Cover Reveals: Husbandry

Stop by to learn more about my erotic sci-fi menage romance, available from Loose Id. I’m sharing a blurb, trailer, and excerpt from Husbandry over at the Cover Reveals blog:

http://coverreveals.blogspot.com/2013/04/cover-reveal-husbandry-by-allie-ritch.html

Out Now: Mating Season

My new erotic sci-fi/shifter romance, Mating Season, is now available from Liquid Silver Books at http://www.lsbooks.com/mating-season-p383.php

If you want to read about hot passion in a cold, wild place, then this is the book for you. Sex and sci-fi and bear-shifters, oh my.

Stay tuned to my Books & Trailers page for details on availability from other sellers.

Trivia Question #66

What are the names of the instructors in Allie Ritch’s Alien Sex Ed series?

(A) Mera and Trett

(B) Krux and Katra’Ruma

(C) Whitt and Spri

(D) Xindra and Quinn

Book Trailer for Mating Season

I just finished the book trailer for my upcoming erotic sci-fi/shifter romance, Mating Season (coming July 16, 2012 from Liquid Silver Books). Valerie Tibbs did a fantastic job on the cover art – so cool it’s frosty, LOL. Be sure to check it out on my Books & Trailers page.

Trivia Question #52 – Answer

Q:  In Sindra van Yssel’s erotic romance, Dark Xanadu Book One, Dark Xanadu is the name of who/what?

A:  (A) a BDSM nightclub

Sindra’s book is available at http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/books/darkxanadu.htm

Trivia Question #52

In Sindra van Yssel’s erotic romance, Dark Xanadu Book One, Dark Xanadu is the name of who/what?

(A) a BDSM nightclub

(B) an angry vampire from Kent’s past

(C) the rebel vampire horde

(D) Angela’s erotica novel

Loquacious Lingerie

When it comes to fashion descriptions for our characters, we writers basically get to play dress up. We create a visual image and express our characters’ personalities through what we have them wear. With erotic romance in particular, this includes what our heroes and heroines wear underneath.

Does the heroine wear granny panties? She probably hasn’t had a man in her life for a while, or maybe she’s a married woman who’s lost that spark with her mate and stopped trying. On the other hand, a heroine who wears boxers and a sports bra might be a tomboy or jock. She’s used to being one of the guys, but maybe that bothers her when one man in particular catches her eye – maybe a fellow who still sees her as just a buddy. A sheer demi-cup and lacy thong? Maybe something from Victoria Secret? This woman is bold, confident, and looking to feel sexy. Color conveys a world of information, too. White for virgins and traditional good girls. Red or black for seductresses.

Of course, using an unexpected lingerie choice can add depth and complexity to a character. In that regard, undergarments can symbolize the inner personality – the real person hiding beneath the surface. The virgin who wears a fiery red thong and push-up might be a passionate temptress who’s just been waiting for the right man. Whereas the ferocious man eater in the miniskirt might be wearing white boy shorts with little pink hearts on it because she’s really still a small-town girl inside.

Unless we’re talking about some kind of transvestite, dare, or Clockwork Orange scenario, the heroes are a bit more straightforward. There are three style choices: the traditional boxers or briefs or a popular favorite, commando. Yes, there are thongs for men, but I haven’t seen much of that in erotic romance.

Again, surprising underclothes can work as part of character development. The heroine wants to know whether the hero wears tighty whities or black boxers, but woo-hoo! He’s not wearing anything under those jeans/leathers. Or he’s super suave, but those smiley faces on his skivvies reveal he has a boyish sense of humor.

Don’t even get me started on jock straps for men or garters and corsets for women. Every piece of clothing – every descriptor an author uses – says something about their characters. What the hero and heroine are wearing against their skin can say the most of all.

Trivia Question #25

In Lynn Lorenz’s novel, Best Vacation That Never Was, firefighter Jason Cooper tries to win over Troy after Troy suffers what loss?

(A) his pet dies

(B) his home burns down

(C) his lover dumps him

(D) he loses an arm

Hot Authors, Sizzling Romance

Previously, I addressed the pros and cons of writing spicier romances in Some Like It Hot: Erotic Levels In Fiction. I find this an especially interesting topic since I’ve written everything from sweet love stories to erotic romances, with Switching Positions being the first work that I cranked up to quite that level of sizzle.

For my own writing process, I usually know at the moment I have an idea for a novella or book just what heat level the story should have. I can’t say exactly how this happens. I suspect it’s like a chef getting an idea for a new recipe. She/he knows right away whether they’re aiming for something sweet, salty, or savory, although the nuances of the flavoring may come later.

Well, I wanted to see what other authors had to say about heat levels – the pros and cons of hotter works, their own writing process, etc. Let’s hear it for guest authors Kayelle Allen, Caitlyn Willows, and Cassandra Carr, who took time to share their thoughts!

Kayelle Allen is a multi-published author whose works include For Women Only, At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, Surrender Love, and many more. She has some fun book trailers on her site if you want to learn more. Kayelle was kind enough to comment on the original post with her take on heat levels in romance. To see all her remarks, please click on Some Like It Hot and scroll to her comment, but here are a few great points she makes:

“There are times when leaving what happens next to the reader’s imagination produces a high that’s more satisfying than the details. If your lovers have been passionate throughout the book, it doesn’t hurt to leave while they’re engaged in an activity that you can tell will lead to more. In contrast, [in] an erotica (at least one or more steps more intense than an erotic romance) leaving the reader without the details may prove more frustrating than satisfying. Marketing the book to the right genre and readers is important.” - Kayelle Allen – Blog~ Books~ Twitter~ Facebook

Excellent summary, Kayelle. Authors, like other artists, are entertainers. We have to know our audience and what they’re looking for.

Caitlyn Willows is a multi-published author whose books include To Die For (Amber Quill Press, 2011), Soleil (Loose Id, 2010), and several other tempting works. She shares her advice and perspective on striking the perfect balance between physical passion and the deeper emotions in erotic romance:

“It’s a very fine balance to find the perfect blend of story and sex when you’re writing an erotic romance. I think the market and the wealth of erotic romances out there have made these even more challenging. I’ve learned it’s very important to make sure you aren’t having sex in the story just for the sake of putting sex in there. The sex must mean something, bind the individuals, show growth, help move the story forward. Still, it is erotic and I feel it’s important for the author to go the daring route. Think outside the box of what is ‘normal’ and dare to explore what someone might fantasize about but would never do. And never forget to include the emotion of the encounter. Emotion is as breath-taking, if not more, than the act itself. It is the anticipation that draws the reader forward. These individuals are falling in love. Show it. Make the reader feel it. As an author…make yourself feel it too.” - Caitlyn Willows – http://www.caitlynwillows.com/

Some really wonderful points, Caitlyn. Authors have to be fully engaged with their characters to bring them to life both inside and outside the bedroom. Erotic romance offers a sort of open-door policy, but the key word is still romance.

Cassandra Carr is the author of Caught, coming in December 2011 from Loose Id; Talk To Me, published by Loose Id in March 2011 and named a Top Pick by Night Owl Reviews and The Romance Reviews; and the story “Circling” in Uniform Behavior (Andrews UK, Nov. 2010). She also has a really fun blog, but then I’m a sucker for anyone who’d include A Fish Called Wanda in a post. Cassandra shares her process for creating erotic romances and the advantages and disadvantages to writing spicier works:

“I didn’t ‘choose’ to write with one heat level or another, it just naturally grew out of my books. My heat level is pretty high compared to other erotic romances I’ve seen, but I didn’t go into any book with the intention of it being really spicy. Reviewers have said that although I have a lot of sex scenes in my books, they’re all necessary to the plot and show the emotional growth of the characters, so I guess I’m on the right track.

“There are a few pitfalls with writing spicier stories. First, you have to make sure the story isn’t all about the sex. At the end of the story the reader needs to believe that the two (or more) main characters have fallen in love. Sex scenes can’t be superfluous or just there to titillate the reader. The advantages of writing spicier books are that I think they’re overall a sexier read, which I personally enjoy. I also love it when an author can write a really smoking sex scene and I imagine other readers feel the same way.” - Cassandra Carr – http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com/

Again, Cassandra makes the point about love and integrating love scenes so that they’re integral to the plot. Without romance or other emotions and plotting going on, sex scenes could disintegrate into something resembling an instruction manual or sports review. Eg. “Insert tab A into slot B,” or, “He dribbles, he pivots, he surges up the line. He scores!” That sort of thing may make for a few funny lines, but that’s not exactly a fulfilling read.

So writers of erotic romance have to know their audience, connect with their readers, and give them what they want. These guest authors certainly know how to do that, and I’d like to thank them again for taking the time to share their experience and perspectives. And isn’t that what we like to see in our heroes? A man who knows his lover, connects with her (or him) – and, through her, the reader – and gives her what she wants? Sounds good to me. I think we could all benefit from a “really smoking sex scene.”

How Hot Is Hot? Sensual Ratings in Romance

Most sensual or heat ratings in the book industry are based on two main criteria: frequency of love scenes and how graphic and intense they are. Obviously, having more sex scenes in proportion to the length of the work earns a hotter rating. Using direct anatomical references is hotter than euphemism, while slang is spicier yet. The amount of descriptive detail and the duration of each scene also come into play. Are there toys? Props? Bondage and/or S&M? Any special kinks or costumes? More than two lovers at the same time? All of this adds to the heat of a work.

Many publishers differentiate their sensual levels by separating each one into a different line or imprint. Other publishers and even booksellers and distributors create their own system of rating. For instance, Liquid Silver Books uses the levels Sterling, Liquid, and Molten. In this system, Sterling is the sweetest, least hard-core of the group when it comes to the sex scenes. Liquid is obviously somewhere in the middle, and Molten should have you dabbing the sweat from your brow. Cobblestone Press likewise has three levels: Sensual Romance, Erotic Romance, and Erotica. These levels are more like definitions of these terms as used in the industry. Each turns up the heat a little more, with erotic romances containing more explicit descriptions and language, and erotica crossing the line so that sex dominates, even over the romance. With erotica, the story doesn’t necessarily even have to be a romance. Other companies focus only on a single heat level, like Changeling Press, which only publishes, “Over-the-top hot!”

All Romance E-books and OmniLit have come up with an interesting system. Their sensual ratings are done with number of flames. One flame is your sweet romance, where there’s either no on-page sex, or the love scenes are not detailed or graphic. On the opposite end of the spectrum, stories with five flames feature a high frequency of graphic, explicit love scenes and are not for the prudish or oversensitive.

So how does an author decide how hot to go? How does the heat level affect the characters and plot, and what are the pros and cons to a spicier novel? Well, I’ve asked some talented romance writers to answer some of those very questions. Following up on a previous post I did, Some Like It Hot: Erotic Levels In Fiction, I threw out the open-ended topic of erotic levels in fiction. Check out my post next Saturday (8/13/11) to read what guest authors Caitlyn Willows and Cassandra Carr have to say about the subject and be sure to scross down and check out the comment by author Kayelle Allen.