Sunday, June 29, 2014

#SinfullySassySundays: @dochappycamper Revisits Icky Body Fluids and the F-Bomb in #Erotica and #EroticRomance


Welcome back to Taboo II. I'm Luscious Lia Michaels, author and owner of this naughty club. It's Sunday so you know what that means...

The Vixen is BAAAAACK!!!



The Vixen, our hubbies, and other Sassy Vixen Publishing authors just returned from RomCon 2014 in Denver, Colorado. We had an amazing time, met more readers and made new friends. Being involved in many author hosted events helped get our names out there and bring tons of people to our table for the book signing. ALL of our books went. Tawny's Bigfoot Chronicles literally flew off the table and rumor has it that people were trying to trade other books for them. Whoohoo!

You will be proud of us. We took every opportunity to discuss how there are some out there who try to hijack erotica and erotic romance so they can "clean it up" and make it more to their liking. You know how we feel about that! The last post we took back CUNT. This time, The Vixen wants to discuss body fluids and the use/abuse of FUCK. Yes, people can over use the word just like any other. 




Go on and grab your 'rita from Tony at the bar and take your seats. The Vixen is about to take the stage...





Welcome to Sinfully Sassy Sundays here at Taboo II. I'm The Vixen, you guide to all things sinful, sassy, naughty, and oh sooooo taboo. I had a hard time thinking about what to discuss this week because I've been dealing with a defending erotica and erotic romance yet again. It's beginning to become one of those never ending struggles for myself and other authors who write on the erotic side. 


Of course, I had less to defend at RomCon this year. More and more readers and authors are coming over to the dark side. LOL! Still, there were quite a few people turning white when I told them my favorite word was CUNT. hehehe. You know I had to do that. I love shocking the hell out of people, but at the same time I wanted them to know how I feel about the use of cunt and other "naughty" or taboo words in my writing. So, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit a post I did a year and a half ago on another blog. 


The spark for the following article was a Facebook fan page for another publisher. Someone affiliated with them decided to post a list of their "pet peeves" about some of the submissions she's had to read. Now, this is the fan page of a publisher that takes great pride in "bringing some of the  hottest stories out there to readers." That's actually part of their site's tagline, so you can understand why the following pet peeves got under my skin. I'm not one to hold back when it comes to my chosen genre. I'll defend it to the very end just as I'll defend the right of all authors to publish in the genres they love. The problem comes when people try to change the established genres to either clean them up or give them some heat. 



With that in mind...


Body Fluids Are NOT Icky!


This week has been one of many surprises. Not only did I have to continue to defend my choice to write erotica and erotic romance, I’ve had to explain what exactly should be in these stories to be labeled as such to EDITORS and AUTHORS who should flippin’ know better! Readers look to these labels for specific kinds of stories and characters. If we start changing up the definitions, we’re going to lose our fan base.

Come on! You work for a publisher that advertises that they put out the “hottest” romances around and yet you can’t stand the mention of body fluid and how much or how little is present? You want to vomit because an oral sex scene is too detailed describing wet chins, pussies and inner thighs?


But wait! There’s more.


You have never seen someone come so hard or so often that the sheets get soaked. So obviously it could NEVER happen in real life or the fantasy worlds we create. You’ve never witnessed more than a dribble or drop or two of precum on a the head of a cock so obviously any sort of spurting of the fluid is out of the question.



Well I’ve got news for you. All of it happens and I’ve witnessed it firsthand. It’s not some made up fantasy for me and many other people. Still not convinced these things can and do occur in sexual encounters? I feel sorry for you. I really do. My advice  to you is to get yourself laid by someone who can help you experience these things because you’ve truly missed out…on a lot!



Clits Don’t Throb!


Really?


Maybe yours doesn’t, honey but The Vixen’s does. Many other women experience these sensations even as far as to say their clits throb in beat with their heart when they are fully aroused. How can this be?

It’s remnant penile erectile tissue that ENGORGES with blood. Of course it can throb, pulse and ache. It can become so uber sensitive during arousal that just the act of blowing air over it can send me…er…many women into an orgasm. ;)




Women Don’t Squirt!



Okay, now you’re just ticking me off.  Oh and don’t you dare say she’s just urinating during sex!


Female ejaculation does occur and it’s biologically different than urine. It can literally gush forcefully out of a woman and soak bedding, clothing, and if she’s standing the fluids can run down her thighs. Just because you’ve never experienced that yourself nor have any of your “close” friends doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.





What Are You Getting at Vixen?

If you’ve found today’s discussion “icky” and something that should be left out of the romance novels you like to read, write, edit or publish than you have NO business claiming the erotica or erotic romance genre as your own.


Those of us who write EXPLICIT, very detailed love scenes leaving NOTHING to the imagination will continue to carry on in this genre without you and we’ll stick with publishers who accept us and our books. We’ll leave the less explicit, less detailed,  left behind closed doors sexual encounters to you. There’s room for everyone and at all comfort levels. Stop trying to hijack MY genres because you think it’s cool or in to call yourself an erotic romance author or publisher.




You Never Go Ass to Mouth!


Instead of going into a huge discussion how this can and does happen, I’ll just share a clip of one of my favorite movies Clerks II. Here the characters are discussing this very topic.  Me doth think they protest too much! (wink wink!) If you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about here, you will after watching this scene!






Now For The Flipside

The same advice goes for those who use the F-bomb as a noun, adjective, adverb, verb, and explicative all in the same paragraph. Using that word over and over again doesn’t make your poorly written love scene any spicier or erotic. It makes it dull and boring. As the meme says, I do like the word and I do use it in my writing and sometimes in my real life. I can be a foul-mouthed broad, but there is a point where even I can't take any more of it.

The following is basically a parody of several scenes I found in one of the worst collections of so called erotica short stories. This particular one that so repulsed me was supposed to be an exhibitionist scene/orgy but it just made me want to vomit in my mouth reading it. LOL

He fucked into her pussy until he was buried to the hilt and then started fucking her silly. “Fuck! Your cunt’s so hot! I’m gonna fuck you until you fucking pass out.”

“Give it to me, baby. Fuck my twat, harder. Fuck yeah!”

“When I’m done fucking your pussy, I’m gonna ram my meat into your ass.”

She moaned and shook while her cream shot out of her, causing his dick to slip out. “Fuck! Bitch you’re just too wet. I’m gonna fuck your ass so hard you won’t be able to shit for a week.”

After he eased his thick rod into her puckered hole, he let her take over. She fucked her ass up and down his cock while her tits bounced wildly. The crowd of onlookers cheered them on.

“Look at those fucking tits fly!”

“Someone get your cock in her fucking mouth and keep her busy while Dave fucks her fat ass up!”


Having Your Cake and Eating it Too

There were very few if any descriptive terms in the above “excerpt.” At least two thirds of it all was left up to the reader’s imagination. I know I was so jarred by all the F-words in the scenes I read in order to write this parody; I couldn’t visualize any scene in my head. I was taken completely out of the story.  The above scene and those like it are what I call “icky.” They have nothing to do with erotica or erotic romance but have been marketed as such. When I read stuff like that, I picture the author as a dirty-minded teenaged boy describing what he THINKS is hot. It’s not even well written PORN by anyone’s standards.

So when people compare what I write and that of my fellow muses as “smut” or “porn,” can you see why we would take offence?  The dirty minded teenaged boy novel belongs in its own genre and not in mine just as much as what I write doesn’t belong in mainstream romance novels of the sweet and sensual variety.

How about all of us across the board stick to the descriptions detailed by the RWA for each of our respective categories and stop trying to hijack one we don’t fit into? My alter ego Lia Michaels did a post on these not too long ago. Here is the LINK.

If you want everyone to follow the specific rules of romance and yet won’t follow those definitions when it comes to genres and categories, get ready for some major debates and maybe even downright brawls. I for one will listen to what the readers want to find in erotica and erotic romances and not try to “convince” them that my work fits into those categories just because I say so.

Know your audience and write for them. Stop trying to clean up erotica and erotic romances. They don’t need it!

~The Vixen (card carrying member of The Vixens of Kink!)

Learn More About The Vixen

Tammy Dennings Maggy is a multi-published poet and erotic romance author with Siren and Sassy Vixen Publishing. Her writing explores many facets of romance from ultimate betrayal to finding your soul mate. Her poetry serves as a companion to her novels and has inspired entire series all on their own. Tammy and her alter egos Lia Michaels and Stephanie Ryan make up the core authors at Sassy Vixen Publishing and together they've created the shared world series Temptations Resort. Look for the first books in that series to come out later this year.

Now happily married to her own Muse and soul mate, she continues to live her dream and act as secretary to all her characters demanding to have their stories told.

Check out:

Tammy's Website
Tammy's Blog
Tammy's Books on BookstrandAmazonBarnes and NobleSmashwords,  and iTunes
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Sunday, June 1, 2014

#SinfullySassySundays: #TheVixen Reclaims the C-word with @Tawny_Savage and Author Lia Michaels @HouseofTaboo



Welcome back to Sinfully Sassy Sundays here at Taboo II. I'm The Vixen, your guide to all things sassy, sinful, titillating, naughty, and oh so very taboo. Today's topic is the most taboo word known today. No other word elicits such a gut reaction as this one. 


Originally my alter ego Tawny lead the following discussion on another blog. Today, she's joining me and Luscious Lia here at our favorite table close to the bar and Tony's margaritas. He's got a new batch of jalapenos all muddled and ready to help us spice up our conversation. 

Tawny, I can't tell you how happy I am you've tackled this topic. Both of you know how I feel about the use of the word in question. 

One of many things we agree upon, Lia. So many people feel the need to bash this word and erotica in general. I'm sick and tired of it. It's why I write what I do. I refuse to follow rules set up by people trying to impose their own morals on others. It's not right and I won't keep quiet about it.

We're united on that front. Just today I read a blog written by someone listing off the things she can't stand to see/read in erotic romances. Of course she admits to not reading many of them...three of them of course and guess what they were.





Puhleeeeze. Not that comparison again. When will they stop trying to make erotica and erotic romance fit into the Fifty Shades mold? We were here long before Ms. James wrote that trilogy, and we'll be around long after. I read the books and was entertained, but erotic it's not.

That's what brings me today today's spotlight word. If someone thinks they're going to force me to use Fifty Shades terminology to describe my heroine's genitalia...




oooohhhh...he kissed her down there! bwahahahahaha! (Vixen gets up from the table to help Tony with the margaritas.)

That's precisely my point! We laugh at that but there are readers out there who think that's the way erotica is to be written. When we talked about what you wished to discuss this week, I just had to get in on it. As a writers of very explicit erotica, we use words that many find offensive, but none more than one.

Cunt.

There you go! One of my favorite words.
Oh we're so gonna burn in hell for this...NOT! Tawny is the one who said it. We're guilty by association. *snicker* Every time any of us says the word, we get to drink. Ready? 

(All three women raise their glasses)

That's right. I said it and you read it. C.U.N.T. The one word in modern English that has the ability to make people recoil, blanch, turn fifty shades of pale, and overall act as if personally slapped by the word itself.  
She spelled it out. That means two gulps! hehehe. Tony, I hope you have the next round at the ready. I think Tawny is going to launch into a whole diatribe and we'll be needing refills...stat!


(all three gulp down half their drinks. Tony laughs and works on muddling more jalapenos. This time he's adding more Tabasco sauce. Let's see if the gals can keep up with that!)

Oh, Keep these bad boys coming, Tony! 
How the hell did this one word become the most hated among WOMEN in the modern age? Well, take a moment to ponder the question. Before we get into how the origins of the word cunt come from a variety of languages and cultures, think who could possibly want to turn the one word that describes the entire female genital organ into something foul and nasty? 
Oh hell's bells! She slipped another one in there. Drink!

Tony brings an entire pitcher over of pomegranate spicy margaritas. He winked and kissed Lia before heading back to make another round.

That man's a keeper.
Definitely. Anyone who can whip up drinks as fast as he does and take the time out to kiss his woman, is a keeper.
No doubt about it. Once we're done here, I'll tell you all about our getaway. Go on, Tawny. Tell everyone who could want to turn the female body into something taboo and cringe-worthy. Who would want women to think CUNT should never be spoken aloud or written?
Damn it! I wasn't ready for that one. LOL!
Zip it and drink, woman. LOL!

Hang on, I need a refill. Let's backtrack a little and talk about a few other words used to describe our naughty bits.
Vagina only describes the actual sexual canal. The vulva includes the inner and outer pussy lips and the clit. No other word besides cunt encompasses all the parts...oh those fabulous parts that give us so much pleasure and can lead to creating those beautiful bambinos.  So who would want to turn this into something nasty? Drink up, girls! I did it again!

Yes you did. Stinker! My vote for who would want to turn CUNT something down and dirty are the dudes. Sorry honey! Not you of course, but there are some out there throughout history who've vilified women's sexuality. 
I think the two of you are doing this deliberately. You know damn well I started out two 'ritas ahead of you tonight. (Vixen gulps down more of her drink). Nothing ticks me off more than to read someone say the word shouldn't be used...EVER. Really? Well I want writers to stop using VAGINA when they really mean vulva. As a medical professional in my evil day job, I cringe every single time I read inappropriately used medical terms. There. I said it.

No you didn't. You skirted around it. You never said it. 
She's right. You didn't. Go on. Say it. You know you wanna...
CUNT CUNT CUNT!!! bwahahahaha! Pass the pitcher. I need a refill.

You're right. Men played a huge role in making this word taboo because they controlled everything for centuries. It's thought the first time CUNT turned from the "light" to the dark and forbidden was during the time of the Witch Trials across Europe and then later here in the United States. 



All drink again. This time Tony and the rest of Taboo's patrons join in the fun. Salute!

I'm not here to bash men. God knows I love each and every one of them, but you only have to look at history to see how women were treated as property by the men in their lives. They feared women and their cunctipotent (all powerful, having cunt magic) ways. 

Rightfully so. You don't see a man shooting something the size of a bowling ball out a hole the size of a walnut! ;)

Cunctipotent? Does that count? If it does we have to drink twice more.
hehehehe
I think the back of my tongue is numb. Tony, what the hell did you put in here?
Just a few drops of habaƱero juice. You said to give them some more kick for Tawny.
Awwww...that's so sweet. Maybe you should bring over a glass of milk. I think Vixen is beginning to sweat.
(mops her brow) Yeah, I'm getting a bit warm. Must be a hot flash.
Yeah. Can't be the drinks...hehehe



So after a few centuries of being told referring to female genitalia in anything other than the most squeaky clean medical jargon or in the most vague purple prose, "proper" women learned to become offended by even the slightest off color remark or terminology.


Fast forward a couple more decades and you have women like myself, The Vixen and Luscious Lia. Speaking for myself I use cunt when describing the pussy in my sex scenes. It's meant to jar you a bit and get you ready for sex hot enough to melt your thong off as you read it. 

Drink up all. You've joined in so now you have to drink every single time one of us says the word.
What word?
CUNT! 
The entire bar cheers and gulps from their glasses.

Good Goddess! You're making me forget my whole speech. Now where was I...oh yeah. Using words to jar you and get you ready for mind blowing sex.


I could just write:

He fucked her hard. She came. He came. Both fell asleep moderately satisfied.

Booooo! Hiss. 
Boring. Try again, darlin'. We all know you can do much better than that. Bigfoot is never just 'moderately satisfied' in your books. 
You got that right! 
Okay. How about this?

He sheathed his throbbing manhood into her silky folds. Her inner muscles squeezed his shaft as another wave of ecstasy over took her body.

She thrashed beneath his powerful body as his rod of desire nearly split her in two each time he thrust into her honey pot. "Please, no more. It's just too much—" Her words left her as another wave of rapture flooded over her.

He rode her faster and harder to join her in the euphoric bliss he'd only experienced with her. He cried out as he claimed her, the fruit of his loins taking root deep inside her womb.

The entire club erupts into laughter.
(laughing hysterically) Rod of desire?  Honey pot? FRUIT of his loins?  Bwhahahaha! Stop. I can't take it anymore. (tears streaming down Vixen's face now.)  
She's right. That's just too much purple prose. I love the color but not in my love scenes. I want raw, down and dirty sex. Try again.
Are you okay? Do you need a moment before we go on? *snicker* I'm trying to prove a point here.
I'm sorry. Please. Carry on. (giggles continue to escape.)
Good lord. You're incorrigible. (giggles) Ahem...

Steve rammed his rock hard cock into her tight pussy over and over again, sending her into one mind blowing orgasm after another. Just when she thought he was close to emptying deep inside her, he'd pull out and rub the head of his dick over her throbbing clit.

Tina's body shook uncontrollably as her juices shot out of her, soaking the sheet beneath them and still he wasn't finished with her. "Jesus Christ. What the hell are you doing to me?"

He smiled as he positioned himself to enter her again. "I can't get enough of you. Your cunt's all I want, all I think about. I'm going to fuck you until you scream and beg me to stop." He thrust deep inside her in one stroke and held her there, pinned beneath him. "Go on. Beg me to stop."

She held his gaze as her cunt muscles clenched around his thick shaft, pulling him in as far as she could take. "Please."

"Please, what?" He pulled out and thrust into her yet again.

"Don't stop. Fuck me. Fuck me harder."

Yes! Brava!
That's what I'm talking about!
The patrons are on their feet cheering and raising their glasses to Tawny before drinking yet again.

Do you see the difference? Well, even without Vixen laughing uncontrollably at the purple prose, you can see the last example is a hell of a lot more descriptive, explicit and HAWT. I couldn't write that scene using all one word such as pussy to describe her genitalia any more than I could just use cock alone to describe his. 
It's all about using a variety of words including a few purple prose if need be to make the scenes flow.
That's right. It's not easy changing things up to make them interesting and unique. Sex is what you make of it and it's all a personal experience. I feel sorry for those people who've never experienced the kind of sex lives we write about...well I feel sorry for them AFTER I've yelled about them trying to censor me and others who write in our genres. 

When used in this and scenes like it, CUNT is a perfectly acceptable word and shouldn't elicit any other reaction other than "Yes! Fuck her harder."  The scene is down and dirty and the words should portray that.

Drink! 
Amen, sista! Here's to more down and dirty!
Salute!

I love using all the naughty words in my writing. Not only does it convey the steam of the scenes, it gets me all hot and bothered writing it. I want my readers to experience that too when they read my stories. As Lia pointed out, we feel sorry for those who've never experienced the passion in our sex scenes, but at the same time their lack of experience doesn't make the scenes any less believable. We don't have to vanilla things up for anyone. If you don't like what we write about, don't read it. Don't make comments on it. Read what you love to read and leave our stories for those who enjoy them.

Now come on. Let's take back the word that denotes the power of the woman. Don't let anyone make it something dirty or forbidden to write or speak again.

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