Today I want to share an excerpt from my December novella. But first, some backstory.
About a month ago, two romance-reading sisters in Southern California emailed to say they were planning to open a new bookstore, and raising seed money for furnishings and inventory on Kickstarter.
When I first heard about Bea and Leah’s business plan, I was thrilled for two main reasons.
First: A new all-romance bookstore in Los Angeles? Yes, please!!!
Second: I loved the name they’ve chosen: The Ripped Bodice.
See, I’ve been hiding a little Easter egg in my books ever since Goddess of the Hunt, my debut. All my books (or at least most of them, if I’ve missed one or two… I should really make a list one of these days!) include a scene with… yes, a ripped bodice.
Sometimes the bodice-ripping is accidental, rather than intentional. Occasionally, it’s just fantasy. Sometimes the ripped garment is not actually a bodice, but rather a petticoat or a gentleman’s shirt. In at least one book (Three Nights with a Scoundrel), the heroine rips her own bodice, and quite shamelessly at that. For me, it’s become a nod to the history of my favorite genre, a little wink to the reader, and a reminder to myself that romance tropes are ours to embrace, celebrate, and subvert as we wish. Plus, I’m not ashamed to admit–during an encounter between two enthusiastic participants, I think a bit of ripping fabric can be sexy as anything!
But … Read More »