17 Comments
Leave a Comment
Share:
We are pleased to have debut author Lavinia Kent with us today!
I’m very excited that by debut book, A Talent for Sin, from Avon, is out this week. My story came into being because I wanted to start a book with a sex scene and make it relevant. I write hot, sensual historicals, and I’ve always felt that the key to any great sex scene is that it’s about something besides the sex. That “something” can be a piece of key information that will be revealed, the great tension of “will-they-or-won’t-they,” or—in most of the scenes I write—a power struggle. It’s hard to reveal key information before the story has even begun. If the reader isn’t yet invested, it’s hard for her to care whether the couple does or doesn’t. And a power struggle is also hard to portray when the reader hasn’t yet ha d a “proper” introduction to the characters.
All these difficulties left me in a bit of a quandary. I wanted to start the book hot and heavy, but I didn’t want it to be just a matter of bodies moving together.
So I thought about using the scene to demonstrate the state of the protagonists’ relationship as the book opens. My hero and heroine have a strong and very physical relationship. Violet, who has been widowed three times, relishes her independence. She loves her relationship and sees no reason to change it. Peter is very different. He adores Violet. Everything about my first scene is his showing how he would do anything for her. His whole being is concerned with her pleasure and making her happy.
I’d love to hear what everybody thinks of what makes for a great, tension-filled sex scene. What makes for a scene you feel compelled to read instead of just paging through?
Thanks so much for having me as your guest.
Lavinia will be sending out an autographed copy of A Talent for Sin to one of our lovely responders today!
Filed in: Jaunty Post
May 27th
2009
6:43 am
Booklover1335 Said:
I love “love” scenes that are intimate, tension filled, sexy, and where you get to here inner dialogue as well as the characters interaction with each other, and what they are feeling as well as saying.
I just got done reading a historial romance by an author that I have read for years, and didn’t like it at all. The hero and heroine of the book started out as enemies, and their dialogue reflected that. What I disliked the most was that once they began their love affair, they way they spoke to each other NEVER changed through the course of the book, even though they professed to fall in love with each other. You would not have been able to tell this through the dialogue without the author coming right out and stating it.
That being said, I can’t wait to read Violet’s story! I am hoping it will get the bad taste out of my mouth from my last historical.
Congrats on the new book!
-
May 27th
2009
7:05 am
kristan higgins Said:
You had me at “relevant sex scene,” Lavinia! That’s my pet peeve in steamy books…when the nooky doesn’t mean anything other than “the hero and heroine are really getting it ON!” So the word relevant is key for me. I think when the, er, encounter shows something we haven’t seen (and I’m not talking about body parts, girls, get your minds out of the gutter!)…something emotional, maybe. So your opener sounds perfectly steamy and completely relevant to me. Can’t wait to read it! Congratulations!
-
May 27th
2009
8:03 am
eap Said:
I most want to feel the kive between the characters in a steamy scence not naked gymnastics:(
-
May 27th
2009
8:12 am
Crystal B. Said:
For me, the scene has to be more than just about sex. There has to genuine emotion and the scene has to fit the plot and not just be thrown in.
-
May 27th
2009
8:32 am
Lavinia Said:
Thanks, that’s all very helpful. I think the hardest love scenes to write for me are always the books last one — the reward scene. If every things worked out there doesn’t seem to be much left to develop. I much prefer writing/reading scenes where there is real change happening.
-
May 27th
2009
9:26 am
Teresa W. Said:
Congrats on your release and I enjoy about hearing different techniques from sex scenes!
-
May 27th
2009
9:46 am
Serenissima Said:
Hi Ms Kent,
I have been waiting for Your first one since I went to HarperCollins´pages and read the first chapters of Your book. The tension, the loving, the caring; everything was there.
Congrats on Your first winner!
As to sex scenes on romances, I like them hot but with emotions, definitely not just bodies doing some gymnastics that are impossible even to imagine.
-
May 27th
2009
10:44 am
Amy Said:
Wow, you’ve got me interested! I am looking forward to learning more about these characters.
-
May 27th
2009
11:19 am
Shana Galen Said:
Welcome Lavinia! Your book sounds great!
-
May 27th
2009
12:14 pm
Lavinia Said:
I am working on writing my third (or maybe fourth depending on which proposal my editor likes best) at the moment and it’s a very different story. The couple aren’t supposed to come together for quite awhile and they don’t seem to agree with me on that point.
It was much more fun writing about Violet and Peter whose attraction was always out in the open — they just had to figure out everything else. On the other hand I never love the book I am working on until it’s done.
My second book, Bound by Temptation, due out in February 2010 — has a couple that wanted to tempt each other endlessly. I always had a hard time getting them to the point. I’d have ten pages of them teasing each other and they’d still be fully dressed. If I hadn’t decided that maybe things could happen without them taking their clothes off I’d never have finished the book.
-
May 27th
2009
1:54 pm
LYONESS2009 Said:
I think a good tension filled moment can be had but the two characters have to believably be into eachother. They have to like eachother and their has to be chemistry. I dislike when all of a sudden, without any buildup, they are bein’ super friendly…have a little chemistry..that’s what makes it fun!
I think this book looks fab and cognrats!!
-
May 27th
2009
2:59 pm
RachieG Said:
Chemistry! I think that’s all that matters…the two characters need to be good together…and I love humor or tense converstion. Sometimes that can make the best scenes!
Interesting post today and the new book looks awesome!! Good luck in the future!
-
May 27th
2009
4:34 pm
cheryl c. Said:
Congrats on your first book! How wonderful that your debut book sounds like such a winner!
What I love best about a sex scene is the underlying emotion.
-
May 27th
2009
4:38 pm
Maureen Said:
I am going to read a scene that is filled with emotion and longing and hopes and joy.
-
May 27th
2009
4:40 pm
Jane Said:
Hi Lavinia,
Congrats on your debut release. I like it when the characters are feel more than lust for each other. They don’t have to love each other, but I do expect them to have feelings and care for each other.
-
May 27th
2009
10:50 pm
Pam P Said:
Congrats on the debut book, Lavinia!
I, too, want to see some emotions and feelings, not just the sex, see that there is some caring/liking between them.
-
May 28th
2009
9:34 am
Karen H in NC Said:
Hi Lavinia,
The more I read about your work, the more I want the book in my hand!
While I like to read a hot sex scene as much as anyone else, I don’t like a book where the H/H have sex as a page-filler…page after page of meaningless sex for me is a big turn-off. It needs to mean something to the characters and the story.
-