Friday, May 6, 2011

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

I have a couple of them. I suppose some might say my second career as an erotic romance writer is something of a guilty pleasure in itself, as I have a pen name and only a couple of people in my regular life know about it. Even fewer know the content of what I write. To say some of my friends and co-workers would be shocked is an understatement, but as far as I'm concerned, that just goes to show you that you never really know anyone that well--or what they might do in their spare time. I think writing - and reading - romance is great. It's a healthy expression of what goes on in real life, no matter how shocked some people claim to be by it. But still, the naysayers prevail.

Besides my writing, I have another guilty pleasure, mainly because it seems like antithesis of my style. I write really contemporary stories and I've been told I have kind of an edgy voice. So why do I love, love, love historical romances? The lush usage of language, the clothing, an author's masterful way of sweeping me away to another time and place...historicals just enthrall me. I hope to write one of my own one day, even though it's at the absolute opposite end of the spectrum from my natural style. But I think it's good to try to stretch yourself from time to time. I'm doing that now with a m/m/f menage I'm writing. I've never worked with three POVs before, nor have I ever written any m/m scenes. It's been fun to try something different.

What about you? Do you have a guilty pleasure? Not that there's anything to feel guilty about with liking historicals, but I think it might surprise a few of my friends. Your guilty pleasure can be a certain genre of book you like, a favorite TV show you don't tell too many people you enjoy (Jersey Shore anyone?) or even some decadent high calorie treat you indulge in on special occasions. It can even be something a bit wilder. This is a judgment free zone. ;) So c'mon, spill!

17 comments:

Lily Harlem said...

Hi Cari, I love the whole first paragraph of this post, it sums up the situation of many erotic romance writers!

Guilty pleasure - the whole Twilight saga - particularly Mr Cullen (not RP, its the 109 year old that gets me!)I love the books and the films, can't wait for the next instalment.

Nothing better than toffee apples on bonfire night too, it takes me right back to my childhood. All that crunchy red toffee over a sweet apple on a stick. Yum, I always indulge along with the kids :-)

Lily x

Cari Quinn said...

Hi Lily! Always good to see a Belle here. :) I think you're right. Considering all the news lately, a lot of us keep that side of ourselves somewhat under wraps.

I haven't read the Twilight books yet though I did see the first Twilight movie. Liked it a lot! Someday I'll get caught up on the both the books/movies.

Toffee apples sound yummy. I love the idea of a bonfire in the summer.

Thanks for stopping by!

C. Zampa said...

I hae to agree, Cari...being a romance/erotica writer IS a guilty pleasure, pen name and all! I love it!

Other than that? Flavored coffees, expensive chocolate, silky lingerie.

I sure am boring, aren't I? LOL.

Karenna Colcroft said...

Hi, Cari :) I think I'm with you on romance writing being one of my guilty pleasures, though actually writing YA is even more so for me.

As for non-writing guilty pleasures, the TV show Degrassi is my guiltiest. It's a Canadian show for teens, pretty much a soap opera. I watch the new episodes whenever they're on here in the States, which isn't as often as I'd like...

My other guilty pleasure is manicures, but I can't afford to have them often and it isn't as much fun doing them myself.

Molly Daniels said...

My guilty pleasure is watching Big Brother in the summer time, and right now it's The Amazing Race and Celb. Apprentice. I'm loving the fights between Star Jones and NeNe Leakes!

Sweet tooth-wise, I've been melting chocolate almond bark and dipping pretzels into it. YUM! Also, my pistachio habit....

Cari Quinn said...

Hi Carol,

Nope, you're not boring at all! I love fancy coffee. My Keurig and its assortment of K-cups takes a good share of my monthly paycheck, LOL. (Along with the EC books I read while drinking said coffee...)

Thanks for coming by!

Cari Quinn said...

Hi Karenna! Another Belle. :) I have some guilty pleasure TV shows too, like My So Called Life. It's kind of dorky and at this point old - it went off the air fifteen plus years ago - but I love it and I don't care. Stand loud and proud with your guilty pleasures, I say.

As for manicures, I understand completely! I had my first pedicure last month and I know I'll want another one. Not in the budget for a while alas.

Thank you for commenting!

Cari Quinn said...

Hi Molly! I've been wanting to check out Celebrity Apprentice, I admit. That Star Jones never fails to stir up something wherever she goes. I'll have to check it out sometime.

Oh, those pretzels sound delicious! Chocolate dipped pretzels had to be one of man's greatest inventions, far as I'm concerned.

So glad you stopped by! :)

Allie Standifer said...

Does vanilla with my Diet Coke count? Yep, I carry a pink flask filled with vanilla. Vanilla goes into not only my addiction to Diet Coke, but coffee as well.
Then again I have a book addiction, TV box set addiction, ummm shoe & purse addiction.
You know I think I'll stop before some mutant gene kicks in & tries to talk me out of the rest of my guilty secrets :)

Harlie Williams said...

My food guilty pleasure are Little Debbie snack cakes. Seriously. If I don't have one at night while I read, I'm awful for the rest of the night.

Reading guilty pleasure would be Tom Clancy. I LOVE Jack Ryan! Plus, John Grisham.

My guiltiest pleasure is having a total head to toe spa day. Yes, spa day.......

Eileen said...

my guilty pleasures? a massage and a wax, mani/pedi just for the heck of it, going to see a movie in the afternoon when you should be cleaning, Cheesecake Factory's banana cheesecake and reading erotica.

Marie Rose Dufour said...

I love and totally agree with your first paragraph right down to the tip of my pen name. Can't have it come out that a teacher writes erotics. Oh wait....

One of my guilty pleasures is Disney movies. The latest one that enjoyed immensely was Lemonade Mouth. I am also partial to YA movies like Twilight, Prom, and Beastly.

Tess MacKall said...

It seems to me that all pleasure makes me feel guilty these days. lol

Hey, I write mostly contemporary but I do so love historical. Actually, I tried my hand at it and it's now a finalist with Passionate Ink's Stroke of Midnight Contest in the historical category. Doubt it'll win--got some really great competition for sure. But I was really pleased that my first effort got that far. You should try writing one, Cari. Really.

She said...

I have so many guilty pleasures, I've lost count but I don't feel guilty about any of them. They include: reading erotic romance, erotica, historicals, oh, actually any genre. Let's see what else: chocolate, dining out, baking from scratch, Dancing With the Stars, Good Reads and Shelfari reading challenges, my internet addiction, Burnt Almond Torte, and Mancini's Rustic Italian bread. There's more but time is limiting me ;)

Anonymous said...

Reading and traveling are my 2 big ones because of my 9 kids 8 still live at home along with 3 grandkids so I have so much housework to do and people to drive around but that time I spend reading is my time and I even get a little cranky with my hubby if I get interurpted to much.
Zina

Cari Quinn said...

Sorry I'm late getting back over here but I had a deadline to meet so with that accomplished, here I am!

It's nice to see we all have a lot of different guilty pleasures, but I agree...why feel guilty if it makes you feel good? Spa days, reading, time alone, banana cheesecake...all of that sounds pretty awesome to me. :)

And Tess, that's wonderful about your historical! I really do want to write one, just need to figure out what I want to write. Also need to find some time. But I love them and I know one day I'll give them a shot.

Thanks to everyone for stopping by!

Mia Watts said...

I love historical romances for the same reasons. It's the beauty and poetry, the subtlety of humor in the nuances. I love the pageantry and the shock value of every little thing you throw at the heroine.

Writing is my guilty pleasure too, although it doesn't always feel fun to be under deadline.