I have had a hot summer! I am in a new anthology and working on a novella for a new anthology series inspired by the Cards Of Passion. Cards of Passion is the brainchild of my friend Dr. J/ Donna Jennings, and I was thrilled to be asked to join her and the other authors for this series!
Today is her birthday and the first Cards of Passion book (hers), Shadows and Silhouettes is out today. Let’s wish Donna a happy birthday and chat with her!!!
I have known and loved you for years, but tell us about yourself!
The feeling is mutual, Leonora. I adore you and your work. Who am I? I’m a retired sex therapist and college human sexuality professor turned erotic romance writer.
My 48-year career in sexuality began with packing condoms for Adam and Eve. I got three degrees related to sexuality and opened a private practice for therapy, education, and consulting.
As I retired from my college teaching, my students said write, so I did. I started with erotica shorts and moved into novellas and novels. I’m the erotica editor for the sexual wellness platform Rosy. I live on the Atlantic coast and love to support the arts in my area. Most people don’t know I’m an avid sock knitter.
What inspired you to create the cards of Cards of Passion and series?
Great question with a long answer. I was in the process with a co-author of creating the Purple Sex & Love Journal for Women and because of a life change, my fellow author couldn’t continue. I needed to finish the journal and move it forward without them, but I didn’t know how. While in the North Carolina mountains, nature inspired me, and I created the cards and they helped me complete the journal.
The following spring, I hosted a writer’s retreat, and the cards were there. We were having a lively “what if” discussion, and the cards jumped in. We talked about what would happen if the cards showed up in different stories. And now they have.
I have nine authors who wanted to take part in this series, which I dubbed Cards of Passion. I sent each author a deck. They each write in different genres of romance, but saw a place in their writing where sex-positive affirmations could help. I think the cards are kind of like the pants in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
They selected one of nine topic sets: self-intimacy, sensuality, fantasy, sexual behaviors, gender, sexual orientation, pleasure, body image and desire as part of their story. It has been such a fun process and I’m looking forward to see how the authors used the idea. If the process of cover design is an indicator, they will be so interesting. And with a quirk of fate, I’ll be there for the Cards of Passion book launch.
You just wrote the Fiction Writers Sexuality Guide; how does that inspire the Cards of Passion or vice versa?
I love this question. I’ve told many folks that The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide was my writing dissertation. It is my effort to highlight everything in the sexuality world to help authors with a sex-positive mindset and character development tools in their writing. This mindset provides a foundation and offers a new paradigm for embracing sexuality in writing.
The content of FWSG and the content of Cards of Passion is foundationally the same. They both highlight experiences through the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual aspects of sexuality on humans/characters and considers how the world around interacts with the individual/character. For FWSG, it’s about how to think about yourself and your characters in layersover a lifetime. With the cards, it encourages self-reflection on your sexual identity and if you have a desire for any modifications. Both make sexuality a balanced aspect of the person.
Tell us about your Cards of Passion installment!
This is exciting. I know how I created the actual cards in my world and it felt magical. But when we had the conversation about the cards in writing stories, I wanted it to tap into my imagination and create a story of the cards wrapped around two people who fall in love.
Nature continued to stay a central theme, as did the aspect of my life in sexuality as an educator. Liv the FMC is a sexuality educator who battles a sexual medical issue. The MMC also deals with a sexuality issue. The card’s creation element weaves between them as Liv’s creates the card project. This all occurs as they meet at a creativity summit to heal themselves. They both get some surprises.
What is up next for you or anything you want to share in closing?
It’s been a busy year. Three books came out and I’ve done a lot of speaking engagements, and I’m laying out next year’s books. My themes will continue to focus on sexuality as a setting or central aspect of the characters. I’m also teaming up with USA Today Best-selling Author Danika Bloom for a podcast/YouTube discussion on romance and sexuality for writers. Stay tuned.
Dr. J. is a retired sex therapist and college human sexuality professor. She is the editor for Rosy, a sexual wellness platform for women. Her passion is writing romantic and erotic stories that elevate sex-positive ideas. She hopes the readers perceive the characters as fully developed, with sexuality being an equal part of their makeup. She wrote The Fiction Writer’s Sexuality Guide: Sex—It’s More Than a Scene to share her process with writers.
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photos via Dr. J