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e-maginings: What Is Erotic Romance?

August 16, 2009 by in category Archives tagged as , , ,


There seems to be a lot of different opinions about what constitutes erotic romance, so I thought I’d explore some definitions today. It’s a little more complicated than you might think.

Some believe erotic romance is all sex with no plot, so is it the literary equivalent of a porno flick? In order to answer that, we have to distinguish between erotica and porn. I discovered that the word pornography literally means “writing about prostitutes”, and in the 19th century, it was used for factual reports about prostitution. Erotica, on the other hand, comes from Eros, the Greek god of love. So a literal definition might be that pornography is solely about the lusts of the body, while erotica is about the longings of the heart as well. In practical terms, the definition is always somewhat subjective.

Erotica is a sex story; that means it has a plot with a beginning, a middle and an end. Pornography may or may not have a plot. In fact, I was reading recently that some porn stars are lamenting the fact that they don’t even get dialogue any more!

Generally speaking, erotica differs from erotic romance in that it’s the story of a character’s sexual journey rather than the story of a developing relationship. In erotica the main character may have more than one partner and a happily-ever-after twosome is not guaranteed. However, a HEA threesome is a definite possibility!

Like other romances, erotic romance is a love story and you better believe that your readers will expect that HEA. I got dinged by a reviewer for not providing one for my Revolutionary Way spy story, Seducing The Enemy. While the characters did develop a relationship, they were unable to be together in the end, so technically it was erotica, not erotic romance.

In Passionate Ink: A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance, Loose Id, LLC, 2007, regarding the difference between sensual and erotic romance, Angela Knight points out, correctly IMO, that what drives sensual romances “isn’t sex, but not having sex”. In order to maintain sexual tension between hero and heroine, the writer devises external and internal reasons why going to bed with each other is a bad idea. The actual act of making love often signals a significant drop in sexual tension and the writer then has to find a way to make the conflict kick in again.

So what drives erotic romance?

Obviously, there still have to be reasons why the happily-ever-after ending isn’t guaranteed, despite the fact that they’re having sex at any and every opportunity. Knight refers to this as “romantic tension”. Again, this means strong conflict, especially if you’re writing a full-length novel. I think I prefer to call if “dramatic tension”.

For a little more background, check out this article at my Lyndi Lamont website. And if you’re at all interested in writing erotic romance, I do recommend Knight’s book.

How would you define erotic romance?

Linda / Lyndi

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Book Trailer: Italian Style

August 11, 2009 by in category Archives tagged as

by Jina Bacarr

Il Profumo del peccato (Sinful Perfume) is the name of my Spice novel, Cleopatra’s Perfume, in Italian. I was very excited to see they used the same cover as my American publisher (Harlequin). Since I had already put together a book trailer in English, I decided to use the same video, podsafe music, still photo, etc.

I love the blurb my Italian publisher wrote, but it was way too long for a one-minute book trailer. So I used what I thought made sense–here is the translation:

“What is hiding in Cleopatra’s Perfume? It all resides in a woman named Eve, a woman reckless, sexy, unleashed, uninhibited, insatiable. Only she can reveal this passionate story with its nonstop erotic scenes…

“Jina Bacarr, author of Passioni di una Geisha (The Blonde Geisha), takes us into a film noirish atmosphere in the year leading up to 1940, enticing us with sensual dreams, spies, secret missions, situations and affairs beyond your wildest imagination.

“Sinful Perfume (Cleopatra’s Perfume): Love, passion, intrigue.”

Then I recorded the voiceover. I love doing voiceovers (I used to do radio commercials in English and Spanish) and this one was a lot of fun. So here it is, the black and white book trailer in Italian for Il Profumo del peccato. I hope you enjoy it!

Best,
Jina

Jina Bacarr is also the author of The Blonde Geisha , Naughty Paris, Tokyo Rendezvous, a Spice Brief, and Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs, featuring an Indiana Jones in high heels.

Coming in February 2010: The Blonde Samurai “She embraced the way of the samurai. Two swords. Two loves.”

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Nora Ephron and Meryl Streep-screen magic!

August 9, 2009 by in category Writing tagged as ,

I’m a major admirer of writer / director Nora Ephron and also of actress Meryl Streep. So to have the two women team up in a movie about another woman I admire (Julia Child) on a subject that is one of my greatest passions (cooking)…ah, I’m in movie heaven. I’m talking about Julie and Julia, of course.

But this isn’t a movie review…today I want to ask, what makes for magic on screen? In a movie, as in a book, you can have two very similar stories, yet one is mediocre while the other steps up to greatness. What’s the difference? In a romantic comedy, chemistry is key – Ephron’s Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail teamed Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks, whom I think made a great match chemistry-wise. I know lots of people adored When Harry met Sally, but for me, witty as the movie was, the Ryan-Crystal chemistry wasn’t as great. In books, chemistry abounds between so many of Georgette Heyer’s Regency protagonists, while Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a mistress of chemistry on the page in contemporary romances.

Another factor in screen magic is that elusive presence, and that’s something Streep has in spades. In movies from Silkwood to Heartburn, from Kramer vs. Kramer to Adaptation, Streep fills a screen yet doesn’t make it “all about her”. Sheer genius.

Lastly, there’s the need for a story that, though it may be about ordinary lives, transcends the trivial and somehow gets to our hearts. This is what I admire about Ephron. She turns even a light comedy into a great story – and you know it’s a great story when you can watch it four, five, six times and it feels fresh every time.

I think that should be the ultimate goal for any romance writer—to write stories that, yes, provide a few hours’ entertainment. But at the same time, they say something about the human condition and the power of love that we never tire of hearing. Anyone got a favorite Ephron and/or Streep movie they’d like to share?
Abby
www.abbygaines.com

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Moon Watch

August 6, 2009 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , ,

Tonight is the night of the full moon.

How do I know? I looked it up. Finding out about the full moon is important to me these days, since I write a paranormal romance series for Silhouette Nocturne about Alpha Force–a covert ops military unit of shapeshifters!

Yes, my Nocturne ALPHA WOLF and the Nocturne Bites CLAWS OF THE LYNX, both published in January this year, will have sequels. Notice that the word “sequels” is plural! Already in the works is ALASKAN WOLF, which will be the next to be published. It now has a pub date: January 2011. Yes, that’s a long time away, but worth waiting for!

Meantime, I’ll be working on two more Alpha Force stories. Not to mention my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series and its spin-off Pet Rescue series. And practicing law. And–

Well, it’s fun to be busy. But tonight I may just howl at the moon!

Linda O. Johnston

http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

Linda O. Johnston is the author of 16 romance novels and several novellas, including a Nocturne Bites, with more Nocturnes upcoming. She also writes the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime and will soon start working on the spin-off Pet Rescue

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Notes from Val’s Desk

August 4, 2009 by in category Archives tagged as , ,

  • This blog is writing related only in the sense that I’m writing it. And, (to those who know me) sometimes I like to begin with the definition of my “topic” word, which in this case is quite impressive.

So here it is:

vol·un·teer (noun)
· a person who chooses freely to do or offer to do something
· a person who chooses freely to enter into any transaction with no promise of compensation
· a person who serves as volunteer, usually without compensation
· a person who freely chooses to offer or give without being asked or obliged

I am by nature a very curious person. When I was growing up, my mother (who was handicapped and never wanted to be noticed) always made me sit quietly and watch. Watching is definitely not my idea of having fun. As a result, I became a first-class observer and an excellent listener. It took a few years to take that first step, but I finally got my butt off the bench and have been running ever since. Today I am a dyed-in-the-wool VOLUNTEER and darn proud of it.

It’s so much better to be involved than sit on the sidelines. To me, it’s like looking at sparkling Christmas lights through a window and wanting to touch. Today, and with no regrets, I think about the adventures I’ve had, the places I’ve been, the interesting people I never would have met and the wonderful friendships I’ve made. I’ve learned and developed new skills from artfully arranging goodies on a tray to getting up and speaking to a room full of people. Volunteering doesn’t have to be vocal; what you do can be done “behind the scenes” as well. But most important is the feeling of satisfaction knowing that your efforts may have contributed to something or someone in a positive way.

Maybe you say you don’t have the time or worse, you’re all volunteered-out. I took a little hiatus from volunteering just once. It didn’t take long for me to realize that a part of my life was missing—that connection with people and what was happening out there in the world. I couldn’t wait to get back in the game and I did.

I have to be honest. More than once I should have said “no” instead of “yes” and then felt burdened with a little too much to do. So do your homework. Be realistic about how much time you are willing to devote so you won’t “burn out.” What are you interested in? What will give you the greatest satisfaction? What would make your life a little more interesting? Find that event or group you’d like to be a part of—they may need you as much as you need them.

Now, get out there and volunteer for something!!!

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