Hi all!  And thanks to Shelli and the other naughty gals for having me here today.  You’re doing me a big favour, because I really, really need your help answering a question that plagues so many writers of spicy historical romance.  The question relates to the choice of heroine.  Will it be Virgin, Fallen Woman, or Widow?

I write sensual, Regency-set historical romance.  I like to create that lovely fantasy world, but I also want my stories to have some grounding in the cultural values of the period.  So I’ve got to come up with scenarios that work, both in depicting the period with some degree of accuracy, and in giving me leeway in developing a romantic and sexual relationship between my hero and heroine.  And, trust me—I like the sexy, as do most readers of historicals.  It’s rarely a problem developing erotic scenarios for the heroes of Regency romance.  After all, men could have sex pretty much anytime they wanted, with all sorts of women.  And there’s nothing like a good old fashioned rake to get a girl’s hormones flowing, is there?

mastering_the_marquess_1.jpgBut that’s the easy part.  What about the heroine?  When it came to sex, stakes were high during the Regency—especially for unmarried women.  Lose your reputation, whether you actually had sex or not, and you could be in serious trouble.  No marriage, and unless you had financial independence, you were probably looking at life as a poor relation, or as a servant in a stranger’s household.  A lucky few made a go of it as successful courtesans, but I suspect they weren’t the norm.

So, how to create a heroine in this time period who likes to have sex and can get away with it?  One option is to choose either the courtesan heroine or the merry (or not so merry) widow heroine.  But what if your heroine is a virgin?  How do you come up with scenarios where she can give it up and not get caught—unless, of course, you want her to be!

In my next book, Sex And The Single Earl (coming out in May 2010 from Kensington) my heroine is desperate to get rid of her virginity.  Sophie’s been on the town for several seasons, and she’s starting to feel as if opportunity is passing her by.  And she’s in love—madly in love with the hero, Simon.  But her life is fairly restricted, as it was for many young ladies of her day, so how the heck is she actually going to get the man she loves into bed?

My solution was to rely on that oldie but goodie—friends to lovers.  Simon and Sophie have known each other for years, and he got into the habit of watching out for her long ago.  He’s not really interested in her sexually—at least not initially—but he’s always felt responsible for her.  Sophie’s family trusts him and doesn’t for a moment think he’d ever act improperly.  So why not let them spend time together—lots of time?  What could possible go wrong?  Well, as it happens, lots!

My first book, Mastering The Marquess (still on the shelves), also has a virgin heroine, although she’s older and very independent—both emotionally and financially.  The book I’m currently working on has an experienced widow for a heroine.  I wanted each of these lovely characters to fall in love and lust, and have lots of good, hot sex.  So, each of them needed a scenario that made sense for the both the story and the time period, but also allowed plenty of opportunity for romance with a big dash of spice.  

Now, dear readers.  Here are my questions.  Which types of heroine do you prefer in your historical romance—virgin or experienced woman?  Are there particular stories you feel really lend themselves to a hot, sexy read?  What are they?  Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Mastering The Marquess.