After reading my first two novels, my mother said to me, "I liked them, but you need some sex in there. Sex sells." After the initial do I really want to have to this conversation with my mother reaction wore off, I had to admit, she had a point. Who doesn't enjoy good sex? Whether it's in a movie, television show, or book, those are the scenes which garner the most attention and conversation.
Take the hot-selling FIFTY SHADES OF GREY trilogy, for example. The series is a tremendous best-seller in thirty-seven countries, but I have yet to encounter a reader who can tell me the author or the plot for that matter. I usually do not get past the, "On my god, the sex!" Probably not what E.L. James had in mind when she wrote them, but then her name is on the checks and readers only need to know the title to buy the book.
When I started penning the sequel to SECRETS, LIES, AND TRASH, I tried to keep my mom's suggestion in mind having my married detective character embroiled in a tawdry affair with a sexy coroner. However, I soon found this was easier said than done. Painting a romantic scene and dialogue was simple enough, but when loins started exploding my keys stopped typing.
This genre is definitely out of my comfort zone. My mysteries fall into the cozy category. Even though the stories generally revolve around a murder, I tend to back off of the gore and violence. Everyone needs a little romance in their life and I enjoy mixing it into my story lines.
However, I now know my limitations. When the clothes start hitting the floor, it's best to tease and leave the rest to the reader's imagination and the romance writers of the world.
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