It’s true what they say, people really do judge a book by its cover. You’ve done the hard work writing it in the first place, so don’t stop there. Go the extra mile and get a professional cover. The good news? Professional covers don’t have to cost the earth. Read on for more… Continue reading » “Top Tips: Get A Professional Cover”
I’ve been banging on about getting my books out in different languages for a while now, and I’ve only gone and done it again! I’m thrilled to let you know that Das Gefuhl Von Liebe – the German version of A Taste Of Love – is out now!
This lesbian romance is set in the Cotswolds, and features gin lover Natalie Hill and her new ice cream-toting neighbour, Ellie Knap. It’s an enemies-to-lovers small-town story packed with passion, and I hope it fills your summer with lashings of German love!
Check out the blurb and the places you can buy it by clicking here.
Welcome to episode 69 of the Lesbian Book Club, where I interview UK author Kate Davies. Kate is a novelist, screenwriter and author of children’s books. Her debut novel In At The Deep End won the 2020 Polari Prize and was shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse prize for comic fiction. The Guardian described it as ‘without doubt, the afterparty book for anyone looking to continue their Fleabag fun’. Kate talks about writing from a place of truth, celebrating queer London, living her best life in a Scottish castle, and writing stuff that shocks you. “There’s stuff in the book I’d be embarrassed to read out loud!”
As usual, I do a run-down of the Amazon Lesbian Fiction charts in the US & UK, as well as updating you on the latest news of lesbian fiction conferences & awards season. I hope you enjoy – Kate was a fabulous guest!
Happy Pride Month! To celebrate, I’m doing a 25% off all my books for sale on my web shop. All you need to do is head over there, select the books you want, then check out using the coupon code HAPPYPRIDE.
Nearly my whole back catalogue is there, including all the London Romance books and boxsets, the All I Want series and boxsets, as well as six standalone novels: Before You Say I Do, Christmas In Mistletoe, You’re My Kind, Twice In A Lifetime, The Long Weekend and Nothing To Lose. What are you waiting for? Go stock up on lesbian romance and make Pride month that little bit happier. Sale ends June 30th, use the code HAPPYPRIDE at checkout. Happy reading!
April and May have been big months for audio, with two of my lesbian romances hitting the virtual audio shelves! The Long Weekend and Hot London Nights are now available for you to stream into your ears, and they’re for sale or rent wherever audiobooks are sold or streamed. Plus, you can order them from your local library for free, too! Find out more here.
You’ve written a book. Congratulations! You’ve done an amazing thing. Pop some fizz, soak up the applause, and then turn your attention to the next conundrum. How do you launch it? Getting attention on the various bookseller platforms isn’t easy, but here are some things you can do… Continue reading » “Top Tips: How To Launch A Book”
“Write what you know.” It’s the first advice given to new writers, but it’s invariably bad advice if you take it literally. Write what you know doesn’t mean your story has to be a carbon copy of your life. Nobody wants to read that, trust me.
On the contrary, ‘write what you know’ means you have to examine what you know, and also what you can research or learn. Because once you research or learn something, then you know it. Write what you know means you can literally write about anything, so long as you prepare.
Write what you know it also about experience and emotion. So yes, write about your dad’s red Ford Cortina estate with the traffic-light air freshener. Write about the fear of walking into your first gay bar. Write about the gut-wrenching pain you felt when that first woman broke your heart. But also, write about women from 1958, as I am in my upcoming lesbian romance, Big London Dreams. I wasn’t alive then, but I know how it feels to kiss a woman for the first time. To dance with a woman. I can put a magnifying glass on those emotions to hold the reader in the story, then shade in the period details once I’ve researched them.
Don’t be scared to write eras you haven’t lived, jobs you’ve never done, a gender you’ve never lived. Do the research, put yourself in the character’s shoes and truly feel their life. Then you can write what you know, because you know.
You can do a whole lot in seven years. Eat 364 tins of baked beans. Have nine kids. Drink 2,555 pots of nuclear-strength coffee. Watch all of Grey’s Anatomy. Or, you could do what I did and write 18 novels.
I started out slow, with one novel, then another. In the first three years part-time, I eeked out five books. Then something clicked, and I’ve written three novels a year since 2017. It’s taken hard work, discipline and a whole lot of love to get here. Along the way, I’ve learned so much. But every day, I’m working for myself and doing my dream job. I can’t ask for more! What have I learned in the last 84 months? Read on to find out… Continue reading » “Seven Years As An Author: Ten Things I’ve Learned”
When you’re writing a sex scene, it’s important to focus on the emotion and not the body parts. It’s not a biology exam, and nobody is going to thank you for using the word vulva. Trust me.
Sex scenes in romance are like fight scenes or car chases in action-adventure books. They’re essential and highly anticipated. Your characters (and your reader) have to work to get there, and when they eventually reach their peak, it’s your job to ensure nobody is let down.
The key thing is to make your sex scene both sensual and alluring. Describe what’s happening, but do it from the perspective of the character and all that they bring to the scene. What are their hopes? What are can they see, touch, taste, hear? What’s it reminding them of? What are they feeling in their heart now it’s finally happening?
Fingers can slide and caress. Tongues can tantalise and tease. Lube can be popped and pressed. Everything the character thought they once knew can be rewritten. Sex scenes should move the story forward. They should reflect what has gone before and what’s possible from here on in. Your characters have just taken things to the next level. Show it all.
Remember, you’re not playing a game of Sex Twister: no crazy moves required. Don’t use coarse or flowery language as that will throw your reader out of the story. Keep it real, but elevate it to a almost-perfect reality. Make sure senses tingle and stars collide. It’s all in the build-up, all in the emotion. The first kiss, the first touch, the loaded look that tips your character over the edge. Romance and sex go hand in hand, so don’t be scared of writing a sex scene. Instead, put yourself in your character’s shoes and write from the heart. Embrace it. Have fun with it.
And don’t for one second think about the fact your parents might read it.
Welcome to episode 68 of the Lesbian Book Club where I interview UK author Kirsty Eyre. Her first novel, Cow Girl, won the inaugural Comedy Women in Print Award and a publishing contract with Harper Collins. Kirsty talks about how she stumbled into writing late, but is now fully embracing the world of novel-writing. Throughout lockdown she’s been juggling home schooling, a new puppy, a day job and trying to write her next three books. No pressure!
As usual, I also do a run-down of the Amazon Lesbian Fiction charts in the US & UK, as well as updating you on the latest news of lesbian fiction conferences & awards season. I’m currently deep in draft two of my next book, Big London Dreams, which is available for pre-order now.