Guest Blogger Shar Dimick

Do You Like It Hot or Not?

As a young girl reading wasn’t always one of my favorite past times. It wasn’t until junior high I lit upon the Wild Fire and Sweet Dreams teen romance series. I checked them out of the library two and three at a time, devouring the sweet love stories, sighing, and hoping someday that girl falling in love would be me. As I grew up I read other genres, but always found myself coming back to romances. Getting lost in a good love story, quickly takes me away from the mundaneness of my own life. The emotions of the new love and that first kiss never fail to sweep me away. There’s a reason why romance novels focus on falling in love rather than the normal everyday life of an old married couple. Who wants to read about the real life hard work that comes after those initial lovey feelings wear off? Not me. And I don’t really want to write about them either.

As an author of contemporary romance novels I find the hardest part of writing is determining how far to delve into the bedroom. I struggle the most with writing those intimate love scenes. How much detail should I include and what should I simply leave to the reader’s imagination? Just like the baby bear’s porridge I hope to get the “heat” level “just right.” More importantly though, I want my readers to relate to the characters and feel their emotions; to fall in love right along with them. As a reader, some of my favorite authors are Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs, Nora Roberts, Robyn Carr and Barbara Freethy. These authors all make me feel a part of the story. They make me feel like I could be the heroine of the story. They give just enough detail without being crude or lewd. On the other hand, I’m far from being a prude or easily offended and I know sex sells. Even I admit that I read all three of E.L. James’ Shades of Grey trilogy. However, I found myself skipping over much of the “adult” content to get to the storyline and find out about the characters themselves. I blush to think of myself actually writing those types of scenes.

Thus, I tried to find that happy medium in my novels and fell more along the “leave it to your imagination” lines. Interestingly, some readers of my first novel, Take A Deep Breath, have congratulated me for writing a sweet, romantic love story without a lot intimate scenes, while others chastised me for having too much adult content and yet a few others harangued me for not having enough heat. Obviously, I’ll never be able to please every reader’s taste in that department. So as I wrote my second novel, Take Your Time, I decided to do what I do best and focus on the story and not worry so much about how “hot” it was. I let the love scenes write themselves as the story called for them or not. As I work on my next novel, this continues to be my focus - more innuendo and i to write what I was comfortable withenemagination than graphic details. I figure if I can’t please all romance readers, I better write what I like and if others like my stories too--well that’s a bonus.

What about you? Do you like to read spicy and hot novels or do you prefer the sweet, sentimental ones?

About Shar Dimick

Shar Dimick started writing stories and poems as a grade-schooler. Her passion for writing continues to grow. Whether writing, a blog entry, a software manual or a chapter in her next novel, not a day goes by where she isn’t writing something. Cousin to her love for writing, Shar’s also an avid reader of romance novels from contemporary to historical. Drawn to the genre from an early age, it seemed natural that her first novel, Take a Deep Breath, be a contemporary romance. Many readers emailed Shar how much they enjoyed Take a Deep Breath and asked for more. Writing in the early mornings and late evenings with a push from the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), she pushed ahead and wrote her next novel, Take Your Time, the second book in what is now the “Lake of the Pines” series. She is currently at work on the third book in the series, Take My Hand.

Shar holds a Master of Arts in English from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Shar, her husband and their daughters live in rural Northwest Ohio. You can connect with her at www.shardimick.com, follow her on twitter @shardimick or like her on facebook at www.facebook.com/shardimick.

Take A Deep Breath - Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarter-Finalist   

Waves of unending panic washed over her, sending her to the brink.He wiped away her tears and whispered, “It'll be okay. Take a deep breath...” His voice grew soft and soothing. “You can get through this. I’ll help you.”

“Okay,” she nodded and she believed him. She didn’t know why, but she did. Somehow, he made her believe she could be whole again.

Liv Reynolds can't remember when anxiety and panic didn't play havoc on her life. Recently divorced from a man who wouldn't or couldn't understand her, she retreats with her daughter to her grandmother's summer cottage on Lake of the Pines. Liv has fond memories of the summers she spent there with her grandparents. Always a safe haven, she hopes to spend the summer relaxing, healing and finding herself again. In the midst of a panic attack, she finds herself face-to-face with Cameron Preston, the boy with whom she'd spent her childhood summers. In love with him back then, she never found the courage to tell him and they drifted apart...Her heart leaps at the second chance for love. Confusion swamps her as she tries to figure out why Cam keeps pulling away... Can Liv rekindle their old friendship and to turn it into something more?

Cam quit his busy big-city medical practice exhausted and disillusioned. He returns to his family's summer home on Lake of the Pines to regroup and determine where and what he wants to do next. When he runs into Liv, the girl he let slip away, he knows where wants to head and with whom. When Cam meets Liv's eight-year-old daughter, he assumes Liv is married. He struggles to keep his feelings for Liv in check while resuming the friendship he desperately misses. His one regret was not kissing Liv all those years ago when he had the chance... He has never stopped loving Liv. Will he let her slip away again? Not if he has his way.
Available at Amazon

Take Your Time   

Content to hide behind her camera, Maddy Adams often feels more comfortable observing life rather than actively participating in it. For the past five years she’s focused only on her studies and building her photography career. The summer after her college graduation, Maddy returns to Lake of the Pines for her sister Liv’s wedding. While happy her sister has found love again, Maddy wonders if she’ll ever find love herself. Meanwhile, her college roomie pressures Maddy to go out with her older brother, who happens to be vacationing at the same lake. Maddy doesn't want to go on another blind date, but after blowing it with the gorgeous man she met on the beach she figures she doesn't have anything to lose. Or does she?

Mason Ellis finds himself on a beautiful house boat docked at Lake of the Pines after finally taking his best friend’s long-standing invitation to visit. He has two long weeks away from his fast-paced software development business to relax and unplug if he can. Six months ago the woman he'd lived and hoped to marry left him for someone else. Tired of meaningless hookups, Mason wants more, but is afraid of getting burned again. When he spies a woman on the beach taking his photo, he's intrigued. However, when he finally meets the mystery photographer, she brushes him off. Meanwhile, his little sister keeps pestering him to go on a blind date with her old college roommate. Mason decides a blind date is just what he needs to get back into the dating scene. It's not like it will lead to anything more. Or will it?

Available at Amazon