Writing Romance is Not About Sex… or is it?: How Far is too Far in Clean Romance?

 Ms. Spencer has a new book out that's nonfiction. I think the title tells you quite a bit about the content. 

This is a fun, energetic, and light discussion of the topic of sex in romance. Included are some heavy themes that are used in romantic tropes: religious preferences, accidentally crossing boundaries, pregnancy, nonconsenual sex, etc. 

She uses examples from contemporary authors to illustrate her points of how sex is represented in romance even when the couples aren't having it. Reading the snippets from these books is half the fun and will pique your interest about the story itself. What happens to these characters? What came before to bring them to this point? 

Also that authors have a responsibility regarding their characters in relation to sex and the message it sends to the reader. 

This book is great for both readers and authors. 

PS You might find a snippet or two from my books in there. 

AMAZON

How much sex is too much sex?

•How many kissing scenes are allowed in a clean romance novel?
•What is the difference between Clean & Wholesome, Sweet Romance, and Steamy Romance?
•Where does an author draw the line?
•More importantly, where does the reader draw the line?
•How can I position my book to fit clean romance market trends? and more...

Sex is not dirty. But sex doesn’t need to happen on the pages of a book in order for the book to sell.

Writing Romance is Not About Sex… or is it? How to Write Clean Romance will help you understand how…

•Heat level is often the first thing readers take into consideration when choosing a book. Especially in a romance novel, but in all novels really.
•Heat level can be used to position your book according to market trends and expectations.
•It’s up to us as authors to use our cover design and back copy to make it clear to the reader what our heat level is before they even open the book.
•Sex can be used (or strategically not used) as a literary element.
•Authors have a valuable platform that can be used influence society.
•Definitions and acceptance levels do and have changed and will continue to change.