Comments on: Are Romances Built On Hormones A Good Thing?

By: Keira

Keira — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:33:43 +0000

Giveaway Update: Winners of Beth’s Acceptance and Dare to Return!

By: Cathy M

Cathy M — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:34:48 +0000

I love reading erotic romances, but tend to reach for well ploted stories with a loving relationship, and a big kick of spicyness. With so many choices available these days, I can always find a story to suit my mood.

By: Virginia C

Virginia C — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 03:40:07 +0000

Hi, Tracy! I read a wide variety of genres, and as I have gently aged, my tastes have become a little more sophisticated. My favorite romances are Historical Westerns. However, because of book bloggers and reviewers and author and publisher websites, I am now much more aware of the truly astounding variety of reads available today. Many authors write romance, erotic romance and erotica. Some write all formats under one name, and some use different author names for different categories. This year, I bodly ventured where I had never read before. Were my eyes opened…wide! There is so much talent and imagination and creativity going on in the fiction world. There is something for every taste, mood and attention span. Sometimes, I read like a good girl…and sometimes, I read a little naughty : ) I won’t waste my reading time on a book without fully develped characters. I also will not read or promote any story line which denigrates women. There is a huge difference between choice and force. If the storyteller is skilled enough, the power of the love relationship can be portrayed without depicting graphic physical love scenes. One great thing about the increase in spicy romance reads is that women have more choices, and they can make those choices freely with less fear of censure.

By: Susan S.

Susan S. — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 01:12:45 +0000

I can’t speak for what other readers are picking up, but I’m glad to say that “most” of the novels I read have great plots, are heartwarming, and “include” romantic conflicts. Even most of the eroticas have surprisingly great plots. I think romance novels have a spectrum from the boiling plain vanillas (as you call it) to the multiple partners hormone based eroticas. Regardless of the heat level, most authors are wonderful writers and tend to fluff up a novel more than girl meets boy, pheromones surge, boom, the end; by the way thanks for wasting $7.99. (LOL)

By: Tracy Cooper-Posey

Tracy Cooper-Posey — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:53:36 +0000

Hi Cybercliper:

There are some pretty good erotic romances out there, with some fine romances wrapped up inside all the sex. They’re not all flat unemotional gymnastics. I have to make that observation as I write erotic romances myself — both erotic contemporary romance and erotic romantic suspense, and erotic historical romance. And I even have and erotic paranormal romance that just came out yesterday, but you don’t want me to start you on that subject, so I won’t mention it. ~grin~

I really believe it depends upon the author. Ellora’s Cave, for instance, have a distinction between authors — they don’t actually advertise this widely — but some authors write at what they call “boiling plain vanilla” and others don’t. I’m one of their boiling plain vanilla authors. None of the really kinky stuff, much more plot, characters, romance, straight sex. Actually I’m so much boiling plain vanilla I sometimes have a script come back with “more sex please!” before it goes to the line editor.

Cheers,

Tracy

By: Cybercliper

Cybercliper — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:33:41 +0000

What are a lot of romances doing you ask? A lot of them are putting out erotica and putting a romance label on it. To me there is a difference – don’t get me wrong – not much shocks me and I love hot, steamy sex in my romance novels. But to me, romance has a relationship – one that requires work, understanding, cooperation; based on something besides sex (and in my world, it’s usually between 2 people) and there’s a HEA. Erotica is sex – from page one on if you like, with as many as you like, no work other than physical agility required – flat, unemotional characters? Who cares their having lots of sex!! I just wish they’d quit slapping the romance label on everything under the sun. That’s contemporary – you don’t even want to get me started on paranormal/fantasy

By: Tracy Cooper-Posey

Tracy Cooper-Posey — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:05:11 +0000

That’s great Charlene. 40 years! Wow.

I guess it’s possible, then. I’m too anal-retentive to see how it works, logically, though! ~grin~ I guess it’s one of those things where logic gets by-passed.

Tracy

By: Charlene Leatherman

Charlene Leatherman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:49:24 +0000

Regarding the love at first sight, I can attest to it personally. I met my husband 40 years ago on November 10. We were married on December 28. The night we met, he went back to base (He was a Marine at Camp Pendleton) and was immediately asked – Who did you meet? You’re in love. Me? My mom asked me bascially the same question. Everyone knew we were in love that night. It just seemed to fall together. Have we had problems? Of course, but we worked them out. Do I love him more than I did that night – most definitely.
As far as the discussion for “sweet” romance and erotic: Erotic has its place, for those nights when you want to indulge in chocolate and wine. But it seems to me that the erotic stuff is trying very hard to push the “sweeter” off the ‘shelves’. Hopefully, that never happens. Erotic reads and hormones are one thing and are fun, but fully developed romance touch the heart. And when the heart is touched that is when we learn what loving is really is.

By: Keira

Keira — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:13:01 +0000

At first sight: lust definitely — love hesitantly. I don’t want to rule it out but I tend to agree with you Tracy that love comes through knowing someone not just seeing them.

By: Tracy Cooper-Posey

Tracy Cooper-Posey — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:05:49 +0000

Hi Lusty Reader:

Is it “love at first sight” or “lust at first sight” you believe in?

I’ve always wondered about this one. I believe that there can be a soul-deep instant connection between people, so strong that you almost have to drink the person in…but is that truly love? How can it be? To love someone, you have to know them intimately, and falling in love at first sight precludes that.

So I’ve always been wary of the “Love at First Sight” thing. Lust, yes. Instant connection, yes. All that must-have-you-now stuff, oh yes, please! Love that stuff. But I don’t think I could possibly right a love-at-first-sight romance convincingly…not unless it was a paranormal and there were extraordinary circumstances and powers involved (bonding, or something like that).

Call me a cynic. But I believe you have to know a person to love them properly. I guess that’s why we’re having this discussion, huh?

~grin~

Tracy