by hollandrae | Nov 6, 2018 | Art, Characters, Heroines, Musings, My Books, Research, Romance Novels
As a writer, I often run up against this romantic notion of the ‘muse’. Perhaps due to its prevalence in Ancient Greek cultures or because we, as artists, are desperate for a little beauty in a job that can be mind-bogglingly lonely and boring some days, the muse is...
by hollandrae | Sep 10, 2018 | Art, Heroines, Industry, Inspiration, Intersectional Feminism, Musings, My Books, Research, Romance Novels, Women, Women's Rights
Happy New Year! Sundown last night marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and the celebration will last through tomorrow night at sundown. I was raised with the cultural importance of these holidays, just as I was raised with the cultural...
by hollandrae | Aug 20, 2018 | Art, Characters, Industry, Inspiration, Musings, Research, Romance Novels, RWA, Statistics, Women, Women's Rights
Busting the Myths and Misconceptions Around Fiction’s Most Valuable Genre The romance genre is not new. Since the age of Austen and Bronte, romance has reigned, from the quiet, brown paper bag covers, to the shelves of the grocery store, from the bodice rippers...
by hollandrae | Apr 9, 2018 | Art, Beauty, Heroines, Musings, Women
I tried to pick just one Juliet Marillier quote, I really did. But as I scanned pages of her quotes, from books I’ve read and reread, stories that have stayed with me through the easy times and the hard, I found the task impossible. How could I narrow down a...
by hollandrae | Mar 5, 2018 | Art, Beauty, Characters, Heroines, My Books, Research, Romance Novels, Writing
I don’t do it on purpose. I don’t sit down at the computer and say ‘hmm, what’s the important message of the day and how can I squeeze it into chapter three?” It doesn’t work that way, at least not for me. The themes and lessons so to speak, that show up in my books...
by hollandrae | Jul 3, 2017 | Art, Beauty, Body Image, Characters, Industry, Musings, My Books, Reading, Romance Novels, Women, Women's Rights
Romance has a problem with men. Make no mistake, this is a feminist issue and, like questions of diversity in age, race and sexual orientation, it needs to be addressed before romance can fully move forward as the progressive, open-minded genre it is. We’ve made great...
