Book Lovers Inc.
Romance Novel Reviews, Author Interviews, Commentary
Guest Post: Kaily Hart + Giveaway
Good day, dear book lovers! We here at BLI are pleased as punch to welcome romance author Kaily Hart for a visit. Kaily, who writes a range of stories from many different sub-genres, is stopping by the blog today to talk about one of our favorite subjects: love scenes in romance books. We all have our preferences, turn-offs, and levels of reading engagement…and Kaily shares some of her own, as both a writer and reader. Please join me in welcoming her to BLI today!
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How Do You Like Your….Love Scenes?
I write hot. Steamy, burn the bed [or insert alternative] down hot. They’re romances first and foremost though. For me, I really believe the love/sex scenes of a book are crucial to the developing relationship in a romance novel. Yeah, you guessed it. You won’t find any closed doors in my books LOL. It’s during these most intimate moments people are perhaps at their most vulnerable and it provides tremendous opportunity for a writer to further the story and develop the characters. What they say, how they touch, their reactions, how they’re effected…all provide rich insight into the characters, their histories and how they’re changing at that moment. A love scene should be important to the story, perhaps a turning point, but at a minimum divulge something about one or both of the characters either to the reader or to each other. It shouldn’t be included “just because” it’s about time they got down and dirty. No, it has to have a specific purpose. At least in my view. AND it also has to be completely consistent with the characters and who they are. This is kind of a pet peeve of mine as a reader. Whatever the characters do or say during these moments has to be an extension of their personalities. It has to feel like something they would say or do or try. It has to reflect where they are at the point of the story or support where they’re going. Of course, they’re also just plain fun to plan and to write. And read LOL.
There are certain things that just don’t work for me during these scenes, both as a writer and as a reader. There are things that can pull me right out the story, out of the emotional connection I have to the characters. It could be a word (there are some that are just “ick” for me) or it could be a phrase I don’t particularly care for. I also don’t want to read a sex manual about tab A and slot B and for it to feel “mechanical.” It’s important for me as an author to weigh what I include in these scenes very carefully and how I handle the intimate moments. This was especially true of my most recent release, RISE OF HOPE. The physical connection between the hero and heroine is very key. “Touch” is a theme of the book and actually throughout the series, so the handling of these very intimate moments had to be crafted with care and purpose. Also, I write in deep Point of View (POV) so it’s very critical I maintain reader engagement and don’t release the tension on the emotional threads of the overall story. I know of course that it’s all very subjective, not everyone likes the same things and everyone’s tastes are different, but as an author you can try and find a middle ground. I know I do.
So, how do you like YOUR love/sex scenes? Are there things that pull YOU out of a story? What qualifies as ‘ick’ for YOU?
…
Rise of Hope (Fabric of Fate, #1) by Kaily Hart
Release Date: August 27, 2012
Publisher: Carina PressA secret ancient race of humans with fantastical abilities, the Vadïm are on the brink of extinction. Many of their women are imprisoned by an organization known as The Assembly, their history all but lost…
Devon Monroe has been a prisoner her entire life. She’s determined to make sense of the strange markings on her body, to learn why no one may touch her, to find where she belongs. That means escaping into the unknown, where she has no choice but to trust her self-appointed protector.
Soldier-for-hire Seth Eastman has a job to do: deliver Devon to safety. When Seth discovers the markings on Devon’s body, he’s stunned at what they mean. And at how she awakens his long-suppressed needs. As they struggle to escape detection and search for the truth of the Vadïm, can he ever hope to claim her for his own?
Read an excerpt of Rise of Hope
Find it at: Carina Press | Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Sony
…
Kaily Hart, a seemingly straight-laced mother of four, left corporate America and a high-powered, lucrative career to be a stay at home mom. Right… That lasted about four weeks, during which time she realized she had a deeply repressed dream—to write. And (gasp) romance at that! Who knew? By day, Kaily plays conservative wife and soccer mom, but at night crafts hot and steamy tales of romance and love with gorgeous heroes who wouldn’t dream of leaving the toilet set up. Ever. She’s smart and sassy, at least in her own mind, and is creating as many happy ever afters as she can, one hot story at a time. Kaily never would have thought she’d be doing this, but now that she is? Well, you couldn’t pay her enough to do anything else. You can find out more information about all Kaily’s books here and read more about RISE OF HOPE here.
Where to find Kaily:
Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter
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~*~*Giveaway*~*~
Kaily has generously offered to present one winner with a selection from her backlist (winner’s choice)!
All you have to do is answer Kaily’s question:
So, how do you like YOUR love/sex scenes? Are there things that pull YOU out of a story? What qualifies as ‘ick’ for YOU?
(You can read our full giveaway policy here)
Please be sure to include a valid email address in the comment form (need not be in the actual body of the comment).
This giveaway is open to everyone!
Giveaway ends on 15 September 2012 and we will announce the winner on Sunday.
Good Luck!
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I’m actually pretty ambivalent about love scenes. I can like books without them and I can like books with them but the one thing that pulls me out of a story is when the whole novel starts to revolve around getting the main characters naked.
I like a steamy love scene provided it’s integral to the plot and the developing relationship. I don’t appreciate rushing the sex if the emotional bond isn’t there yet. I’m also not a fan of BDSM. I smiled when I saw ‘ick’ words mentioned. I really loved one story but the writer used the word ‘cream’ all the time. That one really got to me.
Interesting post. I love great love scene. I like the steamy one, with off the charts hot. I enjoyed explicit love scene, maybe more to the erotica romance side, but preferable without the crude and harsh language. As long as the book had great story and characters, however weird the love scene was the “ick” factor rarely got me. I felt “ick” when I read BDSM theme in the heavy and hardcore side, and way off my comfort zone.
i like steamy love
I like them hot but still sweet. I can’t get into dominance.
Thanks for a very thoughtful post! Congrats on the newest release!
I think that you perfectly articulated exactly how I feel as a reader for my love scenes. I enjoy all the different types and there aren’t a lot that make me uncomfortable. That being said, the few things that do pull me out of a scene are the “ick” words and overly descriptive passages about body parts and fluids. Then I feel like I’m “reading” a bad porno movie cuz I have to be “told” what’s going on. And when the characters seem to “flip” and act/say out of character and then flip back. I want my love scenes (steamy, sweet or erotic) to fit the story and the characters and to flow naturally with the story and not feel like the story is written around the scenes.
Loved the interview! It’s so interesting to see how an author feels about writing certain scenes. As an avid reader, I’ll admit I enjoy the hot and steamy love scenes…as long as they are true to the story and don’t seem like they are just thrown in there. It needs to feel like it is something the characters would actually do and say.
It depend, but I prefer the characters to show some emotion.
I like the love scenes if the hero and heroine emotionally involved and have a lot of sexual tension which make them burst into flame if they get together. The description doesn’t have to be explicit or detail about the body part but I don’t mind with explicit words. Also I don’t get a kick out of reading fetishes or kinky sex play it’s just not my cup of tea.
I prefer the sweet and tender love scenes, which for me it really shows the love and emotion for each other hero/heroine have.
As long as it’s ‘normal’, I like it. I felt the rude sex or the ‘third person’ sex really ruin my imagination I created when I read a book. >.<
I love tender hot love scenes where you can feel the emotion they have for one another. I don’t like when they get too gross.
I love hot steamy scenes, I love BDSM scenes and hot sex in wild places. I guess the ick factor to me is the use of the word c*nt. I shutter at that word.
The hotter the better for me:) With as much emotion involved as the physical. I haven’t reached my limit or my ultimate ick factor yet, but I’m sure there is one.
I enjoy the steamy sex scenes, I think they are important to see how the characters finally get together. I will say I do not like it when 2 people hop into bed after knowing each other for not even a day. I prefer to have the angst and sexual tension bulid up and them for the 2 people to finally combust.
I like my scenes hot and steamy, not too crude or raw with the language.I want the story to build up to it not just have sex scenes starting in the first few pages .
I like all kinds of love scenes, but you’re right, they have to fit right. I just read a book with a lot of BDSM where the dom basically blackmailed the sub against using her safe word – said he would leave her forever if she did. That felt like rape to me and was a complete turn off. I also don’t really like too graphic descriptions of bodily fluids or anything that involves blood.
I love all kinds of love scenes from the tender to the burn down the house steamy. I don’t think I have an “ick” factor. As long as the sex is consensual, I don’t usually have a problem.