When reading a great story about another author’s blush meter, I got a good laugh as when I was growing up, I was known as the blush queen. It wouldn’t take me much to get me to a number 10 on that author’s 'Blush-O-Meter' scale when I was younger. LOL! I think I’m the only high school senior in my state to be photographed with the then President Gerald Ford who could compete with the sun. It has it good and bad points.
That story also reminded me of some other times in my life when the 'Blush-O-Meter' would have been a fun thing to have. Or NOT! LOL!
The first one was when I was asked to bring my very first completed book to a college gang party. These were the people I had learned to become an adult with and I had a lot of apprehension. These people had embarrassed me and held me when I cried or when I was sick. There were many good and bad memories with these folks.
I told the DH, Gordon, and he convinced me it was all good. But as we got closer to the party, the more trepidation I was feeling.
Once there, the manuscript was being handed around and then I started getting comments like, 'great job' and 'I've never know anyone who completed a whole book before' and then I saw one of my old college boyfriends reading it.
He walked up to me and stated, "You know if you'd done that to me, maybe we'd still be together."
I could feel my face turning warm and I had to be very careful here. If I said the wrong thing, he’d think I still liked him or something. "Maybe I would have if you deserved that type of treatment."
"Gordon must be a very lucky man." He walked away as the DH walked up.
"What's wrong with him?" DH asks.
"He got to the love scene."
"Oh."
"He said you were a lucky guy."
"He did." DH puffs up and says, "I think I'll go talk to the guys."
The college girl friends came up. "What's up with the guys? And how about you…you’re blushing!"
"They're all talking about the love scene."
"No wonder you’re blushing!"
I looked at them and arched a brow. "Maybe I should remind all of your husbands, we all went to college together. After all I didn’t win a knockwurst contest." Every other woman at the party had a face redder than mine. LOL! Revenge is soooo sweet!
The next big time that I can remember me really, really blushing was when I wrote my first BDSM story about six years ago now. It was also the last time that I can remember me having that particular affliction. I had to do a lot of what I considered covert research as I prepared to write this story of a woman's darkest fantasies. Finally, I got the courage to just sit down and get it done. The whole day, I would write a sentence and get up to pace, wondering what I was doing since I knew nothing of that world. Still, I plugged away at it until I eventually got it right. It was the first thing I sold to eXtasy books. I was really surprised.
But half way into the process, my husband shocked me by showing up in my office. My face went from zero to RED in the span of less than 10 seconds.
"Something wrong?"
"No, why are you asking?"
He gives me his quirky smile and says, "There are only a few times I’ve ever seen you blush in twenty years."
I sat still. "Really?"
"Yeah. It’s mainly when I caught you doing something you shouldn’t and when you’re thinking about sex."
I gasped. "What makes you think I’m doing something I shouldn’t? I’m an adult."
"With an antiquated idea about sex sometimes. If you’re going to really be an erotic romance writer, you have some changing to do." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. "I’m sure that practice will help!"
I roll my eyes and tell him nothing is going to happen until I finish this story.
That very day, my whole attitude changed. I wasn’t ashamed of my writing at all. It was just that I was brought up in the Bible belt and as anyone who has grown up there knows, the fear of God and sex can be pounded into you from the moment you walk. And lordy, the brimstone…LOL! There is absolutely nothing wrong with sex. It’s a natural thing and we have such a backward sexual outlook in America that it took some retraining on my part to not let it worry me at all. Now, I barely bat an eye. There's a private me and a writer me.
I advertise my very sexy books all the time and I do write to every heat level as the story dictates. I am passionate about all my books as every author should be. If you’re embarrassed about it, you don’t need to be writing it at all. I write what I love and nothing compromises that position. Sometimes my characters want the full Monty and others, they want it very sweet.
Now it’s my DH’s turn to blush every time he drives my car. My license plate says ERWRTER and he’s been asked many times what it means. I'll show you all a picture sometime. He tells them the truth…it means…Erotic Romance Writer. The moment he tells the women, they get a gleam in their eye and say ‘Ah’ while the men just shake their heads and walk away, knowing they wouldn’t be caught dead in my car.
See you all tomorrow!
Lynn
Please help me welcome Viola Grace to XtraOrdinary Romance. She is a multi-published author and very talented who has a lot of interesting information to share.
At what age did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
9 or so. I wrote a short story for Christmas and got to read it on CBC radio.
What has been your biggest influence on becoming a writer?
The works of Anne McCaffery, Jayne Krentz (in all her incarnations), and David Eddings.
How did you feel when you got your first publishing contract?
Confused. I wasn’t sure that I was accepted for a while and had to send an email back to the EIC at the time. Then I squealed and flapped my hands in the air.
How many novellas/novels have you published to date? When did you have your first sale?
As of today, it is 43 novellas and 2 novels.
Tell me about your latest release. Please include if it is part of a series or a stand alone book.
Today is the release date of Hotel Spectre. The first Novella in the Nexus universe started in Gnomes of Suburbia. Sophie is a half-elf and she has been invited to the Half-Blood Ball at the Hotel Spectre and also invited to stay until she can get a handle on her magical talent. Raffin is her mentor and when he finds out the depths of her talent he is a little shocked. They play games of control to find out who is the stronger, and on the way they foil an attempt to stamp out the half-bloods that are all under the same roof.
What was your inspiration for this book?
The cover art was created by Martine Jardin and I based the story around the picture.
How do you categorize yourself: pantser or plotter?
Pantser. Definitely. But, I can weave bullshit into fine cotton, so no problems there.
How do you handle the editing/revision process?
I curl into a tight ball and open the file. Then I bite my lip and run through the entire manuscript in one sweep. Most of my issues are punctuation and tenses, so they are relatively easy fixes.
You’re received some fantastic reviews...how do you feel about them and why?
I love a good review, but it is the mediocre ones that hold my attention. Sometimes I get a reviewer who can see what I was thinking when I was writing…it’s kinda cool. And my favourites are the ones who give me a middle of the road review, but then state that they have to keep reading my work. I just howl at those.
Did anything odd happen while you were researching this story?
With all the talk of Halloween, I got a craving for pumpkin pie. Or cake, or whatever. I also learned that there is an elf for every occasion. …hey, there’s a title “An Elf for Every Occasion”. See how my brain works. :-)
What is the biggest piece of your advice you can give a beginning writer?
Park your ego at the door and take what advice is offered. Starting out is when you are most insecure, so just keep writing until you have a body of work that tells you if you are meant for the genre you have chosen. I wanted to be serious, and yet here I am writing romantic and erotic comedy. Go figure.
Is humor important in today’s women’s fiction?
I certainly think so, but then that is my primary means of expression. Life nowadays is a little too serious, I like to shake that up and make the reader crack a smile or laugh out loud.
What’s the easiest book you’ve ever written? The hardest? The most fun?
The easiest was Haldis Imperium, it was the story that I had in mind when I started the Champions of Terra. The hardest book was Wardstone, the madness depicted was drawn from real life which was a little disturbing at the time. The most fun would have to be Hael’s Fury. Dragons in space, how cool is that?
What do you consider the elements of a great romance?
A love that takes on all the senses, smell, touch, taste, sight, sound and emotion. If you can combine all of these, you have something fantastic, whatever the genre.
What’s your biggest reward in being a writer?
Fan mail. I love hearing about people who enjoy my work. It makes going through tough storylines and harsh reviews sting a little less. It also keeps me going. I keep all fan emails for those days I just can’t figure out why I am sitting at a computer and they get me through it.
Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
www.violagrace.com
www.extasybooks.com
www.devinedestinies.com
Viola’s Bio: Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there. She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time. Her line of day job tends to be analytical which leaves her mind hopping to weave stories. No co-worker is safe from her character analysis.
In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.
Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, and her greatest weakness is her uncontrollable blush.
Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.
She is quite happy with her genetic heritage, a brilliant mind, with a twisted sense of humor.
Thanks for taking part in my 2 for Thursday promotion, Viola. I hope everyone enjoyed her words as much as I do!
Lynn
