On the loops and chats where I participate as an author, I notice reference to female erotica. I know what is erotic to a man. Watch a porn flick and you get the idea. But what is erotic to a woman? And is the reading of erotica for the same purpose men watch porn? I’ve often wondered, given I keep hearing women are not visually oriented when it comes to sex, how does female erotica affect them. It’s clear with a man why we watch and how we respond, but what about a woman. Is it to read something she would never attempt but is curious about? Is it for physical stimulus and arousal like porn to a man? Is it just a fantasy thing that fulfills some mental need to fantasize but not to execute; what is the reason? I can’t even fathom a guess on this one so I’ll allow Candace or some other lady to give her take on it.

Big Mike (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 4/09

I use Google Alerts to let me know any time something is posted on the internet with my name and/or the titles of my books. My present this morning was a review of Veil of Deception from You Gotta Read Reviews. Shira, the reviewer, gave our book a “You Gotta Read” rating – the highest possible. She says:

Veil of Deception made me feel as though I were a part of this close knit community. I was the neighbor that got to peek into the lives of my neighbors sight unseen. I got to call them a best friend, a sister, or a brother. I felt their joys, pain, and anguish. I wanted to meddle and give my opinion every once in a while. I loved Danielle. She was such a strong woman that lived with a secret that haunted her for ten years. I felt that Hawk needed to stand up to his sister in law and tell her what he honestly thought. I enjoyed this book because it flowed. Even though there were two authors, it was very seamless. I enjoyed being a resident of Spenser Lake even for a few hours.

For Big Mike and I, this review is confirmation that our long months of work on Veil of Deception paid off. Yes, it was difficult at time, and even frustrating, but the experiment was a success. I know one of Mike’s biggest fears is that the reader would be able to tell the difference between our two writing styles but this was unfounded.

Now if we can just get our current collaboration, Whispers of Innocence, finished we will both be happy! If anything, I think it will be even better than Veil of Deception but we’ll leave that up to the readers.

Little Candy

He made me realize just how different our minds think, and the difference in our writing styles.

I sent out a blanket email asking for help with a tag line for my next Champagne Books release in October, FULL THROTTLE. I included a blurb about the book to give everyone an idea of what it is about:

Samantha Roberts partners with her cousin to run Dr. Doug’s Mobile Dyno, a motorcycle testing and performance tuning business. Spurned by an ex-fiancée and resolved to taking care of her aging father and his medical problems, romance is the last thing she’s looking for while expanding her business is at the top of her priorities list.

Along comes opportunity in the form of Linc Montgomery, a tough, business-savvy, ex-Harley racer and new owner of Full Throttle Custom Cycles in Phoenix. Linc is used to having gorgeous women fall at his feet. When he meets Samantha and agrees to contract her dyno services, he quickly realizes she isn’t one of those brainless bimbos he normally dates before carelessly tossing aside.

The challenge is on for Linc as he sets out to seduce Samantha just to prove he can. However, he doesn’t plan on the interference of his ex-wife and her ex-fiancée – both of whom serve to make him realize that along the way, his ‘love her and leave her’ seduction scheme causes him to fall head over heels in love. But it isn’t so easy to convince Samantha she belongs to him.

Now, Big Mike thought this was just a terrible blurb. However, he writes suspense novels, not light romances like this is supposed to be. He wanted to hear something about the heroine’s inner demons and how the hero would slay her dragons. Yes, Samantha’s got some inner demons, but that’s not the focus of this book other than how it relates to her sex and love life!

His suggestions were very apropos for his books, but not for this one. And it also made me realize that since I am targeting purely female readers, they are looking for something in a contemporary romance that is far different from what a male reader would look for to pick out a suspense novel. My women beta testers loved the blurb and the whole idea of the book; men not so much.

Anyway, I’ve added one more sentence to the top of the blurb: “Phoenix is hot, but the bikers are even hotter”. And so far it looks like the tag line is going to be something along the lines of “A sexy romp of full throttle seduction leading to slow burning love” or “When Linc embarks on a full throttle seduction of Samantha, the last thing he expects is love to throw a wrench in the works “. I’m still working on it, though. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

1. Romance novels are for women – Would anyone argue that romances novels are primarily read my women? In my entire life, I’ve known hundreds of women that read romance, yet I’ve only known one straight guy that did.

2. Most men do hold back their emotions – Ever heard a man say, “Had a great cry last night watching Casa Blanca.” I don’t think so. Whether it’s upbringing or hormones, men do not show their soft side to the degree of women. There are exceptions, like me (and my wife hates it).

3. Men do have a greater sex drive than women – That’s been proven scientifically. Men think about it every few minutes, women every few days. Plus, the area of the brain that affects sex drive is two and a half times bigger in men than women.

4. Woman like frilly stuff – Ok Candi and Mindy, I’m sure you’re the exceptions, but most women do like frilly things, accessories, brick a brac stuff. Need proof? Ever seen a single man in a craft or accessory shop? No, the only men I’ve seen there are one’s like me that get drug kicking and screaming. My wife and I used to make crafts and sell them at shows. About 90% of the attendees were women, and the few men were there to drive the car and carry the packages.

I could give several dozen more true ones, but that proves my point that some generalizations are true.

False

1. Men are smarter than women -I know, sounds like I’m kissing butt here, but my experience shoots this stereotype down big time. I have seen women come of with solutions to problems that evaded me, and visa versa. I do think we approach problems differently, but I think that’s a good thing and can result in better team solutions.

2. Men don’t experience deep emotions – Cow pies on that one too. Men do experience deep feelings; we generally just don’t share them with anyone. I’ve actually had friends share some really deep stuff about the women they love, loneliness, sadness, etc, but it’s always in a one on one setting.

3. Real men don’t cry – Bull, they do. I am a real alpha male and I tear up on really heart grabbing stuff. Not when I hit my leg with a sledgehammer, not when I’m depressed, not even when I watch The Yearling. But when I watch a child grab her father around the neck after coming back from a year deployment in the war zone and she’s crying; gets me every time. When I watch my grand daughter hug her daddy’s leg for no reason except she loves him, really chokes me up. When I listen to the country songs “Skin” or “It wouldn’t be long” or “Love the way she loves me”, my throat tightens. And it’s not just me. I’ve been talking to friends that lost their wife, mentioned something cute and feminine my wife did, and had these grown men tear up right in front of me. And believe me, these guys are still into B&B, tell dirt jokes, and like to eat tons of read meat. They are men in all the true senses, but they have a soft core that’s encased in a castle to fend off those that would attack their vulnerabilities.

4. Men and women can’t be good friends – That’s absolute bull. This stereotype was actually the subject of a movie (“Harry meant Sally”). I have a ton of ladies that are buds, I’ve never thought of them in a lusty way, and I enjoy our friendship.

In my three decades of a professional career, I’ve seen many stereotypes broken in the workplace, most good, some not. For example, a recent survey said that more than 50% of women are happy without a man in their life. They could be lying to the interviewer, and I hope so. To me, that apparent trend to turn away from romance is extremely morose and disheartening. With all its heartache, with all the struggling between the genders, we were made for each other and without the opposite gender in our life; the journey can never be as complete. I don’t want to see the stereotype broken that women want a man, need a man, dream of a man in their life. If that gift from the big guy fades; our existence as a species may survive, but for what reason? Without that emotional linkage between the genders, what do we really have? Nothing I’m interested in.

Till next time

Big Mike

Davisstories.com