Kissing Books Critique
Your place for step-by-step editing of our work, line by line in some cases, big picture in others. We talk about what works and what doesn't, from adverbs and passive voice to deep POV and character motivation, we cover it all, in context, in action.
Hosts: Vicki Hilton, Heather Ryder and Jenna McCall
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 62 minutes
- Episodes
- 24
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
Rough Hands and Slippery Decks
Romance writing craft meets underwater chaos in this manuscript critique session for indie authors and aspiring romance writers. Vicki's chapter delivers a delicious meet-cute scene, but we're diving…
Hockey Romance Breakthroughs
We're deep in hockey romance territory this week as the group tackles a submission featuring contract clauses, curse words in French Canadian, and one very good dog named Clyde who's clearly the real…
Hampus Gets Called to the Principal's Office
Resting Brood Face Syndrome
We're deep in Resting Brood Face territory this week as Vicki's Catching Trouble continues with Maxime's chapter two, where our grumpy hero discovers that scowling at customers might not be the best …
Stop Harassing My Wife (and Other Logistics Fails)
We’re deep in scene logistics, missing windows, and rogue dental appointments this week as Heather's submission hits the group chat. From personified smiles to hallway entrances that don’t quite make…
Mistakes Were Made. Horses Were Spotted.
In this episode of Kissing Books Critique, we dive headfirst into Vicki’s brand-new first chapter, an angsty, small-town cowboy romance inspired by a classic '90s country hit. From navigating car log…
Critique and Ice Cream Cliffs: Chloe’s Chapter Takes the Stage
French Kisses, Freckles, and First Chapters
That Scene Where He Takes His Shirt Off (Sorta)
Starting Off Wobbly: Why First Chapters Are So Hard
Enemies, Tension, and a Slow Burn Done Right
In this episode of Kissing Books Critique, we dive into the art of the slow burn—how to build tension, keep characters at odds, and make every stolen glance count. We tackle passive voice, repetition…
Revisions, Rainstorms, and One Charismatic Critiquer
Deadlines are closing in, but that doesn’t stop us from diving deep into revisions, refining character depth, and debating the logistics of stormy bar scenes. In this episode of Kissing Books Critiqu…
Love Scenes SOS
Too many hands, too many mouths, and one big stylistic leap—welcome to the final episode of our Valentine's love scene critique special! This week, we’re unraveling the mysteries of rogue body parts,…
The Butterflies and the bees and the... logistics
Love scenes: the good, the bad, and the logistically impossible. In this episode of Kissing Books Critique, we’re diving deeper into what makes a love scene work—breaking down sensuality, pacing, and…
The Smutty Bits
We’re back, just in time for Valentine’s Day—and things are heating up! Love them, hate them, or struggle to write them, love scenes are the heart (and heat) of romance, and for the next three episod…
Avoid White Room Syndrome
Beats v. stage direction. Setting, setting, setting! Goals, motivation and emotions. Texts being an awesome narrative tool.
We made a couple of references to books this episode. The first was Dwight V…
Details, Details, Details
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Do You Have Enough Internal Dialogue?
Valentine's Day Special, Part 3
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa…
Valentine's Day Special, Part 2
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.