Update: the second edition of my first romance novel is being released tomorrow, so I’m reposting my reasons for writing it.
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I found this comment on Amazon:
Tell Me You Want Me: “I really enjoyed this book. Kind of reminds me of the great love life I enjoyed as a youngin’. LOL I totally recommend this book.”
I didn’t have a great love life when I was young. It wasn’t allowed. I had sex for the first time at age 14 (that story is here), but it certainly wasn’t great. I had sexual experiences with my high school boyfriend, but they were riddled with guilt and shame. I never had the fun, innocent—natural—sexual exploration teens should be allowed to enjoy without bitterness and self-loathing.
I feel robbed, cheated, deceived.
So I write. Tell Me You Want Me’s heroine, Jane Elliot, is very much like me. She grew up with a strict, over-protective mother. She lived with a long list of Don’ts. Don’t do this, don’t do that and on and on. (When do I get the Do list?) Like me, Jane met a man who encouraged her to explore her sexual nature and enjoy it. No guilt, no shame. Just fun. (Love too but that’s a little spoiler. Shh, don’t tell. 
)
Tell Me was my first novel because I needed to tell Jane’s/my story. I needed to experience the happy exploration I missed out on. I like strong independent women, but smart women know when they need help. Jane and I were lucky enough to realize when we found someone who could help us overcome our restricted history and enjoy life, love and sex the way God intended. (Yes mom, I do believe God created sex for fun!) There’s no shame in sex for pleasure.
There’s no shame in writing about it either.
Having come from a family that was totally opposite, I had a friend in high school that went through the same thing. The only thing with her was that she rebelled hard! It was interesting to me to see the difference in our lives that lead to how we grew up. After HS she became a stripper in a club and went on to do unspeakable things. I haven’t seen her in 20 years. The point is, what kind of life would she have lead had she had my parents? I think I grew up just fine, went to college on my own dime, got a degree and an excellent paying job years later. But these hardcore “do it the right way” parents like hers and yours have no idea what they are doing to their children and the kind of “damage” it causes them. I don’t know how that can change, but I am glad to see you took your creative mind and wrote some fun stories! I really enjoyed “The Devil Made Me Do It”! I look forward to reading more soon! ~Ranae
My mom had good intentions. She was trying to protect me, but in keeping things from me, all she did was make me want them more. Writing was/is my escape. My dad wasn’t so uptight so I think that helped balance my mom’s sheltering.
What changed me was learning to think for myself. My husband and his family (also religious but more rational) helped me do that.
I agree. No shame in sex, of course, I don’t see shame in a lot things most people find shame in…. no point to be made there. Sex is grand, and even more so when you are writing it. Well done.
Wow. I missed this comment. Thanks!
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