the very heart of it. We don't close the bedroom door or shy away from frank language or description to tell the "rest of the story." Erotica is really all about the sex and titillation--a very different kind of fantasy. Do people know you write erotic romance? If your friends and family do know, how has their reaction been? **The people I work with know I write romance, but because I work with children I never tell them exactly what sort of romance I write! My family all know what I write and are very supportive. My mother is even one of my first line readers! As a writer do you have any 'do not cross' lines or do you go where ever the story takes you? Have you looked back on something you wrote and been surprised you came up with it. Wanna share what it was *g*. **Hmmm...the first time I tried to write an erotic romance I wasn't sure I had it in me. I shocked myself. These days, I've written so many different sorts of love scenes that I think I'm inured to shock! I pretty much let the characters tell me their fantasies! What is up next? We are book whores, give us names dates and summaries! In March 2007, Avon will publish an erotic short story, Kili's Ice Man, which will appear in Alluring Tales: Awaken the Fantasy, followed by Into the Darkness in April. Unfortunately, I don't have a date for the sequel I'm writing at the moment. If readers are interested in seeing other books I've written (publishers shall remain unnamed here!), they can check out my website. I've been a very busy girl! Now it is your turn! Have a question for Delilah? Go for it!

Webs of Pleasure

[click the question to see answer] What do you think Avon Red has to offer readers that is different from the other erotic romance prints? I think Avon Red is offering the most sophisticated erotic fiction on the market. Speaking of erotic romance, how do you define the difference between 'erotic romance' and 'erotica'? There have been many debates on the differences between erotic romance and erotica and I believe everyone has a differing opinion. To me, the main focus in erotic romance is the growing emotional relationship between the hero and the heroine and the story ends with a Happily Ever After. Erotica focuses on the physical only, and doesn't necessarily end up with a Happily Ever After. Do people know you write erotic romance? If your friends and family do know, how has their reaction been? Yes, everyone knows I write erotic romance. I'm proud of what I write and I think women should embrace their sexuality and not hide the fact that sex is a big part of our life. I always describe my stories as romance at heart with an open door policy. I have never, ever had a negative reaction, which actually surprises me. I did have one friend say, I can't believe you write erotic romance, you seem so sweet. I thought that was funny! Even sweet girls like sex! My mother-in-law who is an avid reader is extremely religious and knows what I write. I also know that she wouldn't like my stories so I tell her not to read them. As a writer do you have any 'do not cross' lines or do you go where ever the story takes you? I wrote a Quickie for Ellora's Cave, Web of Desire, and I let the characters take me where they wanted to go. Boy, was I was surprised at the end results. It is a very sexy scene where my heroine is captured in a spider's web (yes, paranormal/witchcraft) and the hero has his wicked way with her. Whew, I still heat up thinking about that scene! What is up next? We are book whores, give us names dates and summaries! Upcoming release is Pleasure Control, November 06, the first story in my Pleasure Game Trilogy.

Games of Sugar and Spice

[click the question to see answer] What do you think Avon Red has to offer readers that is different from the other erotic romance prints? The best authors :-) and some really hot, romantic storylines. Speaking of erotic romance, how do you define the difference between 'erotic romance' and 'erotica'? To us, pure erotica is a bunch of sex scenes strung together with a minimal plotline, minimal character development and minimal emotional connections between the characters. The sex is the main point of the story. Erotic romance has the focus on the relationship that every romance has - it's just that the sex scenes are hotter and more graphic than is common in other romances. In our erotic romances, the characters use sex to help work through their issues and to strengthen their relationship - their sex is never gratuitous. That, we believe, is the difference between pure erotica and erotic romance. Personally, we also describe ourselves as writers of super-sex romance novels because that is the way we think about it. First and foremost, we write romances. Do people know you write erotic romance? If your friends and family do know, how has their reaction been? Everyone knows we write erotic romance and is very accepting of it. In fact, we often write on the train, and the other day a man, a perfect stranger to both of us, got in and sat opposite us, looked sideways at us, and said with a laugh that he hoped we weren't going to be writing naughty scenes opposite him all the way into town. It turned out he'd seen a recent article on us in the local paper, and recognized us from that, and congratulated us on our success. Then again, one of our daughters is very good friends with a very good Christian girl, who apparently hid that edition of the local paper from her parents so they wouldn't see it and be shocked! Our children are quite proud of our writing. We had to forcibly restrain our 12 year old son from going into the local bookstore and asking if they had a copy of PARLOR GAMES coz he'd heard it was such a fantastic book. Cathy’s mother also writes romance novels (under the name Rosie Graham) so it's a bit of a family tradition. As a writer do you have any 'do not cross' lines or do you go where ever the story takes you? Have you looked back on something you wrote and been surprised you came up with it. Wanna share what it was *g*. As writers, our most basic "do not cross" line is we will not write anything that we consider in the least bit demeaning or degrading towards women. We write what we find sexy, which means it’s pretty much open slather! What is up next? We are book whores, give us names dates and summaries! PARLOR GAMES is our current title which in came out in June. Next out is SUGAR AND SPICE - out in October. This is a series of three interlinked stories about 3 couples in the Victorian era who visit a very special house in Cornwall in order to repair their marriages. And then THE PRICE OF DESIRE, a full-length novel, comes out with Avon Red in February next year. Again it's Victorian set, this time in the world of the workhouse.

Swept Away in Your Wildest Dreams

[click the question to see answer] First up the easy question - what is your current release? SWEPT AWAY, which is the first full-length novel in the new Avon Red line. The book is about Kat Spencer, who is luxuriating on a private island, trying to mentally prepare for her wedding, when a bad boy from her past literally washes up on the beach! Worse yet, the last time Kat saw Brock, 10 years ago, she tried to seduce him and failed. Turns out he's now an FBI agent who leapt off a passing yacht when his cover was blown, and when the two end up stranded on the island together, he decides that THIS time HE wants to seduce HER. Which is a problem - her being engaged and all, but still TOTALLY attracted to him ; ) There's lots of humor and also some serious stuff and danger and suspense, so I hope the book has a little something for everyone. To learn more, readers can visit my website, where I have an excerpt and reviews! What do you think Avon Red has to offer readers that is different from the other erotic romance prints? Great question. You know, from what I hear, I think Red is offering a lot of variety, not only in terms of story-type, but also in terms of sensuality level. For instance, I would describe SWEPT AWAY as a “super-sexy romance,” but I know the line also features books that are much more graphic, as well, and probably more accurately described as erotica. Speaking of erotic romance, how do you define the difference between 'erotic romance' and 'erotica'. To me, erotic romance can be very, very hot, but by and large, the book is a romance at heart, the book FOCUSES on the romance. Erotica focuses more of the sex or the sexual journey of the character(s). I believe erotica can be romantic, and that romance can be erotic, but that the difference is this: What moves the story more – the romance or the sexuality? Do people know you write erotic romance? If your friends and family do know, how has their reaction been? I’ve been writing the same kinds of books since I was first published in 1998. They might be a little hotter now, but they’ve always been very sexy. So yes, everyone in my life knows and has for a long time. Most people are generally supportive. You always get the few who like to snicker and call them “dirty books” or “trash” and then smile, as if I enjoy having my life’s work denigrated that way ; ) – but such is life. And I should add that, usually, the snickerers are not actual friends – they’re usually “acquaintances.” My real friends are *extremely* supportive of what I do. As a writer do you have any 'do not cross' lines or do you go where ever the story takes you? Have you looked back on something you wrote and been surprised you came up with it. Wanna share what it was *g*. I’ve never thought about this, so I guess I don’t have any lines ; ) On the one hand, I write super sexy romance, but it’s also “traditional” in terms of the romance, so my books are not the place to look if you want, say, bondage or a ménage a trios. On the other, close friends have commented that the books HAVE somehow gotten sexier over time. One friend in particular commented that my oral sex scenes have expanded a lot since those early books ; ) and when I thought about it, I decided she’s right. There are certain aspects of sex that I guess I used to be more careful with, or write about with more … vagueness ; ) But given the current popularity of erotic books, I guess I figured out somewhere along the way that I could give more details and pretty much just “put it out there” without worrying ; ) What is up next? We are book whores, give us names dates and summaries! After SWEPT AWAY will be TEMPT ME TONIGHT, also from Avon Red, next June. Set in small town, Indiana, it’s the story of two high school sweethearts who had a tragic breakup because she wasn’t ready to have sex back then. Now, 15 years later, they’re thrust back together and she’s MORE than ready to have sex with him, FINALLY – so she seduces him, because she can’t resist him but wants to be the one to call the shots, and wants to keep it just sex, nothing emotional. Problem is, once she has sex with him, she realizes she’s still wild about him, and they still have a lot of old – and new – conflicts to work through. So this book is WAY hot with lots of sex ; ) but at its core, it’s also about trust and forgiveness and how the things that happen to us when we’re young can really mold and shape our world views. Now it is your turn! Have a question for Toni? Go for it!

Sabrina Take Five

Five Most Often Asked Questions [click the question to see answer] 1) How do your parents feel about your writing steamy romances? I get asked this when people find out that my parents areSouthern Baptist missionaries. And the answer is, they're fine with it. Really. They just don't read them. Too much sex and cussing, you know. *G* But otherwise, they're proud as punch. Sort of. 2) Are you planning to stick with historicals? As far as I know. I suppose I might wake up tomorrow with a burning urge to write a Sex Goddess Werewolf book, but until it happens, I'll keep writing historicals. I grew up devouring Barbara Cartlands (my mom disapproved, but she let me read them, thank God) and my favorite authors are mostly Regency historical writers, so I really do love the period. I know some readers are sick of it, but I never get tired of it. Then again, I eat the same cereal every day for breakfast, too. 3) Is the historical dead? Not for me. And obviously not for readers of Lisa Kleypas or Julia Quinn or Madeline Hunter or Mary Balogh or Jo Beverley . . . I'm just saying, there's a lot of authors still selling out there. But then I'm not very good with predicting trends--I wrote paranormal contemporary romantic suspense when you couldn't sell one to save your life (as Deborah Nicholas), so I sure hope somebody taps me on the shoulder and lets me know before all the readers leave the room and turn out the lights. I'm really not keen on standing alone in the dark, dreaming up stories nobody cares about. 4) Will the Scottish Scourge (from Never Seduce a Scoundrel) get a book? Yes. I'm writing it now. It's set in Scotland, and that's all I can say or I'll have to kill you. But not before you give me a spiffy title for the book. Sadly, it still has none. 5) Will Charlotte and Cousin Michael get a book? Yes, assuming they don't kill each other first. The letters between them that serve as epigrams for all the chapters of every book in this series (except the anthology) are getting downright testy. I'm going to have to slap them around a bit.