Not tonight, honey, I have a headache: 5 Things that Kill the Mood

If you're here and reading this, then, like all of us, you like to fling open the bedroom door and get your fictional freak on. Welcome! You're in good company ;-) As both an avid reader and writer of erotic romance, I've read a lot of sex scenes. Some of them had me dragging my husband upstairs or running to take a cold shower. Others left me shaking my head. I've even been known to laugh out loud at times (which I'm positive was not the authors intention). 

So, I've wondered, what is it about certain sex scenes that don't do it for me? What do those authors do that kill the mood? Here are my top five things that will make me roll over and cry headache... 

1. The "C" Word -- No, I'm not talking about cum. I'm talking about that nasty four-letter word that's used to describe the female anatomy, or often hurled as the ultimate insult. C-U-N-T. I absolutely hate this word. There's nothing sexy about it, and every single time I encounter it in a book, I physically cringe. Every. Single. Time. Please, please use something else. I beg you. 

2. Paging Dr. Penis -- I read a book once wherein the heroine either thought or said something to the effect of, "I can't wait to feel his penis inside of me." *Insert screeching air brakes sound* Nope. Cue the laughing. I'm sorry, but penis is such a clinical sounding term. If it's in a romance, it had best be used in a medical setting or by a parent having "the talk" with their kid. Seriously, I'd rather read the word "cock" or "dick" a bazillion times.

3. Say What? -- Now, I'm all for dirty talk. In fact, I find sex scenes without dialogue to be boring, and I generally skim read or skip them. But throw in some hawt dirty talk? Woo, now we're talking! However, if the dirty talk reads like it was lifted from a porno script, I'm outta there! Don't allow characters to lose their personalities simply because they've lost their clothing. 

4. No Doesn't Really Mean No, Does It? -- Lack of consent leading up to and during a sex scene will make me stop reading completely. I will put the book down and walk away. And silence does not equal consent. A perfect example... In a recent read, the hero tries to get busy with the heroine while she's at work. The heroine verbally says, "We can't do this here." To me, that's a big fat NO! But the hero, refusing to be swayed, keeps kissing her and tempting her. Eventually, she gets all hot and bothered and then they have mind blowing sex. I mean, is there any other kind? This isn't sexy. This is rape-y, and with the rape culture being what it is in today's society, this not okay. At all. Ever. Period. Full stop. 

5. The Never-ending Erection -- Okay, I get that this is fiction, and if the sex was portrayed realistically, people wouldn't read it. But c'mon! When the hero gets off in the heroine's mouth and then 2.3 seconds later he's rock hard again and pounding away inside of her... Let the eye rolling begin. Unless he's popped a little blue pill, give him a little bit of time to recoup. 

Remember, reading is a personal and subjective activity. What kills it for me might be the thing to get your libido running. So, sound off in the comments. What kills the mood for you? 

~ Lexi ~ 

#TeaserTuesday: Sibling Rivalry by Lexi Lawton

Today's #TeaserTuesday is from one of my current works-in-progress; a contemporary erotic romance called SIBLING RIVALRY. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

“You’re not seriously suggesting we have sex.” McKenzie crossed her arms over her chest, pushing her breasts up in a tantalizing manner.

Tristan took her arms and moved them away from her chest, his knuckles grazing her hard nipples as he did. Her eyes widened, but he didn’t miss the soft sigh that escaped her lips, or the way she subtly arched toward him. “That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” He dragged his fingers up the sides of her stomach and over her ribs, causing her skin to erupt in goose bumps.

She licked her lips and inched closer.

He moved his hands along the sides of her breasts and over her nipples, flicking them gently with his thumbs.

“Oh God,” she moaned.

His cock thickened painfully, and he knew then, if he didn’t get her to agree, it was going to be a long, lonely night—And his hand wasn’t going to do it for him this time. He needed to sink into the warmth of her body, to feel her legs wrapped around his waist as he pounded into her.

“Just sex. Nothing else. Just two people helping each other get off.” He rolled her nipples between his fingers and pinched slightly.

“Oh please.” She rolled her eyes.

When the idea to seduce her had first popped into his mind, he thought it would go a lot smoother than it was. “Okay, then how about this. One kiss.” He held up his index finger. “If it’s weird or awkward or you don’t like it, I’ll go back to my room and leave you alone.”

“And if it’s not weird or awkward?”

“Then we go farther. If you want.”

She paused for a moment then shoved him hard enough to cause him to fall back on the bed. Then she climbed on top of him, straddling his waist, her hands on either side of his head so that she was poised above him. “Just call this what it is. You want to fuck me. Plain and simple.”

“Damn right I do.” He rested his hands on her waist then moved them down to her ass. He gave her cheeks a firm squeeze then held her down on him. The heat of her pussy seeped through his boxers, and his cock jerked in response. “I want to fuck you.” He lifted his hips, driving his erection harder against her. “I want to hear you scream my name.”

She bore down on him, and his stomach clenched. “And if I say no?” she asked.

“If you wanted to say no, you would’ve by now.  You would’ve put your shirt back on and kicked me the hell out of your room. You wouldn’t have straddled me and dangled your tits in my face.” He caressed her ass and spread her cheeks, letting his finger slip lower, teasing her pussy with an almost touch. “Admit it. You want to fuck me just as badly as I want to fuck you.”

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Like what you've read? Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up for my newsletter for the most up-to-date information. And don't forget to check out TEMPTING TANNER, coming December 2016 from Entangled Embrace. 

#New! Winterlust Tales by Ray Sostre--Release Day Blitz! #erotic #anthology @anarchy0029

Title: Winterlust Tales

Author: Ray Sostre

Edited by: Elicia Seitz Stoll

Cover Design by: Tiffany Huegele

Genre: Erotica, Anthology, Erotic Romance, M/F, F/F, M/M, Menage

Blurb:

Prepare for a cold winter, but because the season has changed it doesn’t mean the sexual fantasies have to. Author Ray Sostre delivers six steamy reads, related to a winter theme. Whether you’re snowed in or vacationing, or celebrating a holiday with your passionate one, this book will guarantee to heat up your winter.

Purchase Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Kobo (available on Jan 5th)

All Romance eBooks

Barnes & Noble (available January 5th)

About the Author:

New York born, East Coast raised, and West Coast bound.

Writing erotica happened by accident in the summer of 2010. That same year, he established a story submission site – AfterDark Online, a place for erotic authors.

He lives in Nevada with his long-time girlfriend, is an avid listener of electronica, and enjoys writing and publishing articles. He jokes: “I’m always looking for writing material.”

Links

Blog – Facebook – Twitter – TSU

Interview with Roe Valentine

Have I got a treat for all of you today! The lovely Roe Valentine has stopped by to share her new erotic romance with all of us and answer a few questions.

Little Death
By Roe Valentine
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Age category: Adult/Erotica
Release Date: 5 June, 2014

Blurb:
A grandiose ego pushes Mona MonDragon to pursue high school nerd turned gorgeous ballet dancer Ivan Boss. Unfortunately, her perceived sure-thing week of no-strings-attached sex isn’t so sure. Her ego takes a major hit when he not only rejects her but pretends he doesn’t know her. When she jumps through hoops to have him, she begins to question if what’s driving her to take such chances is something residual from childhood. Whether it is or not, all she knows is his wish is her desire.
Revenge drives Ivan Boss, and when the object of his hate comes back into his life after 10 years he battles the part of him that loves Mona with the part that wants her to pay for torturing him when he needed her most. The internal struggle heightens when he starts to see her as human, and he begins to question his ability to follow through with his ultimate revenge.

Little Death is a standalone novella with explicit language and sex with some light bondage. It has a Happily Ever After (HEA) ending.

You can find Little Death on Goodreads

You can buy Little Death here:
- Amazon (Kindle)
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Bookstrand


The Divas Interview with Roe:

DIVAS: Where did you get the inspiration to write Little Death? 

ROE: The ballet Petite Mort

DIVAS: What is your favorite scene from this book?

ROE: When Ivan, the hero, makes a tiny gesture in the bar by tracing his finger over her knuckles.

DIVAS: What type of research did you do while writing Little Death? 

ROE: I watched Petite Mort over and over on YouTube. I wanted to get the opening scene perfect when Mona, the heroine, first sees Ivan, the hero, dancing on stage.

DIVAS: There's a theme of revenge in this book, correct? Tell us how that translate into sex. Are there any "angry" sex situations? 

ROE: Yes, there actually is some angry sex in the story. It's more of a "you hurt me and I want to hurt you" type of sex that never really materializes.

DIVAS: What is your least favorite scene from this book? Or rather, the scene you had the most difficult "getting right." 

ROE: I struggled emotionally at the end when Mona, the heroine, fully exposes herself to the hero, Ivan. It's not just a physical exposure, but an emotional one.

EXCERPT:

She was light as a feather as he lifted her buttocks. Her legs tightened around his waist, squeezing tighter and tighter around as he released one hand to retrieve his keys from the hoodie pocket. They barely made it through the small rusted gate of his bungalow house in Neartown before they clasped together like desperate magnets.

“Just give me a sec,” he grumbled, though not taking his mouth away. His teeth clashed against hers, but she kept kissing him.

Finally, he’d gotten the door opened, and didn’t take much time to shut the door and whisk her through the small living room, eighty-year-old hardwood creaking beneath his feet. His breathing echoed between his ears, his cock hardening with each exhale. Mona gyrated against him, he moaned out. “I’m gonna fuck your pussy raw. Do you understand me, Ramona?” He meant it in the most non-brutish way possible.

She yelped, catching his gaze, her mouthing parting from desire. “You already did that.” Her voice was husky, deeper than he’d heard it before.

He chuckled, pulling his mouth away. “That was nothing. You may not be able to walk tomorrow.” Her eyes widened. “I’m just warning you.”

“Then you’ll have to tell Tom why I didn’t show up for training.”

“I’ll be more than happy to tell Tom of all the ways I fucked his student so hard she couldn’t get out of bed.”

She laughed. “I’m sure that will go over well.”

He grunted. Tom. Tom probably wanted to fuck Mona himself. Ivan didn’t like that thought. Crossing over into his bedroom, he stopped at the doorjamb. “You ready for me?”

“Just shut up and give it to me.”

“I’ll be the one giving orders here, lady. And you’ll answer my question or I’ll let you go.” He still had to let her know who was in control, especially when he thought it wasn’t him.

“I’ll fall!”

He knew what it was like to fall. The longer he held her, the more he fell. How could he remain in control, when she could so easily take it from him? “Then I’d answer if I was you.”

She bit on her bottom lip, swollen from kissing him. His eyes lingered there until she answered with the slightest smile emerging. “I’ve never been more ready for anything in my whole life.”

His heart stilled merely by the look in her eyes. Every puff of air emptied from his lungs with her eyes. She wanted him—needed him even. Her pupils screamed it. Her body screamed it as she tightened around him, and he could feel her pounding heart through the apex of her thighs.

“I’ve never wanted anything more.” The words just came out.

But instead of pulling away from his revelation, she grabbed the back of his head and crashed her mouth to his, tongue leading the way. He took that tongue with his teeth, taking her in as deep as her opened mouth would allow. Hungry for her, he shifted in the room just to slam her back against the wall. A picture frame hanging haphazardly for years fell to the hardwood, breaking in pieces. Like him. She was breaking him of the hurt, of the rejection, from many years.

Finding the bottom of her scrunched up skirt, he pushed over the panties—he’d tear them in half before he was done with her. Her moisture spilled over to the crease of her thighs. Moaning, he strummed her pussy. She was wet, and he didn’t want anything more than to slide his bare cock inside her. Fuck, I can’t put it in without a condom again. But he did. Somehow, he’d managed to release himself from sweatpants and jammed himself inside her so deep their hip bones touched.

“Ivan!” she screamed. How she could take him in like that was impressive. He knew he was a lot to take in one shot. And when he plunged inside her again, she said, “I think you’re touching my spleen.” Her eyes rolled back in time to miss the smile he gifted her.

“Can you take it, baby?” Baby? He stilled for the briefest moment but didn’t stop.

Immediately, her eyes opened and grabbed his. Her mouth parted as he continued to slide inside of her, pushing through her tightening womb. She moaned, and he thought he’d come right then and there. The way she looked at him as he was inside her, challenged his ability to last. Kept challenging it until she spoke with a breathy whisper. “I can take you, baby. I can take you all the way.”

He wanted to go wherever that was.

About the Author:
Roe Valentine was born into the right family. Not only does the name Valentine suit her, but her grandmother, unknowingly, introduced the young Ms. Valentine to her first romance novel. She hasn’t read anything else since. She calls herself a romantic at heart and believes that love conquerors all.
The San Antonio native, who now lives in Houston, attempted to write her first contemporary romance novel when she was nineteen years old. That attempt didn’t take, but her story has a happy ending. She kept pursuing the dream until she landed her first publishing contract in 2013.
When not busy writing or reading love stories, Roe can often be found in a yoga class or chatting with friends at her favorite coffee shop. Enjoying margaritas with some girl-talk isn’t unusual for her either. For a night in, she watches reruns of her favorite TV shows and, of course, romantic comedies on her Roku, usually with a glass of wine.

Roe Valentine also LOVES talking to readers. You can contact her in the following ways:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- E-mail: info@roevalentine.com

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Little Death. You can win a 50$ amazon gift card!

Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Six Sentence Sunday with Rach

Welcome back to Six Sentence Sunday!!!!!!!

I was going to post something from my WIP, but decided to give you all another little taste of An Affair Across Times Square this week. So here it is...

          “What do you want me to do?” Her words shook as she spoke. She surfed so close to the edge. So close to coming apart that just a few strokes of a hand would send her spiraling out of control. God, how she wanted to be out of control.

          “Slip your panties off.”

Well, there it is. Your little tease of spice to heat up your Sunday morning. I hope you enjoyed it and that we'll see you back here real soon. 

~ Rach

Reviews by Rach: Kiss the Dead by Laurell K Hamilton

Hey everyone,

So I'm going to be doing a few reviews of erotic romance, erotica, an urban fantasy books here and there to share with you. First up is Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton. Warning: There are a few mini spoilers below. Stop reading now if you don't want to be privy to them.

Kiss the Dead is the twenty-first book in Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. You'd  think after twenty books with the same main character, she'd run out of new stuff to tackle, but this book doesn’t disappoint. It certainly didn't disappoint me. 

Anita Blake, US Marshall, Vampire Hunter, Vampire Servant, Succubus, etc. finds herself once again in the middle of a police investigation right at the start of the book. She’s interrogating a suspect and is quickly thrown back into the throes of danger. Hamilton’s deep first person point of view allows readers to be inside Anita’s head at all times, with no authorial intrusion. As usual, Hamilton also uses quite a bit of second person through Anita’s eyes, but it’s done so seamlessly that it’s just another facet of Blake’s character.

The first third of the book focuses on the case, keeping Anita separate from both her “live-in sweeties” and her other lovers. The normal big bads, Marmee Noir, and Belle Morte are missing from this book, and readers can almost find themselves waiting for the other shoe to drop, but Hamilton keeps the pacing and adrenaline high throughout Anita’s case and readers are not left wanting.

Anita again battles with her character flaws – is she really the monster, is she emotionally too tapped to keep taking care of and be in love with this many people, will she be able to keep everyone safe? Aside from her main sweeties Nathaniel, Micah, Jean-Claude and Asher, the book focuses on three newer relationships. 

The first is Cynric, the blue tiger Anita picked up a couple books back, who makes Anita doubt her own judgment and ability to love anyone else. The second man who has a leading role in this book is Nicky, Anita’s Bride of Dracula and a vampire. The third guy in the spot-light this time is Mephistopheles, AKA, Devil, or Dev, another of Anita’s tigers to call. As usual, Nathanial and Micah take up a good portion of the book and Anita’s bed, but the other three also get a good focus.

Hamilton dazzles readers with her depth and specificity of characters. Only once or twice in the book did I get a bit confused as to who was doing what. Each character is physically and emotionally distinct, with scars, hair and eye color, body type, size, the way they speak and interact with Anita and one another unique to each individual. With such a huge cast of characters, she makes it seem effortless. By book twenty-one, I guess you get pretty good at this kind of balancing act.

Some readers might miss the hot and heavy action that isn’t in the first third of this book, but absence makes the heart grow fonder and as the book continues, Hamilton gives us the goods. Several times, in many different locations and with different characters. As usual, the sex scenes are multiple and HOT. 

Overall, it was a fantastic read and it was so nice to be inside Anita's head again. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 Divas