Deadly Guest: Zoe Winters! Back to Blog
Update!! Time to announce the winners…and the winners are:
Free ebooks: Ilona
Free print copy: Tracey D
Congrats, ladies!
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But What About the Sex?
I want to thank Cindy for inviting me to guest blog with her. And I’m going to be doing a giveaway, so for those brave souls who can make it through the blah blah… you’ll get a chance to win free stuff. Yay!
Probably the only thing I don’t like about the romance genre is the general expectation for a certain number of sex scenes of a specific heat level. This is particularly true of paranormal romance which many expect to be erotica. But I’m not writing erotica. I don’t feel like a story should be forced into that mold, and so in my work you’ll find several different heat levels that match the story and what I’m trying to convey.
My writing style is somewhat sparse and fast-paced to begin with, so I don’t write sex scenes that go on for pages. This bugs some readers, so it’s one of those things I warn about up front. However, I try to lace the book with an underlying sensuality that goes beyond just what happens in the bedroom.
I’ve read several polls where it turns out only about 20% of romance readers read every single sex scene without skimming through it. Man, do I hope you guys aren’t in that 20%. You might come after me with the torches and pitchforks.
It’s not that I’m opposed to graphic scenes. I can name three authors off the top of my head who write great sex that I never skim: Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole, and my lovely hostess Cynthia Eden.
And I do write them, just not in everything. How graphic a scene is will vary from story to story. It depends on the characters. Who they are, what they’re going through. Some of them are less exhibitionist for readers than others.
My Blood Lust novella anthology which is the first book in my Preternaturals series, has varying levels of heat. The first story, Kept has one scene “on camera” and the rest off. Though even the one on camera isn’t a technical play-by-play.
The novella is probably the most “light” and “fluffy” of the three, and lengthy sex didn’t fit the pace of the story or what I was trying to get across. Sex was somewhat rushed to help characterize Greta’s shame at being at the mercy of her heat cycle and having sex with a practical stranger. Greta is a werecat.
Claimed doesn’t have a single sex scene because frankly the characters just weren’t in that place. Anything before the final climax (of the story) would have been like rape for the heroine. Charlee just isn’t in the zone for it given the fact that the vampire she’s with took her memory and has tied her to him. And epilogue sex has always weirded me out.
Mated has romantic sex that is about Jane being able to trust someone again after being abused so long by the monsters. It’s about what’s going on inside her emotionally, not about what body part is being touched or how loudly she’s moaning.
The book coming after Blood Lust, Save My Soul, has slightly more graphic sex than most readers are used to from me (though my style is still sparse), but it’s not due to any perceived pressure to heat it up (only a very small percentage of my readers have asked for more graphic sex). It’s because it’s about an incubus. That’s sort of all about the sex.
I always try to use sex as a tool to convey something about the characters and the story, which means I can’t follow the formula, or the story will suffer. That’s one sacrifice I’m not willing to make no matter how hot the sex.
The three novellas that make up Blood Lust can be found individually in ebook at Smashwords and Amazon for 99 cents each. (Kept can be read free here: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com/kept.)
For those who prefer reading on paper, Blood Lust will be releasing in print in the next few weeks.
I’ve got two giveaways. One commenter will receive all three novellas free in ebook form, and one will receive a print copy of the book (just as soon as I get them in my hands from the printer).
Here are the blurbs for the novellas that make up Blood Lust:
KEPT:
As a cat therian (shifter), Greta’s blood is already sought after to enhance spells and potions, but due to a quirk of her birth, her blood is potent enough to kill for. When her tribe plans to sacrifice her, Greta must ally herself with Dayne, the dangerous local sorcerer, and the only person strong enough to protect her.
CLAIMED:
For a vampire, Anthony isn’t a picky eater, but he’s drawn to Charlee’s blood more than any other. Like a fine wine saved for a special occasion, he’s denied himself this pleasure. But one night, high from the potent magical blood of another, he claims his prize and loses control. Ashamed of almost killing the one woman who means anything to him, he wipes her memory of the event. When Charlee awakens with complete amnesia, Anthony is the only one who can clean up the mess he’s made.
MATED:
Because of the vampiric blood that has run through her veins since birth, Jane has been a target for vampires who resent a human being “kindred.” She’s forced to disguise herself as a vampire groupie to appease them and safeguard her life. When she’s abruptly given to Cole, the leader of the werewolf pack, to satisfy a gambling debt, she discovers the blood running through her veins has a far greater impact on her destiny than she ever imagined.
Thanks for reading!
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I read all three novellas and in my very humble opinion, they were refreshingly different than other books I have read in terms of the sex scenes. I found them classy and they left alot to reader imagination, which I happen to prefer, instead of letting it all hang out there, excuse the pun. I read across the board genre and frankly the sex scenes in alot of the erotica novels I have read get very boring after awhile. I have even put books down and not finished them because every other page contained sex and no plot. The Blood Lust novellas were balanced and kept me interested. I thought they were superb and I can’t wait to read Zoe Winters next book.
Hey, Kris, thanks! I tend to feel the same way about over done sex scenes. Though there are some authors who write great sex I never skim. It’s just such a personal thing for readers though, and always a risk no matter how you do it.
You are a new author to me. The blurbs of the books sound wonderful. I love books that are differant from other writers. Makes them unique. Looking forward to reading your books.
Hey, Sue, thanks! Hope you like them, but wait to see if you win first!
Hi,
These look like ‘must haves!!!
I also really liked Kris’ comments about sex scenes. Some publishers seem to only put out books with at least one sex scene in every chapter, and it’s half the chapter, then when the story has clearly ended, well, lets throw in another mighty sex scene…hehe!!! They do tend to get boring after a while and I find myself doing a lot of skimming.
Valerie
in Germany
Morning, Zoe!! 🙂 Thanks for blogging with me! By the way, not sure if I told you, but I think the cover of Blood Lust is great!
Hey Valerie, thanks! Sex scenes after the story climax just freak me out.
Hey Cindy, thanks for having me! I think you did when I emailed you and was in cover art pimping mode. 😀 Thanks! I love this cover redesign! SO SO much. Robin is awesome sauce.
Hi Kris 🙂
thankfully, i havent read too many of the overdone sex scenes and i havent read your books yet, but they sound amazing and exciting and i would just love to get started.
Oooo…those three stories sound really good.
As far as sex scenes go, i enjoy them…but only if they fit the story and what is happening. Graphic or gratuitous sex scenes, while enjoyable to read, can take you out of the story and ruin the experience. I like escaping into the books and the story. If there is too much that takes me out of the story, the book does’t get finished.
Thanks, Lindsay!
Hey, Scott. That’s how I feel about it. I just want to keep the story moving forward and not slow it down. And thanks!
New author for me as well but I really like blurbs and the cover looks awesome. If I was in the bookstore it would definitely jump out at me.
Thanks, Stephanie!
Hi Zoe,
I haven’t read you yet. But will. Your excerpts sound wonderful.
As for sex, I love it but can get by w/o it. I read quite a bit of YA because they are well written stories – they generally do not have sex in them. Basically I need a good story to keep me interested. Yours look like they fill that requirement. Thanks.
Hey Viki, thanks! I like some YA books, too. My favorite is “Blood and Chocolate” by Annette Curtis Klause. (The movie was AWFUL and nothing like the book.)
New author to me, the blurbs sound really good.
As for sex scenes, if they go with the flow of the story they are fine, I don’t need to have them in graphic detail.
I will be watching for “Blood Lust”. Can’t wait to read it!
Hey Jean and Sharon, thanks!
I love meeting new to meauthors and finding new books. This one looks great.
I haven’t read these yet but they sound wonderful.
I am in agreement with Kris about sex in books. Sometimes it can be over used or even cliched but I don’t mind a well written sex scene if it’s to move the story on.
Thanks, Nancy!
Thanks, Ilona!
I haven’t read any of your stories yet, but I’m very interested. I will be checking them out soon.
I love anthologies and BLOOD LUST sounds wonderful! I look at the book as a whole… sex scenes are great, but I do not need them to fill in the book!
Hey Barbara, thanks!
Thanks, Colleen!
Welcome Zoe,
I have skimmed sex scenes from time to time. Looking forward to reading the novellas.
Thanks, Jane! I thought the 20% who never ever skim would come after me with the torches and pitchforks, but it looks like the 80% are replying. 😀
Blood Lust sounds like a great set of novellas. Of course, I am a vampire lover!! I also love the cover !!!
Thanks, Judy, I’m a vampire lover too. They’re my favorite! Don’t think I could ever get tired of them.
I’m a fan of steamy reads but don’t want the sex scenes to overwhelm the story. I want to see characters interact outside of the bedroom too. And I’m thrilled with another vamp book coming to my attention. I can’t get enough vampy goodness and will add it to my wishlist now.
Blood Lust sounds like a great read. I love shifters and vampires. I tend to skim over the sex scenes if it just keeps going, but I enjoy the romance and the initial get together just fine!
I enjoy books of all types from sweet to erotic. I think the sex scenes need to fit the characters, there is nothing worse, than a sex scene that seems forced.
Ooh, Zoe! I’m new to reading your writing–definitely adding these to the TBB! I agree that sex has to fit the story and the characters, and I’m always glad when the author agrees! I do love related novellas–Blood Lust sounds terrific!
Zoe, you already know I’m a fan of your novellas, sex scenes or no sex scenes. I think a lot of sex scenes are stuck in just to have a sex scene, and that’s not right. It’s got to mean something, change something, and not be interchangeable with scenes I’ve read in a couple hundred other books.
I like my books with or without raunchy sex, so you fit right in. I haven’t seen your books yet but I did like the blurbs of your novellas. I also liked the cover of your book though I don’t buy books for their covers.
Hey, Joder, thanks! I’m a real fan of the banter outside the bedroom. To me that’s usually sexier than the sex.
@Denise, me too! Thanks!
@Marlene, I totally agree. I like a wide range as well. If I’m in the mood to read drawn out hot sex scenes, I either read an author who I know delivers that, or I read erotica.
@Fedora, thanks! When I first released Kept I wasn’t sure how a novella anthology would fly as a first release, but it seems to have been a smart move. Since each novella is available separately I think it creates this impression of me having three books out and puts people in a “buying habit” so to speak. In hindsight I think this was much smarter than releasing a novel first.
@Edie, hey! Thanks for stopping by. 😀 I agree about interchangeable scenes. I don’t want to read a scene that is “if you’ve read one, you’ve read them all.” This bizarre publishing obsession with writing out every single sex scene seems akin to describing every single meal a character eats.
@Diane, thanks! So glad you liked the blurbs!
Also, a note to all: I could be wrong, but I get the impression that several people here who are wanting to read in Blood Lust, read in print and not ebook. You’ll be able to “order” Blood Lust from your local bookstore when it becomes available in print, if you don’t like shopping online or through the mail, but the print release of BL will be directly available at all the Amazon stores, and Barnesandnoble.com
Thought I would clarify that so people don’t search their local Borders for it and wonder where it is.
Hi! I do remember reading a book in which, I counted, one sex scene lasted ten pages! So, yes, I’m one of those readers who skim sex scenes. I just want to know what position they’re using and if the characters have any thoughts or say anything that may propel the story along. That’s pretty much it, for the most part (as in some stories I don’t skim). I also read a lot of YA books and I like Annette Curtis Klause’s books, too.
Hey Cories, man I’m not sure I mention what position. Actually it can probably be implied from context, so maybe I do. Now I’m going to be thinking about that. haha!
And ten pages? Maybe I’m just not creative enough since I can’t even think what you could do for ten whole pages. (That is probably a very very bad thing for a writer to admit around potential readers.)
Sex is nice but I do not need it in my book.i do need Romance of some type in them.
sasluvbooks(at)yahoo.com
Hey, Stacey, same here!
Really enjoyed the blurbs. As for the heat level – it depends on if it fits with the rest of the book, and makes sense. For suspense, it’s interesting. I think Shannon McKenna does a fabulous job. Otherwise, when running for your life, avoiding gunfights… feeling amorous is not just unrealistic, it’s pretty stupid. “Oh I know- let’s get busy in this alley we’re hiding in because probably the guy who was shooting at us two seconds ago has forgotten by now.”
Not that I’m against them – definitely not. It just… depends. And no I don’t expect every book to have tons, nor an “erotic romance” to automatically have menage O_o
Hey limecello, I recognize your name from somewhere else online, lol! (I guess that’s a hard name to forget.) And LMAO @ a quickie in an alley while hiding from the bad guys.
The menage thing made me laugh too. That does seem to be a trend in erotic romance.
Thanks about the blurbs!
Oh, this sounds like the beginning of a great series. I look forward in reading this and your other works, Zoe.
Hey Tracey, Thanks!
Thanks to everybody for all the great comments and enthusiasm about my work! Winners have been selected using Random.org:
Free ebooks: Ilona
Free print copy: Tracey D
Winners, please email me using the contact form either at: http://www.zoewinters.org
or: http://zoewinters.wordpress.com
to claim your prize.
Hi Zoe, love what I’m reading so far about your stories, and I agree don’t have to have the sex scenes for a good story, all depends. Congrats Ilona and Tracey!
Hey Pam, thanks! I’m sorry you missed the contest. 🙁
I read the three stories and loved them all. I usually don’ enjoy e books but after I read the descriptions I couldn’t wait. My favorite was Mated! I love a protective man, or should I say werewolves. I will get my paperback copy so I can have it handy when I feel like re-reading a great story.
Now going to the sex question I can read a book with very few sex scenes but plenty of romance but a book that is just cold sex that I usually leave it half a way.
This happened to me back on April a book that I had waited five years, long wait God! All that wait to be really disappointing about it, there was hardly romance in the book. It was a cold empty story, not worth my money. I enjoyed good sex scenes don’t take me wrong but when they make sense not just because the author feels like it.
Hey BarbaritaV so glad you enjoyed the stories! Thanks for reading. If you want to sign up for the newsletter (contact form via my website) you’ll know when it’s available. I only do a newsletter when I have an actual release or a contest or something actually worthwhile to say. i.e. not more than once a month and usually not even that frequently cause I hate getting constant newsletters from people.
I will. Thanks! I promoted the books at Nalini Singh website on the weekly reading, hopefully it helps to sell. I really loved your writing style. Thanks again!
What a beautiful cover!! I can’t wait to read them!