L A Johannesson

Romantic fiction with a geeky twist

L A Johannesson - Romantic fiction with a geeky twist

Steamy Sex Scenes – In or Out?

Should Chick Lit Novels Include Steamy Sex Scenes?

Where are you on this issue? In or out?

 

Poll – Steamy Sex Scenes – In or Out?

  • In – They help create added intimacy and authenticity (43%, 6 Votes)
  • Out – I find them completely off-putting (29%, 4 Votes)
  • In – They’re an absolute must! (21%, 3 Votes)
  • Out – They can provide some spice but I prefer bland (7%, 1 Votes)

Total Voters: 14

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In a chick lit novel, say a romantic comedy, like, uh, I don’t know, ‘eloves me, eloves me not’, how important are the sex scenes to the overall story?

Do you need those graphic, detailed descriptions of intimate pairings to further appreciate the storyline and better understand the character? Or, do you prefer just to be teased up to it, taken close, but then have the actual act left to your imagination as you are transported off to a new post-coital scene taking place somewhere else?

Are sex scenes an absolute must in contemporary romance? Do you think they add a necessary dimension of authenticity to a romantic story, but aren’t exactly mandatory?

Or are you one of those people who thinks that sexy scenes can add a little spice, but you’re okay with bland and prefer leaving them to the imagination? Or, do you get put completely off a story when you reach a graphic interlude?

I’m most interested in learning where chick lit, romance and women’s fiction readers stand on this issue. But I’d be open to having other genre readers weigh in too.

 

 

Smarter Dating Means Doing Your Homework

One of the reasons I wrote Roman’s Rules of Online Dating as part of the ‘eloves me, eloves me not’ story was to deliver some actionable advice and  some additional value to the readers of the book beyond just an entertaining story.

As I reach out and connect with the both reader and online dating communities around the world, these tips continue to come in handy.

Recently, I was asked by Smarter Dating to provide some content for their site for launch and Roman and his trusty Rules made yet another appearance. The post, Smarter Dating Means Doing Your Homework, drew upon some of his trusty tips and hopefully they’re out there helping a whole new site full of singles as they try to meet their match.

 

Singles Warehouse is giving away an autographed ‘eloves me eloves me not’ for Valentine’s Day

Singles. This one’s for you. Win a Signed Copy of eloves me, eloves me not - Singles Warehouse

Jonathan, the MD from Singles Warehouse, a fab international dating site (operating in UK, Canada, USA, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland)  was kind enough to feature an ‘eloves me, eloves me not’ giveaway on the site this week.

With the lead up to Valentine’s Day, we thought it would be nice to share a little ‘eloves me, eloves me not’ love with those folks, who, like Kayte, are trying their hand at online dating.

I wish everyone good luck in the contest and with their online quest.  Here’s hoping you find all the ‘elove’ you desire!

Oh, and guys, think this is just for the ladies?

Jonathan had this to say about the book, “Don’t be fooled, this book is not just for the girls. In fact if you are a guy looking for insight into how the other side thinks whilst dating this is a great find.”

Some Ellen Degeneres Show Fun at Sydney’s Opera House – #elleninoz

IMG_1885 IMG_1890 IMG_1898 IMG_1902 IMG_1906 IMG_1904Had great fun at The Opera House today

 

Thanks to: @TheEllenShow, @jeannieeeee and @andylassner et al.

Ellen has the best fans – everyone was friendly, full of energy, happy and well behaved. Organisers were on hand with sunscreen and water, ’cause, man, it was HOT! And of course, local media were out in full force capturing all the fun.

While I”m not getting on a plane to LA to meet Ellen (yet), I met cardboard Ellen and some wonderful people, had some laughs, and I did get the chance to give away a few books, including a specially autographed one for Ellen for her birthday – hopefully she actually gets it.

If today was any indication, March is going to be a blast!

#elleninoz

Can’t wait!

LA Johannesson interviewed by Your Dating DNA’s Nando!

Today I’m excited. I’ll be chatting on blogtalkradio about ‘eloves me, eloves me not’ with New York’s Nando. He’s energetic, engaging and just a little outrageous!
All you daters out there can find his goodness here on his Nandoism site!
Nando’s a dating/relationship coach and he’s authored the ebook Your Dating DNA!
Should be a lively chat – you can listen in at:

A Golden Opportunity – L. A. Johannesson, Author Interviewed on Chick Lit Central


Dog BG
A huge thanks goes out the the great ladies at Chick Lit Central for this recent fun author interview. They were  so professional and responsive all the way through the process. I especially loved their idea of using a pet theme to guide the interview. And it was a perfect fit for the book.

Getting exposure on such a well-known chick lit blog was certainly appreciated. I continue to be humbled by the interest and support from this community.

Chick Lit Central_ The Blog!_ L.A. Johannesson is simply golden and you could retrieve her book!

In addition to the interview, there’s another chance to win ‘eloves me, eloves me not’. For the full interview and contest entry details, click here.

Good luck and thanks again Chick Lit Central for this golden opportunity!

 

P.S. Seems the animals in literature theme is a popular one these days (and, yay, I’m right on trend) – here’s an article from HuffPost Books On Great Animals from Literature

 

What is ‘chick lit’ anyway?

As I promote my book the descriptor that get tossed around most often is ‘chick lit’.

I’m pretty sure ‘eloves me, eloves me not’ sits within this genre. It has many of the characteristics of the great chick lit works of our time – Sex and The City, The Devil Wears Prada, anything Shopaholic related and let’s not forget our beloved Bridget Jones.

Some of the typical haracteristics of chick lit are:

  • Written by women for women
  • Quirky protagonists
  • Funny
  • Creates intimacy by use of the first person format (confiding to reader)
  • Deals with life issues (love,  dating, relationships, marriage, friendships, career, etc.)
  • Relies on a circle of friends for support
  • Dead end jobs they usually hate, often with bad bosses
  • Unsuitable boyfriends or a lack of one
  • Urban-but no real sense of place
  • Outrageous situations
  • Obsessed with fashion, weight, shopping, shoes
  • Somewhere between ‘romance’ and ‘literary’
  • Often a form of masked memoir

Yep, I’d pretty much say that ‘eloves me, eloves me not’ is chick lit through and through. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But it also has a ‘geeky’ twist.

It’s possibly one of the first to define the new genre of ‘digi chick lit’ – where the additional characteristic of being a ‘girl geek’ who’s adept at the latest in technology would be added to the list.

 

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