Squawk Radio

In case there is any danger of high-minded discussion around here, I thought it was time for me to post again. Please forgive my recent absence due to a few personal issues and technical difficulties. I have read the blog entries of our beautiful, smart and vastly entertaining friend Julia London, and we were truly graced by her presence last week! She is wonderful in every way, as a person and as a writer.

I am reflecting this morning on the topic of love scenes in romance novels. I like writing these scenes, although they are the most difficult part of the book. Not for reasons of modesty, of course. I have no modesty in this regard, having learned long ago that in the service of the story a writer has to put her inhibitions on the shelf. You can’t write a love scene if you’re worried about what your aunt, your grandfather, your optometrist or the UPS guy will think about you after reading your sexy book.

The first and most important thing to remember is that little moments, small gestures, a few whispered words, are always as erotic (if not more so) than the main action. Before the first love scene ever takes place, you have to build anticipation for the readers and the characters with dozens of “promises”, each one a tiny spark that eventually leads to the great conflagration. I’ll give you an example from my own work, since I’m too lazy to look up anyone else’s work, and besides, I love to reference myself. I think one of my best sexy moments ever is in “Where Dreams Begin”, about a romance between Zachary Bronson, a big brutish (and very wealthy) ex-boxer , and Holly, the refined young widow who has been hired to teach him the rules of upper class society. Somewhere midway through the book, they’re about to go to the dining room, and a lock of Holly’s hair falls to her shoulder. Before she can pin it back up, Zachary stops her. Without saying a single word, he picks up the lock of hair as if it’s a priceless treasure, lifts it to his lips, and kisses it. The tenderness of the gesture, and the image of her hair (so prized to Victorians) in his big, powerful hand, was to my mind, very sexy. And it told the reader quite a lot about what their love scenes would eventually be like.

The second, even more important thing for a writer to do is choose the right timing for the love scenes. Although a lot of a writer’s work is naturally intuitive, I don’t think any of us pause at indiscriminate points in a book and say to ourselves, “Hmm, I don’t know what to write next. Maybe I should throw in some boinking now.”

Which means there has to be a point to the love scene--it must either underscore the condition of the hero and heroine’s relationship as it is in that moment, or move the plot along in some way, or bring about some new understanding on the part of one or both of the characters. No matter how my love scenes may appear to the reader, I can assure you there is an actual point to each one of them in every single book I’ve written. (Not that I have anything against gratuitous sex, mind you. My husband is a great proponent of it!)

One of my more controversial books, “Worth Any Price” has occasionally been criticized by those who think it has Too Much Sex, and certainly everyone has a right to her opinion. But there truly is a reason for the plenitude of love scenes! Some of my heroes are quite cerebral and expressive, and they convey their thoughts and emotions in a variety of ways. However, in “Worth Any Price”, the hero, Nick Gentry, is smart but undereducated, emotionally backward, and extremely physical. His job is to catch thieves--he’s in law enforcement--and so he uses his physical strength and swiftness to earn a living. This is not a guy who will be reciting poetry in bed. Nick expresses himself through sex, and all the emotional and intellectual issues between him and the heroine, Lottie, are played out through the sexual dynamic. So every love scene in the book is completely necessary--if you consider each one, it becomes obvious why it’s there. Take one out, and you’re missing an important step in the progression of their relationship as it evolves from suspicion and mistrust to the perfect understanding necessary for true love.

This leads to the writer’s next consideration in writing a love scene : she must ask herself what the “love style” of each character would logically be. Age, personality, experience, emotional issues, education level and so forth, all determine someone’s behavior in bed. As a reader I always find it disconcerting when I read about a virgin who --in her first time ever--is as relaxed as a professional courtesan, performing skillful blow jobs with no hesitation. A feeling of casualness is not sexy, especially the first time. Nervousness is sexy. Awkwardness is sexy. Exploration, wonder, concern, tenderness are all sexy.

In “Suddenly You”, the hero Jack Devlin is a highly educated man who loves books, so he loves words and verbal seduction. He is also a younger man, which means he likes to have sex often, and his youth gives him a playful quality in bed. I paired him with a more mature heroine, Amanda, who is outwardly staid but secretly adventurous. When she meets Jack, she is in a somewhat reckless mood, having just turned thirty. Amanda’s desire to finally lose her virginity--and Jack’s enthusiastic willingness to assist her in that goal--lead to more daring love scenes than usual.

As to the question of “How far is too far?” . . . well, that is entirely a matter of personal taste. But here are my thoughts : I write love stories for grown-ups, always about two consenting adults in a mutually respectful, sexually mature relationship. In that context, my characters are going to do what real people do behind closed doors. They’re going to experiment, explore, try some things they do and don’t like, and experience intimacy without inhibitions. I would never dream of criticizing anyone for their sexual preferences. If you want to wear a Batman suit, hang from the ceiling fan, play Mozart or Eminem, bring out the whipped cream or wear rainbow-striped socks . . . I say yay for you, have fun! I also say that to my characters. Yay for you, have fun. And to any aspiring writers who may read this . . . Yay for you. Have fun!!!


What are your favorite love scenes in romance novels, contemp or historical? Flattery of squawkers is, as always, highly encouraged, but please do mention the work of other writers outside chickendom. I adore the kiss-in-the-rain scene in Loretta Chase’s “Lord Of Scoundrels”, and my toes still curl when I read the first love scene in Connie’s “All Through The Night” when Anne is sitting in the chair in front of the fire.