Welcome to 2009 and our first guest blogger of the new year…contemporary author, Victoria Dahl! Carly had the pleasure of reading Victoria’s book, TALK ME DOWN, early enough to provide a cover quote and I remember her talking about how much she enjoyed the manuscript way back when she read it. So I was really excited to see the online buzz about Victoria’s book and asked her to contribute to our series of guest writers. Thanks so much, Victoria, for joining us. And people, TALK ME DOWN is in stores now!
Finding My (Not-So-Inner) Naughty Contemporary Heroine
by Victoria Dahl
I have a confession. For the first twenty-eight years of my reading life, I never read a contemporary romance. Okay, for the first twelve years, I didn’t read romance at all, but I have to tell you… even as a ten-year-old, I was pretty frustrated with the unsatisfyingly infrequent appearances of the Hardy Boys in the Nancy Drew Mysteries. Is there some reason we couldn’t have the guys around WHILE we solved mysteries? Couldn’t they be waiting on the sidelines with towels and ice-cold Coca-Colas or something? Put these boys to work!
But at twelve, I started reading my mom’s romances. Like a lot of romance readers, I was reared on historicals. Loved them. I so wanted to go back in time and ride a beautiful horse (or prince), move to a castle, and live happily ever after. I held onto that first love with complete devotion. And as an adult, I decided I wanted to write these books. Guess what? I can’t write historicals while I’m reading them. I had to find something else.
Contemporaries? No, sir. I turned to paranormals. It’s a natural transition, I think. Because really, the historical world I place my characters in is like science fiction. It’s based on reality, but nobody has any missing teeth, the men all know what a clitoris is, and the women are miraculously free of urinary-tract-infections despite all the heroic friction. Paranormals are also based on the real world, except that being bitten feels damn good, the monsters are not just noble, but also sexy, and sex is risk-free because vampires can’t get STDs. It’s perfect! Hey, whaddya know! I started writing paranormals as well. (I’m hoping this tendency sounds familiar to some of you other writers.)
Time to turn to contemporaries now? Nope, not yet. Time for romantic suspense! Long story short… not enough sex. Oh, I love suspense books, but a girl can’t survive on sexual tension alone, people.
And then… then I met my critique partner. She’d seen me on the loops and thought I was funny. Wanted to know if I needed a CP. Well, I didn’t want a critique partner! I’m a loner! A rogue! Plus she wrote YA and contemporary romance, neither of which I read. Over time, Jennifer Echols seduced me with dirty jokes and sarcasm. I agreed to a one-manuscript exchange. She sent me a contemporary romantic comedy.
I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
It’s clear to me now that I must have read some contemporary romances before, because I had certain impressions. My biggest impression? Contemporary heroines are perfect. And that makes me feel inferior. They never use curse words, certainly not curse words directed at the hero. They don’t engage in dirty, meaningless sex. Ever. I mean, seriously, what kind of girl would do THAT? They usually work in a shop with their mother. If not, there’s an elderly grandmother around. Perhaps the heroine lives in her house in order to keep the lovely woman out of the old folks home. Often, there are children around. If not the heroine’s, then the hero’s. Or perhaps some disadvantaged kids from the local charity group. FYI, children do not get me hot.
But my critique partner’s heroine? OH. MY. GOD. She cussed. She drank. She did dirty things on her first date, because the guy was just Holy-Cow Hot. She didn’t offer to take food to his disabled grandma, because there was no grandma. And she was funny as hell. In short, this was a girl I could hang out with. After discovering Jennifer Echols, I discovered Susan Elizabeth Phillips. *drool* Not only did her heroines use bad language, but they did bad THINGS. Things like falsely accusing a teacher of sexual harassment in high school. Who could possible redeem this heroine? SEP could!
Then there was Carly Phillips. And Nora Roberts. And then I started reading erotica. *eye bulge*
I was in love. But I wasn’t tempted. Nope. It didn’t occur to me to try my hand. I was a paranormal writer. I was a historical writer. I was even a PUBLISHED historical writer at this point. And then my agent asked me to write a contemporary romance. I panicked. I called my critique partner. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t possibly make a whole story out of two people falling in love in a normal world. What about fangs? What about werewolves? Dukes? Harlots? How was I supposed to create tension without an arranged marriage to work with?!
I was scared. Really scared. It took months to come up with a story idea. It never takes me months. My critique partner held my hand and told me I could do it if I stopped writing her funny emails and put all those words into a story. “Write what you know! Write about a heroine who can eat a whole pie in twenty-four hours!” Wait… what?
But I finally did it. Talk Me Down was born. Start Me Up is hot on its heels. The heroines curse. They have hot sex for the sake of hot sex. They go to bars. (I know!) And sometimes, they’re immature. Sometimes they’re even selfish. They want what they want, even if it’s at odds with the hero’s needs. In short, they are women I’d like to hang out with, and I hope you’ll feel the same way.
(Warning: some people don’t. Ahem. *g*)
And now… Now I have nothing to read.
(A big thanks to Julie for the invitation to guest blog. I’m seriously honored!!! Thanks, ladies!)
By all reports, Julie Leto was a sweet child once, somewhat shy, preferring to play quietly in her room making up stories. However, being raised with three brothers in a loud, primarily Italian household did have its influences and Julie discovered her inner tough girl. That’s probably why most of her heroines kick serious butt. Writing sassy heroines has worked out, as she’s sold over forty books to four publishers featuring strong, confident women. Julie lives in Florida with her daughter, a spoiled dachshund, a haughty lynx-point Siamese and a wide range of relatives all within driving distance.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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Hi Victoria!
Thanks for that fascinating peek into how TALK ME DOWN came about. A whole pie in 24 hours, huh? I’m in awe!
I love your historicals but haven’t read TMD yet. It’s waiting in my tbr and will be my special treat after I finish all those “must do’s”.
Can you share any info about PICK ME UP?
Thanks!
~PJ
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G’mornin’, Victoria. I have to admit, I’ve shied away from reading (and writing) contemporaries for the same reasons you gave. I think you just blew a big whole in my excuses. Now I’ll have to put Talk Me Down on my acquisitions’ list. Good thing I got a nice, fat B&N gift card for Christmas!
I still have a very mushy spot in my heart for paranormals and suspense despite having my horizons broadened. I love the genres so much, my suspense novels have paranormals elements and my paranormals are chock full of suspense. Thanks for dropping by the Jungle today!
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Good morning!!
Like Silver, I have a B&N gift card just screaming to be spent. Santa was kind to me and I got several greats books in my stocking. But I’m just about through all of them so I’ll be heading out to B&N as soon as I get back home to get Talk Me Down. (I’ve been on vacation visiting my mom in AZ – and from what I understand it’s :freezeman back home so a good book and a blanket sounds perfect!)
Have a great weekend everyone and thanks, Victoria, for spending some time with us in the jungle.
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Hi, Victoria! I loved your post today–hearing about how you came to the contemporary side was a blast! And I’m looking forward to reading yours–funny, smart heroines are great to read, no matter what century they live in!
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Hi Victoria–and welcome! We’re so glad to have you here!
And believe it or not, I never read contemps either until about 10 years ago. Read tons of historicals, and read category contemps, but not single title ones until, I believe, Rachel Gibson’s first book. I adore them for the same reason you do.
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Hi Victoria :wave:
Talk me down sounds like my kind of book! I’ll have to head over to Amazon to order it.
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Eat a pie in 24 hours? No problem! Great cover!
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Welcome, Victoria…I gotta check out your book….that’s what I love about Saturdays…I am not a writer, but I enjoy checking out the authors who stop by!
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Oh. My. God. I’ve arrived in smiley heaven!
*sob* I’m so happy.
Give me a moment though. Despite my smiley joy, I still need coffee. *yawn*
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Hi Victoria, A big welcome and thanks for the intro into your work! :flower4you:
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Okay. Whew.
When Julie said to show up around ten, I chose to believe she meant 10 a.m. Mountain Time. I’ve been on a 1 a.m. writing schedule, so things are a little woozy.
Hey PJ! The next book is actually called START ME UP, though Pick Me Up is a pretty good one too! This one is Lori Love’s story (girl mechanic extraordinaire and Molly’s best friend.) She decides she needs a little excitement in her life, and Molly’s brother volunteers for the job. He starts stealing the erotica books from her bedside table to find out what her fantasies are. hee
START ME UP will be out in July.
Oh, and I got an exciting offer from Harlequin! They asked me to write the erotica novella that Molly is writing in Talk Me Down. So my first erotica, The Wicked West, will be released in June as an e-book.
Hoo boy. That was a BLAST to write. :devilbanana
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Oh, and yeah… a whole pie is no problem, especially with the stress of the holidays. Turns out I’m the only one in the family who likes homemade apple pie. So sad. I thought girls like me deserved a little recognition.
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Morning Silver! I have a deep respect for people who write suspense. I could NEVER do it in a million years. (Don’t tell anyone, but plotting is not one of my strengths.) So all joking aside, I still love to read romantic suspense. I just want some hot lovin’ in there too!!! If anyone knows of a book that fits that description, pass it on.
Alannah, you’re going to be in for a shock when you get home, huh. Where do you live? *shiver*
Thanks, Fedora!
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Hi, Victoria. WELCOME!
Let me say, being honest, when they asked me to quote you, I was busy. Heck, I’m always busy. But I’m always happy to give a leg up when I can, remembering when I needed one and at times still do. So I made time to read. AND I COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN. Seriously. So welcome to the world of contemporary romance and don’t stop writing them because we all need new contemps to read.
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OOOH question – are your historicals as light and sexy as your contemps? I did go back and order them after reading Talk. But I haven’t read them yet. I have it set for my Feb vacation!
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Thank you SO MUCH, Carly. I really couldn’t believe it when my editor said you’d read it. Eeeee! And I couldn’t believe how sweet you were with the quote.
Thank you for your generosity and the wonderful welcome to your world!
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are your historicals as light and sexy as your contemps?
They’re a little more melodramatic, but several people have told me I pushed the boundaries of sex in historicals with the purple one. (A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure.) They might be right.
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Write about a heroine who can eat a whole pie in twenty-four hours!
Or, lately, a whole loaf of pumpkin bread.
are your historicals as light and sexy as your contemps?
I can answer this: they are not as light and they are way more sexy in a dirty, guilty, “I’m not sure I should be reading this on the elliptical machine at the YMCA” sort of way, ESPECIALLY the purple book. I love both of Vicki’s voices, but if I didn’t know better I’d think they were two different authors.
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Or, lately, a whole loaf of pumpkin bread.
So, Jennifer, I didn’t see your name when I read this. And I thought, “Hey, here’s a girl after my own heart!” And then I realized you were just talking about me. Jeez.
Hi Leslie!!! I’m glad I’m not the only one to come late to the contemporary story! Have we met? (In person, I mean.) I have a horrible memory, but I feel like I met you at nat’ls.
And hello, Barbara! I’m happy to see so many women with relatives who get them BN gift cards! Or are you guys buying them for yourselves? *g*
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Hi Victoria! Welcome to the Jungle! It’s great to have you here. I’m always, always on the look out for a new author who is a must read and I can’t wait to read Talk Me Down. with a heroine who can eat an entire pie in 24 hours! Oh. My. God. She sounds like my kind of girl.
Have a great day swinging in the Jungle.
Plotmonkeys, glad everyone is home safely,
Cher
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Congrats on the new release, Victoria. I can’t wait to read your first contemporary.
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Btw, I just started a new contest for those of you who’ve read Talk Me Down… Pick a theme song for the book! Details at my MySpace blog. For those of you who haven’t read the book… You’ve got one week! Or you can just pick a random song and fake me out. *g*
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Congrats on the erotica offer from Harlequin!
Sorry about the wrong title. You can tell I posted *before* having that first cup of coffee! :zzz:
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Hi Victoria, Welcome to the Jungle.
I am looking forward to reading “Talk Me Down”. I ‘ve seen it on a couple of websites and thought I would like to try it. It is always fun to add a new author to my list! Have fun writing your erotica e-book.
Enjoy your day.
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I have Talk Me Down on my Wish List.
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I read this book last week. And omg, is it good. I have to say it’s one of the best I read for awhile. Looking forward to your next one.
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I just saw this book earlier today in the Wal-Mart in Zion, Illinois! I was rushing too much to stop but I remember saying, “What a nice cover!”
I wish you a long and rewarding writing career.
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Thanks so much, everyone!
And, Stacy, thanks so much! I’m thrilled you liked the story!!!
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Hi Victoria!
Welcome to the jungle.
Julie if you’re reading this, I just finished Phantom’s Touch. You did a wonderful job with this book. I really enjoyed the whole book.
My youngest son gets married next weekend so I’ve gotta run but wanted you to know how much I enjoyed Phantom Touch.
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jeannie, thanks so much for letting me know! Readers have been fairly quiet about Phantom’s Touch, so I really appreciate it when the Plotmonkey readers say something. Makes me wonder if the book got into stores with the holidays and all! You made my day!
Victoria, your historicals sound wonderful. I, too, started reading historicals, then moved to category…with some paranormal in there, too (though when I started reading romance it was long before paranormal was ‘in’). I love contemporaries though and have since my first, which was Jayne Ann Krentz.
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Hey Victoria! I’m heading to B&N tomorrow to spend some giftcards and it looks like I have another book to add to my list.
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Oh, my! Looks like the to-be-purchased list just lengthened again!!
I must get to the bookstore soon! Thanks, Victoria and Julie!
Pat Cochran
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Hi, your book looks really good. You are the exact (or were – lol) the opposite of me. I only read contemps (and the ocassional western historical). Glad you found and now enjoy comtemps; there are so many great contemp authors out there. I could give you a long list.
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Julie, I was just telling my husband that I got a lot of emails about my first book, not many about the second, and now I’m getting a ton from readers of Talk Me Down! I wondered why.
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JULIE,
I liked this book from the beginning. Actually liked it even better than Phantom Pleasures. This story is perfectly woven. The Characters are interesting, the story kept me page turning throughout.
Lauren is a spunky strong and believeable Heroine, Aiden is smart and yummy. Sex scenes hit the mark and then some. The picture you drew of their surroundings was crisp and colorful. What is not to like? Hugs jeannie Slurps from Zoey too!
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Yay – thanks for visiting with us, Victoria – I’ve been hearing good things about your books, and have put “Talk Me Down” on my book list :)
Congratulations on the next book as well!
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Thanks for sharing your long and winding road to writing a contemporary romance. TMD was the first one I read outside of the historical and paranormal genre, and I have to say that it was super fun.
Can’t wait for Start Me Up in July
!
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Hi Victoria~
Thanks for the insight into the making of Talk Me Down! I absolutely loved Talk Me Down and excited to hear that there is more on the way. I am certainly glad that you tried your hand at writing a contemporary and I absolutely love SEP too.
Have a great weekend.
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I’m home! Glad to be here, but the temperature change is a huge shock!
Victoria, I live in coastal NC. When I got to my car at the airport it was 28 degrees. It was 67 when I left Tucson! Shock doesn’t even begin to describe the change.
Guess I’ll unpack and see if I can find my family. Has anyone else ever come home from a week long vacation, expecting the family to be waiting with open arms and lots of “We’ve missed you’s” only to find the house empty? I guess maybe they didn’t miss me as much as they kept telling me.
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love the cover
i always love wwearing the guy shirt, but the work shirt with tie and the high heels, is HOTTTTT
i never could wearing high heels, looks like im drunk when i do or like a man in drag
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Dru, what an honor! Glad I could bring you over to the dark side! :darth
Oh, wait. I mean the contemporary side. *g*
And thanks to Lori too!!!
Holy crap, Allanah! 28 degrees on the coast is FREEZING! :freezeman Ugh. I know, because I used to live in Chesapeake, VA, and I didn’t leave the house if it was below 40. I live in a ski town in the mountains now, and I swear to God it is warmer here when it’s 10 degrees.
Gypsy, I love the shirt and tie too. My editor said when she saw the cover, she said, “But the hero is a police chief. He doesn’t wear a tie.” And everyone else was like, WHO CARES! Ironically, silk ties play a significant role in Start Me Up, the next book in the series.
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Welcome, Victoria,
Loved the excerpt, & am a big fan of Contemps. I’ve never believed “they” were out-of-favor with the readers–it was just that editors & publishers decided they didn’t want to publish anything other than Paranormals & RS. I’d become disenchanted enough to buy Series Romance every month. At the same time, the excerpt of TMD is clever, sexy & funny so am really looking forward to reading it.
Patricia
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Not enough sex in romantic suspense? I object! : )
I agree that contemporary authors are creating modern, sex-positive heroines, and I’m excited about the direction the genre is taking. Can’t wait to read TMD. Silk ties? Yes, please.
BTW it’s been 80 in San Diego. *g*
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Thanks, Patricia!
Omg, Jill, does Crash Into Me have hot sex??? IS IT SHIPPING YET?
I need that book!
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Hot sex, yes. Shipping, no. : )
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I had so much fun hanging out with the Plotmonkeys. THANK YOu!!! It was a blast.
Now we end where we started… *yawn* I need coffee, stat!
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Hey Ms. Dahl! You’ve gotten so much publicity for this book that you have to have sold like a jillion copes. LOL
Seriously, I’ve seen it all over the place. How cool is that?
Deidre
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Deidre, this is my reward for having spent at least two hours of my life, every day, doing nothing but wasting time on the internet. Cruising around, making comments, doing anything but the housecleaning I was supposed to do.
It’s all paying off now. ROFL
Seriously, thank you. I think contemporary has more crossover appeal and that may explain it.