Aloha everyone!! :-) I've been interviewing the wanton redhead women writers in our Lush and Blush Club. We've got a wee thing on my website www.troikaromance.com and please come and visit us over on fb. We're under The Lush and Blush Club.

As we all write romance erotica, I posed a couple of questions to the Tasty Pasty's and here what they said:

Q: What do you consider the differences between erotic romance vs. porn?

 

ALIX RICHARDS

A: For me it's the meat between the covers. Yeah, I know that's bad. Hehe... But seriously though, that's what it is. Is there a beginning, middle and ending? Doesn't have to be happily-ever-after, it can be happily-for-now, I'm not picky in that aspect. Is there content of life within the areas? A story within a story? Maybe some history, or whatever. If all the characters are doing is F**king like bunnies with no end in sight, to me that's porn. Guess it has to draw me into the characters lives/story. Their past, future and present. The friends and family, enemies, kids, bosses and annoying nosy neighbors. 

 

 

KAY DEE ROYAL

 

May I make it clear this is my personal opinion.

Erotic Romance is "romance" - the development and evolvement of a romantic (loving) relationship in all aspects of explicit erotic sensitivity and physical acts.

Porn is only about the sexual act itself...nothing about any relationship between those involved in the act, but an explicit replay in graphic detail of sex - nothing sensual about it, in fact, usually lewd, the raunchier the better - so to speak.
 

 

MICHELE MICHEAL RAKES aka MIKEY RAKES

 

Erotic romance has emotion, investment in the characters long-term happiness and great sex. Porn is stroke and about short-term happiness and sometimes great sex.

 

 

 

 

 

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR

 

At the heart of erotic romance is love between two people. The sex in erotic romance either furthers or backtracks the relationship between two (or more!) people. If you removed the sex scenes from erotic romance the story wouldn’t make any sense. With porn all you need is sex. There isn’t even a need for a story line. The sex is really the point, to turn someone on. Porn simply titillates. The heart need not even make an appearance in porn. Erotic romance does not exist without a heart.
 

 

MEG AMOR

 

The difference for me is the emotion and relationships in the story. When it's porn, it's just sex, pure stroke. (We call it this in the industry for obvious reasons!) I find that really boring. There's no sensuality, all the velvety sultriness has been diluted down to the mechanical nuts and bolts of the sexual process between two people. But when hearts are involved, emotions, you get involved into the story and invest in the characters.
 

 

~ I don't write porn. I write romance erotica. Where deep emotions are involved in a love story and explicit sensuous sex is told. The delicious richness ~

 

 

Q: Where do your characters come from? 

ALIX RICHARDS

A: If I told you I'd have to kill you. *grin* Sorry, not really. My characters come from stories I used to tell my siblings when were growing up. Just now they have names. A lot of times (as even a child's imagination is limited) these days they'll arrive via a conversation, a movie. Sometimes friends and family. There are even names of people I know, and a character sprang from something that simple. A name...who knew? And many times those who've incurred my wrath. Did you know you can't go to prison for killing people in books? Nope, ya can't. *smirk* 


KAY DEE ROYAL

My ideas for stories come to me in pieces, and characters form as the idea takes root.

 

My story-stars are of many parts, like pieces of my favorite friends and family. They might be part of the worse characters I've read about in books or news streams, or someone I've seen in movies or a television series. Someone I don't know but have crossed paths with in a store or café, overhearing their conversation.

 

They all (my story-stars) resonate with me on some level - I understand them, even the worst of them, grow with them and evolve in their relationships to others, so therefore, subtle traits of me are within them as well.

Keeping them unique is a fun challenge: )

 

MICHELE MICHEAL RAKES aka MIKEY RAKES

  

My characters come from part my imagination and part from bits and pieces of real people I've know , met, it heard of...folks I've watched or listened to and thought... how would those folks react if I put them in this situation? What would happen if I did this to them?

I like my characters to be volatile. Even the sweet ones. I like them to be able to, at a moment’s notice, become feral and dangerous. Either out of protective instincts, or damage they’ve suffered.

 

I like them to be intelligent, honorable, but willing to get dirty if they have to and above all else, be willing to be vulnerable when necessary. Some of my characters are people who want to do the right thing, but don’t always have the capability or know how.

 

I like characters who call each other out on their shit. Most of them are not billionaires and generally crawl up from the wrong side of town. Some have led some pretty shitty lives. Some still do, but they’re trying to make good.

ELIZABETH SAFLEUR

Honestly? My overactive imagination! They usually first appear while I’m driving when I can’t write down that brilliant conversation they are having with another character. Thank the heavens for the iPhone audio feature. I send myself long text messages with snippets of character dialogue and plot points.

Images also are pretty powerful character tools for me, especially of animals. Every single one of my character has an animal or bird associated with it. For instance, Yvette DeCord, who’ll make her debut in a short story in a holiday anthology coming out later this year, is a gazelle. Graceful, lithe, and more than a little skittish when her hero, Ryan--a cheetah--makes his appearance. 

Occasionally, a scene will pop into my head with a new character so fully fleshed out and “real,” an entire novel can be born. For instance, the idea for Lovely came to me while sipping cocktails at Sequoia on the Washington Harbor near Georgetown. I looked over the water and saw a woman on a boat, who I swore had been lashed to the mast. (A trick of the eyes, perhaps?) That was the day Jonathan Brond, the dominant hero in Lovely, first appeared. He asked me if I liked what I saw. Yes, sir. “Then write my story,” he replied.
 

MEG AMOR

Mine also just pop into my head. They often come to me quite well formed. Their names generally just pop in too. If I was interviewed on National TV and asked questions about any of my characters, I could answer them all. :-) They're really parts of me that are finally getting a voice. Some characters are based on friends and family or people I've meet along the way in my life.

My three main characters though are really all of me in different angles and parts of myself.

Henry is the part of me that's gentle, the therapist in me, that stands back slightly and assesses thing, but feels deeply all the emotions. And is just ecstatic to be with Izzy who let's him feel all of them and thinks it's wonderful. He's kind and caring. He looks suspiciously like that gorgeous sexy distinguished older black film star with the liquid brown eyes, warm mocha skin and freckles. You know who I mean. :-) But Henry is two inches taller... Hey, I couldn't make every single thing like my man... ****** ******** LOL.

Izzy is pretty much me. :-) Although, she's younger than me. Has a terrific throwing arm on her. And can dance swing. I've never gotten mine up to speed again in this lifetime.

Charlie is a combination of Henry and Izzy's energy and personalities. I think he's the person I'm trying to become. He's my wild side, the side that writes romance erotica and tells people to eff off when I've had enough. He's my raunchy redhead side. :-) He's a Creole as well, lighter skin than Henry, Smokey Robinson eyes, long wavy black hair swept back. Like Henry, sex on a stick. Gorgeous. Charisma for Africa!

My other characters come from people I know. Mea is my best friend Gail at home in New Zealand. :-) Isadora is largely based on my mum, who was a character. And my brain is overly profoundly imaginative ~ so any shortage of people and it can come up with someone instantly. LOL.

What's interesting for me is how real the characters become. I was once off in a wee daze - as you do... and I thought, Oh, must tell Henry about that. Then I had a horrible awful moment where I realized... oh shit, Henry's not real. It wasn't pleasant. But it was such an automatic visceral reaction on my part, that I gave myself a jolt when I realized what I'd done.

I think they all get that real for us at the end of the day. We've all had arguments and discussions with our characters. They've all gotten mulish and put their foot down, insisting we write something a certain way. Unless you're a complete idiot, you tend to go along with them. They often know the story better than we do. They have it all organized. :-) I love them!! And most writers do love their characters.

So, if you ever want to chat to a writer, ask them that one question. Tell me which of your characters you like the best and why? We're mad about them. :-) We know them inside out. We love to talk about them and LOVE IT when other people fall in love with them too. Or hate them if they're a baddie. :-)

Thanks for reading as always.  :-)

Come and visit us at The Lush and Blush Club over on fb. We have bits and bobs on all 5 of us women writers. We also have madcap redhead things. Quotes, piccies, redhead info, parasols, Reds Peds, Rusty Lusty's, Fed Reds, the list goes on... all sorts. :-)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lush-and-Blush-Club/781026135271141?ref=hl

Aloha!! :-)