Running With Quills: Sex in Books: How High Does Your Sex-o-meter Go?

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Sex in Books: How High Does Your Sex-o-meter Go?

Toni Blake is a good friend of mine with a LOT going on in her career.
I love her books, all of them, so I'm thrilled to introduce her to you here, where she will share with Quill readers her most exciting news!
Ladies, let's give a hand to Toni Blake, and her alter ego, Lacey Alexander.

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Thanks Lori.
I appreciate the chance to be on Quills with such esteemed ladies, and I'm glad I get to share my news! You see, a few weeks ago I announced to the romance community at large that I’ve been leading a double life. In addition to writing big, sexy, emotional romance novels for Avon as Toni Blake, I’ve also been writing erotica as Lacey Alexander for over three years.

Now if you’re wondering why I kept this a secret for so long, there are numerous reasons.
1) When I first started as Lacey, a clause in one of my contracts stipulated I would keep my erotica identity quiet.
2) I feared being tracked down by creepy men.
3) I really thought that the “extreme” elements in my erotica would not be the average Toni Blake reader’s cup of tea – and I feared it might even offend some of them.
In short, I didn’t think there would be a significant cross-over audience, and I didn’t want Toni Blake readers to try my erotica and go, “Ugh, this is obscene!” and then decide they’re never going to read another Toni Blake book again. Because I won’t lie to ya – Lacey writes some pretty kinky, out there, don’t-try-this-at-home kinda stuff.

So when I “came out of the closet” recently, it was mildly stressful. Because of waiting for the creepy men to find me, of course. As well as the offended readers.

So far, however, I’m happy to report no creepy men have shown up, and my theory (knock on wood) is that there are so many erotica authors to choose from these days (which was not the case when I started this) that it greatly reduces my chances of being stalked.

But the real surprise to me has been reader reaction. I was absolutely stunned when I announced my other identity in a large online readers’ group only to have tons of people announce that they loved Lacey Alexander books and how excited they were to find out I was her!
I literally sat at my computer with my mouth hanging open, thinking, “Really?” And then, of course, I did the Sally Field “They like me, they really like me!” thing.
It was a huge relief, let me tell you.

What I learned from all this is that I had greatly misjudged my readers. Looking back, I feel I was truly short-sighted. After all, if I’m capable of loving big, emotional, layered books and can also enjoy indulging in super-steamy erotica, why did I think readers would be any different? It probably all goes back to my deeply-ingrained good-girl, Bible-belt upbringing, but since there’s not enough room here to analyze that (and I hear you all breathing big sighs of relief), let me ask you some questions instead.

How far is too far – when it comes to sex – in a book?
Do you have any limits?
Any taboos that would make you fling the book against the wall?

And what about expectations?
Do you rely on a book’s cover to tell you how hot it’s going to be? Or the back blurb?
Do you like to know what you’re in for, or are getting some “sexual surprises” in a book okay?

And for those interested in comparing my “dual identities,” the timing couldn’t be better. VOYEUR, by Lacey Alexander, will be released in just a few days, on May 1.

"
TEMPT ME TONIGHT, by Toni Blake, will hit the shelves on June 1 from Avon.

"

If you’re in the mood for very sexy, emotion-packed, heart-stopping romance, visit me at http://www.toniblake.com/

But if you want to discover your inner bad girl, go to http://www.laceyalexander.net/. Better yet, I hope maybe you’ll do both.

But first, let’s chat about sex in books and reader expectation.
I want to hear what you have to say!

TONI

32 Comments:

DFender said...: Welcome to RWQ, Toni, it's great to meet you!

I read everydamnthing. From non-fiction history to erotica. I love erotica. I love war history. I love every genre and I'm addicted to any kind of fiction in between. Go figure. Here's the thing:

ANY book, no matter the genre or content, hasta be well written for me to enjoy. Characters, plot, dialogue, humor!, setting... it all matters to me. I love caring about the characters. If it's great, well then of course I'll love it. If there are one or more elements lacking it just may end up thrown against the wall.

As far as deciding who/what to read, as it's been mentioned before, I rely on past experience, rarely reviews, sometimes friend suggestions and browsing the first chapter at a book store. A hot cover never hurts though ;-)

Welcome again, and thanks, Lori for sharing your friend!

Happy Friday-ness!
Deb; 6:33 AM
mrs.u said...: Toni, congrats on coming out!! lol. I just joined your myspace page and I'm still exploring it. But first I want to thank you for reaching out to us on Myspace. Second, I want to admit while I haven't read any of your books, I'm looking forward to the more I learn about you. Third, I LOVE EROTICA!! I'm actually trying to start becoming an erotica writer myself. I've posted a story on Literotica.com and I'm hoping to post my second soon.

As far as your questions go...I feel anything that includes violence against women is too far. This doesn't count BDSM or anything consenual in that manner. I have found through reading erotica and writing it that people have different tastes which include all kinds of sex. Therefore you can't really limit certain things in writing erotica. It's more what is your taste and how far you think is too far. For example. I mostly write vanilla sex with some BDSM overtones. I don't like writing about anal sex or extreme BDSM so I probably will never include that in my stories.

Wow I really only touched upon one of your questions...but that seems like enough. Thanks so much for reaching out to us and good luck on your two recent books. I look forward to reading them both (as Toni and as Lacey).

Jessica; 6:42 AM
Toni Blake said...: dfender - thanks for stopping by to comment :) I couldn't agree more that, no matter what you're reading, first and foremost, the writing has to be good.

mrs. u - thank you for "friending" me at MySpace! I've found MySpace quite an adventure so far, and very addicting, I must admit. It's really nice to feel so welcomed by so many people there : ) And thank you SO much for planning to check out my books : )

Ah, violence againt women. I definitely agree - that's a big no-no. I do find, though, that particuarly in BDSM erotica opinions can vary on what *is* violence against women. I read a BDSM story once that personally really sent my "Yuck" meter climbing because I felt things were being done to the woman that she didn't WANT done and she was being restrained and had no choice in the matter. But I then read tons of reader reviews giving this book a glowing endorsement. So I think when it comes to BDSM, we probably all have our own level of "tolerance." Just as you said, it's a matter of taste.

Also, you mentioned a couple of things you don't write about because they're not of your personal taste. This may sound weird, but as Lacey Alexander, I write about things that don't personally appeal to me ... pretty darn often, now that I think about it ; ) I mainly do this to challenge myself as a writer, and possibly as a human who likes to try to expand her world from time to time ; ) More than that, perhaps, I like to push the envelope for my readers, because among readers and reviewers, Lacey (my erotica self) has become sort of known for flaunting some traditional boundaries.

An observation from my erotica career: I've written things that I was SURE would offend people, and they didn't. And I have even TRIED to write things that I thought might offend people, just to ... test the waters of tolerance, if you will. And so far, no matter what I've written (and some of it is pretty darn extreme) I've never yet gotten an e-mail from anyone saying I've gone too far. Of course, maybe people just aren't telling me, and if that's the case, I guess I appreciate that ; ) But as far as I can *personally* tell, the erotica-reading public really enjoys having the envelope pushed.

Thanks so much for stopping by and keeping me company today : ) I really appreciate your comments!; 7:17 AM
Laurie D. said...: Hey Toni!
I was one of your/Lacey's readers who was pleasantly surprised when you "came out" - I tried for the longest time to find out who Lacey was, and no one would tell me :( - guess they thought I couldn't keep a secret??

I like some forms of erotica, but not all - I don't care for actions (verbal *or* physical) that are degrading, hate pain, don't care for love scenes with anal sex, and bondage, popular as it is, I can take or leave. I know, you're saying "So what *do* you like?" The sexual tension that leads up to an erotic love scene is sometimes the best part of the sex, just as it can be when leading up to a steamy (but not erotic) sex scene!

I will say that so long as there's some romance or the indication that romance is imminent, I can skim through the parts I don't like with no complaint. If there's no romance or at least some inkling that there will be a HEA then no, I'm not going to like it and yes, I'll probably whine. Does that mean I'm not a true fan of erotica? Maybe, I really don't care what category it's put in, I just know what I like.; 8:03 AM
Toni Blake said...: Hey Laurie - lovely to see you here! Thanks for stopping by : )

Your comment is a really thought-provoking one, and I think it kind of goes to the heart of Ellora's Cave's success. Before them, it seemed like anything that qualified as "erotica" came without romance or a lasting relationship, etc. And the EC folks realized that women might be more open to reading about REALLY graphic sex if there was also romance tied in.

And myself, I totally agree with you. Years ago, I read some straight erotica just to check it out, but I'm really MUCH more drawn to erotic writing if there's romance in it, too. Actually, I suppose I really love the *combination* of the two, just as you do.

What I've found so interesting in being "Lacey" (well, okay, there are LOTS of things interesting about being Lacey, honestly ; ) ) is that when I started writing those books, I didn't feel there really WAS much romance in them. Still, now, I feel that the Lacey books focus a lot more tightly on the sexual journeys being taken and that the romance is sort of a "perk," whereas in my Toni Blake books, the story really IS the romance and emotions, and it just happens to come with a lot of passion and sex ; ) So this is my long and gangly way of saying I've been surprised that readers feel so much romance in the Lacey books, and I can only attribute that to the fact that I'm a romantic at heart, and I think it probably sneaks its way in to anything I write, whether or not I plan for it to.

And I love the idea of your question - if your reasons for liking erotica make you a true erotica fan? That's interesting to ponder. But like you said, you just know what you like, and that's what counts, right?

Thanks again for visiting : ) : ); 8:21 AM
Lisa F. said...: Hi Toni, I'm another old time fan of the Lacey books and was really glad to "know" who you are.

I don't want to read any forced or underage sex and I don't like the M/M sex. I don't enjoy reading about pain or violence. I want my books to include the romance of the relationship - the journey. I want to know there will be a HEA, whether it's implied or actually in the book. Light bondage, anal, M/F/M - all that is OK with me as long as I have the emotional commitment of the characters.

As I've gotten older and more settled, it's fun to read the romantic erotica because you can separate what is the fantasy versus the reality.

It sure would be nice to go back and have the brain of a 40 year old in the body of a 20 year old. LOL; 9:25 AM
JULES BENNETT said...: Toni,
I'd love you if you wrote out your Christmas list:) As far as what is too much where sex is concerned...hmm, I think if the hero and heroine share a mutual attraction and they'd like to see where it leads, by all means try it all:)

As a newly pubbed author, your blog was interesting to me and made me think about my own (very small) fan base and what they might prefer.

Thanks for the insight to your world and the inspiring words. Now get back to work and produce more great books!

Jules; 9:36 AM
Toni Blake said...: "It sure would be nice to go back and have the brain of a 40 year old in the body of a 20 year old."

That is such a true and profound statement, Lisa! And I echo it completely : )

Thanks for the scoop on what works for you and what doesn't. Amen on the underage sex. The m/m thing - I hear it's getting a lot more popular with some readers. I've "dabbled" with that in my Lacey books, but I think dabbling is probably as far as I want to take it. Then again, that might be one of those ways I decide to challenge myself as a writer at some point.

I'm glad you mentioned about being able to discern between the fantasy and the reality. For me, erotica is ALL about fantasy - I like to think it encourages women to embrace their fantasies and that maybe it gives them "permission," if you will, to think about things that have always felt forbidden. But I will admit I live in fear of younger girls reading the Lacey books and thinking they're meant to be some form of reality.

So if you're a young girl reading this right now, my Lacey books are for fun, not practical use ; )

Thanks for stopping by, Lisa!; 9:43 AM
Toni Blake said...: Hey there, Jules - nice to see you here : ) And congrats on your recent sale! In case you check back in here, please share the title and when it comes out.

My Christmas list?? Can you be more specific. I'm probably missing something way simple here, but not sure what you're asking ; )

And glad you're enjoying the blog and discussion. My honest opinion is that, for the most part, I think most readers are REALLY open these days. I asked the questions I asked here because I think it's fun to hear specifics from various readers, but most seem very interested in a variety of sexual content from what I can tell : )

Thanks again for stopping in, Jules, and I hope you do stop back by, since I'm curious about the Christmas list now ; ); 9:47 AM
Jodi said...: Hey Toni!
I'll read pretty much anything, but I dont care for forced sex. I do need some romance in the book, or it just feels like porn to me, and that's not what erotica is to me.
I generally go by what's on the back cover blurb becuase too often a cover doesn't match anything in the book!
Sexual surprises are fun in a book. If there wern't some, then I think books become too predictable.
I can't wait to start reading French Quarter, which I'm hoping to get to today!; 9:57 AM
Katrina said...: HEY TONI!! And LACEY!!

I have not read any Lacey books, because I just recently started reading erotic ebooks from Elloras Cave. But I will look forward to your books.

I've found that when it comes to erotica the only thing I detest is bondage and the whole submission thing. I hate spankings and that type of lifestyle is just too much for me to read about.

But other than that, nothing is too taboo for me.

I'm super excited about your books and now that I know you have an alias, I can get my fix double time.
So keep on writing and we will keep on coming back for more!

peace
Katrina; 10:10 AM
Toni Blake said...: Hi Jodi!

Two things in your comment grabbed my attention.

First, the mention of forced sex. Brings to mind the term "forced seduction" which was used to describe the rape scenes back in some of the early romance novels. I find it so fascinating that that was deemed acceptable at the time -even though I understand the psychology of why it was (a time when women WANTED sex but maybe didn't feel they could quite admit it.) Anyway, just makes me think about how much things have changed. Now, rape is (for good reason) a huge no-no, but things that would have been considered absolutely heinous back then are all the rage in romance/erotica now : )

I'm also SO thankful to hear that you don't judge books by their covers. Some covers are great, but so few people outside the industry seem to "get" that authors have little to no say in their covers and it seems like slapping a cover on a book that has nothing to do with the story has gotten more and more common.

In fact, just so ya know, the VOYEUR cover is certainly not a scene that ever takes place in the book. The whole book is set in a mountainside home in the winter and the heroine mostly wears sweats and pajamas (okay, and some lingerie, too ; ) ) That said, I actually still really LOVE the cover, because I think it's sexy and fun and it does connote the tone of the book quite well. But I have to just pretend that maybe the scene on the cover takes place sometime AFTER the book ends ; )

And glad you like sexual surprises in a book! I do, too.

And lastly, I hope you enjoy FRENCH QUARTER : ) : )

Thanks a ton for stopping by, Jodi!

Toni; 10:38 AM
Toni Blake said...: Hi Katrina! Thank you so much for stopping by : ) And glad to reveal "my double life" ; ) I thank you, very sincerely, for checking out my books.

My personal feeling on the bondage/submission issue (this is just personal taste, of course) is that I've found I can enjoy reading/writing it in a "light" sense. In fact, my editor at EC has referred to a couple of my books as "Bondage Light." I will fully admit that I started writing a few books with shades of that because I happen to know it's very popular sub-genre at EC - and I like to make money ; ) But I'll also admit that while it was one of those "write this to challenge yourself as an author" things, once I got into the writing, I kind of enjoyed it. Probably because it's so different than the usual me.

In fact, I wonder if maybe that's why some women enjoy erotica - because it gives them a chance to step outside their "usual" selves?

Thanks again for the comment, Katrina, and also for your interest in my books : ) : ); 10:44 AM
Kelley said...: Hey Toni!!!

I'll start by saying I'm a HUGE fan of all your Toni books (as you know because I gush about them all the time). I think you have a knack for writing very sexy very emotional books. When I found out you were also Lacey, I had to give the books a try. Ordered them (with speedy delivery), read the Hot in the City series in one weekend!! Loved all three of the books. I don't read a lot of erotica but I do read some and I will be reading all the Lacey book. I have to be in the mood to read the really hot sex and I always have to feel there will be the HEA. I love when an author can write really hot, really explicit books but still make me feel like there is more to the story than just the sex. I love having the characters discover that through experimenting and "finding their inner bad girl" they find love!! I felt that with your Lacey books.

As for what is too far, violence and pain for me. Other than that, I'll give everything a try at least once. The more I read, the more I realize what I like and feel comfortable with compared to what I dont.; 11:07 AM
patricia sargeant said...: Hi, Toni! Congratulations on the successful outing. ;)

Great blog! I love the topic.

I don't rely on a covers or blurbs for content warnings. I don't find either to be reliable. But there have been stories that went a little farther than I wanted to follow. The good thing is I have a dear friend who loves super spicy books. If there's a story I can't finish, I give the book to her. :); 11:30 AM
Toni Blake said...: Hello Kelley and Patricia!! So nice to see you ladies here : )

Patricia - I like your attitude! If you don't like the sexual content, just pass it on to your friend : ) Handy to have someone like that around, isn't it?

And yeah, I think that right now it can be really hard to tell WHAT you're going to get in a book just from the packaging, isn't it?

Kelley, I like you're attitude, too : ) ("I'll give everything a try at least once.")

I think, at least in reading, that's a good rule to live by : ) Because sometimes we can be surprised by what we like and maybe it's something we wouldn't normally have tried.

Of course, you KNOW how much I appreciate your kind words about my Toni Blake books - you are the BEST! - and now about my Lacey books, too : ) And glad to hear you DO feel the romance in the Lacey books, too - I didn't plan it that way, honest; that's just how it came out ; )

From what I'm readng here today, violence and pain are big big turn-offs, not surprisingly ; ) Happily, those are topics I never plan to write on ; )

Thank you both again for popping in, ladies! Your comments are much appreciated : ); 12:51 PM
Bookstoredeb said...: Hey Toni! Glad you were able to come out of the closet about the Lacey books.

I've still not read any of them yet, not normally real big on erotica but I will try them, just to say I gave it a whirl and knowing your other writing, I'll be buying more than one.

While I normally prefer to leave a little bit to the imagination, once in a while a hot graphic book is just what I need to read.

Just keep up the good work no matter what name you are writing under and I'll keep buying.; 1:08 PM
Lisa F. said...: OMG, I hope parents would not let their young daughters read your Lacey books! Our kids are learning things and are exposed to stuff so much earlier than my generation and I feel that the kids are having to grow up too fast in order to deal with it. This is a huge soapbox for me, but I have a problem with parents letting their children drink, smoke, drugs, etc., in the home just because they feel like it's safer since the parents are around. Sorry, that got off topic a little bit.; 1:09 PM
Jules Bennett said...: Hey, Toni! I'm checking in as requested;)

My upcoming release is called Home Again. It will be released as an e-book on Friday, May 4th and it will be available in print in June. It's a sweet contemporary. I will also have four erotic books out later this year.

Your Christmas list...yeah, just write it all up and I'll read it:) I love everything you read, and who knows, I may just purchase something on it for you:)

Jules; 1:12 PM
Toni Blake said...: Hey - thanks for the new comments, ladies : )

Deb, you're too sweet! I appreciate you trying one of my Lacey books, but don't feel you must if you don't think it will be your cup of tea ; ) I'm perfectly thrilled to have you as a Toni reader : ) And thanks for stopping by!!

Lisa, I should clarify, by young girls, I really meant, like, girls who are 18, 19, 20ish. Young compared to my 40ish-ness ; ) God knows I hope no one any younger than that is reading Lacey! The very thought makes my skin crawl ; )

Jules - duh - now I get your Christmas list comment! Bless you - you're so sweet : )

And thanks for the scoop on your book. Wow, that and erotica, too! Exciting! And five books this year - congrats!! You sound about as busy as I am these days : )

Just an FYI for all - I'll be checking back in intermittently over the next couple of hours, after which I have a wedding rehearsal and dinner to attend. In the meantime, I must go wash my hair and try to look presentable ; ) But as I said, I'll be checking back in : ); 1:38 PM
Judy F said...: Hey Toni girl. Glad to see you over here.

I haven't read any of your Lacey books, will have to look into that.

My reading taste very. I just finished a couple of Super Romance books. More emotional then sex. Then I picked up a MaryJanice book. I read what I am in the mood for at the time.

I love most Erotica books. I am not into abusive relationships or pain. I am with Laurie D on the whole anal thing but I can still get past it to enjoy the book.

Congrats girl; 2:06 PM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Welcome to the blog, Toni. You're sure livening things up around here!; 2:09 PM
Toni Blake said...: Hey Judy Judy Judy : ) Nice to see you here, too : ) Thanks for chiming in on your reading habits. Mine vary quite a bit, too. I've been into historicals lately - recently read Emma Holly's BEYOND SEDUCTION and the new Philippa Gregory, THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE. (I'm a big fan of that series!) I personally like books that are very romantic and emotional but also contain some passion and sex(and I guess that last part figures, given what "both of me" writes ; )), but any great book will grab me, sex or not ; )

And, of course, thanks in advance for checking out the Lacey books : ); 2:53 PM
Toni Blake said...: Hi Jayne : ) Thanks for popping in. It's been a real pleasure to blog with you guys here today, and this would probably be a good time for me to thank Lori for the kind invitation!

Also, BIG thanks to everyone who has stopped by to comment - it's made for a fun conversation : )

And just because I need to sign off soon doesn't meant the discussion can't go on without me, so feel free to talk amongst yourselves ; )

Thanks so much to all the ladies of Running With Quills for hosting me! This has been great!; 2:56 PM
Elizabeth Guest said...: Welcome to RWQ, Toni! It's rainy and cold and gray where I live, so it's nice to have a little heat to warm up the place. :-)

Have a great weekend all!
~EG; 4:16 PM
Stella said...: Welcome, Toni:

Great to have you with us:)

Stella; 5:05 PM
Ranurgis said...: I read some erotica, mainly French earlier in my life and find that beyond the sexy scenes in some of the other types of books I read, I don't really feel drawn to the erotic anymore.

Some of the erotic books I've tried to read lately seem to have no story only sexual acts that to me read like sex manuals. I like the stories without sex scenes but not the sex scenes without a really good story.

So I'll stick to what I like best for now. Who knows what might come up down the road. I have so many books waiting to be read, I really shouldn't get any more. But...the spirit is willing but....; 8:13 PM
Toni Blake said...: Hi! Just popping in for a final "morning after" comment since I had to sign off a bit early yesterday.

First, thanks to Stella and Elizabeth for popping in to welcome me : ) And another thanks to all the Running With Quills ladies for inviting me to blog with them : )

And thanks for stopping in to comment, Ranurgis. Definitely, erotic fiction is something that doesn't appeal to everybody, and I'm betting some would even say it's an acquired taste. I think what's different about much of today's erotic fiction is the close tie with romance, the combining of the two genres, and as many have already stated here, I think that's what really draws so many women to erotic fiction right now.

Personally - and professionally ; ) - I'll be curious to see how long the rage in erotic romance/erotica lasts. I've heard some folks are beginning to sound the death knell due to the market being over-saturated with erotic books. Myself, I certainly hope the sub-genre continues to do well, even if it ceases being the "trend of the moment," because it's such a big step forward for women in terms of "the sexual revolution." Most people think that occurred in the 60s and 70s, but I personally think it's really happening more like *now* ; ) And it's great that we're living in a time when maybe, just maybe, women can finally have the freedom to make their sexual choices without being judged.

Okay, climbing off my soapbox now ; )

But thank you again to everyone who commented and made for such a good discussion, and to the ladies of Running With Quills! And especially to Lori, for inviting me : ); 5:21 AM
Stacy~ said...: Hi Toni! Sorry this is so late but things didn't go as planned yesterday. Anyway, you know I love your Lacey Alexander books, and can't wait to get my hands on Voyeur.

Me personally, I'm open-minded, and while, obviously, not all fantasies float my boat, I firmly believe that any fantasy a woman enjoys is fine, but I hate anything that is degrading, painful, non-consensual or extremely violent. There are also a variety of fetishes that turn my stomach, but I will not mention them here.

I think it's a woman's perogative to fantasize, so I'm okay with a lot of the scenarios in erotic romance. I'm still trying to decide about BDSM - some women truly enjoy it, but it's not really my thing. Some stories I've read have been "soft" BDSM, and I'm sorta okay with those. Anything where the woman is humiliated or isn't allowed satisfaction or has severe pain inflicted on her - I don't read. I really have a hard time accepting that any woman who is strong, independent and someone to look up to finds that arousing and wants those things done to her.

The main thing is, I think women should feel free to fantasize, whether they act on it or not, and ot realize that there is absolutely nothing wrong with it - they shouldn't be ashamed or feel dirty. Sex is a natural thing, and shouldn't be made into something ugly or regrettable. We have a right to enjoy it just as much as men, even more so. I believe that God wouldn't have given us the ability to feel pleasure if it was a bad thing :)

On another note, I'm thrilled at the positive response you've been getting from your LA books. I've been checking out the website and writing down the stories I have still yet to get. They all sound yummy ;); 12:41 PM
Toni Blake said...: Hey, I'm so glad I stopped back by and saw your post, Stacy. And thanks for visiting - even if I wasn't here to greet you ; )

I really couldn't echo your post more. I almost could have written much of it myself - that's how much we agree on the aspects of women's fantasies and the equality issue of it.

As for the BDSM, I think it must just be something that you either *get* or *don't*. I'm probably in the same camp with you - I can be entertained by reading something light in that area, but not heavy. In fact, in the books where I (as Lacey) have taken that sort of angle, I felt I was taking it absolutely as far as I could - and my editor still felt it was "light BDSM. So while my Lacey books can really push the envelopes in *some* ways, I guess BDSM isn't one of those ways ; )

Anyhoo, thanks a ton for your support of both Lacey and Toni : ) : ) I couldn't value that more! And anytime anyone is kind enough to tell me they've enjoyed my work, still, with what I believe are my 24th and 25th books coming out, it still completely makes my day : ) : )

Thank you again for stopping by, Stacy, and for your spot-on comment!; 7:37 AM
Lo said...: Hi! I'm glad to have found you on runningwithquills blog. I am a fan of Elizabeth Lowell and Amanda Quick books. Now, I'm going to go and check out your Lacey Alexander site.

Anyone on the same blog with Ann/Elizabeth and Jayne/Amanda must be worth checking out.

I'm not just a reader of novels, I am working on getting one or two or three novels published. They are currently WIP. I read and write fan fiction online, too!

Anyway, I agree with the first responder about the story being good, not just the plot, certainly not just the sex, but the characters feelings... I want to feel them and REALLY know their quirks and what makes them happy, what makes them sad, and so on.

The reason I mentioned fan fiction is because many fan fiction writers out there write a lot of steamy erotica stories and many of them I didn't enjoy because the story was dead and all about sex—nothing quite read-worthy. I knew too little about any of the main characters...

I've been reading books since I was a little girl. Shame on me for reading at an age I was too young to be reading the adult stories, but I'm not going to lie, I did, and I had my opinions about such books. For a while, it seemed as if these erotic books (the ones I stumbled across in my parents’ home) were nothing that I thought were worth reading. It seemed as if every other page had the MCs kissing, or biting each other or whatever. I started to think that all erotica books were only for anyone who just wants to know how the x-rated get it on and to enjoy the smooch-fest. So, I stopped reading erotica and leaned further towards basic contemporary romance and historical romance novels. I love historical romance novels. I even buy historical movies. :)

Sorry, I'm going off topic.

Most importantly, the choice of words, in my opinion, makes or breaks the quality of the book. I must be out of my mind to care about the way a man's private is worded. Lol.

That's where I draw the limit, by the way. To me, it's really more about keeping the story good and the wording right. I don't want to fall asleep in the middle of reading a sex scene because the characters just went straight to blah adult play with no emotions involved, and I sure wouldn't want to throw the book after I'm done reading. Lol.; 4:57 PM
Toni Blake said...: Hi lo : ) (Or should that be high - low? ; ) )

Thanks for stopping in, and also thanks for checking out my Lacey site. Feel free to visit the Toni site, too, because those books are plenty erotic, as well - just not "erotica" in my opinion ; )

I appreciated reading all your thoughts and agree, it's all about the characters' emotions : ) That's probably the thing I concentrate on most when I'm writing - at least most of the time. If I read over my work and realize there's something the character is feeling that hasn't been made perfectly clear, I know I need to flesh out the scene a little more.

Good luck with your own writing, and again, thanks for checking out mine : ); 9:10 AM

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Sex in Books: How High Does Your Sex-o-meter Go?

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