Women know the difference

**Mima** · #1 May 11th, 2007, 08:09 PM

So there is some excitement at being here, among all this talent, all these supportive women, all this... sex.

I'm having a blast and haven't even been assigned an editor yet!
I've moved my message from the author intro page to this thread, since it makes more sense.

My new book is set in a shapeshifter world. I've left myself 11 animal totems to explore if my imagination takes me there. I started with Owl, then went to Lizard. The characters chose their Clan, not me. I keep trying to write about the Snowcats, lately. I'm just not sure that's where the characters want to be. We'll see.

Here's a tentative author blurb. I've read quite a few in my day, and decided to go with the quirky style...

Mima is a dreamer in upstate NY. She’s one of those women who, when a coworker has finished describing the latest Kite Runner and condescendingly asks, “What have you read lately?” answers proudly and simply, “A really sexy romance.” She firmly believes women know the difference between fantasy and reality, and need both. No matter how sweet the kids, husband, cats, mother, house(work), and job are.

**Roxy Harte** · #2 May 13th, 2007, 12:38 PM

I LOVE THE TOTEM ANIMAL STORY LINE...
gee, wish I'd thought of that

Hugs
Roxy

**Mima** · #3 July 7th, 2007, 10:15 PM

in keeping with what women really want... i'm sharing my flickr favs.

warning... not for minors.
fantasy, beauty, and SEX
http://flickr.com/photos/7814011@N03/favorites/show/

April Martinez · #4 July 9th, 2007, 03:44 PM

That's a great selection of photos!

Roscoe James · #5 July 10th, 2007, 07:24 PM

Yep. Super set.

**Mima** · #6 July 14th, 2007, 10:07 AM

Well thanks! coming from 2 artists, I feel pleased. Even though they're not my shots, my artistic eye chose them! I think any of them would be a terrific cover~ or JP could use them for endless flash inspiration.

**Mima** · #7 October 8th, 2007, 10:25 AM

so i've been in the industry a whole whopping 6 months now. and i've discovered i'm not playing by the rules.

romantica isn't supposed to have a storyline with tons of fantasy world development. it isn't supposed to have heroes who cheat or heroes who lose their arm. or are bisexual. heroines aren't supposed to perform abortions or be mommies. not really supposed to go to the birth control vs. organized religion thing. i have rape thrown in, and shapeshifted sex, but those aren't as unheard of.

so i'm not really sure if women want this. it's supposed to be escapism, a little bit of naughty delight. but for me, its mostly about the characters. who are fallible and problematic and thus interesting. we'll see.

April Martinez · #8 October 8th, 2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mima

i've discovered i'm not playing by the rules.

There are rules?

**Mima** · #9 October 8th, 2007, 02:20 PM

not at lsb. that's why i'm here!
*bows to tina*

Amber Sand · #10 February 15th, 2009, 07:03 AM

Quote:

She firmly believes women know the difference between fantasy and reality, and need both. No matter how sweet the kids, husband, cats, mother, house(work), and job are.

Hi, I have just registered on this forum and am bumping this thread as this quote at the end of Mima's books is so true and something a lot of people just don't "get".
As some of you are authors, I want to give some feedback from a reader's POV. I'm not sure how typical my experience is but let me first explain the path I came to here.
Wanting to have a break from computer gaming (as I was getting repetitive strain injury from playing too much Guild Wars (lol) I revisited my local library for the first time in years and discovered Linnea Sinclair books. Cross genre scifi/romance was a revelation to me. As most were not available locally, I had to order over the internet and they came from little second hand shops all over the world.
Then I visited her website, followed links and ended up discovering there was such a thing as ebooks!
I downloaded, secure ereader and adobe digital and searched around. Checked out RedSage and read a few of their "Secrets" anthologies, checked out the different authors that had contributed to that and to cut a long story short I eventually discovered Fictionwise and through them Mima's "In Service".
Half way through that, when I realised it's not just a 4 "C's" book, that it actually had a good story line and was well written, I found Mima's website and emailed her! Hi Mima

She very kindly emailed back and suggested I try the Bonded series.
So I bought them all and read them and loved them. Now today, I have discovered this site and find it interesting reading the back threads to see a writer in development.
Now, you may recall that back in October 2007, Mima wrote:

Quote:

i've been in the industry a whole whopping 6 months now. and i've discovered i'm not playing by the rules.
romantica isn't supposed to have a storyline with tons of fantasy world development. it isn't supposed to have heroes who cheat or heroes who lose their arm. or are bisexual. heroines aren't supposed to perform abortions or be mommies. not really supposed to go to the birth control vs. organized religion thing. i have rape thrown in, and shapeshifted sex, but those aren't as unheard of.
so i'm not really sure if women want this. it's supposed to be escapism, a little bit of naughty delight. but for me, its mostly about the characters. who are fallible and problematic and thus interesting. we'll see.

Now, to get to the point of this post! I think this is exactly why I like your writing Mima.
Admittedly, I was restricting my reading to the cross genre writers (fantasy/erotica: fantsay/romance or scifi/erotica; scifi/romance) but IMHO Mima's work is far superior to many of the better known authors. (I could name names but won't as it's just my opinion).
(I still think Linnea's books are probably the best in the Romance field but they can't be classed as erotica even though some of the sex scenes are good. Her blogs on the craft of writing and what works and why it works are worth reading. Ccheck out her Yahoo group or http://aliendjinnromances.blogspot.com)
So, what do I like about Mima's books? Well, as I said above, she doesn't rely on heavy use of the 4 "c" words to get her point across - so to speak

. However, there is no denying that she writes good erotica!
But its not just that aspect. In the Bonded series, the dialogue and points of view fit so well together for each character that they seem real. They aren't repetitive. Even her minor characters are so well drawn in just a few words that you want to know more about them. Characters like Merk, Mac, Eledi almost cry out for their own stories to be told. Some "series" books just seem like excuses to milk a market, with inconsistencies and new devices thrown into the mix all the time. Whereas, with Mima's books, the difference between the clans is logical and consistent and you feel there is a point to each story and a theme.
The books all have a good balance between the erotica and the story itself. Not many authors achieve that.
It's hard to believe that this has all come about in just over 2 years!
Believe in yourself Mima you are doing well!
(Now I'll have to check out the work of the other authors on this site!)

**Gem Sivad** · #11 February 15th, 2009, 12:47 PM

Amber that was a tremendous compliment to Mima and an interesting description of how you found your way here. On another thread, we've been discussing how to lure readers (besides authors) to ebooks.

Maybe you can suggest things we're missing.

**Jeanne Barrack** · #12 February 15th, 2009, 01:10 PM

My head has been in edits too much.
MIMA!
This was marvelous to find out one reader's journey to ebooks.
Thanks so much for posting!
Jeanne
(who is starting to feel like my little world is shrinking)

**Mima** · #13 February 15th, 2009, 06:00 PM

*mima lays on the floor, dazed*

AMBER!!! holy frakking glitter cow! that is, like, the sweetest and smartest reader email ever. you should be writing reviews for JERR or Coffee Times or something. didn't you just email me, like, a week ago? and now you've read all the Bondeds? roflmao. are you ocd or just bored? i'm going to frame that post and hang it from my monitor to gaze at with fluttery lashes of delight for at least a week.

and i'm sorry but i don't know what the 4 C's are. Cock, Cunt...?
long time fan of linnea sinclair. i was lucky enough to meet her last year at RT. she's so down to earth. her books could have more sex, but i forgive her. she was a pioneer in this industry, and seeing her get a second printing all this time later is a vindication of cross-genre writing.

i'm touched and thankful you followed me from in service to the bonded series. i know you'll find lots of other authors to love here at LSB.

**Mike** · #14 February 15th, 2009, 07:39 PM

Amber, welcome to LSB and SiN

I've already read you're other two posts, and am dazed and impressed. Thanks very much for your great contributions, I'll try and pull a coherent response together later in the other thread

Amber Sand · #15 February 15th, 2009, 10:16 PM

4 C's - cock, cunt, clit and cum! (My phrase! lol)
Some authors think that just using those liberally = erotica.

**Savanna Kougar** · #16 February 16th, 2009, 03:10 AM

Hi Amber, welcome. And thanks for explaining yourself and your preferences so well. I think that's one reason I enjoy writing the stories I do... it's not just about the erotica... it's about the relationship of the heroine and hero, their story... their passion, their romance... their lives, albeit, in otherworlds.

I especially love Mima's descriptions, the lyrical and raw quality.