Monday, April 15, 2013

What the Feck (WTF): Your Erotic Zone




What the Feck?! (WTF?!) 
Is a new feature here at The Book Nympho.
Every Monday we will post a book related topic 
that had us thinking WTF?! while reading a book 
or talking to others in the book community.




Your Erotic Zone 

Do you have boundaries?
by Jonetta



It wasn't that long ago (less than two years) that I read my first erotic romance. It was Colters' Woman by Maya Banks and I stumbled upon it while searching for something else on Amazon. It was free and the premise of the story sucked me in....a woman in a relationship with three brothers. It was a ménage so I obviously jumped in the deep end of the pool. Within three days I'd finished the entire series.

I don't know what I thought erotica was at the time but I didn't know the stories could be so compelling and interesting. Whatever stigma I may have attached to the genre at the time disappeared pretty quickly. That first book opened the door to an exploration that is still in progress.

I've been pretty comfortable with my selections, mostly ménage situations similar to the Colters (fascinated by the idea) or really steamy situations involving one heterosexual couple. I also figured out I don't have any boundaries in this area of erotica.

Then enter the era of Fifty Shades and BDSM, though most who are experienced with bondage, Dom/Sub sexuality consider this to be lite fare. It did, however, shine a spotlight on this type of eroticism and I discovered a boundary...BDSM lite was enough for me.

Late last year, I was asked to read and review the first book in a mystery/suspense series with a m/m romance front and center (Missing Daughter, Shattered Family by Liz Strange). It's not erotica but it introduced me to m/m romance and I discovered how much I loved this romance genre and especially the couple in this story. I'd thought that my love of the m/m romance in the BDB series was just specific to that storyline and those characters. Apparently not!

Authors like Liz Crowe (Honey Red) and Amelia Gormley (Impulse series) took me many steps forward with their fabulous m/m erotic romances. These women know how to write erotica. No one is more surprised than I am to learn that I love these stories (I'm a heterosexual woman) but I've discovered great romance isn't limited to like gender when the writers telling the story do it well. Apparently, I don't have any boundaries here and it's opened up a whole new legion of books and authors. The Book Nympho is breathing down my neck for me to read Cut and Run by Abigail Roux and Madelene Urban and it's already scheduled:)

So, while I've discovered some boundaries in erotica, I've also torn down much more and the field is pretty wide open. I'm sure there will be more discoveries both ways as I continue to explore this genre. What's exciting to me, however, is I've abandoned my old stereotypes about it and am open to reading more erotica when written by some pretty talented authors. I no longer have a "comfort" zone and that's pretty exciting.

  • Do you have any boundaries when it comes to erotica/erotic romance? 
  • Were they created from reading experience or your belief that you might not find it interesting? 
  • What other experiences can you share?





17 comments:

  1. Hmmm...I really haven't explored all the areas of erotica yet. But I've found stuff I absolutely love from authors like Cherise Sinclair & Olivia Cunning. I think they could safely sweep me off into some dark & dirty stuff, because they write good stuff.

    My only qualms is with lack of story or character development. I don't mind a quickie here and there BUT erotica is so much better when you basking the after-glow of how the characters connect in their soul and just not their bodies.

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    1. I'm with you on the story connection. The sex is just sex unless you've been drawn to the characters and have some investment in them. I think that's why the m/m romances have interested me. I became crazy about the characters first.

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  2. I read am erotic BDSM romance last week that I had to google many things. It was a FLR (female lead romance) and the guy was into cock & ball torture. There are devices out there that assist with this. Yep. Whole ton of googling.

    It was way out side of my comfort zone box. It was also a learning experience. I'm sure I will never use anything I learned, but I feel like I learned something.

    I do prefer my books heavily sexed. Reading over 300 pages with several interrupted near scenes with just one sex scene frustrates me. Its a tease.

    I do like to mix it up. Read a few romances, read a few erotic romances. I also mix up genres. Read a few contemporary, then a few paranormals, jump into a military or romantic suspense. I LOVE variety.

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    1. Thank you for bringing up the educational aspect! Even when I haven't been all that wowed by some aspects of erotica I've learned something. I, like you, spend a lot of time Googling...and they provide pics too!

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    2. Yikes, I think I'm pretty open too but reading about cock & ball torture DOES NOT sound like my cup of tea. LOL

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  3. Sure you gals Google for the educational purpose. (eye roll) You do it for the porn. LOL

    So far I've not read anything that made me feel like I was reading out of my safe zone. But I've not gotten into any of the really dark stuff yet. But a I have a few on my TBR that I plan to check out.

    Sex in a book musted be balanced. I want it hot and often but only if it's surrounded by great characters and a good plot or your just reading porn.

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    1. Why have you NOT tried the dark stuff. I'll give you some great suggestions.

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  4. I thought I had boundaries, and then I read The Siren, and loved it. But when my limits are pushed in a erotica novel, the story cease to be an erotic experience and it turns into a psychological thriller that borders line horror..LOL ..yet, I'd still might highly enjoyed if I find it well written. I don't like sex for just having sex, (no orgies for me) I've found that I need to have an emotional and deep connection between the (2 willing) characters, other wise I would just watch a porn movie (not my cup of tea).

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    1. I haven't read any of the dark stuff yet and haven't been drawn to it. But, I love a good psychological thriller.

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    2. The Original Sinners series was definitely more that I thought I was getting myself into with that series but I still liked it. The last book with Soren's past did push it a bit for me though :(

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  5. I love erotica and the only boundary I found that I didn't like and could not for the life of me relate to is "Pain Sluts". I read a book where the chic literally could not do a speech/presentation from her job with out being beat or whipped. I'm not talking the light cute flogger but a single tailed whip with blood being drawn. It was too much for it, I just couldn't get that appeal.

    Dark erotica is my guilty pleasure! :-P

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  6. I do have some limits, mainly because I can't get my head around it, for example.. I couldn't read about a couple who like to crap on each other. I know that does happen but I'm like 'why would you do that?' my mind just doesn't go to the place that makes that act erotic. I'm pretty much open to reading about anything within the genre, but it has to interest me too.

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    1. Ok since you went to that nasty place..... I don't understand the golden showers either. Eew!

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    2. Waaaay out of bounds for me...both "exchanges."

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