What Makes a Good Love/Sex Scene?

As a writer of wonderful naughtiness, I am always interested in people’s views toward sex, but more specifically regarding romance books. A good sex scene can really amp up the intensity of a book. It can push characters past their limits or make them regress. Some sex scenes are all about inserting tab a into slot b, then rinsing and repeating. Then they may include a bunch of “dirty” words into, what I would consider, a strictly action based sex scene, where there is no insight into the characters deep thoughts or emotions. These types of scenes unfortunately do nothing for me.

The ones that really pull me in, have loads of sexual tension, so intense, the reader has to wonder how the characters have kept their hands of each other (whether the timeframe has been thirty minutes or thirty days). I want to know what’s in their heads, what they feel not only physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. I don’t want to just know that it’s “good” I want to know how and why it’s good and the affect the experience is having on the characters. The scene can be expressed in the most adult, frank, language the author can conjure, it can be sweet, luxurious and lyrically beautiful or even a mixture of both. These are all things that can make a sex/love scene come alive for me. How about you?

Using Time Wisely for Writing (Or Motivation Issues)

I’m still tweaking my time management plan. It’s been working somewhat, but now the issue is not so much that I don’t have the time, but more of being consistent with the time I have. I have certain times of day that belong to me and just me. Of those times I’ve decided which ones are going to be writing time and which ones will be… other.

In my mind I am very dedicated to my writing. I want to be productive and creative. I want to feel good about the time I use to focus on my writing, but when I feel the story is taking too long, or when I feel I’m being distracted by my environment, or when I feel the story isn’t getting my creative juices flowing the way it should I start avoiding my writing time, which I’ve worked so hard to establish. (Holy run-on sentence Batman!)

Recently, I’ve decided to give this consistency thing another go (there must be something to it, right?). I’ve edited everyday this week, for at least an hour, which is encouraging. I’m thinking if I can get myself used to doing it regularly it will become more like a routine and harder to get away from or “forget.” Wish me luck.

How About A Poem?

I think this poem applies to writers especially, but also to anyone who as ever had to wait for anything, especially if it's something they've considered to be important or life changing. Enjoy!

Nervous
By. Lauren Murphy

Foot tapping on concrete floors.
Antsy jitters vibrate causing,
Sweaty palms and haggard breaths.
Head dizzy, thoughts bouncing.
Stomach clenching, heart pounding.
Tired of waiting, feeling anxious.
Frustrated screams never released.
Time running out for decision making.
What will it be? Did they pick me?
God only knows, how I hate waiting.

© Lauren Murphy, All rights reserved

The Summoning by Tatiana Caldwell

NEW RELEASE: The Summoning by Tatiana Caldwell, from Liquid Silver Books.

Everything comes with a price …

Gailyn Bridges is a psychic who is ready to end her troublesome career as a private investigator. For the last time, she summons a powerful spirit to help her close a final case.

However, the mysterious entity who answers, Malak, is no ordinary spirit. He’s more than willing to help Gailyn save the would-be victim of a violent crime.

But who’s going to save Gailyn when Malak returns to collect payment for lending her his power?

Read a free excerpt and buy the book here.

Time Management

Life seems to be an in-depth juggling act and often I have a tendency to get overwhelmed. Feeling like I’m to busy to be able to tell my feet from my head is certainly not how I want to spend my days, on other hand I want to feel like I am getting as much out of my days as possible. I have the day job, family and myself all to think of on a day-to-day bases and I am determined to find a way to get as much time in each portion of my life as I possibly can.

So, I have decided to work on my time management skills which have been pretty much nil for the longest. I believe that people can change (even me) so I’ve decided to section of my days and prioritize each portion. Now I am not a strict planner and just the idea of limiting myself to a certain structure each day, every day makes me cringe. However I do think that if I set loose goals for myself on a daily bases and make the most important ones a priority, then I can get more use or better use of my time.

In using time management wisely I have learned that there is nothing worse than stressing about what didn’t get done. I am human (though being a superhero would be *sings* awesome) and realize that there are some days my goals may not be completed. I have come to understand that I have to be ok with this in order for my process to work. Now I’m not saying that I should look forward to slacking off of on my goals, I will try my best to attain as many of them as possible. However, if I miss a few for the day then it’s okay and I can always try again the next time. I understand that as I move forward with this plan then I will become more efficient over time, which is really the most important goal over all. (This, of course all sounds good in theory, but I shall see.)

Another important part of time management (for me anyway) is to make sure that I give 100% to each goal as I am working on it. When I am at the day job I don’t dwell on something else I’d rather be doing (for the most part). I do my best to make sure I am focusing on being as efficient as possible on my tasks and the same goes for my family life and me time. When I am working at a certain aspect of life I am devoted to that aspect until it is time to move on. This makes it easier to concentrate on the task at hand and often allows me to feel happier about what I’m doing since I’m not moaning and wishing I was somewhere else.

So with that in mind, I am off to be productive and insure that I am managing my time to the best of my ability.

What's the Problem with Being Naughty?

You know I have to go there sometimes, after all I am writer of awesome naughtiness. But, really I am curious about why anything of a blatant sexual nature raises so much controversy. There are some who have no qualms about accepting their sexuality, expressing it, sharing it and reading about it. On the other hand there are those who blanch even if you just mention the word sex. Now, I am not trying to say that any one is "right" and anyone is "wrong." Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and in my opinion right and wrong are often subjective as life tends to hover mostly in areas tinted with gray. In the blog title I’ve used the word naughty, not because I view sex as anything negative (I’m sure this is obvious) but just because it’s fun. I use it in a playful manner and embrace that being “naughty” can often be fun and sometimes enlightening as far as personal growth goes.

I think there’s a delicate balance between unhealthy and healthy expression of sexuality. There are some who are terrified of it and others who seem to be ruled by it. I think a healthy balance lies somewhere in the middle. However, my biggest issues are with those who insist on attempting to force their views on people like me, who enjoy writing about the discovery of the sexual journey. Since I’m a writer of erotic romance it’s safe to assume I believe that sex is a natural and healthy form of expression, when all parties involved have consented to participate. I and some of my fellow authors work hard to write books that are intense and heated but we also work to add emotional chemistry, a high level of emotion and characters that we hope will last in a reader’s mind, long after they’ve finished the book.

The most frustrating thing is when I hear comments about how sex “cheapens” or takes away from the deep emotional aspects of a story, or even a relationship. I’m really curious about where this point of view comes from. Are some trying to imply, every couple experiencing a healthy and exciting sex life has a shallow relationship or that their relationship has less emotion or companionship then a couple that doesn’t? I can’t say that I agree. I certainly don’t feel that sex makes a relationship, but it certainly doesn’t take away from it either. Actually I think these kinds of decisions are personal and the type and amount of sex had, should really be left up to each individual couple. Why do others feel the need to impose their beliefs and what could be considered negatives comments on others, when a lot of the time it’s really none of their business. If you don’t understand something, then way try to make a judgment call about it? And if you don’t like something, why bother to focus on it in the first place? Just curious.

My Boyfriend's Back by Chrissy Olinger

My Boyfriend's Back

A Short, Sweet Romance

by Chrissy Olinger

Paranormal/Fantasy Romance only .99

15,826 words

Available on Kindle
from Amazon.com -- BUY IT NOW

"Fear not! I bring you tidings of... DAMMIT!"

With those few words, Jack Lynch's world was turned upside-down. Once the nerd everyone loved
to torment, he has returned to his home town for his twentieth reunion. Now a multimillionaire, Jack has everything but the one thing that matters: his
true love. Twenty years ago he let her slip away. Now he's back, and determined to win her heart.

But screeching tires on an icy road change everything. If being temporarily dead weren't bad
enough, Norman— an angel in training— returns Jack's spirit to the wrong body— the class bully, John Lydon.

With the rockin' hot bod of his former nemesis, the help of a nerdy angel, and his own wits,
Jack has to get Rori to see him, love him, and bring about a miracle... without revealing this true identity. The clock is ticking, and he only has three days.

Jack's got the brains; his new body has the brawn; and Norman's got his back. What could possibly
go wrong?

*This book contains some mild language, no strong sexual content, and an excessive amount of silliness.