let's talk about...
...WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN. (Since Jennifer brought it up. *g*)This may sound like a totally self-serving topic, but I really am curious about what people who have read this book think when it comes to a recent discussion...& ongoing argument...I had with a friend about LIGHTS.
It all began when Ethan's and Gwen's story began to final in all these contests...four at last count. I'm very excited, of course, but considering I had three Desires out in the same year, I found it a bit odd that this book is the one suddenly getting all the attention.
So I started asking myself, "What is it about this story--as opposed to the others--that is apparently hitting so many right notes with readers?" And the answer I came up with seemed obvious: it's the only Desire I've done so far with a Cinderella theme. The heroine is shy and a bit frumpy, but undergoes a personal transformation that brings out her inner swan.
That had to be it, right? I definitely thought I'd hit the nail on the head with my theory.
And then a friend of mine...I won't tell you who because it might make you want to bop her on the head...picked up WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN & started reading. I'd told her my "Cinderella theme" hypothesis, & for about five seconds, she was with me. But when I saw her at a recent conference, one of the first things out of her mouth was, "I just finished WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN, & the reason it's so popular is not the Cinderella thing. It's the sex! That book is hot; it has to be at least 50% sex scenes."
Okay, it so is not. I'm not saying there aren't sex scenes...I'm not saying they aren't hot...I'm not even saying they're not possibly the warmest I've done so far within Desire. But the book is not 50% love scenes. My love scenes tend to run about 10 pages each--including set-up, foreplay, & dialogue--& there are three, I think, in LIGHTS. Four at the most. So that makes it maybe 15-20% of the entire book. Right? If my math skills are up to par.
But I want to know what you think. If you've read WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN & have an opinion on the subject, please let me know. Cinderella or sex? You be the judge!
