Romance Writers of America provides a simple definition of a romance. Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. Okay, I’ve got that clear. I write romance. Another critical element of a romance is its heat level. I was listening to a romance writers’ panel recently andContinue reading “Spice and all things nice …”
Tag Archives: book-review
Fraction too much Friction
Website photo: from Gondola lookout Christchurch NZ The title of the old Tim Finn song has been on repeat in my head lately. Hard to realise it was released in 1983—that’s more than 40 years ago. I was a babe in arms, and my mother sang it as a lullaby. Not really, but … theContinue reading “Fraction too much Friction”
A Just Man—Choosing Family Book 4
Sometimes I feel like a bower bird. So many bright shiny things to collect, store, study, then turn into a book. And it can take years for all of the pieces to fall into place. A Just Man fits that category. The initial inspiration for this book was my rage at the increase in the number ofContinue reading “A Just Man—Choosing Family Book 4”
Trigger warnings and stuff I don’t want to read in a romance
Authors, academics and almost anyone who puts pen to paper have been thinking about trigger warnings for a while now. University courses carry trigger warnings. Television, streaming services, movies and books carry trigger warnings. I recently entered a writing competition and was asked to list trigger warnings. People see trigger warnings as important content warningsContinue reading “Trigger warnings and stuff I don’t want to read in a romance”
Comparisons, reviews and well damn!
I’ve come to this topic via a roundabout route. I find it difficult to compare my writing and stories to other contemporary romance writers—to say, hey I’m the next Emily Henry, but shorter, or the next Ali Hazelwood without the STEM characters. I could say, my lead characters respect and like each other—Emily Henry andContinue reading “Comparisons, reviews and well damn!”
Jennifer Raines 