As to Karen’s dilemma, how about this one: a bad book with lots of great sex or a good book with lots of terrible sex?

Good grief Robin, what a choice!

Actually, that’s pretty easy, I’d much prefer a good book with terrible sex, after all, prior to the explosion of erotic romance, I spent plenty of time skipping over really bad sex scenes in mediocre books.

It’s hard for me to care about the sex when I don’t care about the people having the sex.

Agreed. I actually think that in some ways a truly outstanding series book is harder to write, because an author has to condense believable relationship and character development into fewer pages. Although it’s probably a contradiction, I tend to judge series fiction less harshly than I do single titles, because I figure with more pages comes more opportunity to wow me. That may not be fair, but that’s how it is for me.

As to Karen’s dilemma, how about this one: a bad book with lots of great sex or a good book with lots of terrible sex?

I seem to recall reading somewhere, that the differences have nothing to do with sexual content?

When I first started reading Blaze books, I seem to recall that the majority had plot + sex in equal measure, I’m not sure if that’s as true now, which tends to make me think that Robin’s assertion that the guidelines have indeed changed is probably correct.

I’m all for sexy books, but like Jane said, if the characterisations aren’t up to scratch, then you’ve pretty much lost me.

I’m not sure which is worse, a bad book, with no sex, or a bad book with lots of sex. I’ll have to go away and give that some deep thought .*g*

When I started reading Blaze, Vicki Lewis Thompson wrote the sexiest books, and looking back, some of the ones that I’ve been reading lately make her books seem tame in comparison.

I wonder if the pushing of the envelope is deliberate? Hmmm.

Here are the writing guidelines for Blaze, which I had to look up a couple of weeks ago myself:

The Blaze line of red-hot reads is changing the face of Harlequin and creating a continual buzz with readers. The series features sensuous, highly romantic, innovative stories that are sexy in premise and execution. The tone of the books can run from fun and flirtatious to dark and sensual. Writers can push the boundaries in terms of characterization, plot and explicitness. Submissions should have a very contemporary feel — what it’s like to be young and single today. Heroes and heroines should be in their early 20s and up. We want to see an emphasis on the physical relationship developing between the couple: fully described love scenes along with a high level of fantasy, playfulness and eroticism are needed. And don’t forget, secondary characters and subplots contribute to the richness of story and plot action we look for in a successful Blaze novel.

Are you a Cosmo girl at heart? A fan of Sex and the City or Red Shoe Diaries? Or maybe you just have an adventurous spirit. If so, then Blaze is the series for you!

I have to say, though, the Cosmo girl thing made me flinch.

I wonder if the pushing of the envelope is deliberate? Hmmm.