Who is S.M. LaViolette? S.M. (that’s short for Shantal Marie) writes super spicy historical romance and historical erotic romance. S.M. likes to write about heroes and heroines who don't fit the mold—that means heroes who aren't always dukes and heroines who aren't always virgins. People have described S.M.'s style as dark, angsty, and dryly witty. S.M. also writes historical romance under the pen name Minerva Spencer, and historical mystery under S.M. Goodwin. S.M. has been a criminal prosecutor, college history teacher, B&B operator, dock worker, ice cream manufacturer, reader for the blind, motel maid, and bounty hunter. Okay, so the part about being a bounty hunter is a lie. S.M. does, however, know how to hypnotize a Dungeness crab, sew her own Regency Era clothing, knit a frog hat, juggle, rebuild a 1959 American Rambler, and gain control of Asia (and hold on to it) in the game of RISK.