Sharon Page :: Blog

I was finishing up page proofs on my upcoming book BLOOD ROSE, and realized that masks are a sexual ‘toy’ that pop up frequently in my stories. In my Regency set erotic romances, the heroines wear them. Since the sisters in the first two books end up sneaking into orgies and sexual scavenger hunts, and they are proper young ladies with good reputations, they have to wear a disguise. However, each heroine finds that being masked gives her a lot of freedom—each heroine suddenly has the chance to act out fantasies, to escape the restraints of proper behavior to be wild and wanton.

The mask with the red feathers is an example of a Venetian style mask. Here’s the site, if you’d like to view more: http://www.stagepresence.co.uk/masks/masks.htm (Please note, I’ve posted this link for illustration purposes only. I haven’t actually dealt with the store).

I have to admit that keeping my heroines masked did prove awkward at times, and I was certain that the ladies really longed to be able to cast off their disguises and be honest about their identities. But my books are set in the Regency and scandal was a real fear for a young woman. Scandal would not only ruin a woman, but also the reputations (and futures) of her other sisters. Remember how horrified Lizzie is in Pride and Prejudice, when her younger sister Lydia runs off with Wickham?

While I was working on these books, I discovered a store in my hometown that sells beautiful Venetian style masks. These were beautiful, made of papier maché and painted with beautiful vivid colors. My attention was quickly caught by the men’s masks that feature long, beak-like noses. (At the side is an example of that type of mask from Wikipedia: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karneval_in_Venedig). So in BLOOD ROSE, the heroes are the ones masked, and they put those noses to intriguing uses for the heroine.

Personally, I’ve never worn a mask other than the cardboard and stretchy elastic style, but I fell so in love with these lovely Venetian ones that I’m thinking of splurging on a beautiful one for the Romantic Times convention. How about you? Have you donned a disguise to spice up your love life by adding the aura of mystery and fantasy?

This weekend I took part in a national television quiz show. Now this one was all in good fun, with good-natured competition and lots of humor. No one was called the “weakest link” and no one was humiliated. And it was all about language.

Called “Test the Nation—Watch Your Language”, this was the Canadian version of a show that’s been a hit in over 20 countries, including Britain. Six teams are pitted against each other—ours included Romance Authors, English Teachers, and Comedians amongst others. We Romance Authors were a dedicated bunch—we set up a loop, studied hard (I read the dictionary on my flight there), and built a strong, enthusiastic team.

So did we win, in a show about language? Well, I can’t reveal the results yet—the show will be aired on CBC, one of Canada’s national networks, in the fall. I loved the chance to see what happens behind the scenes on TV, and was amazed at how smoothly the taping went when 250 people had to be organized. I even had a chance to be in the spotlight—I was asked to explain how romance crosses the line into erotic romance. I had to plan the answer for that, considering the show will be shown at 8:00 p.m. I pointed out that in erotic romance the language is frank, and I don’t use euphemisms (though I didn’t get the chance to wax on about great historical terms…)

While traveling home, I also had the chance to check out the airport bookstores, and saw Pam’s The Slightest Provocation on display, face out. Very exciting! I also noticed other covers that featured historical paintings of women, in the style of TSP’s cover. I love that look—they draw me to pick up the book and read it. I also noticed a “classics” section, but the cover for Vanity Fair, in an ironical move, was a shot from the recent movie.

In regard to covers, I posted the one for my upcoming book BLOOD ROSE, above. Yep, he’s a bare-chested guy, but I like him—I like the graphical quality of the picture, and I admit I’m a sucker for male hipbones.

In other news, I was featured (as an erotic romance author) in the major newspaper for my hometown, which is also Canada’s national capital. It was exciting to come home to see my picture on the front page, and to find an article on me in the Arts and Books Section. Here’s a link to the article if you’re interested:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/story.html?id=eb57a22d-9b41-4258-b473-2213e02d8fe0&p=2
(This is my first newspaper article, so I hope you’ll bear with me.)

All in all, this weekend, I was intrigued to see how mainstream erotica and erotic romance has become.