I'm thrilled to have back here at Sassy Vixen Publishing, one of our favorite authors and friends, Kendall McKenna. As many of you know, she was one of the very first authors of M/M romances that I chose to read and have never regretted it for one moment! My alter ego Lia Michaels was so taken by the genre, she's working on one of her own...and Kendall along with Tyler Robbins were the inspiration for her to give it a try. Today for Oh My! Monday, we thought we would just turn the whole post over to Kendall and let her have some fun. Come on out, Kendall! The floor is all yours...
Hello! I’m Kendall McKenna and I write gay porn.
Okay, not really, but I have
your attention now! I just like to put it out there early that I write m/m
erotic romances. If you haven’t yet ventured into this genre, you really ought
to give it a try! Seriously! My first book, Brothers In Arms, is a good starter book. But anyway, what I want to
talk about today is relevant to all the types of erotic romance.
Writing Explicit
Erotic Love Scenes
I was recently interviewed
for another blog and one of the questions I was asked was, what is easier for
me to write; love scenes or action scenes? My answer was love scenes. The
reason is that a well written action scene requires a change in the narrative
style that isn’t natural for me, whereas love scenes utilize a narrative voice
that is more in keeping with my natural style. For that interview, I focused on
the differences between the two types of scenes. For this post, much of what
I’ll discuss holds true for action scenes, as well.
We’ve all read them; those
books with lukewarm love scenes, or love scenes that are obviously shoe-horned
in just to have a love scene, or unrealistic (is that even physically
possible?) love scenes, or identical to the previous love scene, or is
absolutely out of character for the participants. I recently read a book where
I skipped through the later love scenes because there were too many of them,
they were all the same (blow job followed by penetrative sex), and none of the
scenes did anything to move the characters or the story forward. It’s
frustrating and unsatisfying when this occurs.
An explicit love scene
serves the same purposes as every other scene in a story. It needs to strike an
appropriate emotional note, it needs to move the story forward or contribute to
character development, and it needs to hold the reader’s interest. These things
are achieved through the construction of the scene, they don’t happen by
accident. A successful love scene isn’t just a flow of consciousness, and it’s
much, much more than simply describing how Tab A is inserted into Slot B.
We all have our own
techniques for writing a hot love scene. While many writers probably have some
similarities or commonalities, for the most part, we’re each unique in how we
go about it. This is a quick overview of my process.
Story within a story
I approach each erotic scene as
if it’s its own, stand-alone story. As a scene in a larger story, it becomes a
story within a story. I write the scene like a three-act play, with a
beginning, a middle, and an end. Specifically; foreplay, primary sex
act/orgasm, resolution (afterglow). This helps me with pacing, to keep the
reader interested. I can establish the emotional states of my characters and
take one or both of them through to where I need them to be at the end of the
scene, and closer to where I want them to be at the end of the story.
Show don’t tell
I’ve seen readers use this in
reviews and, having read the books myself, it’s obvious to me that they don’t
understand what this means. Telling is something like this: “John was turned
on, now that he was with Joe.” Showing is something like this: “John’s heart
beat quickened, his breathing quick and shallow. The feel of Joe’s skin, the
scent of his body, made John’s cock harden. He’d waited so long for this, now
that he was finally with Joe, John’s head was spinning.” Rather than telling
the readers that John is turned on by Joe, it’s more effective to show the
effects of John’s arousal, to show how emotions effect the body and vice versa.
Rather than telling the reader that John is nervous to be with Joe, saying that
John’s hand trembles as he skims it down Joe’s chest helps the readers to both
understand and relate to what John is feeling. If characters have years of
history with each other, two pages of narrative explaining the history can get
tedious and boring. A little narrative, a little dialog, a little memory recall
gets the job done in a much more interesting and engaging way.
This leads me to the next
topic:
Use all five senses
In real life, we use all five of
our sense when we have sex. We aren’t necessarily aware of them all, but they
do provide us with sensory input and enhance the experience. Using all five of
the POV character’s senses enhances the story for the reader. His partner is
handsome (sight). His partner moans (sound). His partner’s skin is warm
(touch). His aftershave is strongest right behind his ear (scent). The sweat
collecting on is throat is salty (taste). There is of course, an emotional
reaction to each of the sensory inputs. This draws the reader into the scene
and helps them relate to what the POV character is experiencing.
Don’t be afraid of language
Euphemisms and purple prose ruin
an explicit erotic scene. I’m perfectly comfortable using the graphic, coarse
words that make these scenes effective. Cock, dick, prick, erection, balls,
ball sac, ass, asshole, come, jizz, spunk. ‘Velvet covered steel rod’ is soooo
1980’s. I of course, have to tailor the language to suit my character(s). For
instance, I write about U.S. Marines. They use coarser language than a doctor
or a lawyer would, because that’s just how their sub-culture is. They throw
around words like ‘fuck’ and ‘shit’ much more frequently. They’re more likely
to use ‘jizz’ and ‘spunk’, less likely to use ‘erection’ than they are
‘hard-on’. Whatever the character’s background, I can’t shy away from the use
of the explicit language.
My most recent book is a
paranormal story called Strength
of the Pack. It’s Book 1 in the
series, The Tameness of the
Wolf. The book is about U.S.
Marines, both humans and werewolves, serving side-by-side in perfect symbiosis.
I use erotic love scenes to further the plot, deepen the bond between the
pairing, and intensify the inner conflict of the POV character. Because my
characters are Marines and it’s set in Afghanistan, there are a lot of combat
scenes, as well as the erotic ones. Writing the combat scenes was a struggle
for me. I struggled to get them just right. In contrast, the erotic scenes were
a breeze to write, and require far less editing along the way.
Curious about Strength of the Pack? You can read a little more below. Keep
reading all the way to the end to find out how to WIN FREE STUFF!
Strength of the Pack
by Kendall McKenna
Blurb:
Lieutenant Lucas Young doesn’t know much about shifters. When
Sergeant Noah Hammond is assigned to Lucas’ platoon, the Marine Corps’ True Alpha
werewolf challenges the Lieutenant’s authority and his self-control. As Lucas
learns to dominate and command Noah, he struggles against a strong attraction
and deepening emotional bond.
During their combat deployment to Afghanistan,
Lucas and Noah begin mirroring legendary partnerships. Their bond and their
power grow as they survive dangerous combat and ambushes. When one of them is
wounded in battle, they both must embrace the strength of their bond before
they lose each other forever.
EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT!
I’m sharing this excerpt exclusively,
here at Sassy Vixen!
Excerpt:
Noah dropped the items in his arms and slammed Lucas’ back against the
wall. His hands were everywhere on Lucas. The only place Lucas wanted his own
hands was right on Noah’s naked skin. He ran his palms up Noah’s back, digging
his fingers into the thick muscles of his shoulders. He pushed back against
Noah’s kiss, rubbing their tongues together.
Lucas’ chest heaved with each raging
breath. He ran his tongue over Noah’s upper lip just before he bit down on
Noah’s lower lip.
“Fuck,” Noah snarled. He licked his
way along Lucas’ jaw. “Need you against me.”
Lucas ran his hands up Noah’s bare
chest, the heat nearly scalding him. Noah’s tags hung heavily against the backs
of Lucas’ hands, his fingers tangled briefly in the beaded chain. Noah’s hands
tugged at the hem of Lucas’ fleece, pushing it up over his belly. He’d never
felt anything like the touch of Noah’s super-heated skin. The chill of the air
was more pronounced in the wake of Noah’s touch.
“Too cold,” Lucas murmured against
Noah’s cheek. “I don’t run as hot as you do.”
“I’ll keep you warm,” Noah replied,
insistently tugging on Lucas’ fleece.
Lucas was helpless. He lifted his
arms, and Noah pulled the fleece over his head, Lucas’ dog tags fell back
against his chest with a soft, metallic clink. Noah was true to his word, and
he immediately wrapped his arms around Lucas, lending the warmth of his body.
That was when Lucas noticed the lack
of a bite mark on Noah’s shoulder. He lifted a hand and ran his fingers over
Noah’s skin. He could still feel something, where the mark was supposed to be,
but it was faded to nearly nothing.
“It’s gone,” Lucas murmured.
“We heal faster in wolf form,”
answered Noah. “It dulls the pain, too.”
Lucas didn’t like it that Noah was
walking around unmarked. Anger flared in his chest and he pushed against Noah’s
hold. Lucas lifted his hips and pivoted, pushing Noah’s back against the wall.
Noah wrapped his arms back around
Lucas, again sharing his warmth. He leaned his head back, as if offering
himself up. Lucas spanned Noah’s ribs with both hands. Without thinking, he
lowered his head and sank his teeth into Noah’s skin, just below his
collarbone.
Lucas felt the bite echo on his own
chest. Noah snarled, and his arms tightened around Lucas. Noah’s scent, the
taste of his skin, overwhelmed Lucas’ senses. He expected stinging pain, but it
never manifested. Instead, desire, affection and deep satisfaction flooded him.
“Oh fuck, Lucas.” Noah’s voice was
low and ragged. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Lucas tore his mouth away, and Noah
whimpered. He nosed his way across Noah’s chest, swiping his tongue over a
patch of heated skin just beneath his other collarbone.
“Please, Lucas,” Noah pleaded.
Lucas bit down hard, resisting the
urge to break skin. The relief and the ecstasy that rolled through him weakened
his knees. Noah pumped his hips rhythmically against Lucas, his cock hard
through his uniform. Lucas released the flesh from his teeth and licked at it
soothingly.
He pulled back slightly to admire
his work. Each of Noah’s collarbones was decorated with an angry red bite mark.
Lucas sensed Noah’s triumph. It relieved him to know he hadn’t hurt Noah. He
didn’t understand why this meant so much to Noah, but there was no denying that
being marked in this manner met some deep, powerful need inside of him.
“I wanna feel you.” Noah’s words
were slurred slightly.
Lucas looked into Noah’s face,
concerned. Noah was flushed; his red, wet lips were parted as he breathed
raggedly. His pupils were blown wide with desire, nearly obliterating the
glowing silver irises. He looked at Lucas hungrily. Lucas was stunned as a
powerful wave of need flowed through him. Much of it was Noah’s, but some of it
was Lucas’, as well.
“You’re touching me,” Lucas said
against Noah’s mouth. “You can feel me. I’m right here.”
“I wanna touch your dick and get you
off, but you need me to keep you warm.” Noah emphasized his words with his hips
flexing against Lucas’.
Lucas licked a long strip up Noah’s
neck and felt him shiver. He bit hard on Noah’s earlobe. A violent shudder
rocked Noah’s large frame, and he groaned. His hands tightened on Lucas’ back.
“This isn’t about getting me off.”
He pressed his face to the join of Noah’s neck and shoulder, breathing in
nothing but Noah’s scent and mouthing at the chain of his tags. Lucas reached
between their bodies and unfastened Noah’s fly.
His hands trembled, and it made
Lucas slow. He fumbled with the fastenings until he had them open. Noah’s cock
slid out eagerly, lying hot and heavy in Lucas’ palm. He squeezed the shaft
tightly and stroked from base to head roughly, repeating the motion when Noah
unleashed a feral growl emanating from somewhere deep in his broad chest.
“I wanna feel you,” Noah gasped,
pumping his hips so his dick slid quickly through Lucas’ fist.
“My hands are on you,” Lucas said,
reaching his free hand lower to cradle Noah’s sac. “I’ve got you. Just let go.”
Noah’s brow furrowed, and he rolled
his head against the wall. A fleeting image ghosted through Lucas’ mind, his
own hard cock aligned with Noah’s, his hands stroking them both to completion.
Lucas’ dick pushed hard at his fly
in response to the image. He gasped against Noah’s neck, and the scent made his
erection ache more strongly. Lucas tore open his own fly and eased out his
straining cock. Noah pushed his hips insistently against Lucas, demanding the
contact he desired.
He aligned their cocks, root to
head. Lucas pulled back slightly and spat into his palm several times. He
spread the fluid over their hard shafts. He needed more slick.
Lucas lifted his hand to Noah’s
mouth. “Spit,” he ordered.
Noah obeyed, over and over until
Lucas was satisfied. He wrapped his hands around them both and stroked quickly.
Noah’s gratitude was like a physical thing. Lucas’ hips pulsed reflexively at
the feel his own tight grip.
“Yeah, like that,” Noah groaned.
“Fuck. Just like that.”
His arms stayed wrapped around
Lucas. His warmth still seeped into Lucas’ bones. Lucas shivered, but not from
the cold, when Noah’s hands slid down his back to cup his ass. He moaned into
the sweat-slick skin of Noah’s throat.
Lucas started when Noah’s super-heated
hands slid beneath his clothes and gripped his bare ass cheeks. Noah’s hands
were as strong as they were hot, and he squeezed Lucas’ ass firmly. There was
no discomfort, only exquisite pleasure.
The feel of Noah’s hands on his bare
skin pushed Lucas closer to his climax. “Are you close?” He didn’t want to come
before Noah found his own release.
“Yeah,” Noah answered. “Almost
there.”
Lucas sped up his hands on their
cocks. He stroked them both from base to head, keeping his grip tight. Somehow,
in all the chaos, they managed to match the rhythm of their hips to Lucas’
hands. Heat swirled in his belly, and tendrils of pure sensation snaked up his
spine.
One of Noah’s hands left Lucas’ ass
for several moments. When it returned, he pulled Lucas’ ass cheeks apart and
slid his fingers into the cleft.
Lucas knew what was coming, and he
wanted it. His hands on their cocks faltered slightly when one of Noah’s
fingers breached him. He moaned against Noah’s throat as the wicked finger
pushed in deep and stretched him slightly.
“You feel so fucking good inside,”
Noah murmured.
The finger slid out and was replaced
by two. Electricity shot up the length of Lucas’ spine, and he pressed his open
mouth to Noah’s neck as he cried out. He struggled to keep up the rhythm of his
hands on their cocks.
“I’m coming, Noah,” he said between
gritted teeth. “Fuck! Come with me. Dammit, come with me.”
Noah’s fingers in his ass slid in
and out in time with Lucas’ stroking hands. He pushed them in deep and
stretched Lucas’ rim when he pulled them out. It was all too fucking much, and
Lucas felt his balls tighten and lift.
He didn’t want to be the first to
go. Lucas wanted Noah to come and searched for a way to ensure he did. When a
faint hint of Noah’s eagerness drifted over Lucas, he forced the connection to
open wider. Lucas let go and started to come, dragging Noah over the edge with
him.
Together they shouted and swore as
hot come splashed over Lucas’ fingers and coated both of their bellies. A part
of him knew they could be heard in the corridors and that it was more than
obvious what they were doing. Most of him didn’t give a fuck. His body clenched
hard as his cock shot out thick, white come, his asshole grasping greedily at
Noah’s fingers.
As Lucas stroked them both through
their orgasms, Noah’s body shuddered violently. He pumped his hips as his come
coated Lucas’ stomach. Together, they made a huge fucking mess, and Lucas
didn’t care.
Noah’s body gave out first. His hand
slid free of Lucas’ ass, and his knees buckled. Lucas released their spent
cocks and steadied Noah, smearing their come even further.
“Fuck,” Noah sighed. His eyes were
heavily lidded and he looked spent and exhausted. “Fuck.”
“Noah,” Lucas said sharply. “Stay
awake long enough to help me get you into bed.”
Noah wrapped himself around Lucas,
leaning so heavily on him that Lucas wasn’t sure he could support him. Noah
collapsed heavily onto the bedroll laid out across the room.
When Lucas shifted to remove Noah’s
boots and retrieve the tub of baby wipes, Noah reached out and grasped his
wrist painfully.
“Don’t go, Lucas,” he pleaded,
battling to hold off sleep just a few moments longer. “Just today, don’t leave
me.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said
soothingly. “I’m sleeping right here today.” He ran a hand over Noah’s hair,
encouraging him to lie back. “I’m going to clean us up first. Then I’ll sleep
right here.”
“I like the way you smell,” Noah muttered just before his
eyes closed, and his breathing evened out.
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