Volume 3, Issue 2- May 2008
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Welcome to my newsletter, Lyndi's Love Notes.
Contents of this issue:
Lyndi's News
Article: Is Erotic Romance Really Romance?
Recent Reviews
Excerpt from Love... By The Book
Recommended Reads:
Quotes To Ponder
This Issue's Giveaway
Lyndi's Books
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News
Alliance: Clandestine Desire was #8 on the Amber Heat Best Seller list for March. I'm currently working on ALLIANCE: COSMIC SCANDAL, the next installment of the Alliance series.
My personal blog is Linda's Flights of Fancy where I’m now blogging several days a week. Feel free to stop by and say "hi"!
Amber Heat always has something on sale, and don't forget to answer their short survey for a chance to win a free download.
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Is Erotic Romance Really Romance?
by Lyndi Lamont
My question is prompted by a recent letter to the editor in the May 2008 issue of the Romance Writers Report, published by RWA. In the letter, the writer dismisses erotic romances as "out-and-out pornography". She goes on to state that "there is a thin, little plot which serves only to tie together a series of graphic sex scenes".
My first thought on reading this letter was to wonder exactly how many erotic romances she'd read to come to this conclusion. My guess would be not many. Now I don't know which erotic romances she's been reading, if any, but they're not the ones I read and write. My publisher, Amber Quill, wants erotic stories with hot sex, but they also insist on "fully developed characters, conflicts, and plot". As far as I'm concerned, if it's a love story with a happy ending, it's a romance.
It's easy to dismiss this kind of blanket criticism of erotic romance as prudery, and that may be a factor. Erotic romance isn't subtle. The covers raise eyebrows, the love scenes are steamy, and the language is blunt. But there may be more to it than that. Simply put, erotic romance authors break the rules.
By the time erotic romance came alone, the romance genre was well-established, with a known set of rules, also known as "reader expectations". Established rules include a one man / one woman relationship, euphemistic language and a happily-ever-after ending.
Then erotic romance came along, with its graphic language and daring love scenes, and guess what - a lot of readers ate it up. Erotic romance soon became a best-selling genre. (The readers were way ahead of the writers on this one.)
Erotic romance continued to expand - into multi-partner relationships, whether menage a trois or group sex and into alternative lifestyles, i.e. gay romance and BDSM. My best-selling story to date is my gay erotic Regency romance, Finding Jason, in which a gentleman fights his feelings for his new man servant. Male/male erotic romance has a devoted following, to the dismay of many more traditional romance writers.
So where do we go from here? Don't ask me, I'm just along for the ride.
Lyndi
© 2008 by Lyndi Lamont
(Note: This article first appeared at MySpace.com/lyndi_lamont)
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Alliance: Clandestine Desire
5 Nymphs... "Alliance: Clandestine Desire is a story that inspires the turn of phrase, Please may I have some more. The very talented Lyndi Lamont creates a tantalizing plot with sensual love play and just enough intrigue to have you panting for more of Behrin and Tai, and more adventures in space. This is an amazing series; I look forward to the next episode."
" - Chocolate Minx, Literary Nymphs Reviews
3 stars... "The two main protagonists, Behrin and Tai, sound hot, and though they are physically and philosophically poles apart, like all good examples of opposites attracting, they soon find common ground ... in each other's arms. Their relationship, and the very well written scenes of military action, kept my interest throughout the story of Tai and Behrin being sent on a secret mission... With danger surrounding them at every turn, the two lovers have to reevaluate the priorities in their lives, and answer the question ~ do they love one another enough to make these radical changes, or was this just another meteoric romance, doomed to burnout on reentry? Read it and find out." - Jim,
Rainbow Reviews
Alliance: Diplomatic Relations
4 Hearts... "Alliance: Diplomatic Relations is the first in the Alliance series. Rulik and Shayan are both strong, alpha male characters. The increasing tension between them, from the first meeting to the satisfying culmination, made this book one that was almost too hot to handle. A homoerotic relationship with a threesome included makes this one a real sensual delight. The sensual scenes were done with a deft hand and only enhanced the plot and the importance of the alliance between these two peoples. Written in such a way that the emotions driving the two characters strongly came through, the author heightened the sexual tension with her beautiful descriptions of their relations. The contrast between the uptight Ziganese and the more sexually free Mhajavi further clarified the difficulties Rulik and Shayan faced. This is my first book by Lyndi Lamont and the great start to what promises to be an enjoyable series. The fast pace and exciting plot with a surprise twist and a cliff hanger ending will leave the reader begging for more." - Hayley, The Romance Studio
Love... by the Book
4 Angels... "Love...By the Book is a scintillating mix of lust and sexual exploration. Lydia’s character has the typical ideals of the time period. Marriage is for convenience not for passion or love, no matter what she truly longs for on the inside. Evan is sexy, yet his character has a wonderfully tender side. Evan wants to learn to make Lydia enjoy marriage as much as he intends to. He shows her just how hot marriage can be. The two characters are white hot together. The sexual scenes are scorching. Ms. Lamont has done a very nice job of bringing a bit of the exotic into her writing. I look forward to reading more." - Dawnie, Fallen Angel Reviews
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Chapter 1
“The man who is ingenious and wise, who is accompanied by a friend, and who knows the intentions of others, as also the proper time and place for doing everything, can gain over, very easily, even a woman who is very hard to be obtained.” --The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana
* * * *
London, June 1885
"There, miss, I'm finished."
"Thank you, Tess."
Lydia Blatchford sat at her dressing table, studying her reflection in the mirror. Her maid had somehow managed to shape her normally long, straight, blonde hair into a curly, fashionable style. It would not last the evening, if experience were any guide, but for the moment it looked good.
Tess laid the silver-backed hairbrush on the vanity table. "You look lovely, miss."
"Thanks to your efforts. You did a fine job," Lydia said, putting as much warmth into her voice as possible.
"I'm pleased to help, miss. It ain't every night a girl, I mean lady, gets engaged."
"No, indeed. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a few moments."
"Of course, miss," Tess said and exited the room.
Lydia stared at her reflection again. What would her new fiancé think of her? Her visage stared back--skin wan, blue eyes wary. Not exactly the picture of the blushing bride. But how could she be? Not when she'd been all but sold in marriage to a stranger.
What would he think of her appearance tonight? Despite her deep resentment at being forced to wed to save her family from ruin, she couldn't help but worry what he would think.
Evan Arthur Channing, scion of a fabulously wealthy merchant family...her fiancé, soon to be her husband.
Rising, Lydia paced her bedroom, the skirts of her blue silk gown rustling in the silence. She put a hand to her suddenly aching head. How had it all come to this? And who was this man with whom she was going to spend the rest of her life?
They had met but once, when her brother brought him home to discuss the financial arrangements with her father. One highborn bride with entree into polite society in exchange for an unspecified amount of cash to shore up the family coffers.
She stopped to stare at her bookshelf, improbably crowded with romance novels. How had she--plain, overly tall Lydia of the straight hair and pale complexion--ever let herself dream of love and romance? That was for pretty, petite girls, like her sister, Phoebe, whose brilliant debut would be made possible by the dashing of Lydia's own hopes and dreams.
Stop it. You won't do yourself any good by descending into bitterness. What's done is done.
She returned to the vanity, perched on the bench and pinched some color into her cheeks. It was too late for second thoughts. She'd already agreed to wed Evan Channing and she'd just have to make the best of a bad bargain.
* * * *
She wasn't quite the perfect English rose, but she'd do.
Evan Channing stood next to the fireplace in Lord Blatchford's parlor and studied his fiancée as she sat on the settee talking to his mother. Lydia Blatchford wore blue tonight, bringing out the color of her pale eyes. When she looked up, he smiled at his intended across the room. Her lips curved slightly in answer and a blush stole up her face, adding color to her porcelain complexion before she turned away. Tonight her dark blonde hair had been curled into a fashionable upswept style, softening her appearance. When he'd met her before, her long mane had been pulled back into a bun. He wasn't sure the curls suited her, but of course, he'd prefer to see her hair down, spread around her nude body. His pulse raced at the thought he'd soon be able to make her his.
He could hardly wait to peel off her layers of clothing, revealing the woman underneath, her smooth skin and generous curves. Taller and larger boned than most women, she'd fit perfectly against his own lanky frame. Perhaps he'd find an opportunity to steal a kiss tonight. Surely that was allowed to an engaged couple.
"Stop staring."
Evan started and turned to see Lydia's brother, Harry, standing beside him. "Sorry."
Harry raised a blond eyebrow. "You should be. If you weren't already betrothed to my sister, I'd have to call you out for the way you were undressing her with your eyes."
© 2007 by Lyndi Lamont
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Recommended Reads:
Cry of the Bells
by Dee Ann Palmer
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: Novel
Jilted by love and seeking a new life, a young Bostonian woman takes a companionship position on a California rancho in 1834. There her heart entangles her in an impossible love, and she becomes the target for murder.
Available in print only at Amazon or from the author. Click on cover for more information.
Adeno
by Gabrina Garza
Genres: Fantasy Erotic Romance
Heat Level: 2 - Extended Amber Kiss (15k words)
Winner 2007 Heat Wave Contest
Freedom can be denied, but desire and love know no bounds...
Nasora, a born healer, finds herself increasingly drawn to a young fighter named Adeno. Her only purpose in the arena, however, is to heal the fighters if they return alive and victorious. And time and again, Nasora brings back Adeno from the brink of death. Adeno’s body is meant only for combat, yet the connection Nasora feels toward the arena warrior deepens into something primal...something forbidden.
When at last she decides she can no longer see Adeno enslaved, and he no longer wishes to be physically healed, Nasora wonders if she has the strength to heal him in a different way. And will she be able to free her lover after his owner, who also has designs on Nasora and seeks revenge against Adeno, interferes with her plans?
Sabotage
by Christianne France
Genres: Nostalgic Contemporary (World War II-Era) Erotic Romance / Some Gay (M/M) Content
Heat Level: 3 - Novella (23k words)
When the dark clouds of war began to roll across Europe in 1939, Pamela Bradley-Browning expected to be conscripted into the British army. Instead, thanks to her wealthy father and his connections, and what he believed to be Pamela’s total inability to do anything except file her nails and party ’til dawn, she’s given safe but essential war work as an assistant intelligence analyst at MI5. That is until a flurry of sabotage activity and a shortage of agents has Pamela posing as a member of the Women’s Land Army with instructions to root out the bad guys.
Although determined to show her father she’s not the brainless idiot he thinks, Pamela makes the mistake of falling in love with Corporal Bruno Sabatini, one of the Italian prisoners of war working on the same farm. She knows fraternizing with the enemy is a crime. But she’s not too worried until she discovers Bruno’s father owns an arms factory in Italy, appears to be pro-German, and Bruno is MI5’s number one suspect as the saboteur. If Bruno is found guilty, Pamela can add conspiring with the enemy to the charges against her.
While the Italian pow’s are the enemy and the obvious suspects, Pamela knows a saboteur needs motive as well as means, and she doesn’t believe the pow’s have either. It’s someone else...but who? Desperate to clear the name of the man she loves before the police decide to wring a confession out of him, she doesn’t know where to start looking—until she learns about certain pre-war friendships and dangerous secrets successfully used as blackmail in the past. In fact, there’s an excellent chance someone else has discovered the secret and is using the knowledge for his or her own ends. To solve the mystery and save Bruno from false arrest, Pamela’s in a race against time to find the latest pieces of the puzzle and unmask the real villain.
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Quotes to Ponder
"Dance like it hurts,/ Love like you need money,/ Work when people are watching." - Scott Adams
"The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable." - John Kenneth Galbraith
"Inspiration is wonderful when it happens, but the writer must develop an approach for the rest of the time... The wait is simply too long." - Leonard Bernstein
"Art is making something out of nothing and selling it." - Frank Zappa
"After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say "’I want to see the manager.’" - William S. Burroughs
"What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure." - Samuel Johnson
"It's the good girls who keep diaries; the bad girls never have the time." - Tallulah Bankhead
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This Issue's Giveaway:
Two lucky winners will get their choice of any of my backlisted e-books. If you'd like to be considered, send an email to lyndilamont@yahoo.com with May Giveaway in the subject line and include your preferred e-book format.
The winner must be an active member of my Yahoo Announcement Group. By that I mean messages not bouncing and membership not set to No Mail or Special Notices. Click here to join, or send an email to lyndilamont@yahoo.com with the word subscribe in the subject line. Winner will be chosen before the next newsletter comes out.
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Lyndi’s Books:
For more information on all my stories, including reviews and excerpts, go to
my Bookshelf.
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I hope you enjoyed this issue of Lyndi's Love Notes. Watch for the next issue in a few months.
Lyndi
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