Is it possible, in this day and age, to write a romantic novel without sex?  Everyone told me it couldn’t be done, and when I sent a synopsis of the novel I wanted to write  to several publishers, it was rejected for this reason.

“Esther”, sub-titled A Jerusalem Love Story, is initially set in the 1950’s when life was very different.  The permissive age had not yet arrived, not much was known about contraception, and the widely-held belief was “Bad girls do, and good girls don’t.”  This novel was based on my life in London during the years 1951 – 1954 , before moving back to Australia and then on to Jerusalem So although I was told no-one today would read a romantic novel without some graphic sex, I was determined it could be done.

In 1999 my novel was accepted, and published a year later in 2000, by H.C.I. in Florida, home of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” best-selling series, for their Simcha Press fiction imprint.  I was thrilled although they appointed an editor  who, of course, wanted me to heat up some of the love scenes.  We fought quite bitterly at first, but in the end I won. I wanted it to be a tender story of love over three decades that remained unconsummated… that was the whole point.  In the voice of the man, it expresses a yearning for a woman he could never possess due to various circumstances, although they each married other partners.  There is a bit of “off camera” sex but not between the hero and heroine, Max and Esther.  I didn’t want it to be the same as all the other romances and I knew that such a love, impossible as today’s youth might find it, is indeed a possibility.

  In 2001 I did a successful book promotion tour to many cities in the U.S. with book-signings at Borders and Barnes & Noble stores.  “Esther” had some wonderful reviews.  Publishers’ Weekly wrote: “Readers with a taste for tragic romance should clear their calendars for an evening, grab a box of tissues and enjoy this haunting story of a love that could not be.”  Another critic whom I shall love forever described it as: “A veritable ‘Bridges of Madison County’ with a Hebrew accent.

I broke the rules but achieved the novel that is my favorite of the  14 books I have so far published.

Happy writing. I am here to help you free with any writing problems. Contact me at dwaysman@gmail.com

                      

e-mail: ways@netvision net.il

Writers’ Exchange

                 BREAKING THE RULES

Is it possible, in this day and age, to write a romantic novel without sex?  Everyone told me it couldn’t be done, and when I sent a synopsis of the novel I wanted to write  to several publishers, it was rejected for this reason.

“Esther”, sub-titled A Jerusalem Love Story, is initially set in the 1950’s when life was very different.  The permissive age had not yet arrived, not much was known about contraception, and the widely-held belief was “Bad girls do, and good girls don’t.”  My novel is based on my life in London during the years 1951 – 1954 , before moving on to Jerusalem and Lebanon.  So although I was told no-one today would read a romantic novel without some graphic sex, I was determined it could be done.

In 1999 my novel was accepted, and published a year later in 2000, by H.C.I. in Florida, home of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” best-selling series, for their Simcha Press fiction imprint.  I was thrilled although they appointed an editor  who, of course, wanted me to heat up some of the love scenes.  We fought quite bitterly at first, but in the end I won. I wanted it to be a tender story of love over three decades that remained unconsummated… that was the whole point.  In the voice of the man, it expresses a yearning for a woman he could never possess due to various circumstances, although they each married other partners.  There is a bit of “off camera” sex but not between the hero and heroine, Max and Esther.  I didn’t want it to be the same as all the other romances and I knew that such a love, impossible as today’s youth might find it, is indeed a possibility.

                                         -2-

In 2001 I did a successful book promotion tour to many cities in the U.S. with book-signings at Borders and Barnes & Noble stores.  “Esther” had some wonderful reviews.  Publishers’ Weekly wrote: “Readers with a taste for tragic romance should clear their calendars for an evening, grab a box of tissues and enjoy this haunting story of a love that could not be.”  Another critic whom I shall love forever described it as: “A veritable ‘Bridges of Madison County’ with a Hebrew accent.

I broke the rules but achieved the novel that is my favorite of the  14 books I have so far published.

(500 words)                           __________________

Dvora Waysman  5 Karmon Street, Flat 5, Beit Hakerem, Jerusalem 96308  Israel.  Tel: 972 2 6513096

e-mail: ways@netvision net.il