I love a great work of literature as much as the next person, but when I was pregnant, instead of pickles and ice cream, I craved erotic novels. With a critical eye, I read nearly one hundred books in my last two trimesters.
Now I appreciate the intelligence and skill of romance writers, too often dismissed as fluffy and stereotypical. I'm interested in the genre because it offers the chance to explore the human psyche and barriers to intimacy. The paranormal genre adds an intriguing dimension of darkness.
As a Christian minister, I believe sex as an expression of love is profoundly holy. Reading about good sex is empowering and pleasurable. And even though I love Jesus, I don't write vanilla sex. My writing is in no way religious, but my belief that erotic love is an expression of divine love underlies every orgasm I write.
I'm interested in deep characters, plot arcs that span a series, gay romantic sub-plots, and how to write explicit sex without sounding silly.