Penis Pop Quiz

Reinventing Yourself—or—Expressing Yourself?

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone - September/October 06

The Q&A on S&M - July/August 06

Q&A with Robin Schone - May/June 06

Q&A with Erotica Author Eden Bradley - March/April 06

10 Steps to Great Sex Scenes - January/February 06

Penis Pop Quiz

by Jina Bacarr, Author of Naughty Paris from Spice Books

So you want to write erotic romance.  All those sexy encounters and gyrations, not to mention sensual lighting and silk sheets.  It can't be too hard, right?  Speaking of hard, think you know everything about a man's penis?  Take the quiz below and find out!

1. What is the number one item you must have (besides his penis) for the best sex ever? 
2. What rule of Condom Etiquette should you never break?
3.What is the difference between oral sex and fellatio?
4.Where is his perineum located?
5.What is the most sensitive area of his penis?
6.What cool thing can you do before oral sex to make it hotter?
7.What are the "bucking bronco" rules you must know for a safe ride?
8 When is a silicone penis right for you?
9.What is the average size of his penis?
10.What is "blue tongue"?  

ANSWERS:
1.            Lubricant. Use only water-based lotions for vaginal moisture. Water-based lubricants are
tasteless and odorless, wash out of your body easily, and you are less likely to develop an infection or have an allergic reaction.
2.         Always put the condom on his penis yourself.  You can trust yourself.  You know you will put it on right.  According to a recent survey, sixty percent of men said they do not talk about condom use with their partner before sex and forty-seven percent never use protection for vaginal sex.
3.            Enjoying his penis alone is called fellatio. “Oral sex” partakes of his penis, scrotum, and/or perineum.
4.         His perineum is the patch of skin between his anus and testicles and is packed with sensitive nerve endings.
5.         The frenulum is an inverted V-shaped spot located where the head and shaft of his penis meet; it faces away from his body.
6.         An ice cube or a mint in your mouth will give him extra stimulation before oral sex.
7.         Don’t bend his erect penis. If you put him in you when he is not fully stiff and you move too quickly, it's possible to fracture one of the two hydraulics contained in his shaft.
8.         If you’re in the mood for sex and he’s not. Never place your sexual satisfaction completely in someone else’s hands. You are in control of your sex life. Your man can’t vibrate his tongue, penis, or fingers at a constant high speed, so he’s grateful for the help.
9.         The average length of his unaroused penis is under four inches.  His erect penis is usually a little over six inches (most are 5 3/8 inches and about 3 1/2 inches round).
10.        He's popping Viagra.  You're in for a long night.

Learn more about Jina and her books at her website, www.jinabacarr.com.

Back Under the Bleachers

Reinventing Yourself—or—Expressing Yourself?
by Bobbie Cole, aka Lyn Cash

How many times have you changed your mind, about a hairstyle, your makeup, wardrobe, or a hobby?  We do these things because we change.  There’s always a good reason for changing, but it’s so easy to overlook the important things, such as what’s in this for us?  Are we doing what we want to do?

What we write and what we read reflect who we are, where we are, at any moment in time.  Women reinvent themselves all the time, sometimes out of necessity, sometimes simply because they can.  That’s how writing has been for me.

When I began writing for publication, a friend was in charge of programs for a large conference, and she passed on to me the fact that one of her speakers needed material for an upcoming issue.  I’d never written a confession and wasn’t even sure I could do so, but that’s how I began my first writing career.  One of my first mentors was June Park, author of The Bingo Queens of Paradise.  June had won the O. Henry award for short fiction; she’d won the Writers’ Digest short fiction contest; and she’d won or placed in many other contests.  She’d preached to me for years that mastering short fiction would take me places I couldn’t imagine.  All I was interested in writing at the time were romances and mainstream, but I was a convert after that first sale to True Confessions.  (And the month I made nearly a thousand dollars from sales to just one issue?  Da bomb!)

I became an inveterate eavesdropper, then an embellisher of tales.  I became so involved that friends would chide me for grabbing napkins and penning notes in restaurants, taking a small notebook in my purse and pausing whatever I was doing, even while out in public, to scribble a phrase or a word that would later trigger a story.  If your husband’s niece’s ex-boyfriend’s mother had a coworker who cheated on his spouse?  One who had a sex change operation?  Anything at all that was weird or awful to ‘the masses’?  I wrote about ‘em.  If you pissed ME off?  Ditto.  You’d find yourself with some disgusting habit or disease or at the end of the Ugly Stick.   Fifty-or-so confessions later, I turned to erotic romances.

Let me backtrack a bit.  Now my goal before even the confessions had been to write mainstream fiction and romances, remember?  One of my first critique partners thought something I did penning a romance was kinky…and this was a very open-minded woman.  My ego wasn’t such at the time that I felt comfortable saying ‘So?’, and I didn’t have the writers’ tools to really write erotic fiction at the time, so I turned back to mainstream, my first love.  Another dear friend, Mary Ellen Cooper, suggested gently that the story I was currently working on was a tad ambitious for my grasp at the time.  Mary Ellen is the type of woman who can say these things without ticking you off.  There isn’t a dog mean enough to bite her.  Of course, at the time, I thought she was full of crap, until I was a third way through the story and realized I had a plot larger than anything Robert Jordan could conceive.  (For you Jordan fans, he’s been pretty sick—here’s his update on his blog.)

So, moving right along, one of my critique partners (after I’d grown up a bit and helped start The Belfry Collective) asked me to crit her erotic romance.  Jaci Burton had turned her on (no pun intended—really) to writing erotic romance, but Burton wasn’t in our critique group.  I said sure.  Once I’d returned the manuscript to her, Ann said “Why aren’t you writing something like this?  If you can read it without flinching, critique it as well as you do other things, why not try your hand at it?”  I did.  Finaled in a JERR-sponsored contest, and that’s how I sold Just Desserts to Ellora’s Cave.

Whether I began acting like the family Black Sheep or simply gave in to a reawakening of sexual energies is anybody’s guess, but that’s how I started my career as a smut writer.  After a few months of publication, I finally told my mother what I did, and she asked whose name I wrote under.   She’s a tad snobbish, so I couldn’t resist messing with her just a bit—I said, “Yours.”  After she caught her breath I told her the truth, that I’d made up a name.  Good thing I confessed, because Colleen Kane, senior editor for Playgirl, is writing an article on erotic romances featuring ole Lyn Cash—the January issue, I believe.  Not that my mother reads Playgirl, but ya never know who’ll pick up a copy and tell her that her daughter has an excerpt in the sucker.

Writing erotica isn’t like getting a new haircut and asking yourself later, “What the hell was I thinking?”—it’s more convoluted.  You know going in what you’re getting into…you may not know the degree, but you have a ballpark generality.  My biggest drawback was that I wrote hot but not scorching—I had to learn scorching.  I’m still learning it.  The one thing I had going for me was that for some unexplained reason I got humor down well, and most erotic romance being written at the time was serious contemporary or science-fiction/fantasy.  I stink at sci-fi and fantasy, so I’d better stick with what I know.

Somewhere along the way, I sold mainstream as well as erotica.  Leaving Mama and La Bella Luna sold to Samhain (have my first book signing in early November with Borders Books).  Unlike Bret Easton Ellis or Jay McInerney, I didn’t have the skills to write mainstream while in my twenties or thirties.  I’m lucky I can write it now, but fortunately someone else thinks I can, too, so…that dream is unfolding.

I encourage all writers (and readers):  Don’t be afraid of change, of expressing yourself, of switching from one genre to another.  I really get pissed off when someone says “I just can’t wear (insert NAME BRAND) clothes—I’m not the right shape—I don’t have the right figure.”  Writing is like shopping for clothes—it’s not what the clothes can bring to you…it’s not even what they do for you necessarily.  It’s what you bring to the clothes.  You are the owner, not the clothes.  Your niche, your genre, your book spine is out there waiting on you to find IT.  Sure, you have to be a perfect size whatever to wear designer labels, and you have to follow guidelines to sell to certain publishers, but…you’ll notice when someone picks up a book (ask them if you don’t believe me) that rather than going for the label hawking some publisher’s symbol, what they’re usually going for is story…content…blurb… something that reveals who YOU are, not who the publisher is.

Who will I be—where will I be tomorrow?  Who knows?  But I bring to the table all that I am, what I’ve learned, and who I’ve become.  So can you.  

So this is my question to you for today:  Have you the courage to be yourself?  (You don’t have to answer publicly – lol.)  If not, what is keeping you from expressing who you are?  Once you get THAT out to dissect, the rest becomes easy.  *wink*  Promise!

Back Under the Bleachers

Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone by Instigator

We’ve all given our characters an occupation we’ve never held.  Or set our book somewhere we’ve never been.  These days, the internet can provide not just a wealth of information, but connection to the people and places we want to access.  Need to know what it’s like to be a nurse working the night shift?  Just log on, do a search, and find a group of nurses that can provide you intimate details that even the best article or web page couldn’t provide.

But what happens when you’re researching something like S&M or Ménage a trois?  Something you’ve never done, never have the inclination to attempt, and something you’re not sure you want to ask intimate details about online?

The first thing you’re going to need to do is step outside your comfort zone, realize that while this isn’t something you’re willing to try, there are plenty of people in the world who have, do, and tremendously enjoy the experience.  They get something from the experience – usually extreme pleasure but possibly an emotional pay-off as well.  You must go into any research with an open mind, although I’m guessing that if you’re considering a ménage scene you’re already pretty open.

Read stories with that type of slant.  If you’re researching bondage, then buy and read books with bondage scenes in them.  Compare and contrast those specific scenes.  There’s a broad range of what counts as bondage.  Perhaps the idea of lightly tying your hero’s hands behind his back and limiting his sense of touch intrigues you.  Maybe the thought of forcing your heroine’s legs apart with a metal bar tied to her feet makes your blood run cold.  Figure out what your comfort level is by doing your research.  Internalize the differences simply by reading.  Do this and when it comes time for you to write that scene you’ll have a natural comfort with the subject matter which will show in your writing.  You can gain a familiarity with a subject without ever having first hand experience with the situation.

Do your research.  There are a ton of sources out there with information on just about any subject.  But you need to remember several things when filtering this information through your brain.  Not every website is reliable.  Not every book will be either. You need to check your sources, research their backgrounds, biases, and determine whether you can trust their information. 

The subject matter alone can lead you into dangerous territory.  Use common sense and educated judgment.  Don’t give your personal information out over the web.  And just because a website looks professional does not mean that it is.  Homemade websites can have all the flash of a legitimate one.  There are plenty of people in the world who consider themselves experts on a subject without any background, education, or experience to back up the claim. 

As a writer, your story will provide information to readers whether you intend it to or not.  People who are interested in a subject but not confident enough to gain more specific information themselves might use your book as a how-to guide.  Your research sources must be reliable so that the information in your books is also a reliable source for your readers. 

Also, you need to remember that all the research in the world can’t give you the feel of an actual experience.  No, I’m not telling you to call up your neighbor for a spanking session.  What I’m saying is that you’re going to need to filter all the knowledge you’ve gained through your character’s senses, reactions and emotions.  When you’re writing about something with no first-hand experience, work extra hard to gain a believable feel for the situation.  Characterization is key.  You must have an excellent grasp on their responses because you’ve already got one hole in your knowledge base.  It’s almost impossible to write an excellent scene with two. 

Remember, in the end, you’re the person who is closest to your characters.  You get to decide how they might react to having their hands tied behind their back and their nipples clamped.  There is no right or wrong; there is only what works for them and the story. 

Don’t push yourself or your story.  Just because erotic romance is hot right now, don’t push yourself, your story, or your characters in that direction simply because you want to ride the trend.  If you do, the end result will come out feeling forced, unbelievable, and false.  While you might not ever try a ménage, there has to be some part of you that is intrigued by the idea in order to feel comfortable with writing that type of scene.  If you aren’t, then don’t write it.

Writing is all about emotional response.  As a writer, I only know a scene is working when it calls up an emotional reaction inside me.  That reaction should bleed over onto the page and hopefully, prompt the same things in your readers.  If your response to a situation is fear and loathing, that will come out in the scene. 

Erotic romance, and all it entails, isn’t for everyone.  That’s okay.  The writing world is constantly going through changes.  If this trend isn’t for you, the next one will be.

But if the idea of writing multiple partners, pushing yourself and your characters to try new things, or even torturing them with pleasure intrigues you - then don’t be afraid to take a few steps forward out of your comfort zone. Writing offers us all the chance to try something new, to step safely into a world we normally wouldn’t think of entering.  The experience we find behind that door might just shock, intrigue and pleasure – both you and your readers.

Back Under the Bleachers

The Q&A of S&M by Alexandra Frost

Taboo. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think of the world of sadism and masochism (S&M). Misunderstood. That’s the second word I think of.

To a person whose own experience is the sexual equivalent of white bread (vanilla in S&M terms), the world of S&M can be unfamiliar, confusing and downright scary. As the world of erotic romances grows in popularity, readers may be exposed to things they’ve never heard of or remotely considered doing. You mean you like to be tied up? And spanked? What is WRONG with you?

Well, that is a good question. Let’s address this up front. What is wrong with the person who enjoys that sort of thing? Maybe they were spanked by their buxom, blonde, Swedish nanny as a child and liked it. (Did anyone actually have one of those?) Maybe they spend all day in charge and like to turn over the control of their nights to someone else. Maybe nothing is wrong with them. The thrill of something taboo can be enough of an allure to someone. In a past life, I did home romance parties that sold lotions, lingerie and battery operated appliances. Included in our list of items were blindfolds, handcuffs, body swings, nipple clamps, and a variety of whips. You’d be surprised how many sweet grandmother-types went home with a full arsenal of goodies that put ME to shame.

So, don’t worry that having a sexual interest in this area will label you or your character as some sort of deviant. The average “do-it-yourselfer” just enjoys the occasional night of playing it rough to spice things up. No harm there.

If it is so popular, why does it have such a stigma? I'm not an expert but I think this is because, as with most things, there is a full spectrum of activities that fall under the umbrella of S&M. On one side is the lighter stuff, so to speak. A little bondage, maybe a whip, a blindfold…even some liquid latex. You might get a little bruised up or rope burned, but no one goes home seriously injured. The darker side of S&M is probably the side that gets the exposure and earns S&M the bad reputation it has. Activities that appear to border on torture or rape can often be included in the S&M category. Some people enjoy inflicting pain or having pain inflicted upon them. We won’t elaborate on why here, just know that delving into this world you might run into it. Be prepared – know the language and the person you’re involved with. As they say, “keep it safe, sane and consensual.”

In this article, we’re going to stick with the lighter side of S&M – the stuff that causes you to arch an eyebrow and go “Hmm…wonder what that’s like?” when you run across it in a book. At first, the terms might be a little confusing. The world of S&M has its own vocabulary. Unless you or your character is about to hit an S&M club, you probably don’t need to commit them to memory, but it can help you in the local adult store when you’re trying to find that “do-hickey.”

I’ve put together a basic introduction, followed by some definitions I found in the book “Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns - The Romance and Sexual Sorcery of Sadomasochism” by Philip Miller and Molly Devon.

First, some of the basics. There are many different genres under the umbrella of S&M. The term BDSM incorporates Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS) and Sadomasochism (SM). A BDSM relationship is a consensual exchange of power. An individual agrees to submit to the power and control of another for the purpose of mutual pleasure that does not necessarily include sex. Before that can happen, there must be agreement as to what each side expects out of the relationship or encounter. To have that consent and understanding, the person surrendering power must be able to give consent and come to an understanding.

The intensity of play in these relationships can range from the sensual - where the biggest threat is denial of orgasm - to the infliction of agonizing pain. Other facets might include assigned roles and aspects of humiliation or worship. It all depends on what has been decided between the participants.

While BDSM relationships can serve as a place for sexual exploration, participants should already have some knowledge of who they are and what they like sexually. They should be able to speak openly and honestly about their needs and desires. When these simple guidelines are followed, the door is open for the participants to explore and find sexual gratification together.

Some basic definitions:

Bondage - Any practice involving restraints placed on the body to restrict movement.

Bondage and discipline, B&D - A classic term referring to several sexual practices including: bondage, corporal punishment, and dominant/submissive role play.

Dominance, dominance & submission, D/S, D&S - The consensual empowerment of one partner by the other for erotic enhancement.

Masochism, masochist - The erotic enjoyment of pain, humiliation, and/or of being dominated. One who enjoys pain, etc.

Sadism, Sadist - Deriving sexual pleasure from the giving of pain, humiliation, and/or domination.

Sadomasochism, SM - Advanced sexual practices incorporating the consensual use of pain, humiliation, and power exchange for erotic enjoyment.

Submissive - One who surrenders control of his/her body and behavior to another for erotic play.

Lingo to Know:
I recommend you know a couple of these terms (and any terms mentioned to you!) before you agree to any S&M scene. I have excluded some of the more extreme in favor of, as I said, more novice-friendly items, but do your research. The last thing you want is to sign up for scat or golden showers without knowing what it is! (And if you want to know what it is, look it up. I’m not including it here.)

Code word(s) - Word(s) used in personal ads to disguise various S&M practices (English culture, French culture, Greek, clean, discipline, strict, leather, etc.)

Dominant, Dominatrix - The person who is given control in a consensual exchange of power.

Erotic pain - Stimuli that are painful under normal circumstances, but are pleasurable or arousing in a sexual context.

Erotic restraint - Restricting movement for erotic play. Also, refers to the devices used for said purpose.

Fetish - A sexual fixation on an activity or object.

Fire & Ice - The use of hot and cold for sexual stimulation, especially hot wax dripped from a candle and ice applied to the skin.

Role play - Elaboration of one's sexual inclinations by creating a fantasy framework for them.

Sensory deprivation - Restricting or diluting a submissive's ability to use one or more of his/her senses of touch, hearing, sight, taste, or smell as a part of an SM scene (does not include deprivation of air – air is important!)

Spanking - Striking a submissive, usually with an open hand, on his/her fanny.

Vanilla - Describes things, activities and people who are not part of the SM scene.

Whipping - The act of beating a submissive.

Tools of the Trade:
Toys and tools are important with any hobby. Tools can vary from clothespins to wall mounted units you can strap your partner to while you whip them. For those of you that don’t have a basement torture chamber, lets just focus on the goodies you can hide in your bedside drawer…

Cat or cat o' nine tails - refers to all multi-thonged whips.

Clamp - Nipple clamps, clothespins, and binder clips are used to pinch or squeeze a small bit of flesh. The target areas for clamping are nipples, cocks, vulvas and other erotically sensitive areas such as the sides of the torso and inner thighs.

Collar, collared - 1) A symbol of surrender worn by a submissive. 2) A piece of bondage equipment worn around the throat.

Cuff, cuffing - Placing handcuffs, manacles, or similar restraints on the wrists and/or ankles.

Handcuff - These metal shackles are used to bind wrists by law enforcement personal legally and by sadomasochists, covertly. FYI, real handcuffs are considered weapons and are illegal to own in most areas of the US. Most novelty stores carry look-alikes that have easy release latches, just in case you misplace that pesky key.

Paddle, paddling - A rigid flat-surfaced implement usually of leather or wood used for spanking.

Whip - A whip is an object used to beat a submissive. May include use of canes, crops, paddles, etc., as well as single and multiple-lash whips.

Safety First:
Safety is always important, especially if you are a novice. Responsible S&M practitioners will always make sure the following are always a part of their scenes or play.

Checking-in - Asking the submissive how they are doing, feeling, etc. during a scene. Specific questions get more useful answers. Checking-in should not replace a dominant's own observation and focus, it is another part of the safety net.

Consensual - Behavior or activities agreed to by all parties involved. True consent is informed consent and requires a reasonably accurate knowledge of possible risks.

Limit - The boundaries of SM activities set by both dominant and submissive during negotiation defining what each is willing and unwilling to do within a scene. Limits apply to roles, levels of dominance, time, as well as physical activities such as whipping or paddling.

Negotiation - The process of determining the practices and boundaries of sexual and SM activities between partners. It may apply to the whole relationship or just a specific scene.

Safe, sane, and consensual - Characterizes the acceptable play within the SM community; players adhere to safety precautions within their activities.

Safe word, Safe signal - A word, a phrase, or an action used by the submissive as a signal to stop the scene or reduce the intensity.

So, if you or your characters are thinking of dabbling in a little S&M fun, I think I’ve covered most of the bases. This is enough to get you started and keep you out of some sticky situations you’d rather avoid. There’s a plethora of information available online – if you dare to Google it – but be prepared to dig and run across some rather weird stuff in the process. Personally, I’d just buy a few items that intrigue you and your partner and go from there.

Here’s to keeping it safe, sane and consensual.

Back Under the Bleachers

Q&A With Robin Schone

BIO: USA Today Bestselling author Robin Schone lives in a Chicago suburb with her music aficionado husband, and is a staunch defender of human rights and women’s sexuality.  She has written five novels and two novellas.  Her work has been translated into seven languages. 

Playground Monitor: Robin, can you tell our readers a little about your road to publication? Did you set out to write erotic romance? Or was that something that evolved?

PM: Did you find it hard to break into this genre? And what about marketing? Is it more difficult to market erotica than mainstream romance?

PM: When I first looked into reading erotica, the name Robin Schone kept appearing as the one writer who was able to make it hot but keep it sensual. It’s very easy to write a love scene and fall into the trap of merely describing the physical action and body parts. How do you make each love scene you write interesting and unique and also maintain a high level of sensuality?

PM: Everyone jokes about doing research for love scenes. But historical writers such as yourself have to be factual in your writing. Has there ever been any really unusual research that you’ve done? Has research ever led you somewhere you never expected? Any good research tips to share with fellow writers?

PM: Erotica seems to be one of the fastest growing genres in writing today. Do you have any opinions about why this is happening? And in what ways, if any, do you see the erotica industry changing?

As to how I see the erotica industry changing . . . it is no longer simply a man’s market.  That alone will continue growing the business.

PM: Variety is the spice of life as the old saying goes. So how do you come up with new sexual experiences for your characters, especially if it’s not something you’ve ever done before or particularly care to do?

RS: My characters determine the variety and frequency of sex.  For example, in The Lover, Michael has an aversion to chocolate.  When Anne is subjected to the same kind of torture that he had endured as a child, he determines to eradicate both his and her fear, and replace it with the pleasure they derive through intimacy.  The sex, in that instance, is healing.  That scene - where he rubs chocolate all over her body and licks it off - would never work in another book, because it was based upon Michael and Anne.  Their needs, not mine.  It doesn’t matter if I like it - or if I’ve tried it  - it’s what they do and like that counts.  I see my job as a writer as putting myself in the shoes of my characters, not forcing them into mine.

PM: What question about writing erotica do you wish people would stop asking?

RS: I am going to assume by “people,” you mean interviewers.  It is strange, to be approached solely because I “write” erotica, because I don’t consider myself an erotica author.  I suppose, due to the graphic sex in my books, that I have to be labeled as such.  But I don’t catagorize my work; nor do I write to fit a genre.  I tried that once, to write a book to fit the Blaze line.  Couldn’t do it.  I mean, I wrote it, but I fought myself every step of the way.  My hero was very dark and complex, but that’s not what the line called for.  In the end, I wrote a book that neither the editor nor I liked.  Which is a roundabout way to say, I think my books are about more than “sex.”  I have been told that some of my scenes make good masturbatory material, but I’ve also received so many letters thanking me for my honest portrayal of sexuality, and for the hope that I’ve given, that they, too, might some day experience love and intimacy.

PM: What question about writing erotica do you wish people would ask and don’t?

RS: Do you know, I think it might be nice to be asked: what does it feel like - after working your buns off trying to accurately portray the times and lives of your hero/heroines - to be summed up, simply, as a sex writer? 

Romance and erotica share so many things: it’s unfortunate that stereotyping is one of them.  All erotica authors do not write the same, just as all romance authors do not write the same.  Yet at the base core of both erotica and romance is the simple need for contact, whether the duration of that relationship is an hour, or fifty years long.  I wish, in an interview, I could give more helpful tips on how to write “erotica,” but there really aren’t any.  It doesn’t matter what genre you write, the same rules apply: editors - and readers - want a good, well-researched story, strong characterization, and solid writing.  The best source of information on how to write erotica is the publisher itself, because each one prints their own particular brand.

PM: Anything else you’d like to add?

Back Under the Bleachers

Q&A with Erotica Author Eden Bradley

Eden Bradley writes erotica and sensual romance in between her duties as book review editor and member liaison at RomanceDivas.com, an award-winning romance writers’ resource website and discussion forum, where she has published several articles on writing love scenes under the name Lisa Bradley.

Her first erotic story, HEAT WAVE, is available now at www.Phaze.com as part of their Heat Sheet Sparkler series. She has two erotic novels due to be released from Bantam Dell, and more projects in the works. Please check her website for release dates coming soon!

Eden lives in sunny Southern California with the love of her life and a small menagerie. When not busy writing, she enjoys a sybaritic life of cooking, eating, gardening, shopping (especially for shoes!), traveling, lounging and reading everything she can get her hands on. She particularly adores sultry, sensual stories of love.

Q:  How do you go about creating FRESH love scenes?  How do you make each one interesting and unique and also maintain a level of sensuality?  It’s easy to fall into the “Tab A goes into Slot B” trap, so how do you avoid that?

Each person is a unique individual, and so should our characters be. If you have deep, well developed characters, then their sex scenes will be unique. A sex scene is about so much more than what goes where; it’s about what your characters are thinking, feeling, sensing. The way to bring sensuality into a sex scene, or into any scene for that matter, is by paying attention to all five senses. What does a lover’s skin feel like, taste like, smell like? Are there scents and sounds in the background? Describing a fire crackling in the hearth, a cool ocean breeze coming through an open window, can add wonderful sensual detail. It’s also about response. Don’t say just that he touched her somewhere, describe how she responds, both physically and emotionally. This puts your reader into your character’s head, drawing them into the scene.
Vocabulary is also important. It’s easy to rely on words we’re already familiar with. Learn to love your thesaurus!

Q:  Research:  Everyone jokes about it, but obviously you have to be factual in your writing.  Would you mind telling us about any interesting research you’ve done.  Any good research tips?

Number one is to DO your research! Don’t get lazy, and don’t make assumptions about material you’ve had no actual real life experience with. Talk to people, other writers, cruise the Internet, but try to make sure you’re getting accurate information. Check and double check. If you’re researching a subject for a sex scene, you can’t be shy. And you’d be surprised at what people are willing to talk about!
Much of my erotica work is bondage and BDSM themed. One of the most important aspects of this kind of experience is psychological, which is why it fascinates me-I was a psychology major in college. This is not material that can be approached lightly, or without being informed. I’ve had some very interesting discussions with people in the course of my research! Sometimes they tell you a bit more than you really want to hear, but I’m not someone who is at all uncomfortable discussing sex, so for me it’s not a problem. I think it’s good to push your own boundaries a bit, but there’s no use in trying to write material you’re really uncomfortable with.

Q:  Did you find it hard to break into this genre?  And what about marketing?  Is it more difficult to market erotica than mainstream romance?

Right now the erotica market is hot! This is the perfect time to break into it, with so many of the big New York publishers opening erotica lines. I’ve been writing erotica for 20 years, so I was more than ready!
Marketing is a bit different with erotica because you have to be careful not to expose your explicit material to minors. I have a warning on the front page of my website, and you have to be careful when doing promotional chats about posting excerpts and keeping your language PG.
There are review sites and Yahoo! groups that cater exclusively to erotic material, and they’re a wonderful way to get in touch with readers.

Q:  How do you see the erotica industry changing?

I think women’s attitudes about their own sexuality are changing; women are recognizing themselves as sexual, sensual beings, which I think is wonderful! And the publishers have to recognize this evolution in attitude because they can’t argue with the sales figures. Hence the big publishing houses jumping on the erotica bandwagon. This will make quality erotic material more available to readers. I think we may start to see erotic literature marketed in a more mainstream fashion.

Q:  How do you come up with new things for your characters to do, especially if it’s not something you’ve ever done before?

Let’s just say I’m a very liberal, open-minded person with a vivid imagination. I’ve never been shy about sex, so even if there are things I haven’t actually experienced before, I’ve probably thought about it or had a discussion with someone else about it.

Q:  What question about writing erotica do you wish people would stop asking?

‘Isn’t it just porn?’

Q:  What question about writing erotica do you wish people would ask and don’t?

I’d like for people to ask why it’s different from porn with an open mind about the answer. There is a huge difference. Porn is just sex. Erotica is sex, but it’s also sensuality, emotion, personal journey, and often about love.

Back Under the Bleachers

10 Steps to Great Sex Scenes by Kira Sinclair

As the reigning Queen of Steam on the playground I’ve been given a crown and scepter – well, okay, it’s more like I snagged them while the others weren’t looking.  But possession is nine-tenths of the law around here so I’m gonna use them.
And my first order of business is passing along some hard-earned wisdom.  As much as it pains me to admit, my steamy hot scenes don’t pop up onto the page that way.  But as I’ve grown as a writer I’ve discovered ten sure fire steps to heat up any tepid scene – especially the fun ones.