This week: Heat Awareness Month Edited by: StephBee  
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“Romance is tempestuous. Love is calm.” – Mason Cooley
“If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance.” – Bernard Williams
Thank you to everyone who completed the word search on Alpha Males. I appreciate it, and I hope you enjoyed it.
August is another HOT month here in Socal, so I’m going to try to get to the coast as much as I can to cool off. The kids are off to school here in Socal, too. School starts 9 Aug. That’s too early, if you ask me!
August is also Romance Awareness Month. Why August? It’s meant to be a reminder that romance and relationships are important. Time to recognize and kindle the passion, and while Valentine’s Day focuses on specific items, such as offering a card or flowers to show your affection, August has no specifics. Maybe August is more about the experience and February is the gestures. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Write in and I'll share in my September NL. That said, I thought I'd discuss heat levels and being aware of heat levels in romance writing, keeping in mind the heat theme this summer.
Also, this month I’m featuring a Quiz about roses. If you want to express your romantic awareness to your significant other, giving a rose might be a heartwarming gesture. If you do the quiz and give it a review, I’ll send you a Merit Badge. Appreciate the support.
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Last month I discussed Alpha Males. They’re confident and sure of themselves, not afraid to make a decision and go after what they want. Alpha Males can be hot. But, what’s “hot?”
The romance genre has several “heat” levels from sweet to erotic, so I thought I’d touch on what they are and just how hot they are.
SWEET: These romances focus on the emotional intimacy and less on the physical act. The couple may hold hands and share a kiss, but the actual physicality of the romance won’t be described in detail.
SENSUAL: We add a new element to emotional intimacy – sexual chemistry. There’s a spark between the couple. There might be intimate touching, but no love scene just yet. The intimate touching is more reflective of the sexual chemistry.
SEXY: The spark is developed even further. This romance may contain a visual love scene with complete intimacy. The sexual act is depicted and described in detail. Lust and desire are evident, but the emotional intimacy is simmering below the surface, ready to blossom into love.
EROTIC: The focus is on the intimacy of the physical act. Having sex is integral to the plot and the sex is described in graphic detail. It is through sex that the characters grow and develop the emotional intimacy that might not exist at first.
A lot of readers pick a romance because of the heat level and what they feel comfortable reading. There’s nothing wrong with that. I suppose the challenge for the writer is to write an Alpha Male with a “sweet” heat rating.
Question: Do you have a heat rating you prefer to read? I’ll share your replies in my next newsletter.
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Feedback from my Romance/Love NL Dated 13 JUL 2022:
Incurable Romantic 
Steph,
Thank you for including my brief story about Linda and I in your July NL!
Jim – aka Incurable Romantic
You’re welcome
Monty 
The Sacketts by Luis L'Amour
StephBee is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. Her sweet summer romance, "Journey of the Heart' is now available on Amazon. Can James help Rachel save her winery? |
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Romance/Love: August 10, 2022 Issue [#11494]
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