Dallas, TX (WFN) -- Bestselling author James Patterson is known for writing hard-edged suspense thrillers, but he'll be showing a softer side at an upcoming writers' conference.

The "Kiss The Girls" scribe is giving a workshop at the Romance Writers of America Convention in Dallas next week (Jul. 28-31), sharing his experiences delving into the bodice-ripping genre during an intimate chat.

Patterson already has one best-selling romance under his literary belt: "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" (Warner Books).

Speaking to fans online recently, he commented on his shift from blood to love, saying, "Just because I started with novels about murder and mayhem doesn't mean that I'm not a romantic."

The Clint Eastwood lookalike has just published his second steamy novel, "Sam's Letters to Jennifer" (Little, Brown), and he could get some more romantic inspiration at the conference since he'll be surrounded by nearly 2,000 women.

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