The Lust Factor by Jennifer Probst
Spotlight: Catch Me – Decadent Publishing
A big thanks to Books-n-Kisses for hosting me today! I’d like to talk about the erotic romance, and some of the particular challenges of the genre.
I’ve heard many critics of various novels state the hero and heroine of the book fall into bed too quickly to be believed. Definitely a valid point. However, when writing toward the erotic genre in the shorter category, authors need to get these two characters to the bed pretty fast, or there will only be time for one short sex scene and the happily ever after.
I found this to be a particular challenge in the erotic genre in novella formats. The trick? Throw your characters into lust…but give them enough layers and connection to build toward love.
Here are some quick steps to help writers achieve the goal to satisfy readers with both emotion and hot sex.
1. Get a concept: My new novella, Catch Me, is the first in the series of Decadents 1NS. The premise revolves around the mysterious Madame Eve who owns the One Night Stand company and brings characters together for the night. It’s safe, consensual, and exciting. With that theme, the reader is already set up to expect sex in one night – it’s just up to me to spin it with enough emotion and conflict to seem real.
By setting up the terms ahead of time for the reader, expectations are already in place, which makes it a bit easier to get these two to the sack.
2. Ramp up the conflict: Why shouldn’t they want each other? Characters need to have deep seated reservations about extending their initial sexual romp…that’s what makes the journey interesting. Throw in a brutal past, a conflicting career, a revenge plot, anything to allow the reader to enjoy the initial lovemaking but plant a seed of doubt if the characters will be able to work it out. That’s a good story.
3. Keep it fresh. Why do I want to watch two of your characters have sex right away if there’s no payoff for me? Sure, I love the lust at first sight, but once you close the door to the bedroom, surprise me. Whether it be toys, dirty talk, humor, BDSM – give me something to talk about. Or not. Of course, please don’t think you can’t throw in some nice, sweet vanilla sex. But then I’m going to expect some deep POV and emotion that will knock me out.
Readers may expect lust to bring two characters together, but a writer’s job it to up the ante and make sure that initial encounter is ripe with conflict, deep emotion, and heat.
Check out my new series with the Steele Brothers and let me know if I’ve succeeded!
Release: February 17, 2012 from Decadent Publishing
Rick Steele has avoided women since he caught his fiancée cheating, but when he’s talked into spending a one night stand through Madame Eve, he’s not prepared for his emotional and physical reaction to his date. For the first time, he wants more than one night..but he needs to catch her first…
Tara Denton escaped a brutal past and needs one night with a stranger to break down her sexual and emotional limitations. On the brink of recovering her strength and independence, she wants nothing to do with a relationship. But Rick Steele does more than rock her body…he rocks her heart. Tara has to make a choice, and she’s not ready to get caught…
Release: February 1, 2012 from Red Sage Publishing
An unbreakable contract. A stunning lie. And lots of mind blowing, take-no prisoners sex…
Julianna needs to marry a man with money to save her family estate.
Jack needs to marry a woman who will love him for himself, and not for his wealth and title.
When Jack disguises himself a gardener, and promises to show Julianna the dark world of pleasure she never experienced, he’s convinced his heart is safe. But when his cousin comes to town, disguised as the perfect husband for Julianna and intent on stealing Jack’s legacy, he ignites a chain reaction that will change them forever. Can love and truth triumph?
Releasing March 1, 2012 from Entangled Publishing
Alexandria Maria McKenzie casts a love spell for a man to help save her childhood home, but she never planned on her best friend’s older brother. He offers her a bargain: marry him for one year and he will meet her price. A marriage in name only with certain rules: no emotion, no attachments, no sex. The terms should be easy to follow since he is the man who broke her heart years ago. Or are they?
Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage or family, but he needs a wife in order to inherit DreamScape Enterprises. He looks for a suitable candidate, but never planned on his sister’s childhood friend. She is everything he usually avoids in a woman: too impulsive, too emotional, too demanding. Of course, he intends to avoid any real entanglements and stick strictly to business. Or can he?
The stakes are high, but neither bargained for love…
Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She took a short hiatus to get married, get pregnant, buy a house, get pregnant again, pursue a master’s in English Literature, and rescue two shelter dogs. Now she is writing again.
She makes her home in Upstate New York with the whole crew. Her sons, one 4 and one 6, keep her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean.
Her first contemporary romance, Heart of Steel, was re-launched in e-book form. Her publications with Red Sage include “Masquerade” Secrets Volume 11, The Tantric Principle, and her February 1st release, Sex, Lies and Contracts. She has also written a children’s book, Buffy and the Carrot, co-written with her twelve year old niece, along with a short story, “A Life Worth Living.” Her newest series include Catch Me, the first in The Steele Brothers series with Decadent, and The Marriage Bargain, her new Marriage to a Billionaire series with Entangled. All of her books are available at her website or Amazon.
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