I came out to my pastor

This Sunday, my rector sermonized on romance novels.  No kidding.

He said his wife has been watching the Twilight movies and now wants to read the books.  That got him thinking about shapeshifters -- vampires, werewolves -- and how they related to Jesus being the pascal lamb and also the shepherd.  He compared that to his own role in our church.  Sometimes, he's the sheep.  Sometimes, he's the shepherd.  And sometimes, he's the wolf who'd like to bite off the heads of some of the sheep.  (Did I mention our sermons often include jokes?  They do.)

Then, he mentioned that he realized that Twilight movies were "chick flicks."  He didn't mention romance by name, but that's what he was talking about.  What's more, he demonstrated that he really "gets" the purpose of romance novels.

In our rush to produce pages, get published, do promotion, and all the other things that our careers involve, we often overlook the real message of romance.  That is that the power of a woman's love can tame the most dangerous creature on the planet, the human male.  The way Father Mauricio put it was "I love you.  Calm down."  Our stories aren't about the sex, although that's fun.  They aren't about crackling dialogue or wicked plot twists.  They aren't about character arcs or the hero's journey.  They're about the healing power of love.

I don't know if Father Mauricio's wife told him that or he figured it out himself.  He might.  He's an insightful guy who spends a lot of time thinking about love.  It's his occupation, after all.  God's love -- "I love you.  Calm down."  Jesus's message -- "I love you.  Calm down."

In any case, my jaw just about hit the back of the pew in front of me.  He gets it.  He really gets it.

So, I finally screwed up my courage and told him when I greeted him on my way out of the church.  "I write those books."  He smiled.  "I write the really steamy ones."  He laughed.  "I'm glad I finally came out to you."  He gave me one of his big laughs -- the kind that fill the whole church.  I wish I'd told him about my writing an age ago.

Great new review of Dragon Shift

Whipped Cream review of Dragon Shift

It's always great to see a nice review.  Thank you, Holly!

"Ilona's always dreamed of her dragon. Now that she's grown, the images have become so erotic no real man can compete with them. But lately, she keeps getting jolts of sexual energy, and she needs relief. So when a hunk of male flesh named Zimm shows up on the scene, she's tempted to finally lose her virginity. Drake, crown prince of the realm of dragons, seeks his mate so that he can help her with her first shift. Unfortunately, he finds her living with demons, and one in particular has nearly seduced her into his bed. Drake now has to convince Ilona that she's his princess, and the best way is to take her on their mating flight.

"Ms Gaines has created a fun and unusual world, with dragons and demons and lots of hot and steamy “unsex” if you will. Ilona manges to have more hot times without actually doing the deed than any other heroine I have read. I laughed at the lengths she went to in order to prevent the actual loss of innocence. This is for all of you out there who like to laugh and enjoy a hot time, with just a bit of danger thrown in for the fun of it."


 
 
 
To buy Dragon Shift

This'll be a new drive-by, but I have to share

I just sold another story to Harlequin Spice Briefs.  Another hot Victorian story.

I'm so excited.

Awesome review for Hungry Spirits by Alice Duncan

In the intrest of full-disclosure, I have to tell you that Alice Duncan is a good friend of mine.  I've read her books, so I can tell you with all honesty and objectivity that Alice rawks!

She just got this awesome review from Booklist for her latest Daisy Majesty book.  I've read and loved Daisy, and you will, too, if you give this series a try.  Get a Daisy book.  You'll be glad you did!

Booklist Review. (May 1, 2010)

This title will publish in June 2010

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Advanced Review – Uncorrected Proof Issue: May 1, 2010

Hungry Spirits. Duncan, Alice (Author) Jun 2010. 256 p. Five Star, hardcover, $25.95. (9781594149122) .

This enjoyable series deserves to be much better known. It takes place in Pasadena at the beginning in the early 1920s. WWI has had an immense impact on the Gumm-Majesty family. Billy Majesty returned from the war with wounds related to being both shot and exposed to mustard gas. As a result, he cannot walk or work and has become addicted to morphine. Daisy, his wife, supports the family working as a spiritualist. Billy doesn’t approve, but Daisy and the Gumm family are much more pragmatic. In this adventure, Daisy is asked to teach a cooking class for disadvantaged immigrant ladies at the Salvation Army. That sounds innocent enough, but Daisy can’t cook. She manages to stay one step ahead of the class, but she lands right in the middle of an anarchist plot, forcing her to turn sleuth and, along the way, confront her prejudices against Germans, whom she blames for her husband’s disability. Daisy’s upbeat attitude in the face of serious problems gives her great appeal, as does Duncan’s grasp of the period. Recommend Daisy to fans of Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs. — Judy Coon

My cover for Miss Foster's Folly

This will be a really short blog.  Mostly just

SQUEEEEEEEEEEE

Is this gorgeous or what?  The book will likely be out in June, and I'm so excited.  It's part of the launch of Carina Press.

Major kudos to the Carina team, and many, many thanks to my wonderful editor, Jessica Schulte