FROM CHERYL HOLT

answer to comment # 8 -10(Vitty)

a. Since [Cheryl] talked about differences between her heroes and heroines, i. e. often her heroes are highborn while heroines are from the lower class, if in her books also the opposite sometimes happens, that is lower-class heroes fall in love with highborn heroines, and if it’s not the case why?

**Usually, my heroes are of the nobility, while my heroines are “ordinary” women—although it’s a misconception to call them “ordinary.” They are usually older than a typical romance heroine (28 or 30 years old), and they’re more independent than the typical heroine, because they work for a living. For example, one was a mid-wife and one was a nurse and herbalist.

I like to use this set-up because it resonates with English-speaking women back to the old fairy-tale of Cinderella. I don’t know if this is a story that’s told in Italian. It’s about the beautiful, common girl who’s horribly abused by her stepmother and stepsisters, but when the prince of the kingdom is looking for a bride, he chooses Cinderella over all other girls in the realm. It’s a story that has resonated through the ages, and when I’m describing my books to a new reader or to a journalist, I will say, “My books are Cinderella for adult women. If you loved Cinderella as a girl, then you will love my books as a grown woman.”

I like to use the aristocratic hero, because that sort of character resonates well with readers, but it also makes for a great and more passionate story when the reader can see the macho, imperious hero fall for the wonderful, sweet heroine.

I have used the opposite scenario—the aristocratic heroine and the common hero—in a few books such as ABSOLUTE PLEASURE and TOO WICKED TO WED, but when I do that, the hero has to be incredibly macho so that he’s a character women would love to love. These men are often pirates or ex-soldiers. More typically I use this scenario for my secondary love story. My books always have a second love story, so that when readers buy my book, they will get two romances to engross them, rather than just one. Usually, my lead hero is an aristocrat, and the secondary character will be his aristocratic sister—who falls for the macho, secondary non-aristocratic hero.

b. I’m also curious to know how [Cheryl] deals with the historical settings, and if there’ any particular book whose setting required a specific care.

**My books are all set in the same time period, which is known as Regency England (1811 to 1820.) This was the time in history when King George was crazy and his son, The Prince of Wales, was running the country as the “Prince Regent.” The Napoleonic Wars were raging in Europe, and the population in England was greatly divided between the extravagantly rich aristocracy and the rest of society that was quite poverty-stricken. It was also the time of earls and dukes and the American female reader loves to read stories about them. It is the most popular historical time-period in the USA for a romance setting.

I haven’t had difficulty in using the time-period, because from the date that my first romance was published, I have used the same time period, so the clothes, houses, carriages, and historical events have always been the same. I haven’t had to do any research since the first book that was set in that era.

answer to comment # 9-11(Cristiana)

a. I can only hope that some Italian publisher decides to translate your books.

**I have had my books translated into 14 or 15 languages now, but so far, no Italian publisher has asked to publish one. But let’s keep hoping! As my sales grow, it’s becomes more and more likely to happen.

b. I beg you, on my knees and with tears in my eyes: please don’t decrease the erotic level of your novels!

**For years, I was known as “The Queen” of erotic romance, and I wrote 15 novels where each storyline had to be a “sexual” storyline, with the sexual behaviors of the characters as the foremost plot point. After I wrote DOUBLE FANTASY, I just couldn’t do another book with that much sex in it.

I am writing more historical romances, and they will still be very sexy, with many great and passionate love scenes, but previously, I had to make sure something “sexual” was happening on every page, and I want the chance to tell stories that are about more than just the sexual activity of the characters. I want to be able to write more drama and emotion. But my books will still be very sexy! With how I’ve built my fan base, I couldn’t completely abandon my sexual writing talent.

answer to comment #12 (Mandala82)

What do you think of the inspirationals. Is somehow funny to see how this trend is growing after the boom of the erotic genre?

**I think it’s very strange, and I’ve often wondered what it says about readers and about women. In the USA, I think it’s a typical indicator of how separated the country is on various issues. Half of our population stands on one side of religious and moral issues, and half on the other, which is reflected in our bitter politics. The two groups have beliefs and ideas that are completely divergent, so I guess we shouldn’t be surprised to see that their reading tastes are diverse, as well.

answer to comment # 13-14 (Paige79)

It’s always interesting to know which path lead an author to begin with her career , and in ms. Holt’s case I was more surprised than ever, since until she was forty she hadn’t been interested in romance novels… who would have said she’d become a famous author precisely of that genre !

**I began my romance career by accident. I couldn’t sell a suspense novel, so I tried to write something else. Romance seemed like a good idea at the time, and it turned out to be an enormously great idea. Every morning when I turn on my computer and sit down to begin writing, it is still a surprise to me that I am so good at writing love stories. I feel as if I was walking down a straight path at age 40, then at age 42, I was spun off on the most wonderful detour. I’m always amazed by this turn in my life’s road. I am always delighted by it, too.

Yes, I hope you will have a chance to read some of my books, and I hope you love all of them!