I’ve been saying for a while that I think the more inventive and creative writing in the industry is happening on the erotica end of the scale. Megan Hart, one of the most literary writers in th genre, has been pushing that envelope with deep and thoughtful novels that happen to center around sexual topics.

My editor at Berkley is quoted in this very interesting article in Publisher’s Weekly:

Relationship-centered erotica is very important at Berkley, where executive editor Cindy Hwang notes that although the imprint has only been publishing its Heat line since 2005, “In that short period of time, we’ve really seen the erotic romance take off. This isn’t to say these books aren’t as sexy as other erotica—just that there’s an emphasis on the character development and emotional connection between the characters.” Hwang cites Emma Holly’s September Fairyville as a great example of a book that combines intense emotional connections with “envelope-pushing sexuality.”