Close to Home

My favorite love scene is not from a book or movie, it's a true story. For me, the best love scene took place in front of friends and family. No, it wasn't kinky. It was when I married my husband.

It was an amazing day, but my favorite part was when I started down the aisle and saw my handsome fiancé waiting for me. His gorgeous blue eyes looked into mine, and he was the most handsome man I'd ever seen.

When he took my hand in his, my heart took flight and I knew saying yes to him was the best decision I'd ever made. It was—and still is—like living in a romance novel.

Here's hoping all of you have a chance to live out your best and wildest dreams.

Cheryel

www.cheryelhutton.com

Favorite Love Scenes

I'm a total sap.

I cry at Hallmark commercials, sporting events, when my kids get up on stage...

I've been known to drip tears when a person triumphs against all odds.

I will blubber when a soldier comes home to his waiting family. Seriously, blubber.

It should be no surprise that my favorite loves scenes in the movies or books are those that happen when the couple has fought against great odds to finally, finally love one another. Heart melt.

Want some examples?

Star Wars when Leia admits that she loves Han Solo as he is about to be frozen. And his reply is, "I know."

City of Angels when the angel falls to his death to become a man for the woman he loves and they finally get together. I cried like a baby during that movie.

X Files. Yeah, I know, not your typical love story. But  Scully and Mulder had such a caring, loving, partnership. You knew that they loved each other even if they didn't act on it for like EVER. I miss that show.

Dirty Dancing. Baby and Swazie's character couldn't get involved. He was too old, too poor, (hot! whoops, did I just say that?) and she was young, rich, from the other side of the tracks. But the sparks sizzled when they were together and when they danced...whoa.

Pushing Up Daisies. Did you see that show? What an awesome premise. The hero had loved her since childhood, but there was one thing keeping them apart. Anything he touched died. Yeah, not a great thing. But how they pined after each other, while another character pined after him. Gosh, why did they kill off that show???

Those are some of my favorites. What are yours?


http://kimberleytroutte.com/

Fade to black...

I'm probably one of those odd folks who can't write a love scene for love or money but LOVES to read a good love scene. Put a Sara Brookes story in front of me and I'm diving in and not coming up for air until I get my fill of some sweet luvin'!

But as for my own works I've been sort of, well... fade to black. While I'll drag the lovers up to the edge I just can't push them over, preferring to leave the good details to the reader's imagination - because that's what I think works for my characters and the way I write.

Here's an example from the first book in the "Blood of the Pride" series.

***

I fumbled with his shirt, fingers numb with anticipation. “Maybe. Okay, yes.” I ran my hands over his chest, pleasantly surprised at the light fur covering his skin. “Maybe you’ve got a little Felis in you after all.”

“Maybe. Does that mean I get to be on top?” A tingle ran down my spine as he drew his fingers leisurely down my back, stroking the scarred skin before expertly snapping my bra open. “Or do I have to wrestle you for it?”

Maybe. Yes. I don’t know.” I let out a sigh, surrendering to the mixture of emotions, exhaustion and plain old lust drowning me. “Shut up and keep touching me.”

***

To me that's enough to give the reader - you can figure out what happens next, right?

But, as I said above, I'm no prude - give me a hot and heavy love scene and I haz great fun! It's only when the scene seems forced and suddenly I find my mind wandering as to trying to figure out how person A is still breathing and where person B's leg is and how the heck can anyone be that flexible and I'm bounced out of the story.

A good love scene can be graphic or may not be. But what it has to do is send the reader on an emotional ride that's got to pay off at the end with flushed cheeks and grabbing for the water bottle. Whether it's a "fade to black" or a hot steamy scene the writer's got to deliver those feelings or it just descends into an engineering test of who fits into whom.

As with all things - just my wandering thoughts! Feel free to agree or disagree below and if you have any refs to authors you want to recommend - jump on in!

Midnight confessions...

First confession: I don't write erotic romance.

Still with me? Good. Because I do write great stories -- they just happen to be what is, I believe, termed 'vanilla' when it comes to sex. Interesting how we classify things, isn't it?

I began my love of the romance novel many years ago. At age 13, I discovered the local drugstore sold paperback romances: Harlequin and Harlequin Presents -- the latter being the more sexy of the lines in those days. ;) I fell in love with... love. The whole idea and nuance of it all... the forbidden passion. I suppose my favorite part of it all back then was the tension -- that spark and sizzle when the characters are dancing around their attraction. It could make any young, inexperienced girl sigh.

Want to know a secret? It still does. That flirty, does-he/does-she moment. The first, accidental touch. That first time the heroine looks into his eyes. Yes, it's still my favorite part of the romance. The sexual tension. The sizzle before the actual kiss or, um, other stuff. ;)

It's also my favorite part to write, if truth be told. Sometimes, writing the 'love scene' is a chore. It can be the most difficult part of the story for me. I have to find just the right mood; just the right atmosphere (no children under foot); just the right everything.

But the tension that leads them there? For me that is oh-so-easy. Oh, yes, that's where I shine, smack-dab within the literary foreplay.

What part of the romance do you prefer? The sizzle? The cuddling? Or more?

~~Meg Allison

Indulge your senses...
http://www.megallisonauthor.com