Peeking Between the Pages

...escape into the pages of a good book

Guest Post & Giveaway with Linda Wisdom, Author of Hex in High Heels

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Please join me in welcoming Linda Wisdom to Peeking Between the Pages today. She’s got a hectic schedule so I’m really pleased she made it. I reviewed Hex in High Heels yesterday and it’s a fantastic read. Just what I needed. Pop on over and take a peek at my review. Let’s relax a while, with some coffee or tea, and enjoy what Linda has to say about Romance Writing Yesterday and Today.

Many thanks to Darlene at Peeking Between The Pages for having me here talking about the changes in romance writing over the years.

When I think about the books I wrote back in 1978 and what I write now, all I can think is “thank you for letting us evolve!”

I remember my first two books well. Sweet innocent heroines, alpha heroes who could be borderline cruel, sizzling kisses (for then, now considered downright chaste), and you always closed the door on any sex scenes. As for pre marital sex? You better mention they’re heading to Vegas to get married. I actually had to do that with my second book!

I wrote the hero’s point of view in my first book and sadly, had to take it out. It just wasn’t done. You could only write from the heroine’s POV. How boring is that? Why shouldn’t we know what the men were thinking? Why can’t we feel the sexual tension that zinged between them? At least, more than we did.

But the times were a’changing. And we authors jumped on it with shrieks of joy. We could write sexier love scenes. We could dive into the hero’s head. And later on even a third point of view.

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy writing those first books. After all, they were the beginning of my writing career and a good way to hone my craft. When I look back on it, I consider that time learning the basics. I wrote my first paranormal book in the late 1980s and while it did well it took some time to sell another because they weren’t as popular then as they are now.

Along the way we authors had the chance to give our books more depth. Not just heating up love scenes and showing what the hero was thinking about, but to add more layers to our books. More than one subplot, give the reader a deeper sense of the story itself.

From the beginning I wanted more in my books and along the way I could do that. I liked to call it breaking the rules and pushing the envelope. I’d add a few ‘forbidden’ things and see what made it in and what got me a “you can’t do that”.

Thanks to all our writing evolution, we authors were able to add more layers to our stories, give our readers MORE. I’m real big on layers and adding more to the books because I know I don’t like reading something that doesn’t have a lot of depth to it, so I can’t imagine the readers do either.

Writing books that covered a variety of subjects were also a great learning tool and allowed me to go further and the readers were happy with it.

I think of all the romance lines and imprints that have popped up over the years. Remember Richard Gallon in the early 1980s? Wonderful books and Sandra Brown went that extra step after Dell Candlelight Ecstasy, another wonderful line that I also wrote for. Loveswept gave us a lot of authors that moved on to fantastic single title books. I wrote three books for the line and had a blast there. We all stretched our wings. An historical line called Velvet Glove. When you’ve been in the business for a long time you see them coming and going, and you need to decide if you want to stay or not. What can I say? I love working in my jimmies. :} And I loved moving with the trends, learning along the way.

Yes, we authors have been able to do so much more with our books. After all, look at all the sub-genres we’ve come up with! Look at the even wider variety of reading material out there. But it’s also due to you, the readers. You welcomed our ventures. True, some may not take off, but more than enough do.

Running those extra miles in running has been a great exercise for we authors. I know it has for me and thanks to you, I’m now writing what I truly love.

What about you? Have you read the books long enough to see trends?
~~~~~~~

Thanks so much for joining us here today with this great guest post Linda! I have definitely been reading long enough to see the changing trends and I welcome them!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

Thanks to Danielle at Sourcebooks I have 2 copies of Hex in High Heels up for grabs. What do you need to do to enter…

  • For 1 entry leave me a comment with a way to contact you.
  • For 2 entries follow my blog. If you do let me know and I’ll put you down for an extra entry.
  • For 3 entries blog or tweet this giveaway to spread the word.

This giveaway is open to US & Canadian residents only (no PO boxes). These books will be shipped to you directly from Sourcebooks. I will be drawing for the winners on Sunday, November 1, 2009. Good luck everyone!

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  2. I'd love a chance to win! I've heard a lot about this series and it seems so fun. Really enjoyed Linda's post too!!

    mishtakes AT gmail DOT com

    I also follow <3

  5. Thanks all!

    You figure if you want to keep writing you have to evolve, move with the times and trends. I've tried to do that. Right now, I'd love to stay with my paranormal writing as long as possible.

    Linda

  6. Linda, I LOVE this. Thanks for letting us see the romance world through your eyes.

    Dar, I've got this posted at Win a Book. No need to enter me, of course.

  8. I just bought a pair of high heels today (okay, they aren't really that high but for a girl who's 6 ft. tall, a klutz and not good in heels, they're high!) so if I could only hex a few people…

    This book sounds like such fun! Great post!

    melacan at hotmail dot com

  10. Thanks Susan.

    It's been fun to also meet people who've read me over the years. Nice to know they've kept up with me.

    Linda

  12. What a great post! I am reading this right now and really enjoying it. I agree, it is so much fun to see the changes and evolution of authors that have been in the biz for a while! I have especially seen this with authors such as Nora Roberts, Charlotte Hughes and I know there are a ton more that my brain is blocking. I was sorting through old books one day a while back and found a bunch of old Harlequin books that were authored by the above. So much fun!!

  13. Hello Linda! It must be great to write "what you love!"

    Great post, I found this really interesting, the post and the book – Thanks Dar!

    Not entering (I'm British!) Just commenting…

    Sassy
    🙂

  14. I'd love to be entered in this great contest! I subscribe in Google Reader. milou2ster(at)gmail.com

  15. Would love to win! Please count me in! I loved your interview and was really interested in the romance evolution! I do remember Loveswepts!
    Thanks.
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

  20. I just read your review on this book, and think it sounds like a lot of fun. The interview was very interesting as well. Please enter me in this giveaway, I'd love a chance to win the book.

    zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net

    I am also a follower of your blog.

  21. What a wonderful guest post! It really is interesting to look back and see how writing and books have evolved over time. I don't read much romance anymore, but I definitely can see it in the crime fiction I read, from the older books to the more contemporary ones.

    I'd love to enter the giveaway (thanks!).

    literaryfeline AT gmail DOT com

  23. I'd love to read this! I have Another of her books but haven't read it yet. Thanks for entering me into this giveaway

    -Follower

    unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

  33. Great interview. I would like to enter: thereadingjourney[at]gmail[dot]com

    +1 I also follow through google reader

  34. Thanks for the giveaway. I'd like to win one of Linda's books.

    I'm also a follower.

    jen4777[at]hotmail.com

  36. no need to enter me in the giveaway, but I wanted to stop by and say that I'm glad that the writing has evolved…

  41. It's hard to think of a time when paranormal romance wasn't such a big seller. I know that dark period of time actually existed, it's just hard to think about it since the genre has exploded so much!

    My library doesn't have any of these for some reason and I've been wanting to try them since the first one came out. Thank you for the giveaway!

    Ladytink_534(at)yahoo(dot)com

  44. Looks like a fun book to read! 🙂

    I'm a google follower and I tweeted (@farrah1230) about it.

    thebookfaeryreviews AT gmail DOT com

  45. I need a good book for the cold Winter months while I'm inside hibernating.

    curlyfrysc [at] charter [dot] net

  46. Dar, thanks so much for your continued generosity and to you and Linda for the interview! These books are perfect and fun for the season!

    I am a follower and I tweeted and FB'ed (Bella Smythe)! For some reason, I cannot get Twitter to give me the link to my tweet, but it was at http://twitter.com/b42bella on Friday, October 16 at 6.20 pm. Thanks!

    Thanks!

    b42bella AT gmail DOT com

  58. This book sounds fantastic – I would love to be included in the giveaway. I am a follower and my email address is laarlt78(at)hotmail(dot)com.

    Thanks!

  62. The book sounds like a really delightful read. Please enter me in the drawing.

    I'm a follower

    Have a great weekend and happy reading!

    florida982002[at]yahoo.com

  66. I love reading these type of fun Chick Lit books. Thanks for this nice giveaway.

    chinook92(at)gmail(dot)com