Thursday, January 12, 2012

Book Tour for Crash Into You by Roni Loren (Guest Post & GIVEAWAY)


I was recently given the opportunity to read this intriguing and sexy new book release by Roni Loren and am excited to now bring it to you.  Courtesy of Goddess Fish Promotions, Roni Loren is here today to talk about the erotic genre and give us tantalizing looks at Crash Into You.  So without further ado, here's Roni.....

5 Ways Writing Erotic Romance Differs From Writing Other Genres

Crash Into You is my debut novel, but like most writers, it wasn’t the first I wrote. When I started on this writing journey, my first manuscript was actually paranormal YA. (Yes, I know, I’ve made a big jump, lol.) The next I wrote was a contemporary sexy (but not erotic) romance.

So when I got the idea for Crash, an idea that could only be told in an erotic romance, I didn’t really think writing in this genre would be all that different. At the end of the day, writing a great story is writing a great story regardless of the genre or heat level. But as I’ve trekked along this new path, I’ve realized there are some differences.

1.    There are no closed doors.

-Writing a great love scene is tough. There is so much more to it than describing the physical aspects. And in most romance subgenres, you may have 1-3 of these to tackle when you’re writing your book. Other times you can sneak out of it by fading to black or closing the bedroom door. But in erotic, there are no closed doors. If your characters are  going to sleep together, your reader will expect to “see” it. And you as the writer better deliver a well-written, different from the previous scenes, moving the plot forward, emotionally-rich experience or you’re going to tempt them to skip the pages.

2.    You have to get over your own inhibitions.

-I’m an introverted, very private person. I’ve never been one to even discuss my relationships with my closest friends. So writing the sexy stuff when you know other people are going to read it (including people who know you in real life) can be a bit of a hurdle to get over. My best advice to writers who are trying to do this for the first time is to read “above” the heat level you want to write. You’ll see that there is always someone writing something naughtier than you, lol, and that can help make you feel less scandalous. :)

3.    No frilly euphemisms.

-In erotic romance, you get to use all those words that would’ve gotten you detention in high school. And dirty talk between your characters is encouraged. Fun stuff. :)

4.    There is a stereotype that erotic means “less of a story” because the genre is “all about sex.”

-This is a stigma that’s out there. Just like any other genre, there are some great books and some bad books. And yes, there are books that forget to put in a plot and just have loosely tied together sex scenes--that’s called p0rn even if it’s not labeled as such. So you have to be sure that the love scenes in your novel are there because of the story, that they move the plot forward, and that they are rich with emotion and purpose.

5.    People will make assumptions and form opinions about your personal life based on your fiction.

-When we read a great serial killer novel, we don’t assume that the author is a sociopath. But when an author writes an erotic book, for some reason, we assume all kinds of things about them--especially when it’s a BDSM book. “The author must be in that lifestyle” or on the flip side, “The author is clearly vanilla because she did this or didn’t do this in that chapter.” It’s all a bit silly. So even though you write erotic fiction, remember your personal life and choices are still nobody’s business but your own.
Don’t feel obligated to answer questions about it.

But besides those differences, it still comes back to write a great story with fully developed characters, tension, and plot. After all, at their heart, these stories are still romances. :)

So what do you think about the stereotypes attached to erotic fiction? Do you find yourself assuming things about authors based on their books? Do you think you’d feel comfortable writing fully described love scenes knowing your mother may one day read it? (Not joking on that last one, my mom is currently reading Crash. Eek!)

CRASH INTO YOU by Roni Loren

Brynn LeBreck has dedicated herself to helping women in crisis, but she never imagined how personal her work would get, or where it would take her. Her younger sister is missing, suspected to be hiding from cops and criminals alike at a highly secretive BDSM retreat—a place where the elite escape to play out their most extreme sexual fantasies. To find her Brynn must go undercover as a sexual submissive. Unfortunately, The Ranch is invitation only. And the one Master who can get her in is from the darkest corner of Brynn’s past.

Brynn knows what attorney Reid Jamison is like once stripped of his conservative suit and tie. Years ago she left herself vulnerable only to have him crush her heart. Now she needs him again. Back on top. And he’s all too willing to engage. But as their primal desires and old wounds are exposed, the sexual games escalate—and so does the danger.  Their hearts aren’t the only things at risk. Someone else is watching, playing by his own rules. And his game could be murder.

EXCERPT:

Brynn emerged from the bathroom with a handful of Band-Aids and a bottle of hydrogen peroxide. She pointed to the dining room table. “Sit.”

He dried his hands with a paper towel and fought a smile. She always had been a bossy little thing. But he knew the truth. Underneath all that tight control was a woman who, at least when he’d known her, loved handing over the reins. He swallowed hard, tamping down memories he didn’t need to rehash at the moment.

He dropped into one of the chairs, and Brynn sat across from him, her knees bumping against his. He widened his legs, and after the briefest of hesitations, she scooted forward, allowing his thighs to frame the outsides of hers as she reached for his injured hand. She circled her fingers around his right wrist, his pulse jumping at her touch, and brought his hand up to her face to examine it. His fingers itched to reach out and trace the bow of her lips.

Dammit. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his desire to touch her in check, but the citrus scent of her shampoo drifted to his nose and sent a bolt of carnal need straight to his groin.

He stared down at her. One quick grasp of her waist and he could lift her to straddle his lap, bunch up that dress, and slide right into her sweet heat—kiss away all the tension furrowing her brow, drive her to that place of wild abandon he knew she could reach.

Without thinking, he lifted his other hand and twined her broken dress strap between his fingers, brushing the backs of his sore knuckles across her collarbone in the process. The small catch of breath in the back of her throat made his balls tighten. Such a feminine sound, so close to the noise she would make as he entered her.

But she didn’t raise her eyes to him and beg him to take her like he secretly hoped she would. She simply took the slip of material from him and tucked it under her bra strap to hold it in place, sending her message loud and clear. Not yours.

Not anymore.

AUTHOR BIO:
Roni wrote her first romance novel at age fifteen when she discovered writing about boys was way easier than actually talking to them. Since then, her flirting skills haven’t improved, but she likes to think her storytelling ability has. Though she’ll forever be a New Orleans girl at heart, she now lives in Dallas with her husband and son. If she’s not working on her latest sexy story, you can find her reading, watching reality television, or indulging in her unhealthy addiction to rockstars, er, rock concerts. Yeah, that's it. Her debut novel, CRASH INTO YOU, will be published by Berkley Heat January 3, 2012.

Website/Blogs: www.roniloren.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/roniloren
Tumblr (where I post mancandy photos): http://roniloren.tumblr.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/roniloren
Buy links for book: www.roniloren.com/books


**********GIVEAWAY**********

There are actually 2 Prizes being given away......The 1st prize is one signed set of Romance Trading Cards for Crash Into You to a random commenter & the 2nd prize is a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-The 1st giveaway for the RTCs ends at 11:59 pm CST TONIGHT 1/12.
-I will use random.org to choose a winner.  I will then send a winner's confirmation email and must receive a response within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
-To be entered in the giveaways, just answer the questions Roni asks at the end of her post (which are in bold), along with leaving your email addy.
-The 2nd giveaway will be awarded to a random commenter who leaves a comment at each tour stop, so the more blog stops you post at the greater your chances of winning.  A list of blog stops can be found here.
-The 2nd giveaway ends at 11:59 pm CST on 1/27.

33 comments:

  1. Good post today! I've heard people be judgmental about authors who write erotica, but I've always admired them for being able to "go there" - being that descriptive, and still being romantic to a woman's point of view takes talent! Women's minds work so much differently than men!

    Thank you for the excellent viewpoint today, Roni!

    Gena Robertson
    robertsongena@hotmail.com

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    1. Thanks, Gena! :) And men and women's minds definitely work different. (That's one of the reasons I find it so fun to write from the hero's POV.) :)

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  2. OK, this might be a stretch because your writing/publishing schedule looks pretty full for the next 2 years but once you are finished with the Love on the Edge series, do you see yourself branching out into other genres and/or time periods?

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    1. Scratch that question...it's basically what I asked you before. So, don't know if I asked you this before or not...senior moments hit me more often than not! If you book were to be made into a movie, who do you see in the roles of the main characters?

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    2. I picture Reid to look like Rob Lowe, though I wouldn't cast Rob for the character personality wise. Brynn is tougher, maybe Katherine Heigl?

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  3. Really interesting post. Great list and excerpt.
    Can't wait to read Crash Into You.

    e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

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  4. I love your excepts. Book'll be even better!

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  5. I think the people who are making judgments about erotica writers are the ones not reading the darn books because they don't know what they are talking about. Maybe they should actually read a book and then make a judgment...or not.

    I wouldn't have a problem knowing my mom was going to read what I'd written. I used to write some erotica for fun and submitted it to a website which published it...ya know for free..and my mom read it and thought it was great..lol

    miztik_rose@yahoo.com

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    1. Mary, there are definitely people who judge erotic harshly and have never read one. But there are also many who do read it and still make judgements about the authors, unfortunately. And that's great that you felt that comfortable with your mom. :)

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  6. Fabulous post, Roni! I think the erotic genre is fabulous and it's nice to see it gaining market share.

    I'm so excited about your book!!!

    jennyhansensmail@aol.com

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  7. Some of the best books I've ever read are erotic novels--because they aren't constrained by the rules.

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    1. That's one of the things I like best about writing in the genre. I don't have to think--ooh, will this be okay. I can just write it how it works for the characters and story.

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  8. I do love erotic romances. They are wonderful stories written by talented authors. I realize that these stories are fiction and not all based on personal experience. I would not be able to let my mother read any spicy love scenes I wrote, if I had the talent to do so. However, since I am not talented I guess I don't have to worry, lol.
    June
    manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com

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    1. I told my mother not to read mine, but she's hard headed. :)

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  9. I don't have the talent to put into words anything this important. You seem to have the talent. I like romance stories with a little additional erotic in them.

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  10. Yum. Love that snip, Roni. I love writing the mmphmm scenes in my historical romances, but I've never tried to stray into the erotic realm...

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    1. Thanks, Deniz. And it can be a little bit of a transition trying your hand at an erotic scene, but they are lots of fun to write.

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  11. Thanks for all the comments so far! I'm intrigued by everyone's views of the erotic genre and hope to see lots more comments. Thanks too Roni for writing such a great book and for being here today! I'm super excited for Jace's story!

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    1. Joder, thanks so much for having me and I'm so glad you enjoyed the book! :)

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  12. Do I imagine a writer of erotic novels is a raging nymphomaniac. No!! You'd never get any writing done. My Mother is so prim, I don't tell her I read it, let alone write it.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. Lol, Mary. I didn't tell my mother that I read it until I admitted that I'd started writing it. :)

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  13. Great post. I'm going to read your book as an example of a "heat level" higher than mine.

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  14. I do think that there are stereotypes about the genre. AND, sometimes I do think that someone who writes a really sicko serial killer might be a "serial killer wannabe." And I might think that a writer of erotica might have a pretty lively sex life!

    catherinelee100[at]gmail[dot]com

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  15. Roni, this is some GREAT info! Thanx for sharing!

    I do honestly think romance in general has a stigma. "You write what?" only gets worse when you're talking about erotica/erotic romance. But, I personally don't attach anything to the author, other than think, "Wow, I loved that" or "That wasn't so good."

    I have yet (I am not going to say never) to try my keyboard in the erotic genre, but I don't think I would mind my mom reading it...as long as I was far far away.

    caszarek@hotmail.com

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  16. Great post! Hot! But I have a question and it might sound dumb, but... How do you categorize the difference between contemporary and erotica? I asked on the Nanowrimo forum and one lady told me mine was probably contemporary romance, that even "Twilight" has sex. (Sorry haven't read the books or seen the movies.) My first book in my series is a tragic love story with a beginning, middle, and end and open door sex.

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    1. Most likely you're just writing contemporary romance. You'd probably know if it was erotic. ;) Sexy contemporary has open door sex. In erotic romance the sex is more integral to the storyline. i.e. You couldn't take the sex out of an erotic romance and have the same story. Whereas in a sexy contemporary, you could shut the door to the sex scene and it wouldn't change the plot of the story.

      But if you want more detailed definitions separating the difference between sexy romance and erotic romance, check out Passionate Ink's definitions: http://www.passionateink.org/faq/

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    2. Thank you for the link Roni.
      It helped... a lot! The current one I'm working on is Sexy contemporary, and so are the first 3 books in my series, but the last book in the series is an erotic romance, the final story can't be told without the open door sex scenes.

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  17. Crash Into You is exciting erotic romantic suspense stars protagonists loving on the edge.

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