(Can you write) Sex on Demand?

“Not tonight, honey. I’ve got a headache.”

“Ooo, I put my back out at work. Can you take a rain check?”

“Sorry—it’s that time of the month.”

“Sweetheart, the kids have been running me ragged all day. Can’t we just cuddle?”

Sound familiar? What’s your favorite “not tonight, honey” excuse? Or do you just grunt and roll over in bed, hoping your partner takes the hint?

I never thought I’d grow tired of writing romantic fiction, but I have to admit that writing erotic-romantic fiction takes a lot out of a gal, especially when she’s got a day job and a family to take care of. I mean, you’ve got frisky characters who are demanding to be put through their paces—and readers who want to read all about them enjoying themselves in as many positions/situations possible. The pressure to “perform” sometimes can make you freeze like Bambi in the middle of a dark country road staring at a pair of oncoming truck headlights.

Writers are a fickle lot. Sometimes we want to take a break from the bedroom and focus on say, maybe, characterization or setting or other plot points beside the romantic ones. Like maybe you want to describe the history of the setting or what a flux capacitor is or how a shapeshifter is able to morph or the theoretical probability of time travel… You know, non-romantic things that have to be included in order to craft a well-rounded fictional adventure.

So here are my discussion questions for this blog: When you read romantic/erotic fiction in general, do you read because of...

1) The chemistry between the hero/heroine and/or other characters?

2) You’re in love with love and enjoy a “happily ever after” ending along with a great story?

3) You’re desperate and you’ll take sex anyway you can get it?

4) Something entirely different than what I’ve suggested.

Have you ever skipped over the “non-hot” sections of a book in order to get back to the “bedroom action”? Or have you ever done the opposite—skipped over the sex scenes to get back to the action? Your insights are welcome.

Never fear—it’s not like I’m going to stop writing romantic fiction anytime soon. It’s just sometimes I just want to cuddle, you know?

P. S. Check out my new blog site and participate in my latest “contest”. http://celinesdreams.blogspot.com/