Erotic Romance: More Than Just Thrusts and Beats

One of Ms. Anabel’s gentlemen friends is really into video sex. She hesitates to use the “P” word, because it offends many. Still, it’s fairly hard-core porn and she sometimes thinks it would work well as sex education material. Someone mentioned “insert Tab A into Slot B” and, well, that’s basically it, accompanying by hard-thumping sex music, each thrust timed to each beat, of course. Story? Ha!

But Etienne has a couple of DVD’s that Anabel actually likes. They are the ones with a story. They usually start out with a couple locking eyes across the room at a party, and the She of them starts having trouble with her date, they argue, and she takes off into the night on the beach. Then the He of the story notices, and slips out the back door in pursuit.

The He is sympathetic, and attentive. The ocean breeze is blowing, he offers his jacket, but the She doesn’t wear it for long because he has enticed her into a little mini-orgy on the sand. Oh yeah, She points those 4 inch clear Lucite stilettos toward the starry sky and next thing you know, Slot B is welcoming Tab A. Music is more dreamy, and kisses more passionate, less violent. Afterward, newly bonded couple is seen walking in the dawn light, romantic, sated, all shades of afterglow. He is carrying her killer shoes, she is again wearing his sexy jacket.

Why does Anabel prefer this video over the others? Story. Emotion. Beginning, middle, satisfying end. This is erotic romance.

Etienne humors Anabel by playing this video first. While he prefers the “let’s get it on” momentum of the aforementioned play-by-play discs, he understands her need for substance and plot. Because, after all, Anabel is a woman whose sexual power is channeled through, and heightened by, emotion.

Love, Anabel

--who hopes your nights are filled with more than just slots and tabs...

Anabel Blue is the author of SEX LIBRIS, new from Erotique Press, where Sex in the Library has never been this much fun! BUY IT NOW for a quick, steamy read!

What gets you hot?

Defining Erotica

What's the difference between erotica, erotic romance, and romance? I'm asked this question a lot. It used to trip me up, but I've learned quite a bit over the past twelve years of writing romance and erotic romance. (I also write erotica under other names, but that's for another time.) So let me see if I can share what I've learned.

We all know about romance, right? Romance is fiction focused primarily on the relationship and romantic love between two people. No matter what else the story contains (sci-fi, vampires, suspense, space travel, etc.), it must follow the couple through great conflict and conflict resolution, and must have an emotionally satisfying and generally optimistic ending. That's why we read it, isn't it? Not all our relationships in real life will make it through those terrifying crises, but we know the couple we're following in a romance will. Somehow.

Erotica is fiction (or non-fiction!) meant to be sexually arousing. I've had people ask me what distinguishes erotica from pornography. For me, erotica has to offer an emotional connection with the characters--a story. In general, women want to connect emotionally with the characters they read about. (Not always, of course. This is just a general statement.) Inserting tab A into slot B is pornography. Needing, aching to insert tab A into slot B is erotica. (I'm not suggesting that pornography is always a bad thing, mind you.)

So, that leaves erotic romance: sexually stimulating literature about a growing relationship with an emotionally satisfying ending. Easy, right? But where do you draw the line between spicy romance and erotic romance? Much of it has to do with language and detail. If you want to be aroused but are easily offended by "four-letter words," then stick with spicy romance. However, the line is more like a fuzzy zone these days, and I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the difference when I'm writing. My characters decide the level of detail and what kind of language they will use. (If they don't have minds of their own, they aren't worth writing about.)

We need examples, don't we? OK. This is the beginning of a chapter from Carved in Stone, my latest release from Erotique Press:

******
Barely giving Lizabeth a chance to respond, Jeremy forced her mouth open again. His hand moved from her ribs to her back and then under her blouse.

She shuddered as he touched her skin, burning a path around her midriff. Then his hand moved up to the side of her bra and he caressed her breast through nylon. She pressed herself against him.

The knowledge that she'd aroused him fired her further and she rubbed her hip against the bulge in his jeans. For a moment, she thought he would take her right there in the yard.

She wouldn't have stopped him.

"Wait," he whispered, pulling his mouth away from her again. He slid his hand out from under her blouse.

"Why?"

"Christ, I'm not going to ravish you out here."

She looked up, stunned by the desire in his eyes that perfectly reflected her own.

Jeremy pushed the hair back from her face. "I work better indoors."

******
Is it spicy romance, erotic romance, or erotica? There's no way of telling with just this information. (You can be fairly sure it isn't "sweet romance" where sex is only hinted at, if that. In fact, I'll guarantee it isn't "sweet.") What gives it away is what follows.

Curious? I hope so. I really enjoyed writing the story of Jeremy and Lizabeth, set on the steamy Gulf coast of Mississippi. Jeremy is a stoic artist who carves stone, and Lizabeth is his unwitting model. When they get together, sparks fly!

Which do you prefer to read, romance, erotic romance, or erotica? Or are you like me—someone who enjoys them all? Are you into paranormal erotica (hinting at my other identity), or contemporary erotic romance? We authors really want to know. We love to share our stories with you, and we want you to enjoy them.

Carved in Stone is closer to erotic romance than anything else. Just so you know.

Happy, spicy reading!

The Hot and Cold of It

Everything seems to be heightened in summer. Heightened excitement, since we are finally able to enjoy our favorite summer activities, like watching the fireworks on the fourth of July. Heightened anticipation of what can happen on a sultry summer night. Heightened senses, like savoring the taste of local watermelon or inhaling the scent of coconut suntan lotion.

And for that reason, we seem to feel things a lot more. We can feel every grain of sand beneath our feet, feel every breeze that wraps around our body as we lay in the hammock, feel every degree of the heat as we bake in the mid-day sun. Those sensations are even further heightened when they are placed with a sensation that is opposite, like stepping from a warm concrete sidewalk onto soft, dewy grass.

Hands down, my favorite juxtaposition of sensations is the sweltering summer heat and a cold ice cube. The heat bears down on you in a way you feel no other time of year, so just a hint of the ice is pure pleasure. And it's even better when you can play with a partner.

If you are a bit tentative, play with the ice cube in your mouth first. Take it out, trace your cold tongue along his lips, then lean in for a shocking kiss. Or leave it in your mouth and blow a chilly breeze across his warmed skin. Where you do that is up to you.

And the sensations can get even more intense. Let the ice start to melt between your finger tips, then drip it on your partner's skin, allowing the freezing drops to make their way down the nape of her neck, across his chest, or over her stomach. And when you see you have their attention--and you can see the anticipation in their eyes--pop the ice cube back in your mouth. Alternate dragging it between your teeth, blowing cold air over their skin, and licking a trail of icy goodness with your frozen tongue as they recline in the sun.

Don't underestimate the power of rubbing it over your own skin as they watch, either. There is nothing wrong with a little sensation for yourself while getting your partner's attention, which you are guaranteed to do while playing with an ice cube.

Just relax, enjoy, and have fun. Relish this sexy season we are beginning. Summer is all too short, too fleeting...but this early on, you still have a choice what you take from it: either sensual memories or a pocket full of sand. I'm going to opt for the memories.

Get your summer even hotter with our erotica. BUY OUR BOOKS at http://www.erotiquepress.com
Add us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/erotiquepress
Wanna tweet with Erotique Press? Follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ErotiquePress

"Steamy and very erotic..."

Oh, yeah. That's what I'm talkin' bout. Danielle at Coffee Time Romance also has this to say about SEX LIBRIS: "so hot that I am surprised it did not singe my fingertips" and isn't that the goal?

You can burn your own fingertips for just $1.13 at Erotique Press! Give SEX LIBRIS by Anabel Blue a read--you know you want to...

Love,

Anabel
http://anabelblue.blogspot.com

They say in spring, a young man's fancy turns to love. So what happens the following season?

Will he act on that fancy? Oh, please do, you may be thinking. Summer is the real time of the mating dance. Spring may bring the renewal of life and all things verdant, but summer is the time for preening. All the ladies in their shape-hugging sheath dresses, the skimpy tops, the shortest shorts, the string bikinis and the gauzy wraps. All the guys in their unbuttoned shirts, faded cut-offs, tank tops, and hip-hugging swim suits.

Or let's think about a fancy occasion like a wedding, where she can wear her sleeveless, strapless, scantiest cocktail dress, and he can deck himself out in a cool suit with the tie that will come loose before the evening is over, and the jacket that will be draped over the nearest chair, the better to show off that slim, belted waist.

And at the end of all this posturing? One can hope that the mating dance is completed: he, taking the time to slip that dress from her shoulders, nuzzling the soft, smooth skin of her neck and growing intoxicated with her scent; she, unbuttoning that shirt and sliding it free of his pants, unbuckling the belt and loosening the top button before slowly, longingly undoing that zipper. And both of them sweetly touching, stroking, exploring until they can't wait any longer and their lips meet in a tease, a caress, to be followed by the sort of deep kiss that takes their breath and pulls them into that final embrace.

Sigh. I love summer, with the heat and the rhythms that go from easy and casual to pulsing and driven. Seduction in the shape of the mouth around a strawberry. Passion in the lips that open to accept a taste of a frozen cherry confection, the tongue slipping easily down the length of it to catch every melting drip.

Hmmm. I think I'll go see if hubby is up for a summer snack.

For more heat, check out my latest story, Bedroom Tiger! Buy it now at:
http://www.echelonpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=11_55_60&products_id=148

Sole Seduction

Okay, this post is going up late, and I am overwriting someone else, but I was scheduled for yesterday and I missed it due to sore feet. No kidding. Being a new diabetic, I have been informed of the risks my feet are facing. How in the hell is this sexy you ask? Well, as my dietitian and diabetes specialist informed me, "This is how you make diabetes sexy, and get foreplay from your spouse." You simply make foot health a team sport.

The feet, tender little things that they are, take a lot of stress during the day. They get you from place to place, things get dropped on them, and they get abused by table and chair legs galore. No wonder they need such tender loving care.

My husband is wonderful, truly. He checks my feet for me now, every day. He starts with my toes, inspecting each one while he gently rubs and massages. He is very good with his thumbs so I am particularly pleased when he uses the pads of his thumbs to push upward from the tip of my toes to the top of my foot. Once he gives the all clear, the fun really begins.

A little bit of Tree Hut Shea Body Butter, Almond & Honey and it's on!

Using the palms of his hands, he kneads the soles of my feet, paying close attention to the balls, while the tips of his other fingers caress the top with long, hard, strokes. That's the part that starts me going.

Once he gets to the arch of my foot, he puts those glorious thumbs back into action as he rubs and strokes, and kneads each and every bare spot. By this point, my eyes are closed and I am in heaven. He works his way up each side of my ankles, inside and out, careful not to press too hard or squeeze too tight, until he gets to wherever it is he is going that night.

I am truly blessed to have such a man in my life, a man who is so in tune with each part of my body, including my feet. A man who not only cares for my health condition, but is willing to do this thing that gives me such pleasure.

The pleasures are often simple, but extreme in satisfaction.

Do you have a simple pleasure that involves your feet? Do you pay enough attention to your feet? Share with us!

Soleful Sensuality

Maybe it's just me, but I think feet can be one of the most sensual parts of body. Yes, I mean sensual in a sexual way—which can most certainly be fun!—but also sensual in the way of just awakening the senses or giving physical sensation. Not that the two are ever really independent of each other…sometimes awakening the senses is also awakening the whole body, which is an important part of sexuality, too.

Take, for example, being at the beach in the summer. The very first thing I do when I arrive is remove my shoes. Granted, I am barefoot as much as I can be each day, but there is something delicious about removing my shoes and walking through the sand. At first, it's hot, and the heat immediately warms my feet, but the sand can also be soft and powdery, offering resistance, wrapping around my foot like a warm massage. After I drop my towel, water, and sunscreen in a quiet area, I immediately head for the shoreline. There is a line on the beach where the waves have hit the shore, and in a matter of a single step, I leave the hot, soft sand and step into the cool, wet sand. My feet leave perfect footprint that wash away as the water comes in, removing any trace that one bit of earth has ever been touched by humans. I walk to the water, go in ankle deep at first, judging the temperature of the water, relishing the chill that washes through me when the water is cold on a summer day. A wave comes in, soaking me to my calves, and when it recedes, the water is drawn out of the sand, and I sink in, just a little. Then, when I'm done swimming, after I've kicked about in the waves and ridden them out, I head back to my towel and dig my toes in the hot sand again, loving the grittiness of grains stuck to my wet feet.

There are so many sensations we get from our feet from slipping on those fuzzy socks in the winter, from playing outside in the rain in the mud, from stimulation we receive from a great soak before a pedicure. Just don't get me started on foot massages. We could end up being here for hours.

Enjoy a little erotica on the beach. BUY OUR BOOKS at http://www.erotiquepress.com
Add us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/erotiquepress
Need a mid-day fix of Erotique Press? Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ErotiquePress

What could one add about feet after Lois's wonderful blog entry? As I sit and ponder that perplexing thought, I realize that I hardly ever think about feet unless I'm writing a scene in one of my stories focusing on a man with a foot fetish.

Why, you might be asking yourself. Aside from finding my feet useful because they firmly root me to the ground when I stand, they often cause me a great deal of grief--especially when I need to buy new shoes. According to statistics, the average shoe size for women today is 8-9.
I have become quite intimate with this fact. There are tons of boxes with large sizes underneath the shoe displays. When I look for my size, which is a 6, I can usually locate a single box. Inside there is usually one shoe. The other one is on diplay getting shopworn. Stores don't stock too many small sizes and if you come later in the season, you're out of luck.

I actually am lucky when I consider my husband's predicament. He has to order shoes from a special store because he wears a size 12AAA. I guess we were meant for each other.

Candy Caine
OOPS!
Christmas With a Stranger
Devil or Angel

Consider the Lowly Female Foot from Lois Bonde

Consider the lowly female foot.

It gets walked all over and that does nothing for its reputation.
It puts on beautiful high heels and we wonder why it complains.
It gets decorated with polish and then we hide it most often.
It demands good care and cleaning or it raises a stink.
It works hard and wears skin out only to have it sanded off.
It kicks soccer balls for kids' practice and stands in lines for hours without thanks.
It tiptoes bare to check on an ill child and walks fussy babies so everyone else can sleep and all it gets is cold.
It gets toes stubbed though it never deserved such punishment.
It is stepped on enough to grow larger throughout life without any appreciation.
It shows through holes in socks and gets rewarded with blisters.
It leans to the side in worn out shoes and then gets criticized and hurt for leaning.
Its real size is constricted to be more attractive, no matter what her height.

Yes, consider the lowly female foot.

It walks on cloud nine when the right man smiles.
It gets you into his arms at a run when you see him.
It signals other parts of the body to react wet and wild when it is massaged and rubbed with lotion after a long day.
It provides an erotic view when you're reclining and he lifts it.
It can curl around his legs to rub and encourage and direct.
It keeps us grounded but lets us soar to fulfill our life's dreams.

Buy Lois Bonde's latest releases at http://www.echelonpress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=12&zenid=57420837763b2c9db3549f9b2f4be2df

Visit her on the web at http://home.roadrunner.com/~topromances/lois_bonde/index.htm

Free Shipping on Great Books!

Tired of reading the same old books? We've got your solution. Our Summer Saving Daze is just what you need to add some sizzle to your summertime reading.

For SEVEN days only, buy any THREE paperbacks and you'll get FREE SHIPPING.

Wanna be a big hit with your friends? Share this coupon with them and let them enjoy the savings as well. At Echelon, our #1 goal is to keep you reading happy!

Certain other restrictions may apply. Please see below for other details.
The coupon is valid between 06/03/2009 and 06/10/2010
Coupon Code: SD-FreeShip

The Hottest Technology!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

TechnoRotica

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

On The Fly!

Good morning, mes amies! I am on the run, as usual, and wanted to check in to see how everyone's doing today... I'm thinking about sex and technology, and aside from the usual, I can't see anything interesting enough to blog about. I mean, sex is as old as humanity; man and woman have never needed anything to make it happen, right?

Sure, there are all kinds of electronic devices and toys (see past blog about same); there are definitely chemical innovations, ranging from the almighty "pill" to his-and-hers lubricants, all brought to us by modern innovations through technology. But still...

That magic, that human chemistry that creates all the buzz and excitement and, dare I say? Ecstasy! We just don't really require much else, now do we!?

Off to seduce a prince or two. Will check in later...

Love,

Anabel
http://anabelblue.blogspot.com

What? Sex in the Library? Are you Kidding?
SEX LIBRIS from Erotique Press! Buy it here.