Let’s talk about sex baby…
These may be the well known lyrics by 80’s girl group Salt-N-Peppa and if you know the song, I bet you are now singing it in your head. As I write this blog, my husband is whistling the tune whilst he works. But I want to share some thoughts…
When you write a romance novel, the aim is to encourage readers to visualise characters and scenes throughout the story. When you watch a steamy film, it’s easy for viewers to imagine what’s going on, or going to happen. Some films are memorable for their steamy sex scenes. One of my favourite movie clips is from Magic Mike XXL, where one lucky lady gets entertained in a petrol station. Oh my…
When I first decided to write Love is Crystal Clear, it was going to be along the lines of A Fifty Shades book. Isn’t it funny how we often refer back to Mr Grey when we make reference to books with an erotic storyline. However, it didn’t quite end up that way; it wasn’t right for my story.
Ok, there are a few chapters that may make you hot under the collar, but ultimately it’s a book about romance, friendship, self discovery and wellbeing. It’s told in a light hearted way that will resonate with many people, according to reviews. Oh… there is also a frequent reference to crystal dildos. For the record, I do not own one, and my reaction when I first discovered that they existed, was a bit like Henri’s… where do the batteries go? Perhaps I will reach out to a company who supplies them one day, just so I can display it on my book shelf along with my books…
I would like to think that I am quite knowledgeable when it comes to the subject of sex, but sought inspiration when I began to write my novel. I’ve read many steamy fiction books in my lifetime, but I didn’t want to use every day vocabulary when I referred to certain body parts. As luck would have it, I came across an article by Laurel Clarke on the internet, The Sexy Thesaurus: A List of Words to Use in your Romance Novel. I cringed at some of the words listed, but they have made their way into my novel. How many of you have certain words that make you cringe? I’m not talking expletives, just good old fashioned words like plunge or moist. These two words are right at the top of my list of words that make me cringe.
Let’s talk about sex…
Romance novels are one of the best selling genres in the literacy world. I recently joined a Facebook Group – All Romance Readers & Authors – Why Choose? and this weekend, the group have organised an Author Takeover, which I am proud to be part of. They reached their first 1K members milestone before Christmas and numbers are on the up. The world is full of people who want to be caught up in a literacy fantasy.
But why do we say ‘it’s my guilty pleasure’ when we confess to reading such a book?
To most, relationships are very personal and what goes on in the boudoir is a private affair.
We may think about sex a lot or not at all, but do we discuss it with our friends or loved ones? I believe that it is healthy to be able to talk open and honestly about the subject. If my character Maggie hadn’t reached out to Henri for support, and been able to have an honest conversation about her own sex life, who knows what could have happened.
If you have read Love is Crystal Clear then you will know the answer…
Have a great weekend.
Love Joanna 💜