Casual Smex Friday with C.R. Moss!

Hello All,

Welcome back to Casual Smex Friday! Today I've got another smexy author stopping by to share a little naugthy with us.

For those of you unfamiliar with the CSF posts, here's a quick breakdown. On Casual Smex Friday you’re encouraged to sit back, relax and get smexy. Remember that Smex day posts consist of the following four segments:

1.) The Quickie- For those of you who only have time for some quick relief.

2.) The Afternoon Delight- For the reader who wants a little foreplay before smexing.

3.) The Midnight Grind-For those of you who want to go beyond foreplay and get to main show.

4.) The After Glow Strut- For those of you not afraid to show your love and go for another round.

So without further ado please welcome the sweetly naughty and deliciously raunchy author C.R. Moss.

The Quickie…

Name: C.R. Moss

Stats: An eccentric and eclectic writer, C.R. Moss pens stories for the mainstream and erotic romance markets, giving readers Worlds of Possibilities. So what does she write? She writes stories from the light and sweet to the dark and deadly with varying degrees of sexual heat. Writing as C.R. Moss gives her and her muses the freedom to explore worlds of possibilities when it comes to love.

Latest Release: Sunset Temptations

Genre: Contemporary, erotic romance, GLBT/gay/bisexual, ménage

Sunset Temptations: Can wishes come true in just one night?

Roommates, Ivy Tramonto and Kiran Emerson, are heading out for their blind dates set up through a prestigious matchmaking service. Neither know anything about the men they're to meet at a charity event being held in a mountain resort, but they're looking forward to the adventure and forgetting about all their problems for an evening.

Resort owner, Robert Bourbon, doesn't have time to play the field, especially when he wants a polyamorous relationship. After requesting the services of Madame Eve, he's matched with the perfect pair and believes life can't get any better.

Everything seems to be going great, until a mistake one of them made comes back to haunt them. Will they make it through the dilemma or will they miss out on having their

Availability: Amazon | ARe | BnB | Bookstrand | Decadent

Smex Quotient: Uhhh, you did read that blurb right? Don't let the legnth fool you. This spicy short read is full of heart and scorhing heat. Two men, one woman, one night of trust, lust and the promise of much more. . .need I say more?

The Afternoon Delight…

This trio of lovers most definitely have more than a bit of sizzle. What made you decide on a polyamorous/menage relationship for this story?

When I was developing the story, Ivy was originally going on the date herself, but her friend didn’t want her to go up the mountain alone. So, when he decided to tag along, the man up at the resort told me he’d be up for a threesome. Since Ivy and Kiran are adventurous souls and had wanted to add a third to their dynamic, it all worked out.

I'm used to seeing m/f/m menage romances where the two men are friends and they pursue the woman. I like the idea that your story is set up with the "alpha" pursuing a m/f pair of friends. What made you decide to tilt the usual standard for this story?

The characters wanted it that way, and I just typed what they dictated. ;) Plus, like you said, it’s a different and interesting way to approach a ménage relationship.

The 1 Night Stand series never seems to disappoint when it comes to packing a lot of heat into a small package. How do you go about planning a short story/novella yet still keep the story full and complete?

It’s a bit difficult trying to get people together, having their relationships and attractions go full speed ahead right from the start, and having it all make sense in such a short time. But with some particular key phrasing and character thought processes throughout the stories, it seems to work. In my first 1NS story (Sunset Desires) and in Sunset Temptations, I have the people meeting for the first time. They all go into their dates with certain expectations about what will happen, so when the attractions and hook-ups do occur, it works within the stories. For my second story (Sunset Seduction) and upcoming fourth one (Sunset Heat), the women are reunited with men they knew once upon a time. With histories already set between them, it made getting the pairs together much easier.

If your main characters participated in Casual Smex Friday which segment would they enjoy the most? The Quickie, The Afternoon Delight, The Midnight Grind or The Aafterglow Strut?

Because it’s a short story and Robert is a busy man, they’d probably go for The Quickie, but if he allowed himself a respite from the business they’d be all into The Midnight Grind. ;)

Is there anything else you'd like to tell readers, or any new upcoming projects?

I’m having a ‘Sunset Blog Tour and Scavenger Hunt’ June 3 thru 13 in celebration of the release of Sunset Temptations. For details and lists of the dates, locations and prizes of this tour and hunt, visit: http://crmoss.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_26.html .

As for upcoming projects, my writing partner and I are working on more sexy Double D Ranch Tales so stay tuned to my website and blogs for updates on them. And come meet us in Las Vegas, NV on October 2013 for Hot Mojave Knights!

Thanks for having me on your blog today, and thank you, readers, for stopping by!

The Midnight Grind…

You know that C.R. wouldn't just strut on by without leaving us with a smexy exerpt to kick off our weekend. But be prepared, the following excerpt is only for the grown and smexy, not to mention the naughty! Yes I'm talking to you. . .

Robert kept from shifting from foot to foot. His breathlessness shocked him.

Did they have good news for him? “Yes? Have you made a decision?”

Ivy nodded. Kiran said, “Sure. Let’s go for it.”

An answer. And it is yes!

Excitement whizzed through his body and settled in his cock. They wanted to be with him. His heart sang. For so long, he’d been alone. Granted, he had his business, the company of his employees and Brandan, but associations like that didn’t measure up to personal commitments. The affairs he’d had in the past hadn’t been all that great either. He had so much love to give and needed all the excitement, heat, and passion love could provide, too. That’s why he desired a polyamorous relationship, and the two perfect people for him were ready and willing.

Feeling more at ease, he stepped forward before either of them had a change of heart. “Ivy, turn around.” He unzipped her dress then slid it down her body. Her black bra and panties contrasted against her pale skin. “Lovely.” He trailed the tips of his fingers down the indent in the middle of her back. “So soft.”

Kiran removed his jacket and tie. Robert stood in front of him and helped him unbutton his shirt. When it fell open, exposing a smooth chest and chiseled abdominal muscles, a groan of deep-seated pleasure escaped him. “You are a work of art.”

“Thank you. I do my best,” Kiran replied with a half-grin.

The entertainer’s sexy smile hit him square in the balls. Robert embraced him and held tight. He molded his mouth upon Kiran’s. Had it been less than two hours since they met? It seemed like they’d known each other for ages. He swept his tongue into the dancer’s mouth. The taste of alcohol and the scent of spicy berries and sandalwood filled his senses. Kiran reciprocated the movements of the kiss, and thoughts of how the man’s lips and tongue would do the same motions to his cock ran rampant in Robert’s mind.

He hated to do it, but he broke the lip lock, and with an arm around his new friend, he turned and gazed at the almost naked woman before them. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

“Yes. She is.”

Robert released Kiran and strolled over to her. He took her hands in his, and held them up in the air. Appraising her well-toned body, lustful stirrings of want and need to sink himself in her hot, moist mouth and pussy streaked through him.

“I think it’s time to retire to the bedroom.” Holding Ivy’s hand, he grasped Kiran’s fingers and led the pair into the master bedroom.

Sunset Temptations, Available Now Via Amazon | ARe | BnB | Bookstrand | Decadent

The Afterglow Strut…

You know you want more so don't be too shy to beg (sweetly of course). C.R. is nothing if not a benevolent giver of hot literary smex. If you enjoyed your naughty jaunt on the wild side with Ms. Ross, you can find her strutting about the interwebs. Stop by her website for more info on all of her books and upcoming releases.

Website: http://crmoss.com

Blog: http://crmoss.blogspot.com

Twitter: @CRMoss

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CRMoss.author

Double D Ranch: http://doubledranchtales.blogspot.com/

Casual Smex Friday with R. Brennan #HotRead #amreading

Hello All,

Welcome back to Casual Smex Friday! I've been having a blast meeting all the ladies and gents over at Evernight Publishing. One naugthy author in particular was nice enough to stop by and share her latest release with us today.

For those of you unfamiliar with the CSF posts, here's a quick breakdown. On Casual Smex Friday you’re encouraged to sit back, relax and get smexy. Remember that Smex day posts consist of the following four segments:

1.) The Quickie- For those of you who only have time for some quick relief.

2.) The Afternoon Delight- For the reader who wants a little foreplay before smexing.

3.) The Midnight Grind-For those of you who want to go beyond foreplay and get to main show.

4.) The After Glow Strut- For those of you not afraid to show your love and go for another round.

So without further ado please welcome the spanktasticly naughty and deliciously raunchy author R. Brennan. As her bio reads if you're afraid to tread through NSFW waters, you may want to keep on walking. However, if you're in the mood for some seriously smexy reading pull up a chair, loosen that tie or hike up that skirt. It's gonna be gooood!

The Quickie…

Name: R. Brennan

Stats: R. Brennan is a subbie brat with a bitch streak, an IT geek for the state of New York, and reformed gaming addict raising her daughters in the rolling hills of Upstate NY. (You know, where it takes a ten minute drive to buy a gallon of milk, and the smell of cows lingers on the breeze.) The brave are welcome to follow her blog: http://bexbooknook.wordpress.com or stalk her on twitter: @bexbrennan Often sarcastic, blunt, and NSFW, but usually entertaining.

Latest Release: A Leap of Faith

Genre: Erotic Romance (BDSM)

A Leap of Faith: New submissive, Faith Daniels is completely infatuated with her amazing Dominant, Richard Halstead, so when he sends her a summons via text message a full day before they had plans to meet, she can barely contain her excitement.

But, Richard didn’t just invite her over for a play date. Not this time. He has a proposition for Faith. One that could change the rest of her life.

Availability: May 15, 2013 on ARe |Amazon | Evernight

Smex Quotient: I'm usually one for lots of control, but hell if this book didn't have me panting to be topped and begging for more please. This is definietely a great HOT read for anyone looking for an engaging read and scorching start to their weekend.

The Afternoon Delight…

BDSM relationships have so many interesting facets of trust. What made you decide to make Faith and Richard's romance a Dom/sub one?

I spent a good deal of my adult life in the BDSM and D/s lifestyle. I'm not immersed in it 24/7 anymore, but many of my previous sexual relationships had at least some sort of "lifestyle" dynamic. It's what I enjoy in the bedroom, so when it came time to write a "bedroom scene" it just came naturally. If I enjoy it and it gets me hot, I have to believe there are readers out there that would enjoy it as well.

What was your favorite scene to write, without giving too much away of course?

My favorite scene in the book, by far, is the dinner scene. It comes early in the story, and is not something I have actually ever experienced, but that being said, it's on my TO DO list. So sensual and submissive -- I don't want to say more than that and spoil anything, but I can't wait to see what readers think about it.

Richard sounds like a Dom any sub would love to bottom for. What was your inspiration for his character?

He is actually named for my Uncle Richard. Before you think that's weird, let me explain. Uncle Rich, "Unc" as we call him, had been teasing me because the paranormal romance I wrote under my "mainstream" pen name (Rebecca Hart) featured a main character named after my dad (Daniel). I promised him I'd name the next leading man after him. That leading man happened to be the sexy, oh so dominant, Richard Halstead. His traits are a melding of all the things I loved most about the Dom men I have "served" in my real life. I guess he's my idea of the perfect Dom.

If your main characters participated in Casual Smex Friday which segment would they enjoy the most? The Quickie, The Afternoon Delight, The Midnight Grind or The Aafterglow Strut?

I would have to go with the midnight grind. Richard doesn't seem to really fit into the quickie category and he is a businessman, so afternoons are probably out as well. I guess he could be part of the afterglow crowd... but that is more his partners than him. *grins*

Is there anything else you'd like to tell readers, or any new upcoming projects?

A Leap of Faith is my first stand alone piece with Evernight Publishing and the continuation of my story FAITH'S GIFT from the Vanilla-Free Christmas anthology. This will be the second story of hopefully many tales in what I've decided to call my Roses and Thorns series. Each story will feature Faith and Richard and follow the development of their Dom/sub relationship.

The Midnight Grind…

I should have known that Mzzz. Brennan wouldn't stop by without dropping some serious heat our way. The warning here is clear...The following excerpt is for MATURE AUDIENCES ONLY. If the idea of being topped by a hot Dom and having their sole purpose be your pleasure, then please again step away...That's right it's only for the grown and smexy...and obedient...

Strong hands grabbed hold of her kneecaps, startling her. Richard jerked her legs apart until she knelt in an exposed V position. His voice arrived close to her ear, sending a chill through her. “When I ask you to kneel for me, this is how you are to do it. I want you to display your desire. Show your need with the pride of a submissive. Do you understand me, Faith?”

Her body ached for his touch. The brush of his hand, the caress of a breast. Anything. She’d even welcome the slap of his paddle if it meant he’d touch her again. “Yes, Sir.” Her voice was little more than a hoarse whisper.

“That’s my girl.” He slid a finger along her wet opening. Half a breath later, she heard his lips smack together, as if he’d just finished eating barbeque ribs. “Sweet nectar.” His hand returned to probe her slit. A finger entered her.

A gasp of pleasure tore from Faith’s throat, contorting into a whimper when he withdrew from her quivering pussy.

He traced a fingertip over her mouth, coating her lips with the evidence of her arousal.

The carnal scent of her juices surrounded her, pushing Faith toward the mindless black abyss of wanton need. Her nails dug into the flesh of her forearms as she willed herself to resist reaching for him again.

Two fingers forced their way into her mouth. “Taste your desire.”

Faith sucked them clean, her tongue swirling sensually around each offered digit.

Richard abruptly withdrew his hand and moved away.

Solitude rushed in to fill the space he left behind, leaving Faith breathless.

He signaled his return a few pounding heartbeats later with the ‘snap’ of his leash on her collar. “Come, pet,” he commanded.

A Leap of Faith, Available Now Via ARe |Amazon | Evernight

The Afterglow Strut…

You know you want more so don't be too shy to beg (sweetly of course). As demonstrated above, sometimes a walk on the dark side can be oh so good. If you enjoyed your naughty interlude with Ms. Brennan, you can find her strutting around the web or her blog and causing twitter mayhem. Stop by her website for more info on all of her books and upcoming releases.

Website: http://rbrennan.weebly.com

Blog: http://bexbooknook.wordpress.com

Twitter: @bexbrennan

Facebook: bexbooknook

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rebelhart69

Literary Foreplay with Silken Sheets and Seduction

Hello Lovelies, 

The lovely and smexy ladies of Silken Sheets & Seduction were nice enough to host me today for an author guest post. Show some love and mosey on over there and play around.

The topic du jour is one of my favorites-you guessed it, tension in romance novels. Stop by and share your thoughts and while you're at it take a look around the Silken Sheets & Seduction website. These ladies know their smex and romance! Thanks to them I've already exploded my TBR budjet for the month.

Talk to you soon,
Laurel  

High Stakes: A Sneak Peek

Hello Again Lovlies,

I'm excited to share with you an excerpt from my new upcoming erotic contemporary romance, High Stakes. The book along with Negotiating Skills is part of my Boardroom Acts series. It’s a stand alone story, maintaining the theme of mixing business with please. The release date will be announced soon, but until then please enjoy this quick excerpt. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed bringing Pepper and Jaxon's romance to life!

Excerpt:

-Hey Pep, Can’t make the meeting next month. Reschedule.

~We can’t postpone again. Get down to Miami A.S.A.P!!!

-No can do.

~Then give me your proxy. I will handle on my end.

-No

~Stop being an ASS!

-Stop being a BRAT! See you in a few weeks.

That last text had caused her to throw her phone across the room and smash it against the opposite wall. The phone had splintered and shattered into small electronic pieces that gave her a split second of satisfaction before she added its demise to Jaxon’s list of transgressions. It was the third phone she destroyed since he decided to pull his disappearing act.

As she stared at the shiny broken pieces scattered on the floor across the room, she made her decision to come looking for him.

It only took her a few hours to track down his location. She just had to lure his ever efficient assistant away from his desk long enough to search for his latest bills. Jax was notorious for liking the finer things in life, so Pepper knew that wherever he chose to hideout, he would leave an extensive money trail.

She was surprised to see that there had been only two major charges to his credit cards in the last three months. The first was for a first class plane ticket to Denver and the second was for a cabin rental in somewhere named Lissit, Colorado. When she had investigated she learned that he had rented the cabin through the remainder of the year. The news had only fueled her anger. No way was she waiting another two months for him decide to come back to Miami!

She was on a plane to Colorado within twenty-four hours. When she arrived she took the time to buy a satellite phone, some warm clothing and rent an SUV equipped for trekking through the mountains.

The weather delay had only served to increase her frustration. She had a lot of work still left to do regarding the acquisition of Lubtech. There was only so much she could get done from her laptop within her hotel room.

After years of friendship, she couldn’t believe that he would up and just abandon her when he knew how hard she had worked to secure the deal. They had been friends throughout college and had survived financial ups and downs, family tragedies, and recent health issues together. Her mind skittered away from the breast cancer scare she had three months ago.

Jaxon had been her rock through the whole thing. He was the first person she ran to when she noticed something odd in her left breast, and he was the one who sat, gripping her hand in support, when she was told the cyst was benign.

She flushed deeply as she thought of that day. No doubt she felt relief about her results, and she knew that she was lucky to have been given a clean bill of health. However, she still remembered that day with a profound sense of embarrassment. If I had only avoided that last glass of wine, she thought. Perhaps if she hadn’t had that last glass of liquid courage her relationship with him wouldn’t be so awkward right now.

Shifting uncomfortably in the leather driver’s seat, Pepper replayed that day, more specifically that night, over in her mind for what must have been the millionth time.

Jax as always, had been an amazing friend. Just as she had been there for him only a few months prior when his mother passed away, he dropped everything to help her through the doctor’s visits, biopsy and ultimate good news that the lump she found was nothing serious.

After the last doctor’s visit he took her out to dinner to celebrate, and the night should have ended at that. Unfortunately, Pepper was so relieved that she was healthy, that she made the drunken decision to finally act on her long standing attraction to him.

The giddy need to seize life and finally live out her fantasy had almost ruined their relationship. For one night she had lived her fantasy. She had him in her arms and bed, but the cold light of day had shown her that he only stayed to spare her from embarrassment. Even now the event caused her panties to go damp and her body to prickle with heat.

Do you trust me Pep?

The huskily asked words whispered through her mind.

She had always known that Jax was an intensely focused man. To have all of that raw energy focused on her was one the most erotic things she’d ever experienced. The idea of allowing someone else to control her pleasure had always appealed to her, but she’d never trusted anyone enough to give them that power. But with him…with him she had relinquished everything.

Yes.

She whimpered softly into the cabin of the plush rental car as her body heated and remembered the feel of him rubbing against her flesh. The feel of his hard chest pressing against her nipples as he pulled her hands above the bed and tied them loosely to the headboard.

She remembered the sense of freedom she felt when she gripped the edges of his silk tie bond around her wrists.  

That’s it honey let me in.

A shiver worked its way down her spine as her body relived the feel of his almost bruising grip holding her hips down as he kneeled between her legs circling his cock at her wet entrance.

The sound of his hisses of breath and grunts of satisfaction. The feel of his lips against hers. The slow licks of tongue and soft nips of teeth. The feel of his hard length slowly working its way into her was ingrained in her memory forever.  

If only it hadn’t been the worst mistake of her life.

 

Creating Tension in Romance Novels

Hello Lovelies, 

I'm a ridiculously voracious reader. When I'm not writing I read about 2-5 books a week across multiple genres. I know to many that may seem like a lot and to others not enough. Either way I read several books a week and I'm almost always sad to see one book end, and excited to start another. Unfortunately, I just finished reading an erotic romance that left me incredibly disappointed. Which is hella sad because I was looking forward to reading this particular book. Since this is not supposed to be a book review site, I won't mention the name or author. I will however, state that the book came highly recommended, has gotten rave reviews and is currently listed on amazon's best sellers list. Unfortunately I could not seem to find the enthusiasm for this book that so many other readers have. 

When I finally turned the last page of this book all I could do was sigh in relief, that it was over. I rarely don't finish books, but I was tempted to toss this one out after the first few chapters. sitting back and analyzing my reaction to this book I realized that it, like all the other books I've struggled unhappily to finish in the past, lacked an element that I find necessary to enjoy a good romance-TENSION. I felt absolutely no situational or sexual tension in the plot or between the characters whatsoever when reading this book. It was so frustrating! The story just kept moving forward with no apparant reasons or catalysts. Even Seinfiled had catalysts, and it was a show about nothing!

For me a bad plot or premise can be saved if the author can relay the proper amount of tension. It keeps me as a reader engaged and invested in the ending of the book. Without it I struggle to finish the book or don't even finish it at all, and will be less likely to purchase other books from that author again (fickle I know). Tension is the foreplay of plot. It's all part of the seduction a writer weaves to get you in bed with them and willing to spend hours turning the pages of their books. Sadly after finishing this recent book I'm left feeling used and unfulfilled. What do you think? What are your fundamental elements to romance? What leaves you wanting?

Talk to you soon,

Laurel

Why Should They Fall In Love?

Hello Lovelies,

So I may or may not have mentioned this, but I've already got the basics of the next two "How to" books roughly outlined. The books will be part of a series I plan on calling OWLS Inc. How To Kill Your Immortal will be book one in this series. I'm currently working on beefing up the story line of Jasmine and Dante. I've been cleaning up some clunky paragraphs and trying to make the dialogue as un-wasteful as possible. While doing this I've found myself adding some more dialogue here or there as well as some additional narrative. This is mainly because despite the fact that this story is meant to have elements of suspense and mystery it is still fundamentally a romance and I want that to be reflected properly. 

In the end I want my readers to see two people in love and it make sense. I don't want readers to be told Jasmine and Dante are in love, I want them to know they're in love. I want them to feel the attraction between these two people and get why each one has fallen for the other. This is not easy. I find myself going back to certain scenes and asking myself, "Why did she kiss him?", "Why does he want her?," "Why should they be together?", "Why is he on top?". I guess it's a writer's version of "what's my motivation". When I come across scenes or moments in the book where I don't feel my own questions are properly answered, then I know it's time for some work on narrative and dialogue and more often than not, the delete key.

I've read books in the past where it felt like the author was following a formula regarding her main characters. Two (or three, or four, yay erotica!) people meet, there is some sort of conflict, sparks fly, they have sex, declare their love and we as the readers are supposed to believe that because they bumped uglies or said the requisite I love yous, they're  in love. I need more than that. Have you ever read a book where the love just wasn't believable? Does it burn you as much as it burns me? Like I want to soak this book in kerosene and make a bonfire burn?

I read an erotic romance recently, which out of sheer embarrassment for the author, I will not reveal the title, but I swear I was told the hero was in love with the heroine and vice versa and given absolutely NO reason or evidence as to why. I feel like providing this info to the reader is like the proverbial reach around. Seriously help a sister out!

Now after all of the griping I'm doing here wouldn't it be just HILARIOUS if someone tells me the love between Jasmine and Dante isn't believable to them? To that I can only respond at least I tried! Argh!

Talk to you soon,
Laurel

5 Confessions of a Romance Reader and Wannabe Romance Author

     So I've been a bit chatty with my blog today, but I figure these first few post are like first dates--we're slowly getting to know each other, eager to see if we have anything in common and we're both watching the exits. I'm a bit chatty in person as well so I'm not surprised that it's bled over into my blog. That all being said, I realized today that I've somehow managed to leave out something vital from my previous "introduction" posts--I never stated what type of author I want to be! Obviously I want to be a successful author, but I never stated what genre I wanted to write for.

     

     I could technically go back and just edit my first post but that would be cheating. Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse to going back and correcting a typo or two, but this omission is so glaring obvious it deserves its own post. That being said I, Laurel Cremant, want to be a (drum roll please)...Romance Author. Just putting this on record (nothing is a secret on the internet) gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. 

     

     Why a romance writer? Well first of all, why the hell not? Action, adventure, heaving bosoms and throbbing members--that's what I call a good read. Don't get me wrong I'm a fan of all genres but when I'm in the book store looking for a book to get lost in, 9 times out of 10 its a romance novel and I want to write something that will offer the same escape to new readers. So that leads me to the title of my post--"5 Confessions of a Romance Reader and Wanna be Romance Author". Please be gentle.

Confession #1

Heaving bosoms and quivering members are oh so exciting...not! Contrary to popular opinion, the sex scenes aren't what make a romance novel. It's somehow getting the reader to care whether or not two people end up together in the first place. I can have characters perform every position in the Kama Sutra but if I don't convey any real feeling to the acts and get the reader to root for each moment, then in my opinion its a waste of a scene. I'm currently terrified of writing my first sex/love scene. Aside from it proving to my mother that I'm not pure as snow, there's the fact that a bad love scene can really ruin a good book. If only there was a custom scene generator for this stuff...

Confession #2

Heaving bosoms and quivering members can be super hot! I know this sounds like a contradiction to #1 but who am I kidding? A hot scene is oh so nice to read. There's a reason why the new Old Spice commercials are so popular...that being said I worry about what could be considered too racy or even too tame for readers in today's market.

Confession #3

Sometimes it really is just sex. Too many people still insist on calling sex scenes love scenes. People assume that romance novels must have a staple "love" scene. Seriously people, sometimes a duck is just a duck (yup word association here totally intended). I actually have no fear associated with this confession. All my ducks will be ducks if that's what I'm aiming for. 

Confession #4

Mr. Alpha Male loves Miss Plain Jane...I almost didn't even want to add this confession to the list. Okay yes, I will admit that I love a good Plain Jane romance. It pulls at all those residual high school crush heart strings still strung up somewhere in my psyche. I personally blame every 80's teen movie ever made for this (especially the ones with Molly Ringwald). Despite the fact that the Alpha/Jane storyline gets used a lot, there a lot of authors that have found new and more plausible ways of portraying it (Jennifer Cruise's Bet Me is a good example). I really think that as a writer I shouldn't limit myself on a storyline just because the skeleton of it falls in line with a cliche. One of my biggest fears is to not write a story that I think will be great just because I'm afraid of what others may say. Just because the skeleton has been used before doesn't mean that I can't create a storyline that's new, fun and engaging. Whenever I worry about this I just remember my fiancée's assessment of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (the film not the book)--"It was really sad when the Jesus Allegory Lion died"...enough said.

Confession #5

Mr. Alpha Male has to be an alpha male. Okay this one is going to be hard for some people to take, but not every male lead in a romance novel has to be rich, sexy, arrogant and aggressive. First of all in real life men like these are usually arrested for assault. Second of all with the exception of the sexy part I just described Donald Trump. I don't know about most women but when I'm imagining my romantic heroes Donald Trump is not the first example to spring to mind. As a romance reader and writer I want my romantic heroes to have depth and substance. There has to be more than just surface attraction there to justify my heroine falling in love with him. As a wanna be author I often fear that I won't be able to create not just a believable male hero but a believable heroine as well. I worry about creating a hero both my heroine and readers can fall in love with and creating a heroine my readers can relate to who they believe my hero deserves.


They say confession is good for the soul. I'm hoping they're also good for writing. Feel free to share your reading or writing confessions and fears. I feel better already, and happily enough, in the mood to write a scene or too.


Write to you soon,
Laurel