Mari, you write erotic, not sensual.

A few weeks ago I went to lunch with a few writers, and guess what, we were talking writing. Some of them wrote mainstream romance for years (one long time Harlequin author among them) and how they were turning to Christian/Inspirational romance. I asked why…out of curiosity. I had noticed quite a few authors I knew doing the same and I just assumed that they were 1) very religious, or 2) the market is hot. Neither were the answers to my question. They struggled writing sex scenes.

I find this incredible, especially today. I went out to write, but I wrote a mere paragraph. I sat and stared at the page before me and didn’t know where to go with it. Was it a sex scene? No. Quite frankly, if it was a sex scene, I wouldn’t be stuck as to what to write. This along with the disaster in Panama City back in March–trying to search my idea files in my head on the fly while talking to a Kensington Brava editor. Everything I had was way too hot for Brava. It was a hint. Mari, you write erotic, not sensual.

Being able to write a believable sex scene…I worked on doing that for years. I honed in on it, and now it comes easier than the rest. A lot easier. Unbelievable.

What am I going to do about that scene? I am going to plod through it. It may be crap, but I can always go back and rewrite it. The funny part is, it is the scene that leads into the following sex scene. LOL I am actually looking forward to that. I got a few ideas I want to use.

I walked the erotica shelves at the Books a Million, taking in possible inspiration for my lagging scene. (Should I mention they had all the Ellora’s Cave books from Pocket–EXCEPT Royal Bondage?) I didn’t get inspired, not that I didn’t pause to look through all the Aphrodisias they had out. (Yes, a few of yours were there, Dev.) I was looking at the HEAT books, etc. I didn’t buy anything though, I have several books at home still unread.(Why are there so many anthologies? Novels were definitely outnumbered.)

So here I am, at home with several books next to me to inspire me. What are they?

The Firefighter – Susan Lyons, PJ Mellor, Alyssa Brooks (Kensington Aphrodisia)

Single White Submissive – Madeline Oh, Jennifer Dunne, Dominique Adair (Ellora’s Cave)

Submission – Cherie Feather (Berkley HEAT)

Possession – Devyn Quinn (Kensington Aphrodisia)

and

Royal Bondage – Samantha Winston, Delilah Devlin & me (Ellora’s Cave/Pocket Books)

Not looking for sex scene inspiration, but just flipping through the books help me write other scenes too. I don’t know why.

I do like reading through Scorpion King again. I still can’t believe I wrote that. I remember cramming to get it written. I need to do that more often–the cramming to write. I do my best work when rushing to get done. (Edits were incredibly light for it.) Why, I don’t know. Not that I LIKE to rush…

Hmmm…been a while since posting an excerpt. Here’s some of Scorpion King, a quick sex scene.

She stretched her hand up to his face and traced his jaw with her fingertips. “I’m better now that you are here.”

For a moment, he hesitated. It was only a split second of internal struggle that reflected within his eyes before he captured her lips in a sudden kiss.

The tender meeting of lips quickly flamed to a hungry passion as they began to pull at each other’s clothes. Fabric ripped away from heated flesh then Naiya was naked and free to feel him against her. He was the only man she wanted in her bed. Never had a man excited her so quickly, so completely.

Doubts fled her mind and heart as his hands held her firmly to his body, and she sank into ecstasy as his hands molded her, studied her—consumed her.

She threaded her fingers through his hair, deepening their kiss, and a moan escaped his throat, low and primal. His tongue dove into her mouth, sliding along hers in a mating dance that was ancient and entirely instinctual. Her breasts pressing against his hard chest ached as his skin rubbed against her nipples. They hardened into ripe berries, throbbing for him to hold them in his hands and suckle their tight tips.

Suddenly he picked her up, his hands under her buttocks, and he backed them to a nearby wall. Her back against the cool surface was in stark contrast to the hot man pressing into her.

He kissed her hard, possessive and controlling. She liked it—and wanted more.

And then he lowered her over his cock, sliding up inside her in one thrust. She yelped as she took in his massive size deeply. She held on to his shoulders as he moved in and out, her back rocking against the wall for support. She wrapped her legs about him and he continued to guide her ride over his cock.

With each push into her channel the world swayed before her eyes. Colors seemed to mix together in a kaleidoscope across her vision. She entered a surreal place where there was no concept of anything but the joining of her body to Drake’s. There was nothing beyond the two of them.

His hands held her steady against the wall as his rhythm increased in tempo. His cock grew in size within her sheath and she moaned at the perfection of their fit. Her juices flowed and the sound of his cock diving through her wetness accompanied the slap of their skin with each push, with every plunge into her depths.

He broke the kiss and nestled his face against the crook of her neck. Like a vampire searching for his lover’s nourishment, he bit down as his climax overtook him.

The pain of his love bite was nothing compared to the glory of the orgasm that swept over her senses. Her vagina clenched his penis within her, and she screamed in delight as the hot spray of his cum shot against her cervix.

Her nether muscles tightened about him in rhythmic spasms as she rode out her first climax and straight into a second. This time, she felt every inch of his cock stab into her with every beat of her heart.