One of the things that readers prize so much is the anticipation, the sexual tension between characters even before mouth touches mouth.

If an author throws her characters into bed without teasing out the tension, it’s almost like she was too easy. But writing that tension is hard (for me, at least), since I also want to make my characters happy. But the whole point of writing a book is to make them suffer.

Because if characters are too happy, they’re boring. Just remember the opening lines of Anna Karenina:

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

And, to prove the point, last night’s series return of the Vampire Diaries featured a kiss that has been anticipated since the Salvatore Brothers first arrived in Mystic Falls (Amanda will back me up, I know!). If you don’t watch the show, just scoot halfway through the clip to see the relevant parts.

Sexual tension. Who does it best?

Megan

As Amanda commented in her post earlier this week, it’s been a challenging year. But, then again, is any year not challenging?

This weekend is my annual Megan is Alone weekend, where the Frampton Boys head out of town and leave me by my lonesome. I plan to read, sleep, work out, and write.

I love this time alone. I really need time by myself to recharge (some people require other people to get more energy–I think those people are strange creatures whom I envy).

Earlier this week, I got the news from my editor that the revisions for Vanity Fare were accepted, so that work is all done. I’ve got some other projects I am working on, but nothing that is all pickmepickmepickme! so I might open a document here, fix a word there, add a few sentences, but not sit down, nose-to-grindstone.

It’s weird, in fact, not to have something to do every single minute of every single day. I bet this is how some of our heroines felt most of the time, hence the looking forward to a huge treat for days in advance. And speaking of our heroines, I recently reread The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh, and it sure stood up in revisiting. My heart got squozen when the heroine doubted herself, and the handsome, honorable, tolerant hero was almost too perfect. I loved him.

This is a very all over the place post, but that’s how my mind is going, so there you go.

How do you recharge?

Megan