romance

We’ll Have The Usual, Thank You!

April 17, 2016 by scarletdarkwood

Yes, you will. There’s no doubt about it. You’ll have the usual and nothing but the usual, forever and ever, amen. Most of you may not know this, but in my retail store I try to carry unusual items, unique and not the run-of-the-mill merchandise that other stores carry. I mean, I want to be different so people will have a reason to come in and shop with me. I want to be competitive. Guess what sells? Go on. Don’t be shy. *Jeopardy music playing* The usual!! Ta-da! And there you have it. The usual.

Seriously. We sell more of the usual than anything else. We sell what you can buy in other stores and can get in other places and on line. When we buy, my spouse makes sure we ask our vendors, “What’s the top 100 items you sell?” We want those things. Like it or not, there’s something to be said for that. That’s why it’s called the top 100 sellers. They don’t call it that for giggles and grins.

What on earth does this have to do with books? C’mon, Scarlet. You write books. What’s your point? Guess what? “The usual” sells well for books too. Yes, they do. The Billionaire-Biker-Alpha-Male tropes. There a zillions of them, and more coming, mind you. They’re being cranked out as we speak. Oh, look. I see one now …

When I published my first book four years ago (OMG, it’s been FOUR years ago? It seems like last year!), I really didn’t know much about the erotica genre. I don’t practice the things I included in my books (Oh, yeah, I wrote a collection), so I had to do research so I could minimize sounding like an “idjut.”

When I started my first book (uh, oh—that’s actually the one I’m trying to finish now. Don’t ask), the one I published first, I had a dream. I had a dream to create something wild, unusual, extremely different and not the run-of-the-mill tropes you find out there today. I wanted to write a book with a different twist and one that contained at least the elements of a theme that would really turn readers on. Did I succeed?

Meh, some like it. Some don’t. What’s the surprise, then? Of course there will be those who enjoy what you write, and then there are those who simply don’t cop to it. True, dat. And for those of you who don’t like my approach to kink or my erotica collection, I don’t hate you for it, either. Am I disappointed? Aw, yes. Of course I am. It means I fell short of my goal.

It’s been four long years, and though I created a Facebook author page, created the blog, and a year ago created a Google+ account (I just started participating more in Twitter a few months ago), I didn’t do much more marketing. I surely didn’t put my books in a Blog Tour or pay for advertising. It was when Booktrope picked up the collection that I did more, and also started lightly asking for reviews—mainly picking one or two bloggers at a time. I still have a list I haven’t gone through.

The four years have given me some time to possibly grow a thicker skin, but I still get bummed when someone doesn’t like the work. I still shake my head when someone doesn’t cop to what I write. One author told me that he wished there were more readers who liked works that deviate from the cookie-cutter romance novels, but the market is what it is.

True, dat—again, dammit! I like writing for the joy of it most times, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to make a little money at it, or have some validation that what I produce is good. The real truth: I simply do not like writing tropes. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure I’ll write one someday. Maybe I just released one. Heck, I don’t know. But cookie-cutter is simply not for me. If you find my work something you just can’t get into, then too bad. For both of us, really. You didn’t find a new author you like, and I didn’t find a reader who’s a fan.

Does it shake things up for me? It does a little at times, and here’s why. It’s just another teaching lesson that the erotic genre is so diverse, it’s difficult for me to keep up with it. I’ve also learned from Goodreads that “Dark Erotica” doesn’t mean my work fits beautifully into that category. I thought it would have been a match made in heaven, but I clearly missed the mark on that notion. Try some different groups? Yeah, I guess I could do that. Throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.

Here’s the real truth about my Pleasure House Tales: there are three more books I’d planned on writing for that collection, and now I’m questioning if it would even be worth it. Why write them if people already have issues with the ones currently out there? And the issues being the fact that these books are not the tropes currently available and not an approach to subject matter that’s popular. I’d thought about trying to join book signing events for this collection, but now I’m seriously reconsidering it. I just don’t think this collection fits in.

Admittedly, there are times I wish I’d just written Pleasure House and stopped and moved on to other books. I learned something else: I somehow created a world that people who do enjoy the books made clear: they love The House, and they want the stories to take place there. Some even mentioned they’d like more books with other characters and ones focusing on some of the original characters.

The thing potential readers need to know about the Pleasure House Tales is that they are erotica novels. Though these books have romance elements, they’re not sweet, soulful reads, usually. Pleasure House honestly has a more “Victorian” feel to it, and the purpose of that book was to introduce a reader to the world of The House and to accompany the main character on a journey of sexual awakening. The other books have not only some of the original characters, but new ones as well. This collection tells the different stories of the patients (admits) of The House, what they experienced there. There are different kink elements, and medical play is a big part of that too. Some scenes hit you from out of the blue unexpectedly. For some it will be seen as abuse, others will see it as a score, that you surprised them when nothing much usually surprises them (in a good way).

Maybe I’ll write those three remaining books someday; maybe I won’t. I’m just not sure. Maybe I’m just a little tired right now and need to take writing a little bit slower to re-group. Finish up the current book (the original first novel) I’m working on. The bottom line: The Pleasure House Tales are not your normal read, and the scenes will surprise you. If you’re wanting to deviate from the norm, take a break from the popular market reads and try on something different for size, these books might work for you. For those who are wanting the usual reads, please move on. There’s nothing to see here.

A Fun Romp Through Different Genres

August 4, 2014 by scarletdarkwood

Not too long ago, I saw a Meme about how certain music genres would characterize a sentence in their different varieties: Country, Pop, Metal, and a few others I can’t remember. So I decided this exercise wasn’t just for musicians, but writers could do it to. I took it upon myself to give this a shot and use the same sentence that was the kick-off point in the meme. Here goes, and hope you enjoy!

Sentence: I saw a flower

Romance: The cerise-petaled flower fluttered in the wind, hoping desperately to catch the attention of the handsome cattail standing nearby. She’d had her eye on him for quite some time, and the sight of his strong brown frame always left her breathless.

Erotica: Rose opened herself to the warm, brilliant sun above, smiling shyly as she uncloaked her golden center, offering herself to the brilliant orb in the sky. Sun’s eyes gazed down, flickering with lust as his warm finger rays reached down, tenderly stroking over the tight bundle of pistils and stamens. The shivery pleasure radiated down through her stem and out of the roots that tethered her in place.

Horror: The purple Iris smiled her most seductive smile, one so diabolical that no human could resist touching her. She knew she was the death flower, as did the inky black raven who perched on the branch above her. He loved nothing better than a view of a victim, shrieking with pain, as they fell to their death upon touching the moist purple petals.

Steampunk: Abigail donned her goggles, gloves, and cap, and hopped into her new flying machine, a rather odd-looking, flower-shaped contraption resembling a daisy, outfitted with a bulbed compartment for a pilot and rider. The petal-like propellers, operated by steam, whirled round and round at a dizzying speed, sending the plane zipping through the air. Though she was a young lady, Grandfather would be so proud of her flying skills.

Sci/Fi: The battle between the Tiger Lillies and Pussy Willows raged on. A deep blanket of pollen covered the sky, choking anything that dared to breathe. The Tiger Lillies shot off rounds of bullets from their pistils and stamens, only to be answered by the horrendous bombs strategically launched by the cunning Pussy Willows. The after math would be terrible, with the carnage of dead flowers and buds all over the field.

Fantasy: Morning Glory flared her purple cape around her and glared at the sky. No more would Thunder and Lightning bully her with their streaks of terrible light and monstrous sounds. She pulled her leaves tighter together to hide the vial containing the secret light, it’s name so sacred it couldn’t be uttered aloud. She’d show them. A few simple magic words, and she’d open the vial.

Go To The Kindle Store, Go Directly To The Kindle Store!

May 16, 2013 by scarletdarkwood

Do not pass Go, and do not collect two hundred dollars . . . Apparently the filtering of erotica by Amazon is still in full swing and hasn’t stopped; and many erotica writers are feeling the effects. To all you Joe Schmo’s out there, please stop looking for all the naughty stuff in all the wrong places. Make it simple for yourself and find the erotica stories you want. Instead of landing on the Amazon homepage and typing away in that big, long box, just click the down arrow where it says “All” and scroll on down to “Kindle Store.” From that point on, you can find your titles or pull up more comprehensive searches.

If you’re feeling funky and brave, you can always search “Books” then “Literature and Fiction” and then “Erotica.” That will work too, as does “Books” then “Romance” then “Erotica,” but it’s more involved. Amazon likes the money it makes from adult literature, but apparently some bee in their bonnet has instigated their desire to “hide” the titles.

Now, I must say this: SELLING ON AMAZON IS A PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT.

Yes, you saw that correctly. Amazon owes me nothing, even though the naughty category makes them a ton of money. It’s a privilege to sell on the sight, especially when I see boutique book sites mentioned in Mercy Faulk’s book that do not accept erotica if it contains certain elements, like “golden showers” or bestiality–not that I care about farm boy doing unsuspecting sheep or goat; but if someone wants to write about that, then have at it. Other sites are the author showcasing their own works or that of their friends.

But what about the small indie authors who are starting out? They don’t have their books reviewed, and let’s face it, most review sites I see pretty much guarantee your work won’t get read, anyway. So a writer is out of luck there too. There are some authors whose works are not accepted by mainstream publishers, so they have to self-publish instead. At least on Amazon, the reader gets an opportunity to taste this style of writing, with unique elements and story lines that are barred from other so-called erotica and romance sites.

I loathe the idea of trying to cloak my work by putting it in the “Romance” category. Why not call a spade a spade and just let the chips fall where they may?

So how do you search for your naughty materials? Do you do an “All” departments search on Amazon? Or do you go to the specific category and start there? Do you agree with filtering adult titles, or do you think there should be more parental supervision? OR, are people too prudish and puritanical for their own good and just like something to fuss about?? Feel free to share your ideas. I’d love to hear from you.

Erotica vs. Erotic Romance: An Arousing Conundrum

February 18, 2013 by scarletdarkwood

I learn something new all the time, and that’s the way it is with all of us, even the most experienced. Like I’ve probably mentioned before, I’ve been reading erotica off and on for many years, and I thought I knew what this genre was about.

You see, I’ve read mixed reactions from readers of Erotica, and I seem to find two camps of thought: The first camp complains that the plot and characters are not fleshed out, and that there doesn’t seem to be much of a deep soul connection between the characters. AND (hold on to your hats, folks), the sex is way too pornographic, purposeless, and the author has way too much of it in the story.

What? I thought erotica was supposed to have a lot of sex, and graphic to boot. Now here’s what camp two says: We don’t feel the stories are pornographic at all, the sex is described and written just right, and fits in there with most erotic writing. Though some scenes are a bit extreme the essence is captured in the most tactful way. In some scenes, what could have been seen as disgusting was actually written in an enticing, appealing way. We enjoy the storyline, which flows well, and the characters are engaging.

Okay, so now I’m confused. Or was confused, because I think I’m beginning to see the light to this whole thing. In most erotica stories I’ve read, many characters are found engaging in sex either through chance encounters where the lust is riding high, or the character knows someone who leads them on a carnal adventure. Many times these stories present characters who just want to have and enjoy sex: for the pure, simple fun of it.

Erotic romance, appears to focus more on the storyline, characters, and the few sex scenes that are added may be a little spicier than what you’d find in a regular romance novel. And there is the “happily ever after.”

In looking at this situation, I’m beginning to see, like most instances, there will be readers who want to enjoy a more simple, entertaining read, while others will want something with more depth. When looking at a piece of work, you’ll always get two camps of thought, no matter what you as the author set out to achieve. As I continue to write, I’ll still want beta readers to look at my work to make suggestions, but in the end, I’ll still find the need to write the stories the way I want them to be. People will either connect to and enjoy what I’ve produced, or not. It’s a mixed bag, for sure.

The more I look at my work, I see that my Pleasure House project and Dance of Desire fit in the Erotica category through and through. I’ve now even gone so far as to put a warning sentence at the beginning of my product description, indicating that if you’re looking for the traditional, sweet, soulful romance story with a few spicy sex scenes, this work is not for you. Or something to that effect. You see, I want my customers to know what they’re getting–or not.

Tell me what you think when you’re viewing a book in the erotica category. Are you wanting the true enticing, fun erotica, characters who just want to have sex and enjoy it? Are you looking for a deeper story line? Or are you looking for a nice, fuzzy-feeling, warm-your-heart romance story, with a couple of extra spicy sex scenes to flavor it up a bit?