Thanks for inviting me to the blog today. I’m excited about the release of Mate Claimed, the fourth book in my Shifters Unbound series.
I’ll tell you a little bit about the book, then go on with my topic about scenes that are a challenge to write and how I deal with them.
Here’s the blurb:
Eric Warden knows that half-Shifter wildcat Iona is passing for human, living without a Collar in the human world. He also knows that if she does not acknowledge her Shifter nature and her mating hunger, it could kill her.
Iona finds the mysterious and dangerous Eric, a wildcat and leader of his Shiftertown, haunting her dreams, but she vows never to take the Collar, fearing backlash against her mother and sister for hiding the fact that she’s Shifter. But Eric is a compelling Shifter male, and Iona’s hunger calls to him.
Eric has a lot to deal with—another Shiftertown has been closed and those Shifters forced to move into Eric’s Shiftertown. The leader, a wolf named Graham, isn’t happy with having to step down in power and lets Eric know he’s going to give him trouble.
On top of this, Eric is experiencing pain he believes is left over from experiments done to him years ago, and there are hints that the experimenting on Shifters might be starting again.
In the middle of all this is Iona, unCollared, vulnerable, unprotected—fair game. Eric will do anything to keep her safe.
This is book 4, but if you haven’t read the Shifters before, there’s enough info for you to understand the world and get where we are in the series. However, if you want to start with book one, Pride Mates, get to know the Shifters, and meet the hot Morrissey family.
On to what was the most challenging scene to write.
I can answer straight away—any of the love scenes.
I’ll go on to say every love scene in every book I’ve ever written. I find love scenes difficult, which is a drawback to a romance writer! Banter, fine; action, good; love scenes—everything stops.
I take a long time and a lot of trouble over the love scenes. I want them to be as good as I can make them, and that’s not easy.
When I first started reading romance, I read three books in a row from the same author. The love scenes were written the same way. I don’t mean they were similar—I mean the author repeated the scenes almost word for word. Same sentences, set-up, same actions. An author’s books will always have similarities from book to book, but these were verbatim.
I decided then and there that the cut-and-paste method of writing would not be what I did. I’ve written quite a few romances by now (30 or so?), and I try hard to make each love scene as unique as possible.
I know there are only so many ways a couple can enjoy themselves 🙂 but I try to find new words or new ways of describing the scenes, new ways of expressing emotion in each book.
No purple prose allowed. 🙂 No honeyed treasure palaces penetrated by throbbing weapons of incandescent passion in my books. (And anyway, that sounds painful.)
After I write the draft of my book, I go over the love scenes in a separate pass, usually two or three times. I often rewrite them or heavily revise them, then polish as much as I can.
When the manuscript comes back to me from the editor, I’m in there tweaking all the love scenes again. It’s helpful to step back for a time and read them fresh.
Love scenes are tricky, and I appreciate authors who take their time over them to make them special. Even after the book is finished and published, I think, “I could have done better.” And I start the next book determined to improve.
Eric and Iona’s book, Mate Claimed, has a lot of heat in it, so I spent a lot of time going over love scenes!
I want to have a giveaway today – a copy of Mate Claimed or a backlist Shifter book if the winner already has it.
My question to readers is: Do you enjoy long, steamy love scenes (the more the better), or do you find yourself skimming to get back to the dialog and story? Any opinion is valid!
Thanks again for letting me come and babble.
I find I’m often the “read quickly through a love scene to get back to the story” type of reader. I think this is due to several things, the biggest of which is that I have read so many love scenes that, you’re right, there are only so many ways a couple can enjoy themselves. 🙂 I would not want these scenes to fade to black, but don’t want them to take up pages and pages, either.
I really like your aproach to love scenes, in fact, and also appreciate your lack of purple prose. I am a huge fan of your historicals, particularly your Mackenzie series, and your treatment of love scenes in these books is just right, imo. Your placement of these scenes is very appropriate in the story (in some books, painfully, they’re not!) and when they happen I’m really invested in the characters and see such scenes as the development of their relationship. Although I haven’t tried your Shifter books (yet!) I have no doubt I’ll feel the same way about those.
That depends on the story and on my reading mood.
E.g. if I´m in the mood for a bit soft BDSM, the love scenes should be long and steamy.
And when I´m in the mood for romantic I prefer more the G-rated version etc. …
Also I think it´s very important that the love scenes fit the individual couple and the story/dialog. – There´s nothing more dreadfully than a forced extended love scene.
Since I only knew your Mackenzies I would love to read Mate Claimed.
If your giveaway is open international (Germany) I´would love to win a (maybe signed ?) book.
(to_eva@web.de)
I like to read them if they’re well done
if not well done, I will skip to get back to the dialogue
It depends on the storyline and how well/bad it’s written. There are times I find myself giggling and laughing out loud at how silly some of the scenes are described =D . There are other times that I just go “whoa. Nice!”
Depends on the mood. If I’m more into the plot rather than the romance I skip to the dialogue.
No one would ever have thought you had trouble with love scenes.
You write some hot scenes.
Depends on the writer! Some I can’t enough of, some I skim…has to be a good balance of both.
Love your books Jennifer – you rock!
I tend to skip most of them lately. They just seem to go on and on for pages and somehow just don’t seem honest. That said if I am really into the plot and the scene flows well then I read it all.
It really depends on the book but I love long steamy love scenes the steamier the better.
Depends…. Now the first sex scene of the book I could see it long and drawn out. However the following sex scenes no. Unless of course there is a significance to it that the reader must know or learns about the character.
I don’t mind them as long as they aren’t cheesy. lol if it flows really well and makes sense to the characters it’s all good as far as I’m concerned.
miztik_rose@yahoo.com
A well written love scene is, shall we say, stirring, while not making the reader drop out of the story. Love scenes should be an embellishment, not something that brings the narrative to a grinding halt while two people couple.
I don’t skim pages unless the writing in general isn’t very good but the plot is, that is not a problem with your books. I read very word like I’m reading out loud to someone. I enjoy reading, always have since junior high. I don’t speed read either because I miss too much. Reading takes you away to another time and place and if done correctly you’re in the story not just observing. Please do continue, your books are great.
I am a bit of a skim reader but I do start out by reading all of the love scenes in a book. The only time I skip anything is if either a) I have read the book before so I skip and look for dialogue or b) if the couple have already done a similar scene in the previous chapter. If your book giveaway is international I would love to be a part of it – yoursintuitively at gmail dot com.
I like the long steamy ones the best and no I don’t skim over them
I love the long steamy love scenes, but yhere are times when you kind of just want yhem to hurry up and get back to the story. I guess it all just depends on the story.
No way I love and appreciate the love scenes . I’m the reader that goes back and re reads the love scenes!!!:)
I love hot steamy love scenes that fit the couple and the story. I can imagine they are very hard to write, especially multiple love scenes in the same book. I love your Shifter series and I am reading my way through the series. I would love to win the latest one!
I havebeen known to skim love scenes. i don’t want to go back to the days of closed. bedroom doors. but don’t need 2chapters of one sex scene.
It depends on the writer, book and mood Im in. Ive been known to skim and Ive been known to read though and reread.
Yes, the longer the better.
I love a steamy love scene 🙂 I don’t have to have them in my reading (I like the sweet books too) but a good love scene is always nice 🙂
Thanks!
It really depends on the story. Sometimes I skim but sometimes it really seems like the scene changes the characters relationships.
i enjoy long, steamy love scenes but sometimes i want to skim to get back to the dialog and story 🙂