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Leslie Lehr | What Will My Daughters Think?
May 6, 2013
Popular novelists use pseudonyms to write romance novels, and romance novelists
use them to write erotica. But when I wrote What A Mother Knows, it was
my real name going on the cover. So naturally, when I wrote the big love scene
– okay, sex scene – I worried about what my daughters would think. The story is about a mother's quest to find her daughter, so already it hits
close to home. At first, I was more concerned with how the girls might judge the
daughter's part. Then I realized I was working even harder to get the mother's
part right, to make her believable and sexy, all at the same time. It wasn't
just the romance that worried me, it was the fact that there are some undeniable
similarities between us. Sure, Michelle is taller and thinner, but her desperate
need to protect her daughter? That's all me. So when it was time to write the
big love scene, I started to sweat. I wanted to make it as hot as possible, but my daughters will read it as soon as
it comes out. I wanted to go crazy, but there was important plotting to be done
amid all the heavy breathing. When Michelle develops a kickass attitude and
takes charge of her life, she takes charge in the bedroom as well. She's not
actually in a bedroom, mind you, but in a unique location that makes both the
sex and the story better. I imagined the most exciting seduction I could, the kind every woman dreams
about. There is champagne and chocolate, her lacey red lingerie pressed against
his rock hard chest, and enough heat to make it last until morning, when there
is a surprise twist in the story. It's a hot scene. How do I know? My agent never commented on it. Even my editor,
who made notes throughout the rest of the book, left these margins conspicuously
blank. For a few days, I wondered if either had actually read it. Then I
realized that they didn't say anything because there was nothing to say. It
works. So here I am, an author hoisted by her own petard. My novel has a main character
similar to me, with a sex scene that is decidedly hot. Will my daughters wonder
if I've had sex like that? Will they recognize the lingerie from the stash in my
drawer? Or will they rcognize that great sex is every woman's right, including
their own? I don't know, and I'm not about to ask. But that doesn't make me a wimp. After
all, that's my real name on the cover. Leslie Lehr's latest
novel is What a Mother
Knows (May 2013) She is the author of WIFE GOES ON and 66 LAPS, which won the
Pirates Alley Faulkner Society Gold Medal. Her essays about mothering and
parenthood have been featured on The Today Show and were excerpted in
Arianna Huffington's bestseller, On Becoming Fearless. A screenwriter
based in Los Angeles, she is a member of the Authors Guild and teaches creative
writing at UCLA Writers' Extension. www.leslielehr.com One commenter will win a book from Fresh Fiction.
Comments
27 comments posted.
Re: Leslie Lehr | What Will My Daughters Think?
I love this giveaway!
(Callie Stuck 3:13pm May 6, 2013)
Wow, these books sound so exciting and yes you need to worry
about what your children think and do all the time but you
need to have a love life also. How exciting!!! I cannot wait
to read your fantastic books and I would love to win too.
Thank You and may God bless You with success always. Thanks,
Cecilia CECE
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 3:50pm May 6, 2013)
Yup... I would worry too! :) I can't even watch a sex scene on tv with my parents in the same room!
(May Pau 4:45pm May 6, 2013)
I am sure your daughters will be proud of your work. Congratulations on the new book!
(Maureen Emmons 4:50pm May 6, 2013)
I usually only skim through those scenes anyway.
(Shannon Scott 4:57pm May 6, 2013)
One writer to another - you're braver than I am! I told my daughters they couldn't read my latest book. The oldest happily obliged, saying she "didn't want to know what was in her mother's imagination." Well, when you put it like that... Leslie - your book sounds fabulous. Can't wait to read it. All the best to you!
(Jane Lynne Daniels 5:19pm May 6, 2013)
EXCELLENT CONTEST LOVE TO WIN I NEVER WON ANYTHING IN MY LIFE
AND I REALLY WANT OT WIN THIS CONTEST VERY MUCH.....
(Shelly Caggiano 5:37pm May 6, 2013)
wow I really like to read this sounds like a really good one
(Denise Smith 5:56pm May 6, 2013)
"What A Mother Knows" sounds like an interesting novel. I love how you contemplated
the acceptance of the book. I would feel slightly embarrassed if my daughter(s) (if I
had any) read it too. Not something you want to sit down and talk about it, but you
definitely want to know if your writing (specially the sex part) was believable.
Congratulations on the new book.
(Lazydrag0n Puff 6:00pm May 6, 2013)
sounds like a great read>>thanks for the chance..
(Jennifer Beck 6:26pm May 6, 2013)
I'm not sure how old your daughters are, if they're teenagers and old enough to be interested in reading books of this type yet or would be curious because their mother wrote it. I wouldn't be embarrassed to explain to them that it's fiction and many authors write in the same way in their books, and then let them decide after that, if they choose to read it (maybe, when they're older...like grown-up and married! LOL!!! Sounds like a good book, and I want to read it!
(Linda Luinstra 6:53pm May 6, 2013)
This book sure sounds haunting but oh so good. Looking forward to reading it. Just cannot imagine not knowing where you child is no matter what age he or she may be.
Cynthia Blain
Uxbridge, MA
(Cynthia Blain 6:56pm May 6, 2013)
Love the cover! Thanks for the chance to win it.
(Martha Lawson 8:37pm May 6, 2013)
Not sure how old your daughters are but I'm thinking they read all your books. Eventually they'll realize what sex is if they haven't already and you all sound pretty close so I think it will all work out just fine, thanks!
(Jennifer Thompson 9:11pm May 6, 2013)
When the time comes, your daughters probably won't think too much about it - this is mom's job, but any future son-in-laws might look uncomfortable at holiday dinners.
(Carla Carlson 9:20pm May 6, 2013)
I have to say that I'm not familiar with your books, although I don't have kids of my own. That doesn't mean that I don't care about my Sister's kids, or the kids that belong to my friends!! They become my extended family, since having not having any of my own was God's plan. My interest is definately peaked, and I would love to read your book, and pass it on to others, if this book is not meant for me. I know plenty of women who have kids, and would probably get a kick out of your book!! Congratulations!!
(Peggy Roberson 9:43pm May 6, 2013)
Sounds like a an interesting book.
(Suzanne Bischoff 10:05pm May 6, 2013)
I had to laugh!! What a dilemma I think.
(Mary Preston 12:03pm May 7, 2013)
A parents want to know what is going on with their children's lives. The children never want to know what is going on with their parents' lives especially if the parents are having sex. It is too much information (TMI). I know my sisters and I would joke about our parents' sex life and would always say they are old people. If we happen to catch them even kissing with tongue, we come to the moment of either saying to them "Get a room." or even exaggerates that we have been traumatized and blinded for life as young adults. It's not right for old people to be having sex from our point of view. We cannot accept the fact that they are having sex and yet we know where babies come from. But the reality of it is, parents are people too. They feel and do things that we young people do. It won't be long before our children will be thinking the same thing of us.
Our parents taught us the best they can and with life lessons, we know the difference between realities and fantasies and have to respect them for that.
(Kai Wong 1:34am May 7, 2013)
Isn't that sometimes what makes it so hard, wondering what a parent, child,
cousin, friend will think? What if they think it's about THEM??
(Penny Mettert 5:31am May 7, 2013)
I think sometimes we worry for nothing.
(Rita Wray 9:30am May 7, 2013)
Just remind them it's ficion.
(Mary C 10:18pm May 7, 2013)
Well done for bring true to yourself and your craft. if your daughters don't appreciate your work, that could happen over a violent scene, a balancing chequebooks scene, a car maintenance scene, anything. If they don't like the love scene they can skip to the next page.
(Clare O'Beara 6:05pm May 8, 2013)
THANKS! So,it turns out, my mother admits she skimmed it, one daughter says she read it but gave no details, and my other daughter, 21, came to my standing-room-only book signings this week, so she's proud and her friends are ordering it - and now she's about to read it. So I just haven't mentioned it yet. Partly because it's okay and she's an adult, but mainly because there are 300 pages more to the story!
Happy reading!
Leslie
(Leslie Lehr 10:29am May 10, 2013)
Once I thought about things like: why such information is for free here? Because when you write a book then at least on selling a book you get a percentage. Thank you and good luck on informing people more about it!
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(Hasaam Iqbal 5:51am October 4, 2014)
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(Amelia Jo 7:11am September 27, 2016)
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