Yes folks, I'm back at it. I've just finished the first draft of my first full length novel. When friends and family asked me what I was writing for the past -- oh, I don't know-- year, my chagrined response was always "A smutty romance novel." I believe I may need to rethink this answer. Is it just me or have the smut boundaries become blurred?
Don't get me wrong, my novel contains sex: hot, steamy, on the floor; in the bed; on the kitchen counter; up against the fridge, knocking over jars sex. There's even naked fighting; all described in graphic detail. But it doesn't come close to some of what's out there. (If you like sexy novels, you should check out some of the books I've listed at the end of this post.)
But yesturday's pornography, seems almost tame by today's standards. Not that I have anything against good porn, or even bad porn if it contains some comedic value (Back in the day I saw an X-rated Snow White movie that was hilarious.) So where does the line between porn and erotica fall? Is there a difference between erotica and erotic romance? My opinion... Yes.
Okay, so here's my take. And this is my personal opinion... Yours may be different, and that's okay.
Both porn and erotica are written purely to titillate. The whole purpose of both is to turn you on, get you hot, wet and tingling. The difference between them is subtle. It's the difference between fucking, and making love. Porn is straight up fucking, it's all about doing it. It's filthy, nasty, skin slapping skin. It's grunting and mindless rutting. As soon as they (you) come, it's over... The end... Light 'm if you got'm... Roll over and take a nap... Don't be here when I wake up.
Erotica is making love. There's foreplay and sensuality. It's the chocolate melting on your tongue. It's threats breathed against your neck in the dark and shivers down your spine. There's slowly building anticipation.
By the way... biologically, it takes about one minute for males to go from Meh... to I want it now. Unfortunately they only want it for about ten minutes. While it takes us ladies about ten minutes to reach full arousal that slowly tapers off over fifty frustrating minutes. (Kinda explains why men buy porn and women are more into erotica.)
Now the difference between erotica and erotic romance has to do with the purpose sex serves. If the story is sex driven, it's erotica. If the sex is plot driven, it's erotic romance.
If it's all about the physical act... it's porn.
List of romances (If that's your thing.) you might want to check out:
Contemporary Romances:
Driven Trilogy - K Bromberg
Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy - E L James
Leave Me Breathless - Cherrie Lynn
After Hours - Cara McKenna
Midnight Man - Lisa Marie Rice
Breakneck Series - Crystal Spears
Black Knights Inc. Series - Julie Ann Walker
Riding the Line Series - Jayna Vixen
From Rags - Suzanne Wright
Wall Banger - Alycia Clayton
BDSM Romances:
Masters of Shadowlands series - Charise Sinclair
The Theory of Attraction - Delphine Dryden
Game of Misconduct - Bianca Summerland
Paranormal Romances:
Night Huntress series - Jeaniene Frost
Naked Werewolf series - Molly Harper
Nice Girls Don't series - Molly Harper
The Wild Hunt Legacy series - Charise Sinclair
Here Be Sexist Vampires - Suzanne Wright
Feral Sins - Suzanne Wright
Scifi Romances:
New Species series - Laurann Dohner
Brides of the Kindred - Evangeline Anderson
Don't get me wrong, my novel contains sex: hot, steamy, on the floor; in the bed; on the kitchen counter; up against the fridge, knocking over jars sex. There's even naked fighting; all described in graphic detail. But it doesn't come close to some of what's out there. (If you like sexy novels, you should check out some of the books I've listed at the end of this post.)
But yesturday's pornography, seems almost tame by today's standards. Not that I have anything against good porn, or even bad porn if it contains some comedic value (Back in the day I saw an X-rated Snow White movie that was hilarious.) So where does the line between porn and erotica fall? Is there a difference between erotica and erotic romance? My opinion... Yes.
Okay, so here's my take. And this is my personal opinion... Yours may be different, and that's okay.
Both porn and erotica are written purely to titillate. The whole purpose of both is to turn you on, get you hot, wet and tingling. The difference between them is subtle. It's the difference between fucking, and making love. Porn is straight up fucking, it's all about doing it. It's filthy, nasty, skin slapping skin. It's grunting and mindless rutting. As soon as they (you) come, it's over... The end... Light 'm if you got'm... Roll over and take a nap... Don't be here when I wake up.
Erotica is making love. There's foreplay and sensuality. It's the chocolate melting on your tongue. It's threats breathed against your neck in the dark and shivers down your spine. There's slowly building anticipation.
By the way... biologically, it takes about one minute for males to go from Meh... to I want it now. Unfortunately they only want it for about ten minutes. While it takes us ladies about ten minutes to reach full arousal that slowly tapers off over fifty frustrating minutes. (Kinda explains why men buy porn and women are more into erotica.)
Now the difference between erotica and erotic romance has to do with the purpose sex serves. If the story is sex driven, it's erotica. If the sex is plot driven, it's erotic romance.
If it's all about the physical act... it's porn.
List of romances (If that's your thing.) you might want to check out:
Contemporary Romances:
Driven Trilogy - K Bromberg
Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy - E L James
Leave Me Breathless - Cherrie Lynn
After Hours - Cara McKenna
Midnight Man - Lisa Marie Rice
Breakneck Series - Crystal Spears
Black Knights Inc. Series - Julie Ann Walker
Riding the Line Series - Jayna Vixen
From Rags - Suzanne Wright
Wall Banger - Alycia Clayton
BDSM Romances:
Masters of Shadowlands series - Charise Sinclair
The Theory of Attraction - Delphine Dryden
Game of Misconduct - Bianca Summerland
Paranormal Romances:
Night Huntress series - Jeaniene Frost
Naked Werewolf series - Molly Harper
Nice Girls Don't series - Molly Harper
The Wild Hunt Legacy series - Charise Sinclair
Here Be Sexist Vampires - Suzanne Wright
Feral Sins - Suzanne Wright
Scifi Romances:
New Species series - Laurann Dohner
Brides of the Kindred - Evangeline Anderson