Archive by Author

Naked People Everywhere!

15 May

Serendipity-Nudist-Pool-AreaA new book I’m outlining has me considering whether it might work in the plot if I plopped my characters in the heart of a nudist colony. Now, believe me, I understand that such places specifically emphasize the fact that they have nothing to do with sex or lewd, provocative behavior. But, you know, I’m an erotic romance writer so methinks I can bend those rules a bit.  Except I started wondering: do people even go to nudist colonies anymore? Do they even still exist? I decided to do a little research, and what I found was rather revealing. :-)

For starters, people who practice this type of living no longer refer to their residences as “colonies.” The word “colony” has a negative overtone, such as “leper colony,” and it also sounds like it might be a cult. Folks who dig 24/7 naked live in “nudist communities” or “naturist villages” and frequently refer to themselves as “naturists.” There’s an organization that represents these clothes-free fans, the International Naturist Federation. According to their website, naturism is defined as “. . . a way of life in harmony with nature, expressed through social nudity, linked to self-respect, tolerance of differeing views together with respect for the environment.” Now you know.

There are also naturist resorts, where families can go for a vacation to get their naked on and enjoy activities such as swimming or tennis. OK, side note here . . . swimming in the buff is fun and I can totally picture that as a vacation kinda thing to do. But naked tennis? I’m pulling up some images in my mind about that one and they’re not good. Certain . . . appendages . . . would be swinging and shaking during naked tennis. And, sheesh, ow. It just seems painful and, you know, not pretty.

Alrighty then, moving on. So let’s say I do put my characters in a naturist village. What are the rules for living there? Aside from the obvious, sans clothes. From what I could find, there don’t seem to be a lot. Photography is discouraged unless you’re taking a quick shot of the family or your friends. But snapshots of others? Not so much. Put towels down wherever you sit. (good). Men who may show obvious arousal should discreetly cover up until said arousal calms down. Also, naturist resorts also claim not to tolerate “lewd and lascivious behavior.” Oh, but there’s where things get interesting.

One of the most famous naturist resorts is Cap-d’Agde in France. There you can live, work, shop, dine, whatever you want, in the buff. Singles live there, families live there. A large part of the place is a resort for vacationers. It’s touted  as a good place to have fun in the sun in the nude. But when the sun goes down, the parties heat up. Several reviews on travel website Trip Adviser mentioned the “swinger like” atmosphere that comes out once darkness hits. People spend the daytime part of their vacation in the nude, and the nighttime part dressed in party clothes (it can get cool at night, apparently) slumming for a good time. The Cap D’Agde website even has a section “for swingers” that provides information on a club called “Le Glamour.” Here we learn that “Downstairs is the sex area. There are some facilities with mattresses, but also a lot of people are just standing around having sex.” Well. That’s interesting. My plotting mind is churning with ideas.

Whether or not I decide to go the naturist route, I’ve certainly learned a thing or two about what I thought was a a leftover relic from the ’70s. For me, when I’m out in public my clothes are staying on. But for my intrepid hero and heroine, perhaps not so much . . . :-)

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Hoarding: The Secret Life Of A Book Addict

8 May

By Elizabeth Shore

In addition to reading romance – lots and lots of romance – I’m also a big fan of the horror genre. Not only Stephen King, whoseBuried in books work I’ve been reading since I was fourteen, but other horror writers as well including Clive Barker, Dan Simmons, and Dean Koontz to name just a few. In recent years I’ve also become a fan of Stephen King’s son, who writes under the name Joe Hill. His work is really good, and I await his new releases with nearly as much gusto as I do his father’s. So when Mr. Hills’ newest book, NOS4A2, came out recently, I dashed to the bookstore the very day it was released in order to scoop it up.

Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, of course. It’s not like I’m robbing banks. But here’s the thing: my to-be-read pile is at least 75 books long. And I’m not talking electronic books (because that would push the total even higher), but honest-to-goodness printed books. Hardcovers. Softcovers. Bound books, ink on paper, taking up space on my limited bookshelf. To top it off, I  live in a small apartment where space is a premium. Yet what did I do in the face of a space crisis? I went out and bought yet another book. Even more: while I was at the bookstore, I inquired whether or not Ian McEwan’s Sweet Tooth was out in paperback yet. ‘Cause if it was, I was buying that, too. (thankfully, it’s not until July 2. I’ve got it marked on my calendar). So here I am, friendly readers, baring my soul. My name is Elizabeth Shore, and I’m a book addict.

My book addiction sprouted roots when I was a Tween, probably eleven or twelve. Back then, I used to get as birthday and/or Christmas presents a gift certificate to Waldenbooks. Oh, those were heady days! Having that gift certificate in my hand, walking into the bookstore and seeing all those new, fresh books just sitting there, on the shelves, awaiting my potential acquisition. I could barely contain myself. I was like Imelda Marcos in a Jimmy Choo store!

Books take me away, sweep me into a world of fantasy, romance, adventure, excitement. Naturally I love the stories in the books. What reader doesn’t? It’s the whole point, after all. But I also love the books themselves. I love how they feel when I’m holding them. I love running my palm across the cover of paperbacks and feeling the raised lettering. I admire the antiquated look of ragged edged hardcovers and note how handsome they look sitting atop my shelves. It’s an addiction, I tell you, and one that I’m thinking needs to stop.

Once I’ve read a book, I rarely read it again. There are a few treasures, of course. But for the most part, it’s one and done. I read it, enjoy it, and move on to the next, devouring each and every one of them like a starving cookie monster. I’m beginning to fret about the fact that I have no room for more books, as well as the amount of money I’m spending on them. Really, I need to be directing my hard-earned cash toward more practical things. Like food. I don’t actually need to own a single book. There are libraries, after all. I can read books for free and then return them and never have to worry about squeeeeezing yet another book upon my groaning shelves. But seriously, how boring is that? I don’t actually need nice handbags, either. A sack cloth would do the same trick. But how pale life would be stowing my stuff in a sack, just as it would be having shelves with no books.

Whenever I lament to my husband about being struck with buyer’s remose over buying books, his go-to response is always, “hey, at least you’re not snorting the money up your nose.” Well, no. I’m certainly not doing that. I am, however, supporting writers, and that’s assurance enough for me that if I’m going to have a vice, there are plenty worse ones than buying books. If only I lived in an airplane hangar.

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Name That Character

1 May

by Elizabeth Shore

Who Am II’ve recently begun outlining a new contemporary erotic romance. I’ve got the story fairly well conceived, but I needed inspiration for my characters’ names so I turned to one of those “name your baby” books. While thumbing through the pages and weighing my choices, I came across an interesting tidbit. Back in 2006, a psychologist conducted a study in which six pictures of women all deemed equally attractive were shown to a population of college students with fake names attached to each picture. Three of the women were given “pretty” names, and three were given “unattractive” names. The names’ desireability, by the way, had been previously determined by an earlier student survey. You can probably guess the results. Not only did the women with the pretty names garner far more votes by the male population, but they were the clear winners among the female voters as well.

Name association is powerful. Think of the images brought to mind when you hear the female names Bertha, Edna, or Agnes versus Tiffany, Bambi, or Dawn. Quite a difference, right? Now let’s consider a female protagonist who’s sexy, smart, and beautiful beyond words. She travels the globe on behalf of her spy agency, using her intellect and feminine wiles to pry information from powerful men and get whatever she needs. What’s this savvy gal’s name? Isabella? Nicole? Lola? Maybe even Sophia or Gigi. The name of this character depends on many factors, including one’s personal history with a particular name. But it’s a safe bet that our female spy protagonist isn’t going to be called Ethel. Or Madge.

This is true for the guys as well. Our heros need heroic names. The powerful leader of a multi-billion dollar international conglomerate just isn’t going to be named Dudley. He might, however, be Jackson, Mark, or Miles. There are also regional association to consider. Jeb or Clint are names with more of a southern flair versus Malcolm or Frederick that sound more northeastern.

But what if, as a writer, you simply love the name Wilbur? It’s got some positive association for you because you once knew someone with that name, or maybe you just like how it sounds coming off the tongue. Can you create a macho, powerful character and name him Wilbur? Why not? (and don’t wimp out and call him Will for short. He’s Wilbur, damn it!) For a writer, it’s an interesting challenge. Give your character a name that doesn’t initially conjure up a specific image, whether that be sexiness, or masculinity, or power, or elegance. Call your heroine Beulah, for example. Make her a stunning beauty, a media maven, a corporate powerhouse. Whatever you want, but something that doesn’t initially seem to fit the Beulah image. I think it’s a creative opportunity for a writer to own that name and turn it into something that doesn’t, at first glance, seem like an obvious choice.

I suppose there are some names that just aren’t going to fly, despite the talents of the writer. A main character named Rambo, for example, calls to mind a specific image that may be impossible for readers to shake. Same with Rihanna. Or Madonna (but really, would you actually name a character Madonna?).

In the meantime, I continue developing my characters. In time, as I get to know them, they’ll eventually tell me their names.

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Spicy Hot! – A Q&A With Erotic Romance Author Keta Diablo

24 Apr

His aloneI’m so excited to have as my guest today award-winning, multi-published author Keta Diablo. Keta writes historical, paranormal, and gay fiction. Today she shares with us her sources of inspiration, her thoughts on self publishing, and why she feels complimented that her characters have been called “politically incorrect.” 

ELIZABETH SHORE: Welcome, Keta! We’re so happy to have you with us today. To start off the questions, let’s talk about your writing. I admire how prolific you are and even more so because you write successfully in three different genres – paranormal, historical, and gay fiction. Makes my head spin! How do you keep them all straight, and what inspires you to write in one genre versus another?

KETA DIABLO: First, thank you for hosting me Lady Smut. Happy to be here.  I really don’t Where the rain is madewrite in that many genres. Most of the time, I write historical romance and often add paranormal elements. For instance, Where The Rain Is Made is a historical novel with paranormal elements of raven shifters and time travel.   The same with Decadent Deceptions, which is a historical novel with romantic suspense and mystery elements. (Decadent Deceptions on Kindle here: http://amzn.to/109E4WI ).  And again, Sojourn With a Stranger, a Gothic historical novel with ghosts and voodoo (here on Kindle: http://amzn.to/15cDs3l ). I could list more of my historical novels, but I think you get the picture. My books are heavily slanted toward historical.

The sin eater's princeWhen it comes to writing gay fiction, again I prefer historical novels such as The Sin Eater’s Prince, a vampire/werewolf novel (more information here on Kindle:  http://amzn.to/YFGDg9 ) But I have, on occasion, written contemporary gay fiction (Crossroads series, four novellas). I seldom read contemporary fiction whether it’s GLBT or heterosexual because I’m not overly fond of it. Like most authors, we tend to write what we enjoy reading.

You asked about that inspires me to write in one genre versus the other. I’m inspired by dreams and often articles on the Internet (think historical true-life stories).  I do watch trends in the market, but seldom write according to ‘what’s hot right now.’ We all know how popular YA books have been in the last year or so, yet I’ve yet to write in that genre. A new genre taking hold is the ‘baby boomer’ books, and again, I don’t see myself writing in that genre. While I think trends matter when it comes to sales, I probably wouldn’t write in a genre I know nothing about or wouldn’t care to research. I have to like the time period I’m writing about most of the time and I don’t find the present all that interesting (lol).

ELIZABETH: I also find it interesting that you’ve chosen to have all of your books, no matter the genre, published under Keta Diablo. Could you talk about why you don’t use a different name for your various genres.

KETA: You find it interesting? Is that the same as strange? (another laugh). Rather, more like I find it strange authors use different names for genres and have often wondered why they go to all that trouble? It’s a lot of work to maintain multiple web sites, blogs and separate author names. And, of course, I wonder if that isn’t placing writers in a box. I mean, we keep hearing it’s “All About the Story” right? Why can’t an author who writes adult urban fantasy also write YA? If he/she is a good story teller and/or a good writer, why would they want a different name for every genre they write?  Readers already know her as Jane Doe so doesn’t it make sense if they switch genres, readers will buy Jane Doe’s new urban fantasy? That’s one great thing about self-publishing: many of the boundaries and restrictions made and instituted by publishing houses/agents/editors have been breached. I say, “It’s about time.”

ELIZABETH: Hear hear! I agree wholeheartedly. And speaking of self publishing leads me right to my next question. You’ve been published by several different publishers, but I know you’re proud to publish independently as well. Why has it been important for you to go the independent route?

KETA: Oh, gosh, you should read the posts on several of the self-publishing forums I belong to. Traditional authors are leaving publishing houses by droves and their reasons all fall into the same categories, i.e., low royalties, poor record-keeping, restrictions on cover art, blurbs, content and heavily-weighted contracts slanted toward publishers. Many authors say there were expected to write formulaic romance – you know, boy meets girl, boy and girl fight, boy and girl make up and live happily-ever-after. Boring, boring, and thank goodness writers have found the courage to go it alone without all the restrictions and expectations that have been in place for decades. If you think about it, the large publishing houses have controlled what people read for years. They decided what books and authors to publish. Now with self-publishing, readers are choosing what they want to read. Again, it’s about time. I’m not against all publishers. Some are legitimate and supportive, but of course, they all want a large cut of your royalties – most of the time more than what the author makes. Until they bring royalty rates up to at least 50-50, I don’t see myself not self-pubbing. I have been solicited by a reputable NY agent to write a sequel to one of my books. I’d have to think long and hard before doing that – weigh the good with the bad, the benefits with the negatives before I proceeded down that road.

ELIZABETH: Your books are deliciously spicy hot, but then you throw me for a curve and recently publish Sky Tinted Water, a sweet romance. What gives? Is Keta Diablo cooling off?Sky Tinted Water

KETA: Cooling off? As in heat level? Not at all. I wrote Sky Tinted Water (more information here: http://amzn.to/15eANpB ) several years ago. I never saw the book as erotic while I was writing or pictured the characters as hot and steamy during the scenes. Not that they don’t have sex, they do, but sex doesn’t have to be explicit in order for the story to be compelling. If it’s truly about ‘the story’ then descriptive sex isn’t always needed. I like to think the plot or story line carries most of the weight in a novel. Sex scenes are an added bonus, but not needed in every book. Some readers love erotica and erotic romance, while others frequently say they skip over all the sex scenes and care more about the character’s journey.  Again, if one writes to please the market, you’re doing your readers a disservice. I write the characters the way I see them in my head, with flaws and warts, however I see them. Most of the time that includes hot sex, but there’s nothing wrong with leaving sex out of the story. One reviewer once said, “Diablo loves to write the politically incorrect characters.” I take that as a compliment. I don’t write with the idea in mind that readers MUST fall in love with my characters. Many they won’t like, and again, I take that as a sign of doing my job. Writing cookie-cutter characters is not real life or realistic. Humans are not all gorgeous and perfect so why should we try to make them that way in every book? I mean this is fiction, but not dream-world fiction. Getting back to Sky Tinted Water, the book was lengthy at 110,000 words so I split it in two. The sequel SKY DANCE will be out by June, sans sex scenes.

CrossroadsELIZABETH: Fantastic! We’ll look forward to that for sure. Moving on, I’d like to talk about your gay fiction series, Crossroads, which has garnered a lot of positive acclaim and reviews. Your main hero, Frank McGuire, is one tough alpha male but he’s sure got a soft spot for his lover, Rand. I imagine it’s been a fascinating journey for you as a writer to grow with these characters.

KETA: I had enormous fun writing about Frank (talk about a jerk) and Rand. These were some of my early books into the world of gay fiction. Frank is one of those characters I alluded to above – he’s an ex-cop with a lot of baggage, including a bad attitude. Frank is not likeable in the first novella and that was no accident on my part. The point is, Frank is not a hopeless case. He is redeemable and changes and grows by the end of the series through his relationship with Rand. I wrote Frank as I saw him with a chip on his shoulder and a few fetishes tucked into his pocket. I knew he would be a very controversial character, and I love him to death, major faults included.

ELIZABETH: It really does make him an incredibly memorable and fascinating character. In addition to all the positive reviews for the series, some readers objected to the non-consensual sex element in Book 1. I’d love your comment on that.

KETA: Oh, yes, well nothing we can do about people taking objection to a book or a character. Number one, there is an enormous warning (in red) on all the Crossroad novellas stating: EXPLICIT SEX AND LANGUAGE. I don’t know what more I can do to alert readers the books walk on the raw side. Second, I have to chuckle at all the controversy over the “non-consensual sex.” Good grief – can we say double standard? In my early teens, I gobbled up Rosemary Rogers’ and Kathleen Woodiwiss’ bodice rippers like millions of other women. They aren’t called bodice rippers for nothing. We’re talking rape in every book, i.e., The Wolf and the Dove, The Flame and the Flower, Sweet Savage Love and all the sequels to SSL. Why weren’t these people calling foul then? Non-consensual sex has been predominant in books for decades and suddenly people are offended? I don’t get it. Third, some people think when authors write about taboo topics that means the author approves or condones that conduct. Nothing could be further from the truth. I can’t speak for other writers, but again, I write the characters as I see them. And, I’m sorry, but with Frank’s tragic background and his long-time passion for Rand what did people think they’d do in the book – shake hands?  Bad things happen in life, including non-consensual sex. Should we pretend they don’t? People have many facets to their persona, not all are admirable. Does that mean they don’t have good qualities too? My advice to those who are easily offended is to read the warnings that come with books. If you are at all squeamish about these things, don’t purchase the book.

I learned long ago authors will never please everyone, no matter what they write or how they construct their characters — the book is too short, the book is too long, the characters are boring, the characters do unacceptable things, there’s too much sex, there isn’t enough sex. I love my readers and have been extremely lucky (as you mentioned) with reviewers, but in all honesty, I have to write for me. If I don’t, I’ll go nuts. I seldom read my reviews and most certainly don’t search for them. I do get notified by review sites when they’ve written a review and I’m profoundly thankful and grateful that many like my books. But if they don’t, they don’t and I can’t change that.

ELIZABETH: I love your candor and honesty so thank you for that, Keta. Finally, what do we have to look forward to next from you?

KETA: Thank you for asking. HIS ALONE was just released, proof Keta Diablo hasn’t cooled off. It’s a hot, sizzling novella available on Kindle, Nook and Kobo.  I’m working on a historical/paranormal called BREATH OF LIGHT and an erotic romance series in the western historical genre. Follow my blog if you’d like to know when they release: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com

And again, thanks for hosting me, Lady Smut!

ELIZABETH: Such a pleasure having you. Thanks, Keta. :-)

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Judging Books By Their Covers

17 Apr

Louisiana BayouIn preparation for the release of my upcoming book, Hot Bayou Nights, my editor asked me to let the art department know what the important elements are in my story that should be included on the cover. I was asked to look through several cover artists’ catalogues and let my editor know what I like and don’t like in a cover. Looking at covers in that way, meaning consciously thinking about what draws me toward some and not others, was a new experience for me but one I found really fun.

To Love AgainRemember when romance covers, especially historicals, all kind of looked alike? Those were in the Fabio heyday, when his chiseled form and face graced every other one of them. Prominently featured was the half-clothed heroine, heaving bosom threatening to spill out of her dress, posed submissively with a macho he-man. Those covers were all the rage for awhile, and the publishers put a lot of effort into producing them. Photo shoots with elaborate costumes and backgrounds were set up, and the cover illustrator would be involved in posing the models just so before heading back to the studio to paint the cover. This isn’t to suggest that there isn’t a lot of effort going into producing today’s covers because I know there is. But covers today look quite different and it’s interesting to review what covers make us want to give the book a closer review and what covers turn us away.

One of the things I had to consider was whether I want to include on my cover the faces of the hero and heroine. Tokyo TeaseCovers like this one, featuring just a sculpted torso, are quite popular. The anonymity of the hero’s face allows readers to imagine their own fantasy hero, kind of like a faceless mannequin lets us imagine ourselves in the fabulous clothes the mannequin’s wearing. For me, just the torso doesn’t quite do it. I can get with the appeal of imagining exactly the kind of face I want on my cover hero, but I do that anyway when I’m reading the story. Also, while I have NO PROBLEM with the sculpted abs, I guess I want a pretty face to go with them. Just a preference.

ServedMoving on, there are the book covers that are just photographs with nothing else, meaning no background. I see that a lot on gay romance covers for some reason. They’re nice covers, no unnecessary clutter. This book Served gives an example of what I mean. Kind of a different style, right? I get a good impression of the beach from this cover even though it’s not actually there, and can also surmise that there may be some menage scenes. That, however, raises an issue. It’s pretty clear that Served is a gay romance, but do we assume that the Tokyo Tease romance is straight? I do, but it’s not entirely clear to me why. I haven’t read the book, but I’ve made an assumption about the content. Interesting . . .

With the omnipotence of ereaders, romance readers don’t have to feel like they need to hide what they’re reading since no one can tell anyway. Before that, however, there was the era of benign flowers or jewelry or a garden path on a cover that looked romantic but didn’t scream to everyone around its identity. Pretty, but kind of dull.Must Be Magic

There are choices to be made between clean covers, maybe just the h and h embracing with little else, or elaborate, with h and h, a prominent background, and showy font. What about color versus black and white? Or monochromatic? Do you always stop and browse if there’s an animal on the cover? Cute puppy, perhaps? What about if the cover features your favorite escape, like a beach?

It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what draws us to covers. Ultimately I think it’s a combination of several elements: the book’s cover, title, author, and just plain what we’re in the mood for at the moment of purchase. As I ponder what I’d like on my cover, I’d love to hear from others as to what sucks you in for a look and what makes you walk on by.

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Hark! I Hear An Audiobook

10 Apr

Girl listeningA writer friend of mind recently had one of her print books made into an audiobook, and I went to the website for a sample listen. It was an . . . interesting experience, to say the least. Now, let me preface by saying that in general I’m not an audiobook listener. I like my books in text form, whether on the paper page or in an electronic reader, and I’ve listened to only a handful of audiobooks. Furthermore, the ones I’ve listened to have been mainstream fiction. For example, Ian McEwan’s Saturday, or Frederik Forsyth’s Icon, so I’m by no means a seasoned expert in this format. But I went to have a listen to my friend’s contemporary romance audiobook and came away from the experience somewhat turned off.

There was something, I don’t know, kinda icky about a non-emotional reading of a romance novel when the genre inherently contains so much strong emotion. The reader was just, you know, reading. She wasn’t acting or performing, she was reading aloud the words on a page. Perhaps the thinking is that the listener will want to put her own spin on the emotions of the text so if the reader does so it inhibits the listener. But I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t care for it at all. And on top of that, the reading of the sex scenes was just downright weird. Imagine in your head a robotic-like voice saying, “Come on, Mitch. Just f**k me. Yeah, baby. Just like that. Rub my pussy. Mmmm, it feel so good.” Did you put a robot voice in your head? Creepy, right? And it doesn’t exactly arouse desire which, after all, is a huge part of the fun from the sex scenes.

I decided to pursue the matter further by discussing it with others who regularly enjoy listening to audio books. What’s fun about them? I asked. What distinguishes a good audiobook from a bad one? Is it the story itself? A good story is a good story, after all, so ergo, a good audiobook? Not so, say those in the know. There were two main characteristics of a good audiobook – and this is with the assumption that the story is strong. So OK, you’ve got a good yarn on your hands. It doesn’t necessarily translate to a good audiobook. The two primary distinctions told to me are that the audiobook reader must be a good performer, and the production value needs to be high.

Taking the first point, about the performance, leads me to think that the romance audiobook clip I listened to made me feel squishy because the performance was as enthralling as watching paint dry. Or perhaps, in this case, listening to paint dry, meaning there was no performance whatsoever. The reader made the decision to be dry and unemotional. It may work for some, but for me it was a complete snooze with a dash of discomfort. If the hero is baring his soul and revealing his issues and declaring his love well, damn it, I want emotion.

About the production value . . . clarity is key, with perhaps a little music thrown in here and there for mood setting and to signify scene or POV changes.

In the end, I’m going to stick with the printed text, where I can be screaming in my head when the heroine’s screaming on the page, but I’d love to hear from others. What’s your take on audiobooks, specifically romance audiobooks. Are they a fun alternative from print, or do they just make you want to hit the off button?

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Sexy Regencies? A Q&A with author Elf Ahearn

3 Apr

roses2A traditional definition of Regency romances imcludes setting in the British Regency period (1811 – 1820), strict and accurate attention to historical detail, an emphasis on intelligent, fast-paced dialogue, and on the developing romance between the protagonists. It does not, however, generally include explicit, sensual sex scenes. But that didn’t stop author Elf Ahearn from writing the kind of Regency she likes to read, which amps up the heat in a most satisfying way. Her new release is A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing, and she joins us today to talk about her book, her work as an actress, and what’s in store next.

ELIZABETH SHORE: Hi Elf, thanks for joining us today! Why don’t we start out by talking about the setting for your book. Of all the historical time periods that a writer could choose from, you’ve picked the Regency era for your series. Could you talk about why that specific time appealed to you?

ELF AHEARN: My sister is totally into Regency romances, she won’t read anything else, so to guarantee at least one sale… well, I had no choice (Not true – she’d read any dribble I scratched on paper).  The real story is that the Regency chose me. I wanted to write something with sex and adventure – women risking everything – their reputations, their lives, their fortunes, for love. It’s very freeing that Ellie Albright, the heroine in A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing, can’t clap a cell phone to her ear and call the police when she’s in trouble; Hugh Davenport, my hero, can’t access a therapist to work out his hostility towards his mother, and my villain can’t be found via his credit card purchases. Working in the past is awesome.

 ELIZABETH: Did you start out writing A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing knowing it was going to be a series, or were you thinking it was going to be a single book that later evolved into a series?

ELF: It took me four years to write this book. Romance is a genre that has very set rules – I had to learn those rules to my bones before I could really create, plus, I’m stubborn. I had to write a scene first – even if my critique partners warned me in advance – before I learned that it didn’t work. If I’d thought about a series before I started, I probably would have quit. So, the answer is, no, I didn’t have a series in mind, but as I learned to relax into the genre, know my way around a little, romance writing became such a joy that I had to start another book.

ELIZABETH: As I mentioned in the intro, Regency romance readers may be surprised by the heat level in your books as regencies are traditionally more “tame” than what you’ve written. Inquiring Lady Smut minds want to know, why are your books steamier?

ELF: One of the first Regency romances I ever read was by Sabrina Jefferies, whose love scenes are scorching hot. I thought, heavens to Betsy, I could never be so graphic! My hand may have even clutched my heart, I can’t remember. Once the story got underway, however, my inner poet seized on the sex. Beyond the throbbing members and heaving bosoms, I thought, ‘What does a man’s leg look like in moonlight – that slash of shadow under a taught thigh muscle… and what does the curve of a woman’s hip feel like to a man when he first runs his hand over it – the skin, smooth and soft, the bone fitting perfectly into the cup of his hand… Well, you get the picture.

ELIZABETH: Oooooh, I sure do! OK, as I fan myself to calm down . . . You’ve said that you think a good tag line for your books is “Regency romance with a gothic twist.” Could you talk about that?

ELF: “Regency romance with a Gothic twist,” is my warning label. Not all Regency romances, but most Regency romances, are what I think of as parlor dramas. The hero and heroine have a personal battle that takes place, typically, in the confines of a magnificent English estate. In A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing, there’s a struggle between the hero and heroine, but also an exterior conflict where the stakes are life or death. Pretty dark for a novel taking place in 1816. I didn’t want readers taken by surprise by the book’s intensity. And the sequel, Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower, is even more “Gothic.”

ELIZABETH: And what about the horse who plays a prominent role in Rogue. What’s the appeal for you?

ELF: Growing up, The Black Stallion by Walter Farley, one of the greatest young adult novels of all time, was my bible. I was mad for horses, and when I became an adult, I vowed I would seize my chance to write a horse race and give it all the Walter Farley magic I could muster. Hopefully, the clash of thoroughbreds in Rogue is more exciting than a worm versus a slug. Readers, let me know.

ELIZABETH: In your past you were very active in the theater. Has your theater background helped with your career as a writer?

ELF: Yes, absolutely. I have a highly dramatic sensibility and that all stems from my days trodding the boards. It has nothing to do with my personality, which is exceedingly calm, cool and collected (I lie). But truly, theatre gave me a good feeling for dialog and dramatic structure that serves me well in writing fiction.

Aspiring writers! become an actor first, starve for several years, forage for food, then take up fiction, then starve for several years…

ELIZABETH: Oh but we’re SO happy  you’ve made the sacrifice! Tell me, are you blogging? Where can we find you?

ELF: A few years ago I started a blog exclusively about my cat, Sufie. It became such a pain, though, chasing her around every day with the camera. She wouldn’t stay in the poses, she resented the intrusions on her privacy, the interviews weren’t going well. I gave up. Now, I’m planning a blog titled, The Writer’s Cat, and I’m looking for others to submit stories about their felines. I’ll sit back and let everyone else do all the work, while Sufie soaks up the peace and quiet. Hopefully a few gals from Lady Smut will make contributions. As for where you can find me, my Web address is elfahearn.com.

ELIZABETH: Great! So what’s next for you?

ELF: Crimson Romance, my publisher, bought the second book already, Lord Monroe’s Dark Tower, so hopefully it will be coming out in the next six months or so.

ELIZABETH: Sounds great!

Elf Ahearn is a professional writer with nearly two decades of experience. Her first novel, A Rogue in Sheep’s Clothing is available at Amazon.com, and BookStrand.com. She lives in New York with her wonderful husband and her pesky (yet adorable) cat.

Thanks for being our guest today, Elf!

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Smokin’ Hot Gigolos?

27 Mar

GigolosYears ago, there used to be a TV commercial for an audio tape in which the announcer asked, “Is it real, or is it Memorex?” The presumption being, of course, that the sound quality of the tape is so good listeners can’t tell whether they’re hearing an actual, real performance or an audiotape recording. That analogy describes a little bit how I felt recently when I happened to catch a couple episodes of the Showtime “reality” series, Gigolos.

Have you seen this show? For the uninitiated, here’s the scoop. The show takes place in Las Vegas and is about five guys who work for Cowboys4Angels escort service. They spend plenty of time escorting women out of their clothes, and much of the show is scenes of the guys with their “dates,” showing the ladies a good time in and out of the bedroom. Showtime’s official site for the show describes it like this: “Showtime presents an extremely rare and uncensored look into the personal and professional lives of five hot guys in Vegas who like to hang out, have fun and get girls, but in their case they get paid for it.”

I can certainly be on board with looking at hot guys. Having them frequently taking their clothes off doesn’t hurt, either. Oh, and did I mention, they’re extremely hot. Their bodies, I mean. Their faces aren’t exactly tough to look at, either, and they spend a lot of time in every episode having lots of sex with various women.  So OK, so far, so good. But the thing is, Gigolos is served up as a “reality” show. As in, this is really how life is for these guys. You know, like how we know what Kim Kardashians’ life is like (if, in our weaker moments, we’ve kept up with the Kardashians). Or how we know the struggles people go through who strive to be The Biggest Loser? Or who try to break their hoarding habits. You get my point. With Gigolos, though, there is ample speculation that this reality show is about as real as Victoria Beckham’s bubbies.

According to thedailybeast.com, Gigolos is so fake that “it raises the question of whether the profession exists.” In the article about the show, writer Richard Abowitz says he reached a woman who appeared on the show who says she views her appearance as nothing more than “an acting gig.” She says it’s entirely fictional and that the sex was simulated for the camera. Hmmm. Well, that certainly doesn’t bode well for the “reality” of Gigolos.

Then again, do I care? Do I really feel duped by learning that some elements on reality shows aren’t real at all? The people in  Survivor competitions aren’t actually ”surviving” in the classical definition of the word, meaning “to remain alive or in existence.” After all, it’s not like the producers would let someone die on one of those islands. So should I really get my panties in a twist from learning that the Gigolos might not actually be gigolos? Ummmm . . . nah. Instead, what I’m going to do is sit back and watch Nick, Vin, Brace, Steven, and Ash romp about Vegas, take their clothes off, have hot sex with beautiful women, and tell me all about it.

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Three’s Not A Crowd

20 Mar

Menage-a-TroisLike many writers, I belong to a critique group. We met last night and one of the writers happened to have brought in some pages for us to critique that included a very graphic ménage-à-trois scene. We all listened carefully and made notes for comment, but one of the ladies in the group summed it up well at the end. When the writer finished reading her scene, our fellow member said only, “Wow.”

It’s no secret that many male fantasies include either watching women-on-women “lesbian” sex or being able to participate in a ménage-à-trois, with only one y chromosome in the bunch. But three way sex isn’t just for the guys. Take a look at the hot sellers of any erotic romance publisher and you’ll see a good number of them include three-way sex, but as we girls like it - with two of the guys and only of of us.

It’s interesting to me that ménage is such a fantasy for women because it seems to go against how I often hear women describe themselves. We’re not the ones with the commitment issues; it’s the guys. We women want to find our one true love and, just like two turtle doves, mate for life. We sing the choir fidelity. So what gives with fantasizing about a three way?

Part of the answer, I think, it’s the fact that it is just a fantasy. I certainly don’t know a woman who lives and loves equally with a guy and another woman, and I don’t even know anyone who’s been in a three-way sexual relationship just for fun. So all that hot ménage sex only seems to be happening in our minds and in our erotic romance where it’s all just as safe as can be.

The “bad girl” element also comes into play when considering the attraction of three-way sex. It would definitely be a little bit naughty, wouldn’t it, to have sex with a girl and a guy at the same time? We’re often turned on by bad boys; maybe we secretly crave wanting to be a bad girl. Fueling the fantasy as a bad girl would definitely be having “bad girl” sex, meaning a good ol’ fashioned three-way romp.

Depending on one’s fantasy, a girl’s three-way sex may also include having her two hunks goin’ down on each other just as lustily as they go down on her. Oooooh, now we’re really being naughty! The m/f/f erotic romances I’ve read always have the characters being fully bi-sexual, which does lend itself to a variety of options in the bedroom if it’s a no-holds barred kinda relationship.

It’s easy enough to speculate on why women may have ménage-à-trois fantasies but in the end, who really cares what the reason is? Like all turn ons, it’s no single factor that makes us blaze with lust for one thing and roll eyes at another. As long as the fantasies don’t hurt anyone, I say the more the merrier. :-)

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Fondled And Gobbled: Someone Had To Do It – Book Review

13 Mar

Fondled and GobbledIt all started, according to the introduction of Ellora’s Cave, Fondled And Gobbled: Someone Had To Do It, at last year’s RomantiCon convention. Alcohol-fueled minds played a significant role. Someone started a conversation about favorite scenes in erotic romances, someone else started speculating about how funny it would be to do a parody of them, and thus this amusing, lighthearted anthology was born.

The five short stories in this quick, fun read are all different, but they maintain the goal of spoofing erotic romance. They all garnered at least a smile for me, with a couple of them being straight laugh-out-loud hilarious.

The first story in the book, Cassandra Carr’s Wild Fantasy Hero, was also my favorite. It’s a parody of Fifty Shades of Grey, with the heroine being Steele Ana and the hero Grey Christian. The story would be funny even without the benefit of having read Fifty Shades, but certainly the guffaws are enhanced if you have. Carr’s writing sprinkles hilarious metaphors throughout the story, and she definitely comes up with some doozies. ” . . . she fastened her lips arond the head and sucked hard, using Grey’s cock like a huge straw. Grey’s hands flew into her hair and he steered her like he was captaining an F-18.”

Next is Danica Avet’s Cookie Bound. The hero appears to be perfect: perfect gentleman (he saves her from a mugging), perfect body, wealthy, kind . . . but his skills in the bedroom fall a little short, starting with his “tootsie roll” sized, ahem, appendage.

We get alien sex in Lea Barrymire’s Moonlust Paradise, in which the alien has three – count ‘em! – three cocks that he uses with exemplary skill to seduce his Earth woman soulmate. I had to laugh when the alien asks Earth girl Missy, who’s busy orally  pleasuring him, what her name is. “Mithy,” she replies, since her mouth is, you know, full.

Piper Trace gives us Slave To The Sausage, a group sex spoof with sex-crazed Emily Justasalad who, despite her last name, has got to have ”meat.” Enter the Broadshaft Brothers, owners of a pizzeria who fill Emily’s wishes and all of her orifices with their hot man sausages. “Go ahead,” says the brothers’ restaurant tagline. “Just try to beat our meat!”

The final story is Anya Richards’ Surprise Submissive, the M/M story in the lot. I liked this story, with its amusing take on the dom/submissive genre, but I actually thought it was also kinda hot.

Speaking of that, as you can imagine these stories aren’t meant to get us panting and reaching for a fan and ice chips as we’re reading them. They’re funny and clever and while they may leave you wanting more, it’s for the laughs and not the sex. And humor, like anything, can be taste specific. In places where I was snorting others may be snoozing. But it’s a fun book and a refreshing way to look at the world of erotic romance. Check it out. If it leaves you wanting more, EC has also released Fondled and Gobbled: Going Back For Seconds.

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