Today’s guest post is by TB Markinson. Pssst, I’m the run who runs I Heart Lesfic.
You may be wondering why I’m guest posting on my own website. Simply put, it’s to share stories about The Village Romance series. I was fortunate to take part in this trilogy with Clare Lydon and Harper Bliss, and I wanted to give readers glimpses behind the scenes.
Now, here’s the guest post.
Clare Lydon Lays Down the Kissing Law!
To research our Village Romance series, Clare Lydon, Harper Bliss, and I traveled to a few villages in the Cotswolds. The wonderful and patient Mrs. Bliss drove the minivan.
It allowed us to wander through quaint village squares and side streets. We sampled beers and gin and tonics in a handful of charming pubs. I have to admit this was the best kind of research trip I’ve been on.
Each of us had an idea about our novels in the trilogy, but the individual story arcs were still forming since none of us had started writing yet.
In Lower Slaughter (actual village name), as we ambled along a river, taking in the rolling green countryside and cute bridges, Clare announced that her characters would share a kiss on one of the bridges. Then she spun around (it’s possible she added a finger waggle) and declared that neither Harper nor I could have our couples share a kiss on a bridge. She’d called it. If memory serves, she said, “Back off, bitches.”
I have to admit I found her passionate declaration funny.
It also spurred an idea in my mind.
Her characters could kiss on the bridge, but I was going to make one of the bridges in my story paramount to the plot. It’s possible that I can be a little bit (read: a lot) contrarian. For those of you who listen to Lesbians Who Write, the podcast Clare and I cohost, you may have noticed while we’re great friends, we don’t agree on many things. But we encourage each other with a healthy amount of good-natured teasing.
I will admit, Clare’s declaration helped me shape a pivotal aspect of my novel for which I’m truly grateful. Even when she doesn’t realize it, she has my back.
Her bridge scenes in A Taste of Love are phenomenal. One of them had me laughing out loud. Actually, there are many scenes in her book that gave me much-needed chuckles.