I’ve learned that I don’t enjoy being personally involved in this sort of stuff. I am, however, curious. (Curiosity killed the cat, but I was a leading suspect.) Glad to know that there are books, videos, etc., to help keep me out of trouble.

One of the things that sets Emma Holly apart for me — besides the fact that she can write compelling characters AND grippingly sensual love/sex scenes — is that she seems to have tremendous empathy and respect for both her characters and her readers. If you haven’t yet, definitely read her upyr books, starting with “Catching Midnight,” which is perhaps my favorite Holly book. The scenes where the heroine merges with the spirit of her familiar animal are so lyrical they read like masterfully crafted love scenes. The way Holly uses Gillian’s familiar to build a relationship between the hero and the heroine brought that book to a whole new level for me. Even in her erotica there is true kindness and tenderness between her characters, and the way they investigate less traditional expressions of sex and sexuality generally (there are a few exceptions) seems purposeful to me. I’m pretty mainstream when it comes to my own life, but nothing Holly writes ever seems vulgar to me, even those things which are not my personal fantasies (which is a lot of the stuff in her erotica!!).

“I loved Wuthering Heights but it was not a primer on healthy relationships. It was a story about the destructive power of revenge (Cathy and Heathcliff) and the redemptive power of love (the next generation.)”

You’re more optimistic about the ending of WH than I am. In addition to the destruction wrought through Heathcliff’s need for revenge is, IMO, a deeply neurotic fear of adult sexuality that comes through in both Catherine and Heathcliff’s characters. There is so much sexual dysfunction in WH that I’m always a little surprised it’s still so readily fed to high school students as “Romantic,” even in the historically generic sense. I can’t help but think of it as in the same literary ballpark as Matthew Lewis’ gothic novel “The Monk,” which I loved, but which was also pretty whacked in a lot of ways.

That book freed many of my inhibitions. I realized that I can write about a good, healthy, loving relationship with a twist. I am happy that these days, places like Ellora’s Cave are available for us to have romance and break every romance taboo at the same time.

Reviewers and readers have been liking my work so far, so I’m very happy I let down my hair and did it. And my husband learned another side of me he didn’t know existed.

Do I want all my romances to have those added elements? No. But I do like that if I want them, they are no longer forbidden. The rules have been stretched, and I like where they’re stretching.

I’ve been meaning to pick up Emma Holly for the longest time. Must try her!

Well, yes, I do think that the vision of love you outline is wildly romantic, and some romance novels on my keeper shelves portray that sort of out-of-control passion. I do stop short at thinking domestic abuse, pathological obsessiveness and inter-generational revenge schemes are romantic, though. Burning bridges and warming your hands on the fire is one thing; burning them while making sure your beloved is tied to the bridge and screaming in agony while inviting her family for the cheery barbecue is another.

And really, Wuthering Heights vs. threesomes taps into a very basic issue: one is a fantasy I can’t buy into and don’t find appealing in the least, while the other is something I DO enjoy reading about and experiencing vicariously through my books.

He married her sister-in-law to hurt her…and then he beat his wife. He tormented Cathy at every opportunity…and she did the same. She flat out accused him of being her murderer on her deathbed.

I do think he was quite capable of physically harming Cathy, yes. I also think she would be capable of harming him.

The whole point of Cathy2 and Hareton was that they were much like their parents, but with a capacity for true goodness so that their love could work.

I loved Wuthering Heights but it was not a primer on healthy relationships. It was a story about the destructive power of revenge (Cathy and Heathcliff) and the redemptive power of love (the next generation.)