Have you just been itching to pen that erotic romance novel that has been bouncing around in your head forever? In Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance, author Angela Knight lays it all out for you. This book is not going to write your romance for you, but after reading it you should have much more confidence as well as a number of concrete techniques, tricks, and resources at your disposal.

Passionate Ink is the name of the erotic romance chapter of the Romance Writers of America. This book is based on a online class that Ms. Knight gave for the members of Passionate ink back in 2006, expanded with more information, additional references, and insightful comments from readers and writers alike. The topics that this book covers include the following: Planning and Plotting; Characterization; Story Structure; Action and Sex; Dialogue and Prose; The Practicalities of Selling and Promoting; and multiple useful and practical bibliographies and appendices.

This book contains many passages from Ms. Knight's works that clearly illustrate the points she is making. She doesn't just tell it...she shows it, and that is one of the most valuable aspects of this book, because many of us learn through example, not lecture. Ms. Knight's writing style shines through in this book, which is as entertaining as it is informational. I don't believe that I have read any of her other works, but after having read Passionate Ink, I am very interested to pick up one or two of her novels. My only trouble is going to be determining which ones to choose.

This book is an invaluable guide to anyone who is serious about writing an erotic romance novel, getting it published, and selling it to the public. And, in my opinion, the audience is not restricted to those who write erotic romance or even simply romance. The information in these pages would be useful to writers of any kind of fiction. Because of this, the readability of the book, and the value of the information that this book offers, I endorse it as a Recommended Read for all of us frustrated aspiring authors out there.
Reviewed by: Whitney