Liz Everly's Blog, page 147

Sexy Saturday Round-up

By Liz Everly and the Lady Smut Bloggers

Hello, Sexy! This week has been crazy for me. I’m writing this before I leave for Albany, NY, where Bouchercon is being held this year. So, as you are reading this, I am in Albany. I’ll be home late tonight so that I can attend the Fall for the Book Festival tomorrow. In the mean time, sit back and relax and read over our round-up. We love doing it and hope you like it too. Don’t forget to subscribe to Lady Smut!

From Liz:

When your ex who dumped you is propositioning porn stars on Twitter. Bitch Magazine to the rescue.

Criticizing other fiction writers. Good or bad?

Becoming on of my favorite bloggers, Rebekkah Mee writes about taboos and her experience writing about them. Or not.

What are editors looking for in historical fiction?

From Madeline:

Respect your big-ass clitoris.

Guys are you listening? We’ve posted it before and we’ll post it again: How to be a good kisser!

Here’s a video about Utamaro Shunga –the art of Japanese sex woodblock prints.

Return of big bush? Gwyneth has no use for airstrips or Brazil.

Trauma with the other sex doesn’t stop just because you’re no longer subscribing to SEVENTEEN Magazine.  Submit your grown-up traumatic/humiliating/funny stories about sex and whatever else on this new Tumblr collaborative project TRAUMARAMA.

The Barbie? Dog-ears? Welcome to the world of Labiaplasty!

From Elizabeth:

12 things that should make you awesomely happy. Try a few!

Relationship tips from someone who’s been around the block – a 98-year-old woman.

The Frisky ranks Cosmopolitan’s 12 kinky quicky sex moves.

Celebrating our fantastic racks! 8 great things about boobs.

Stay Hungry,

Liz

Chastity Flame at Bouchercon

by C. Margery Kempe

I’m away at Bouchercon, the mystery & crime writers conference, so here’s a teaser from my forthcoming Chastity Flame novel A Cut-Throat Business which I’m promoting there along with my noir titles.

Chastity groaned and collapsed on the bed. “You’re spoiling me.”

Damien threw himself down beside her and chuckled. “That’s my intention.” They had not got out of bed for more than a quick trip to the door for takeaway since the day before, and even with the windows open all you could smell was the rich scent of pleasure emanating from the tangle of linen enfolding them.

“Now that my fiendish plan has been revealed, Miss Twelfty Flame, I’m afraid I am going to have to kill you. Let me explain the intricacies of my evil plan while I stroke my little kitty cat.”

Chastity squealed as he tried to slip his hand between her thighs again, tickling her tender skin. “Naughty man. I have to go wee.” She hopped out of bed and padded to the loo, smiling like a loon. Funny how easily that came to her lately.

“Have a wee?” Damien called from the bedroom. “Our government’s most highly trained super secret-except-when-she’s-not agent says, ‘I’m going to have a wee’? Oh, no no no. This cannot be. My image of the sexy life of undercover agents has been imploded.”

Chastity laughed as she took stock of her bed head in the mirror. “And you, Mr Former Agent? Are you always as tough talking as a film gangster? I seem to recall you awwing over a puppy just yesterday morning. Would James Bond chuck a pug under the chin?”

“It was an English Springer Spaniel, it was no pug,” Damien said, indignant. “Learn your dog breeds, missy.”

So this is what it’s like, Chastity thought. I could get used to it, this happiness thing. There was a part of her that resisted happiness yet, waiting for an explosion of some kind. Literally, she realised, thinking of Adele’s near-demise. A shudder went through her, but it helped to remember that Damien’s sister was fine, in fact she was off living the high life in Manhattan right about now. “What shall we do today? We need to visit the outside world from time to time.”

“Must we?” Damien looked up as she came back into the bedroom and his eyes drank her in with evident delight. “Damn, but you’re beautiful, Twelfty.”

Chastity had been told by many people how beautiful she was over the years, but somehow it meant so much more when accompanied by his silly nickname for her. “You’re a lovely man, too, my sweet.” She sat down on the edge of the bed, but when he tried to pull her back down beside him, she resisted. “But we need to get out and walk around, stretch our legs. As delightful a workout as this has been, I feel my muscles atrophying.”

Damien sighed with exaggerated theatricality. “All right. Let’s wander over to the museum and see the Egyptian statues, and we can have lunch at the Museum Tavern or one of those little cafes around there.”

“That sounds good.” Chastity leaned over to kiss him.

“And if we feel the urge, we won’t be too far away to run back here.”

Out October 7th from Tirgearr Publishing! Get the original Chastity Flame or the sexy sequel Lush Situtation now.

Pressing The Flesh & Being a Good Book Ho: Tips For Romance Writers

Deanna Raybourn is so funny on Twitter.

By Madeline Iva

Howdy fair citizens!  What a new age we’re entering in the world of books, authors, social media, readers, and the interactions between all four.  While Victoria Dahl, Deanna Raybourn, and Vicki Pettersson have won me over on Twitter with their one liners,  Grace Burrowes expresses dry wit on her website. Meanwhile, Joanna Bourne’s meticulously researched and engaging posts on Word Wenches wow me every time.

Victoria Dahl is another writer who cracks me up on Twitter. Alas, she lives in the Rockies, far away from VA Book Fest

How many of you are friends on Facebook with a favorite romance author? I love being friended by a big name author.  Do you ever have direct interactions with that author on Facebook–what about on Twitter? I’ve gotten to do that a few times.  It gives me a buzzing tingle that can last for hours.  So much fun! I’ve also been drawn to authors who are a riot on social media — after making me laugh so hard, I simply had to buy their work.

Yet how often do you go see romance writers up close and in person?  I organize romance panels for Virginia Festival of the Book and most of my work takes place through email and social media.

The best part of my job organizing romance panels for Virginia Festival of the Book is:

A) Seeing romance writers in action.  The women who participate in our romance panels are funny, witty, charming, and/or have such heart–I leave at the end of the day feeling all happy inside and dying to read more of their work.

B) Getting introduced to new writers who apply to the festival–which opens me up to new awesome writers like Jennifer Armentrout.

C) Seeing another charming facet to authors I love through social media.  Sometimes there’s a whole interesting side of authors that may not come through her books but comes out in social media.  Are you fascinated by this? I am.

I also love hearing about the process of writing books from authors in person.  I enjoy hearing about the ‘secrets’ that authors use to create their special brand of magic.  Most of all, I geek out on all that historical research some authors do that’s so incredibly juicy, but for one reason or another never makes it into the book.

Yet all these panels are a chance to form a dialogue.  We hear from the author and we can speak to the author.  Some authors share what a lot of their other reader’s have responded, so that’s even more of a dialogue.

Meanwhile, I’ve learned so much as a writer through the process of choosing other writers.   If you happen to be a writer, here are some things you might want to think about:

Some of the romance books authors sent into the fest.

SELECT YOURSELF: Show us you want to be invited by applying earlier, rather than later.  By the time I start picking authors, many people–whether big names or small–have already applied and sent in their books.  It’s much easier for us to reach out to you if we know you already want to say yes.

THE AUDITION: Once we have your books, the next thing we do is check out who you are on your website. Your website is crucial.  There  are things we want to find out–and we want to find them out fast.  This is so we can get a sense of 1) the size of the audience you’ll potentially draw 2) if you’d be a good panelist 3) How far away you live from us and 4) What kind of romance do you write?

If I happen to be looking for one more romantic suspense author for my romantic suspense panel and your website reeks of romantic suspense visually–then my work is done.

Finally, if your website isn’t helping, or if we’re on the fence,  I’ll go and check you out on social media.   If you posted something recently that was engaging–by which I mean, sexy, warm, funny, brave, intelligent, or perverse — then you sound like a good panelist to me and  my work is done.

If your post is okay, but not thrilling, well…it’s harder to say yes under those circumstance.  But I might — it depends. How many friends have you got? How many people follow you? People like Pamela Palmer with strong followings will usually bring out a big crowd, so we look for that.

Writers can be huge introverts, so the reality is that some excellent authors are not the best panelists, and vice versa.  The more you can help me realize that you’re an outgoing, intelligent person who would do well in front of an audience, the more likely I am to try to contact you.

One of last year’s panels: (left to right) Jeaniene Frost, Kim Harrison, Pamela Palmer, and Vicki Pettersson. I was crushing out on Vicki by the end of the panel–and so was the audience. She’s a riot on Twitter too.

I’m also more likely to contact you if I know where you live–even just knowing the state/region you live in helps.  Also an email address that’s easy to find on your website always helps, and your upbeat enthusiasm in your reply to the email helps as well.

Other tips you might not have realized:

Candace Havens is an awesome book ho.

BE A GOOD BOOK HO FOR YOUR FRIENDS: Candace Havens talks about being a ‘Book Ho’.  By this she means that while it’s sometimes hard to promote herself, she relentlessly promotes her friends and their books to everyone.  Yes a writer may sell a lot–but will she deliver the goods in front of an audience? You’d be surprised by how many people get invited to be on a panel because someone else recommended them, said they were a great panelist, or indicated that the author was highly interested in this opportunity.

YOUR LAST PANEL IS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION: God help you if you are rude to someone at another festival or bookstore –I mean really rude or emotionally inappropriate in person or over email, because word gets around.  It’s not that people who organize panels have big egos–it’s that no one wants to have an author  in front of the public who might lose it.

Also, I’ve found that people are quick to point out writers who talk on and on and on.  We’re looking for people who can share the space and be generous to other fellow authors.  I’ve been eager to invite someone to be on a panel simply because I saw her on another panel and she was good at doing the job of entertaining the audience.  I’ve been eager to invite someone back simply because they were so good the year before.

WANT TO BE ON A PANEL? THEN MODERATE IT: My observation even before I started organizing panels is that moderators make or break a panel depending on how good they are.  I’ve seen crowds won over by moderators and want to buy their books too.  I also know of people who agreed to moderate, but then when a panelist dropped out at the last minute they ended up being on a panel.  That happened last year, and funny enough, the same exact thing happened to the moderator this year at a different festival.  That’s two panels she’s been on that she originally was moderating.  Which is two panels more than people who turn up their nose at moderating.

Joshilyn Jackson: brilliant author, fabulous panelist and one spectacular book ho.

What do you like best about seeing authors in person? Let me know in the comments.

And please follow our blog!

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No Doubt About It – Doubt Is Evil

My local RWA monthly chapter meetings generally proceed with a more or less consistent agenda: we discuss new business, hold an author round-up about what we’re all working on, and then begin our critique sessions. Steady as she goes.

But last Saturday’s meeting swayed a bit off course when it came to the critique session. One of our regular writers didn’t so much need help with her manuscript, she needed help dealing with her highly critical father. Dear ol’ dad, it seems, is himself a published author (this particular member is not yet published). But instead of lending fatherly wisdom and praise to his aspirational daughter, he’s crushing her with the biggest stick he can find – doubt.

How many really great would-be writers’ careers have been destroyed before they’ve ever gotten off the ground because of doubt? How many critically acclaimed and highly successful authors have found themselves paralyzed by doubt’s destructive ways, questioning whether they really have it in them to write another word? Doubt is an evil, toxic brew. It flows through a writer’s mind like venom, killing creativity and snuffing out hope.

Once a mind has been poisoned with doubt, the damage can be significant. Our chapter member, for example, was questioning whether she can or should write romances because the seeds of doubt her father planted have sprouted long, strong roots. Her father scoffs at romance novels and emphatically brags that he could “easily” write one of them. He even sat down at the keyboard and started banging one out, just to show her.  And our chapter member? She’s now doubting whether to go on.

Of course we encouraged her – and had a few choice words about dad – but in the end, she’s now struggling against doubt’s hellish weight. It’s the Sisyphean boulder, ever present and on the verge of rolling down the hill and crushing our dreams. Shakespeare eloquently wrote, “Our doubts are traitors and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to attempt.” (Measure for Measure).

The other tough thing about doubt is that it ambushes us at our most vulnerable. When we’ve just gotten a heartbreaking rejection from an agent or editor with whom we thought we had a shot. When we’re battered and bruised, trying to lick our wounds, doubt is the little troll sitting on our shoulder and whispering insidious things in our ears like, “Hey, bonehead. You didn’t actually think you could write one of these books, did you? And get it published? Are you kidding?!” Then the f**king thing cackles like a witch while we hang our heads in shame, wondering if the bastard’s on to something.

Remember, however, that when it doubt, kick doubt’s ass. It might not go down without a fight, but it can go down and it will go down. And bear in mind, doubt is a struggle against which we’re graced with plenty of company. And that’s OK. As critic Robert Hughes’ said, “The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.”

Linda Lovelace and Her “Ordeal”

By Liz Everly

“The worse type of bondage is psychological.”   Detective C.T. Sluder,  Writer’s Police Academy Session on Human Trafficking

You know how you’re reading a book and then something in real life pops up that relates to it or deepens your understanding of it? This happened to me when I attended the Writer’s Police Academy a few weeks back. I was reading “Ordeal” by Linda Lovelace and Mike McGrady. And I had almost given up on it because I was thinking: seriously, can anybody be this stupid? Shame on me. I am a compassionate person, but her story just seemed like overkill. But it wasn’t.

Linda Lovelace and Chuck Traynor, her abusive husband.

The story of “Ordeal” is the story of how Linda Lovelace of “Deep Throat” fame was forced into prostitution and porn films. It’s a hard story to read—I was just so frustrated with this naïve person who at the age of twenty went to live with a man she barely knew. She had been abused by her mother for years, which left her wide open to men who like to prey on women. She trusted him because he was nice to her. Then, after he gained her trust, he began to force her to perform sex with other men for money. He beat her. He held a gun to her head. But more than all of this, he continually berated her and told her she wasn’t pretty, she wasn’t good in bed, and often pointed out other inadequacies. She believed him.

The couple of times she tried to escape ended in more violence. Apparently, this went on for years.

I found this really frustrating and hard to believe by the middle of the book. I kept thinking how much more could she take? Why could not she escape?

Than I took this class and learned about human trafficking and how real psychological bondage can be. Then I understood that with was the same exact thing Lovelace was dealing with. I had been thinking “Okay, this woman is really young and scared. But really?” Yes, really. And I also understand that everybody would not react in the same way.I think that some women would have fought more—but may have ended up dead.

In fact, one of the times she did manage to escape, she wrote about how she felt like she was coming out of a fog, like parts of her had been missing for years. Apt description.

I was hoping for more insight into the porn industry—much of what she wrote was the cliché porn industry stuff, which I suppose proves that some cliché’s are there for a reason. Her “husband” Chuck Traynor was in charge of her money (millions), had all of the control, and many of the other men in the business availed themselves to her anytime they wanted. Maddening, heh?

Toward the end of her life, after escaping Traynor and his ilk, she did find love and I suppose that makes it more of a happy ending than what you might expect.

The book made me wonder how much of this coercion goes on today with young women in the porn industry. We like to think it doesn’t. We read about new regulations on the industry and new kinds of porn companies. But I wonder.

I recommend this book—but go in with your eyes open—it will make you think, cringe, cry, and very angry.

In other news, I will be on this panel on this coming Sunday—so if you are in Virginia, please stop by.

Best of the Best! My Top Ten Favorite Posts

Elizabeth Shore and I both love all things gothic and horror related.

Hi Lady Smut fiends and friends!

Today in celebration of our one year anniversary, I’m picking ten of my favorite posts by the Lady Smut bloggers.   I recall each of these posts fondly because they are gems that inspired me.  They took me from my hum-drum world of dishes, laundry, and word counts into a world of rogues and femme fetales, a forbidden suggestion of pearl chokers, cologne, and fingers crawling up my spine.  A land of bee skeps, brawny lads in kilts, luscious dripping chocolate, and more…

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Liz Everly doesn’t beat around the bush. Just like Liz, her post “Shut Up and F–k Me!” doesn’t mince words.

Big smootchies to my favorite gals–Liz Everly, Elizabeth Shore, and CMK

– this year has been so inspiring and fun.  XO, Madeline.

TOP TEN BLOG POSTS:

From Elizabeth Shore:

Can Erotic Horror Be Romantic?

Smelling All Men

All Choked Up About Taboo

Fops. Rogues. Femme Fatales. CMK’s richly layered imagination takes me out of this world and into a place of rumpled, decadent, luxury.

From CMK:

Friday Fun: Rogues

Friday Fun: Fops

Friday Fun: Femme Fatales

From Liz Everly:

Shut Up and F–k Me!

Praising Men in Kilts

Miley Cyrus Needs A Spanking And Not The Sexy Kind

This cover inspired one of my first posts. I love all thinks pulpy — and the erotic fantasy and titillation of rediscovering men was the best part of this book.

And one from me–just to round it out:

World Without Men: They Had Forgotten What Men Looked Like!

Sexy Saturday Round-Up

By Liz Everly and the Lady Smut Bloggers

Photo by Dollen

Hello sexy! We hope you’re having a fabulous weekend. This Saturday’s round-up includes some fun and sexy posts, as well as some good writing and industry links. Enjoy!

From Liz:

Top five women’s sexual fantasies.

Indian men have the least sex? Shame!

Kristin Lamb asks:  Are we  being busy or fruitful?

From CMK

How to Pitch Your Project

Jacobean Plays about Women to be featured at RSC

From Madeline:

The spy who slobbered on me.

Everybody hates Miley.

But maybe Miley got the idea by watching the sexiest cat walk ever? (The underwear is hot, but I’m still rolling my eyes.)

Links—to more Links! Jane Friedman’s top 8 picks for what you need to know about writing.

From Elizabeth:

KT Grant gives us her take on writing strong female characters.

Casting change on Game of Thrones! Dany’s love interest, formerly played by Ed Skrein is now played by Michiel Huisman. Frankly, I think the new guy’s hotter.

Don’t spook  your guy in bed by doing any of these things.

Ladies, get to know yourself better . . . down there.

Stay Hungry,

Liz

Guest Blogger: Susan Hanniford Crowley

The So Sexy Vampire King of New York

by Susan Hanniford Crowley

What makes a character sexy?

With Maximillion Vander Meer, Vampire King of New York, it was easy. Not that Max is easy by any means. He has 16 progeny, none of which were or are lovers. So he hasn’t gone the usual route that vampires choose to find or make a mate. He’s kept his sexual liasons just that.

Ladies remember the tall, blond, well-built and wonderfully endowed, past Viking and current CEO with a smile. He is famous for his champagne baths. Max is class all the way. He’s good natured, has a sense of humor, and really listens to what his lady has to say.

Here is a love scene from Vampire King of New York. Max has been injured in battle and one of the ways of healing is through sex with one’s lifemate. Evelyn doesn’t believe she’s his lifemate. (If a human touches a vampire, and that vampire is warm then they are lifemates.)  ~

Max tried not to moan, while his body healed itself internally. She rubbed his back and he turned. ​

“I cannot sleep. I should go home rather than keep you up.” ​

“I don’t want you to suffer anymore.” She brushed her lips against his. ​

He pressed against her possessing her mouth. “Evelyn, I love you.”

She didn’t say it back. Evelyn just kissed him again. For an instant, that bothered him. He wanted her to say it, but perhaps it would just require more patience and coaxing on his part. Tonight it would be enough that she didn’t want him to suffer. Since that night in the museum, his hunger for her grew exponentially, but he had to restrain himself and go slow. He couldn’t afford to scare her away.

​Their lips parted and he realized that she was looking at him, gazing straight into his eyes. She caressed his shoulders and it felt wonderful. Evelyn kissed every bit of his skin she had access to. His hands slipped down to her breasts, his thumb rubbing her nipples into tight peaks. ​Evelyn threw back her head, her eyes closed. A small smile curved her lips.

He lifted himself up then lowered his head to her breast where his tongue could take full advantage. He suckled and she whimpered. Max didn’t want to show his amusement when her hands seem to wander aimlessly over his body. ​With one hand, he caressed between her legs. She was already wet.

He was ready, too. More than ready. He slid inside her, filling her soft, moist velvet sheath. Evelyn gasped then moaned. Her eyes opened and gazed into his. ​Max paused mid thrust. ​ ​A small sigh escaped her lips. She reached up and, grasping his hair, urged him down into a kiss, a deep lingering kiss.

He pushed into her, driving them both into a hot ecstasy. Her every kiss on his skin ignited the fire in his blood. His every kiss on her satin skin made her whimper. Her every movement and sound spurred him on, made him wild with passion. Still he held back, not wanting to hurt her. Evelyn was human and he had to protect her.

Even if it meant from him.

He nuzzled her neck and pushed deep into her. ​“Max,” she whispered. ​He kissed her taking her sweet breath into him. Faster he rocked, driving their love into a frenzy. ​Her gasps grew more frantic. He felt her shudder. A wave of shivering satisfaction flowed into him. Max smiled, and increased his speed.

Her fingers fell to the sheets clawing them, as another release spread through her. He basked in her enjoyment. Max continued, every part of him wanting to pleasure her further. She moaned, her fingers desperately clutching his back. The moment hit them and together they rode the delicious wave of contentment together.

Max moved onto his side, pulling her into an embrace. Evelyn rested her head on his chest, and he stroked her hair. Her life force moved through him in a funny way, healing him, but caressing him from the inside at the same time. He wanted to say a million things to her, but it was obvious that the day’s events and their passion had exhausted her. Evelyn wore the sweetest smile while asleep…

Vampire King of New York is available at Amazon Kindle & Barnes and Noble Nook.  When Love Survives from my first series Vampires in Manhattan has recently been re-released and is available at Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Kobo, Smashwords, and other fine ebook stores.

Thanks so much for having me, Margery!

~ Susan Hanniford Crowley

Red Velvet and Absinthe: Gothic Paranormal Erotic Romance

by Madeline Iva

I mentioned RED VELVET AND ABSINTHE on my 10 obsessions list and wanted to rock out a little more about my fondness for all things gothic.

The collection is edited by Mitzi Szereto, with a forward by Kelly Armstrong and not only is it paranormal erotic romance –(which I love) it’s GOTHIC paranormal erotic romance.  Boo-ya!

I adore all the classic gothic authors: Poe, the Brontes, and especially Hoffman, LeFanu and others, but I love gothic in our modern era as well.  Daphne DuMaurier is awesome.  But as Kelly Armstrong mentions in her forward about our interest in all things Gothic:

From Herzog’s Nosforatu

“Classic Gothic literature….has gone in and out of fashion since Walpole.  In the sixties and seventies, it saw a revival with Gothic romantic suspense, most notably in the books of Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, and Mary Stewart.“

(By the way, here’s a great post by Jennifer Brannen with some wonderful gothic romance titles to check out.)

Yes-yes-yes! This brings up a rarefied sub-genre that first introduced me to gothic:  60′s minimalist gothic suspense.

this is an example of a 60′s minimalist gothic romantic suspense novel. The cover is awash in gold and the image of the unicorn, but the book’s setting is modern grey slab chilly through and through.

Check it out–the Golden Unicorn.  While the cover rocks my world and I was obsessed with it when I found it on a dusty shelf in a used book store, the setting inside is much more minimalistic.  You get winter sea and winter sky along with the cold sophistication of wealthy people at cocktail hour in a large frigid house.

Yet the heroine is not from that world.  She was adopted, and brought back to this bleak landscape because someone has died and mentioned her in their will.

There’s also a handsome man lurking in the background.  He’s the so-cold-he’s-burning-hot kind of guy (yum!) and since he’s the only other person under 50 in the whole book, you kinda get the feeling they’re gonna get together, though the romance is super understated and minimalist–just like everything else.

As the first gothic novel I read, there’s much of it that I don’t remember. However, I do remember is the setting.  Gothic is all about the emotional landscape brought to life all around the characters: this book had grey slab rocks, crashing seas, stormy clouds, and a heroine nobody wanted or loved as a child.  Something about the chilliness of the landscape made me feel so cozy in my warm house, with a throw that my grandmother had knit over me.

There were some really great images in Coppola’s Dracula. But it was actually, really derivative of Hertzog’s NOSFORATU– which is AWESOME.

Is that why we love gothic? Because the discomfort, danger, and drama make us appreciate our safety, comfort, and hum-drum day?

I think that’s part of it–but gothic is just a different in flavor from romantic suspense.  Romantic suspense is hard-headed and practical in some ways, like a shot of tequila.

Meanwhile, Mitzi Szereto notes her intro was written on a windswept moor somewhere in England.  How fun–and how fitting. Gothic is more windswept for sure, more lurid, and much more dramatic.  It’s full of hidden chasms that hold shocking surprises and reversals.  It’s more about decadence and perversity, as well as the sad monstrosity that some of us recognize from real life.  In this way paranormal is a perfect fit for gothic.

The interesting question is: how did the authors fit in the erotic aspect of the stories?  I’m all for settings that inspire a We-Shouldn’t-Have-Sex-But-I-Guess-We’re-Going-To-Anyway kind of moment.  For the heroine in The Golden Unicorn a little heat under the covers action would have been so welcome in that numb world.

I love all things Edward Gorey. He is the lighter side of gothic.

Those kind of bad-choice moments make me squeal with happiness on the inside.   I love it when the major consequences to having that sex are revealed in the ugly light of day.  I love it when things go from exciting to bad to worse.

And yes, I love it when the storm finally passes away and you get the crazy gold light against the black storm clouds.  It puts me into an aesthetic frenzy and the raindrops hanging from every surface seem so rich and full of meaning.

Another image from NOSFORATU

All-in-all I simply cannot get enough of this gothic revival in romance.  I hope the trend continues to grow–not only within collections like Red Velvet–but within the various historical, paranormal, and erotic categories.

Thanks for stopping by today–please share your favorite gothic-y interest.  And if you haven’t already, please follow our blog.

Where Are All The Asians?

Along with my fellow Lady Smut bloggers, I’m thrilled that the talented writer Alexa Day will soon be joining our regular weekly line-up. Not only does Alexa bring a new voice to our blog, but she also brings something else – diversity to her books through her interracial romances.

Diversity in romance novels has been expanding over recent years. Alexa and other writers are putting African-American/Caucasion relationships on the map, and gay and lesbian romances have found places as well. Once in awhile I’ll see a romance involving a Latino or Latina character, and back in the day I remember a steady release of Cassie Edwards’ romances which always included a Native American hero (or sometimes heroine). So with this welcome influx of heroes and heroines beyond the heterosexual WASP and Western European demographic, I ask myself: where the hell are all the Asians?

China and India alone account for over 2 billion members of the world’s population, so it’s not exactly a stretch to say that those people are having sex. Lots of it. (’cause babies, it turns out, don’t come from storks!) Furthermore, a good many of those shags between the sheets were presumably preceded by romance and dating and courtship. So what gives? With all of the Asians populating this earth, why aren’t they featured in romance novels?

Perhaps the demographic of the readers accounts for some of it. A 2009 RWA survey revealed that the majority of romance readers in the U.S. come from the South (37.1%) followed by the Midwest (25.6%). A review of the dispersion of ethnic backgrounds across the country shows that the South has a strong mix of African American and white – with the Latino population increasing in the Southwest – while the Midwest is predominantly white. So do we make the leap that predominantly white readers want their heroes and heroines to look like they do?

Not sure if that’s the answer, but let’s not beat around the bush. I’m putting the question out there and welcome your input: do we not see more Asian heroes in romance novels because – for many readers – Asian guys just aren’t that hot? If someone were to say to you, “Quick! Think of a sexy Asian guy in the next five seconds,” how many images spring to mind? One? None? Bruce Lee, maybe? (who’s been dead for 40 years). Have the stereotypes about Asian guys tarnished their image to the point where we just don’t see them as heroes? They’re math and computer geeks – so the stereotypes go – or perhaps scientists or engineers. They suck at sports, are socially awkward, can’t drive, and are simply not masculine. Be honest – do any of those images spring to mind?

Something else that I considered while writing this piece, specifically as it pertains to American romance readers, is that the majority of them haven’t been to Asia. It’s a statistical fact that the majority of Americans don’t have passports – only about one-third – so it goes that the majority of them haven’t been to Asia. Could it be that Asia seems so exotic, so mysterious, so darn far away that readers can’t identify with the countries there and, ergo, can’t identify with the guys? One could argue that if the majority don’t have passports then they haven’t been to Europe, either. This is true. However, since many Americans’ ancestors come from Europe, I’m guessing that many would say that they “understand” Europe better than Asia. Even if they haven’t actually been there. Speculation on my part, yes. But I’m sticking by it.

True or not, the sad fact remains that if I want to read a sexy romance with Asian heroes and heroines, the pickings are slim. I don’t have a solution to offer, but I think it’s worthwhile to consider the question. In the meantime, however, and in the spirit of inclusion, I’ve put together a gallery of Asian hotties for your review below. Enjoy! And remember to please follow us. Button’s on the right.