Welcome to my friend, Diane Kelly.  Believe me when I tell you, this woman has the most interesting stories.  No wonder her books are so fabulous!

MISCONCEPTIONS

The most difficult thing for me as a romance writer was learning to write sex scenes. My mother never had “the talk” with me and the issue was taboo around my house growing up. My parents were old school and feared if they had an open discussion with me about the subject, it might be misinterpreted as an okay to proceed with experimentation.

So I learned about sex on the playground, at the skating rink, and by reading the book “Once is Not Enough,” which my mother left on the living room bookshelf and which contained at least one dog-eared orgy scene that my sister and I read over and over, trying to make sense of. I still remember one of the male characters complimenting a female about her breasts by saying, “I dig ‘em.” Such a romantic, huh? Of course it was the 70’s, so having someone “dig” you was purportedly a good thing.

In elementary school, I once checked out a book about the birds and the bees from the library. I remember a line from the book clearly because it confused me further. The line read “part of the male fits in the female, like a foot in a sock, like a key in a lock.” Well, I knew that not just any old key would fit in a given lock. Only one particular key could open a lock, right? I worried I might never find the one special key that fit in my lock. Would I have to try many keys before finding the one that fit? How amazing was it that in this big world of ours, so many women found the correct key for their locks and thus could have children? And where exactly was my lock anyway?

Fortunately, I later figured things out, though I admit the misconception about the key and lock have stuck with me all these years. The concept resonates with me, not so much for its sexual connotations as its romantic ones. Eventually, most of us do pair off, with that one special partner who holds the only key to our heart. I love writing stories about women in search of their “key,” and thanks to red wine and Barry White, I’ve learned to write sensual scenes. After all, a complete relationship is mental, spiritual, and physical.

Did you grow up with any funny sexual misconceptions? Did your parents tell you about the birds and the bees or did you have to learn about them elsewhere?   Everyone who comments will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure. The name of the  winner will be posted on Sunday, so  be sure and check back then.

Diane Kelly is the author of the funny Death and Taxes romantic mystery series. Check out Death, Taxes, and a Sequined Clutch, a digital novella for only $1.99 releasing on October 30^th!  Read excerpts from all of her books on the Books page at www.dianekelly.com. You can also find Diane at www.facebook.com/dianekellybooks and www.twitter.com/dianekellybooks.