Hello from the Other Side

I stole a piece from a contemporary song to say, wow, it's been a while since I've blogged. It's been niggling at the back of my mind that I've been slack, but life has been busy and well, I haven't had any books coming out so....

No, that's no excuse for not blogging.

So, here I am.

At least I didn't close my whole blog. I've been considering it too as I've kind of lost interest in writing erotic romance. It's partly because of a review I received, but mostly because of the well running dry. I know it's probably not productive to let one review get to you, but well, the words got me thinking. The reviewer said that the book was written like a sweet romance but had explicit erotic romance words in it which didn't gel with them. I was a bit upset because the book was published as an erotic romance, but then I thought more deeply about what they said. I do write sweet romance under another name and it comes naturally to me. So, I figured, that's my natural style. So, why am I writing erotic romance then? I had some serious soul-searching to do. I have to admit, one of the reasons was I was hoping it would help me make some money. But then, if I dug deeper, I knew that wasn't the only reason. I can't exactly put spicy scenes into my sweet romances under my other name. And I still like to write them. Sometimes, they're a vital part of the romance story.

So this is my decision: I will continue to write under Vicki but will concentrate on a more contemporary angle. I will write a story with fewer sex scenes - the love scenes won't drive the story as in an erotic romance, but will rather compliment it. I admit that love scenes are the hardest to write and I struggle to write a full-length with varied ones. It's so hard to make them meaningful and use them to boost the story forward. So, for now, I'm going to write contemporary. I may revert back to erotic romance some time, but I do feel like my style matches contemporary more. It means rewording things in my love scenes to be a bit less graphic which I'm not used to. Although I write sweet, when I write hot, I prefer to just put it out there and not skirt away from the truth, lol. But I'm going to try a different way.

At the moment, I've started a short contemporary called Wedding Dress Hunt. Here's what it's about:

Nicola's fiance, Ian, has just returned from a six-month work contract in Belgium. Being apart has put a strain on their relationship. They travel back from a trip to Durban and, on the way, Nicola's wedding dress falls out the back of their truck, nowhere to be found. It's her dream dress and she's worked so hard to get the ideal gown for her special day. Ian's annoyed at the delays, which makes Nicola begin to doubt their relationship. They begin a search for the dress in the Natal Midlands, stopping at all the tourist destinations. As the stress builds, so does the conflict, until Nicola seriously questions their future success as a married couple. When she confronts Ian with the hurt from the last six months, he doesn't want to talk. Only when they visit all the different craft shops and interesting places, do they begin to relax and deal with the barriers to their love. But Nicola has another problem. She's always promised to save herself for her marriage night. Now they have to share a room as the Bed and Breakfasts in the Midlands are fully booked. What will Nicola do with her feelings for a man she isn't sure she's ready to marry after all?

This book is based on a true story. I heard in the news a few months back about a woman who lost her wedding dress off the back of a truck while travelling through the Natal Midlands. Aah, I thought, perfect story fodder. She did find the dress with the help of a local radio station and people in the area. My heroine doesn't have it as easy in the book but she has a few lessons to learn that are worth much more than silk, lace and sequins.