Forget Serious Writing - Romance is More Fun

Okay, so today two things happened. My best friend called me to tell me she'd finished reading All I Ever Wanted and she loved it. She went into great detail and I'm so relieved and happy that she liked it. It's really all I ever wanted (har har). But seriously. She's kind of my target market. When I first started in this genre, I knew I could count on her to be honest because she's a romance expert. It's her favorite genre. Today I heard that I passed that test and I was elated. Seriously. I mean there are very few people in my life who even know about my secret career as a romance author. My friend's review meant the world to me and I was on cloud nine.

Then...

I got the harshest rejection letter ever. It wasn't just a standard 'no thanks, not for us' that publishers so often have to send out. I'm over those. No biggie. This was a two page essay about why my book was horrendous. And, yes, you guessed it, this was no romance. This was a "serious" novel. In fact I'd spent a few years on it. Granted, the editor had a number of valid points, and part of me expected that there were plenty of aspects that still needed work, but man. What a burn! I'd quote specifics but I don't want to scare any writers out there off submitting.

So all this has me in deep contemplation about my two "careers". When I write romance, I'm always in a great mood (even if I was irritable before sitting down to write). I love my characters. The plots are fun and always surprising. The sex is great - and inspiring in my real life. There are so many good aspects to it. Plus, I can actually finish a book. In my more 'serious' attempts at fiction, I find myself endlessly rewriting scenes I'm never really happy with. I'm insecure about how my work will be received and I'm forever obsessing over every detail. It doesn't make me happy. It never really has.

Today that really clicked. I was walking home from work in the rain and it was cold out and I was thinking about how challenging it is for the many homeless folks who live near me when the seasons change. Poverty is a terrible thing. My community is severely affected by it, not just the folks outside in the streets, but my artist/writer friends who can barely make rent. It really got me wondering.

If the path of 'serious' writing is paved with rejection and poverty (at least for most writers), and it doesn't make me happy, what the hell am I doing it for?

Then there's my love of writing romance. Super fun. Makes me happy. Potentially quite profitable. I know a number of authors who live on it. Put a ring on it, I say. I am ready to declare that this is my genre. I'm committing.

If this was a choice between two lovers, let's say, the first one sounds like a deadbeat drunkard who'll never change. He'll just keep on pissing me off forever. The second one is suave and promising. He makes me feel good about myself.

I know I don't have to choose.  In the wise words of my bud, "It isn't either/or. It's both and more." I don't have to choose one type of writing over another. I can keep on writing whatever I'm inspired to write, but these days that is romance. I just want to be perfectly clear about how much I adore erotic romance.

Sexy Snippets for November

The Erotica Readers & Writers Association Blog: Sexy Snippets for November



Check out the sexy snippets above. I have one in the mix, too.  Enjoy!

Skipping Nanowrimo

The last few Novembers have been great. I wrote the erotic romance books that are now out with Totally Bound and I fully expected to get down to business this time around. But instead, I'm editing. This is a luxury. I'm working on my upcoming release, Worth the Wait. It's a follow up to All I Ever Wanted. Finishing it feels good.

I am, however, promising myself that for the last week of November and the first half of December, I'm going to write to my heart's content. I just love this erotic romance journey. It's a great time.

What I love about Autumn

It's sweater time again! I love to cozy up in my warmer clothes and go for walks through fallen leaves of so many shades of brown, yellow and orange. It's time to make comfort food and drink chai and pull out the blanket when reading. I love the way the air smells when it rains and how the streets glisten.

The other thing is that Nanowrimo is only 12 days away. It's wild to think of that. All three of my published novels came out that way. I caught the first draft in the span of the thirty days of November, then edited them during the winter months and finally submitted them. This year, I'm going to try again.

Ultimately, fall is about returning to writing. I find that summer takes me outside. I like to get active. This year I bought a bike and became obsessed with going for rides all over my city. But that ended a couple of weeks ago and now I'm more inclined to spend these dark evenings reading and writing, which is also a great love of mine.

I know there are many people who resist fall. I'm friends with a bunch of autumn naysayers. But when I think of fall, what comes to mind is warmth and the written word. Divine! Bring it on, I say.

Guest Blogging at Crissy Smith's Blog

My very first guest blog. I was so excited to write a post for Crissy Smith's fabulous blog. Didn't get any comments, but that's okay. I've been ridiculously internet shy since starting out on this erotic romance writing journey. However, that's starting to change. This is me opening up. About costumes and Halloween and fun stuff:



Crissy Smith's Blog: Welcome Destiny Moon as the special guest blogger today

Super Fab!

So it has been a while since my last post. All I Ever Wanted came out in the spring and I have to say I'm pleased with it. So far the best review I received came from a young woman who emailed me and said that my character, Claudia, really spoke to her because she'd also kind of let herself go in the past little while.

It's easy to stop practicing self-care, especially when you get busy with stuff. In the book, Claudia is busy with life. She's writing her PhD thesis and doesn't have time to shave her legs. Also, she and her live-in boyfriend are in a rut, arguing over stuff like whose turn it is to clean the toilet. I was able to draw on real life a little bit here, I confess.

For me, the fun with Claudia's journey was taking her from mousy to fabulous. Yes, she also finds Sebastian Porter, the handsome and successful philanthropist and of course she has some of the best sex of her life and experiences unconditional love, but the real journey for Claudia is an inward one. She gets back to valuing herself and that's so important.

Life is full of ups and downs and I'll be the first to admit that it's easy to fall out of positive habits. Sometimes when I'm writing, I can go for a frighteningly long time without showering. But, like Claudia, eventually I get fed up with being schlubby and that's when it's time to bust out the eye-liner and fancy dress. In the mean time, it's pretty fabulous to write about sexy heroines in the comfort of my pajamas.

Coming Soon!