Blushing Romance Readers

As an aspiring romance author, I consider myself fairly fearless when it comes to writing sexual scenes. But that doesn’t mean that readers don’t blush or get nervous when it comes to talking about these scenes.

A prime example:

A few weeks ago I went to the RWA DARA book signing. Might I add that I had a blast. There I was able to meet Shana Galen/Shane Bolks, Robyn DeHart and revisit Jacquie D’Alessandro. All these authors are so awesome.

But this story mainly involves Jacquie. It was while I was sitting beside her talking about this and that that this story actually begins.

A reader came up and picked up a copy of Not Quite A Gentleman and said she was unsure if she wanted to buy it. The lady then asked of it’s sexual content because she was buying it for her mother whom is in a nursing home. Mentioning that they read these books aloud and that her mother has already “been there and done that”, doesn’t exactly like the sex scenes. Understandable. Some readers just aren’t big on that and would rather skip over it.

Well, the woman leans in and asks if Jacquie would recommend her book for this type setting, the whole while a blush was rising in her cheeks. Being a writer, this type of thing doesn’t bug me in the slightest, nor my husband who has to listen to me read my sex scenes aloud hehe.

Anyhow, she then turns and looks directly at my husband as says “Oh, you can leave now”. Now everyone could tell it wasn’t an order of annoyance but more of her wishing to not embarrass herself in-front of a man. My husband and I both had trouble holding back a laugh.

So, Jacquie begins to go into detail on which words she may or may-not have used in this book.

Personally I’m thinking anyone who has read a book by Jacquie D’Alessandro should know they are in for a very great “sexual” book.

Well, Jacquie mentions she’s used the word nipple a few times…because she really likes the word. Thinking for a moment, she adds “I may have used the word errection a time or two” and then “penis could be in there but I’m not sure.”

Ok, now the woman is in a full head-to-toe blush. Nicely she puts the book down and says she doesn’t think it would be a good book for her mother after all.

Now understand me here, this is in no way to embarrass the woman who was asking after the book nor is it to hurt her feelings if she were ever to read this but more to point out that sometimes topics are hard to talk about in sight of others. In this example, my husband.

And just for the record, Jacquie and I chit-chatted for well over an hour about any number of topics..none of which I found embarrassing. It seems I’ve found someone who loves to chit-chat as much as I do.

BTW Jacquie, I had a blast talking with you and I’m thinking its a good thing we don’t chat like that everyday…you’d never get a book finished.

Hope everyone has a great week, full of great spicy reads hehe.