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Don't pretend you aren't interested in the subject. Any romance publisher will tell you erotica sells faster than any other genre. Fellow Noble Romance author, Keta Diablo, joins me today to discuss why Sex Sells.

MC: The growing trend to no-holds-barred books that freely explore all kinds of relationships, especially man love and ménage - yep kinky orgy scenes - are popping up in books like crazy and selling even faster. The acceptance for GLBT stories is skyrocketing. I included a ménage in Love Bites but I'm not ready to write man love stories yet and I don't know if I ever will. I think an author has to have an affinity to your subject matter to write it successfully.

KD: It's just crazy how it's [erotica] taken off in the market. I have readers who are hard core and wouldn't read any other genre, and then there's the mixed readers who read a wide variety, GLBT included, and then we have the curious readers. I can't tell you how many times readers (mostly women) have said, "I'm so curious about man love; I really want to try reading it." I read the other day that women make up a large share of the readers in the genre, and it doesn't surprise me. Many women have an innate sense of curiosity when it comes to how men make love, whether that's with a woman or another man.

I don't see the trends in this area phasing out anytime soon. If anything, the genre has expanded into steampunk, sci-fi, historical, horror, mystery, etc., and isn't limited to the standard contemporary man love.

MC: Some people ask me if I'm writing about my own sexual experiences or fantasies in my books. Many authors do. Even if I do, I'd never admit it. I will say however, that I do spend time searching out sexy lingerie, toys, locations, trends, and of course reading and watching erotica. Not to burst your salacious bubble, but I spend time researching everything I write about.

KD: I could give you my standard cop-out answer, "Authors have very creative imaginations." LOL And that would be only partly true. No matter what genre I write, I have to really be attached to it. For instance, I don't read chick-lit so I wouldn't attempt to write it. Nor could I write comedy in any genre. Number one, I've read gay fiction for a long time and I think that's crucial, as with any genre you write. Number two, I genuinely like reading and writing about male relationships.

Remember the book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus? The title alone insinuates a deep chasm exists when it comes to how women view life versus men. But with gay fiction or lesbian, we don't have opposite sex relationships, and this is what fascinates me. The differences don't stem from gender, but rather personalities or backgrounds. Most definitely, two men in a relationship (or two women) react entirely different than one man/one woman when it comes to how they communicate, deal with emotion or relate to one another within that union. And that's where the creative imagination part kicks in. I also write heterosexual erotic romance and have to really stop and think about how these dynamics change when I switch to male/male.
 

I hear a lot of rumble now about lesbian fiction. It's always existed, of course, but hasn't attained the popularity that male/male has. I think we'll see this market expand and also the paranormal is still huge. Writing about vampires will continue, but not as heavily as before. I see books about ghosts, clairvoyants, mythological beasts, and any number of paranormal subjects on the horizon. The list is really endless when you think about. Again, people are curious about the "unknown" or the "what-ifs" in life. They seem to like to read about anything other than the normal and mundane.

MC:  I'm glad there's more acceptance for what used to be known as risky subject matter. The opportunities for authors are really amazing and readers will enjoy the results as well. Thanks for sharing your insights and experience, Keta. It's a pleasure to have you as a friend and mentor.

Please leave a comment with your e-mail address to be eligible to win a copy of either The Devil's Heel or Hot and Sticky, Keta Diablo's newest releases. You also have a chance to win one of my books - Awakening Allaire or Avenging Allaire. Please tell me which book interests you!

    The Devil’s Heel , Gay Fiction (historical), Noble Romance  

Five years ago Drew Hibbard dismissed Rogan Brockport from his life. Now, they meet again at the Governor’s Ball and Rogan will know the reason for the abrupt, unexplained cut. After Rogan saves Drew’s life during a pirate raid, he kidnaps him and the perfect opportunity to extract answers from Drew is finally at hand. Betrayal. Retribution. Undying Love. The Devil’s Heel.

 Hot and Sticky,  Gay Fiction (contemporary), Amber Quill Press
  

It’s been extremely difficult for Hugh Landon, an up-and-coming lawyer in Washington, D.C., to control his sexual fantasies about his paralegal, Milan Vassar.

When his career hangs in the balance over a missing file, Hugh must call Milan at the midnight hour and plead for assistance. Hugh’s determination not to mix business with pleasure disintegrates when Milan arrives at the office not only to help him, but to confess he’s held the same secret desires for his boss.

Keta writes for Noble Romance, Phaze Publishing, Amber Quill Press and Ravenous Romance. Visit Keta's Haunt, http://www.ketadiablo.com  or Keta's Keep Blog http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com.

Until the next time,

Margie