How Hot Do You Like Your Romances?

For those of you of an older age, like myself, you remember the cowboy movies where the good guy would sooner kiss his horse than a woman. If he did find a woman to love, they merely rode off into the sunset together. Now, they're more inclined to ride off into the sunset, naked, while having sex on the horse.

Things have certainly changed for that ol' cowboy.

The same thing has happened to our romances, as well.

When I first started reading romances in the late sixties, the heroine and hero never kissed until the next to the last page. This made selecting a romance much easier. One simply stood in the bookstore and flipped to the last two pages and read them to see if the nature of the chaste kiss was worthy of the read.

The only heat level we had back then was sweet. No sex. No mention of sex. No body parts perking up when the love interest sauntered onto the scene. Then we moved into the arena of closed bedroom door sex and the ensuing pregnancy. Now? Well, now, we've got choices--and that's a good thing, don't you think?

Not everyone enjoys reading sex and there are books written expressly for them. Some enjoy a little sizzle and talented authors provide that, too. Torrid love scenes appeal to many. And kink? Oh my, the many shades and flavors and positions of kink.

I've written sweet and sensual, bordering on "hawt."

As a reader, I prefer hawt to kink. What are your preferences? How hot do you like your romances?

A Taste of Chocolate by Vonnie Davis

Today is "The Sweets Blogfest" with authors Beth Fred and Kelly Hashway.

 

There are many delicious things in our lives. Objects that add sweetness. After my husband and family, these things tend to charm my senses--the bouquet of flowers, the aroma of chocolate cake baking and the sweet-tart taste of raspberry cake on my tongue. We are sensual people, after all.

 

We're told to use senses in our writing, just as we use them in real life. Can you imagine not being able to smell or taste or touch the items in our world? It would create a bland existance, would it not? Yet why do we put our characters in such a sterile environment?

 

The word "sweet" also has another connotation. In the romance writing arena, sweet means no sex. It is the mildest of "heat ratings" in the romance genre. Most of you know I write sexy to hot romances.

 

I also write sweet romance. It's not a conscious effort on my part. My storyline simply calls for it or my characters may refuse to cross the sexual line.

 

“A man’s kiss should taste like chocolate, dark flavor melting, doing sensual things to you.” –Freya, the Matchmaker

 

 

Hope Morningstar has the worst luck with men. One boyfriend wrote her a “Dear John” letter while serving overseas. Her latest romantic interest broke up with her in a text. When a traffic detour puts her in an unfamiliar neighborhood, she stops at Freya’s Coffee Shop where she gets more than directions. She gets another chance at finding love.

 

Declan Fleming, scarred by a cheating ex-wife, has given up searching for love. He’s taken the route of a few other men and engaged the services of Freya, the matchmaker. Still, he’s been waiting for a year and he’s just about given up hope. Then Freya sends him Hope.

 

When feelings of insecurity and trust issues come into play, can finding love stand a chance? Can the magical influence of this matchmaker create a happy ending? After all, finding that one special love often involves a bit of special magic, does it not?

 

 

 Beth Fred and Kelly Hashway write sweet stories, too.

 

 

http://bethfred.blogspot.com/

 

http://kellyhashway.blogspot.com/