Karen Azinger's Blog: The Silk & Steel Saga - Posts Tagged "the-priestess"

Tidbit Thursday: Great epic fantasy is so much more than just swords and sorcery. To engage a wide range of readers, I set out to write a fantasy that included love, sex, and battles. Last week I talked about love scenes. Writing sex scenes proved a challenge of a different sort (including overcoming my own embarrassment!). One of my top priorities was to make sure the sex was never gratuitous, always integral to the characters' goals and the story's themes. In The Silk & Steel Saga, sex is either part of love or a means to a calculated end. And no one does the second better than the Priestess! Wielding sex for power is the prowess of the Priestess, the succubus of the Dark Lord. "Glamour enough to steal a man's soul...and the skill to use it." The Priestess is seduction personified. Her purpose was always clear, although her methods varied. As an author, my goal was to write prose that sizzled without crossing the boundary into r-rated. For me, the key to writing successful sizzle is to focus on seduction rather than just sex. For example, here's a scene from The Poison Priestess, when she's reunited with the prince of Radagar. “What name do you go by these days?” She never used her birth-name, a secret saved for a future conquest. “I haven’t decided yet. Choose something you like. Any blossom will do.” He shook his head. “Not any blossom. Not for you.” He circled her, slowly, studying the silhouette beneath the layers of sheer silk. “For you it must be something special, something rare, something with a double meaning.” Leaning close, he breathed deep. “Sandalwood beneath honeysuckle, allure hidden beneath sweet innocence.” He came full circle, standing in front of her, a hungry smile on his lean face. “I name you, Cereus, a blossom of the night.” “Cereus.” She tried the name, liking the sound of it. “Is it real or myth?” His gaze traveled her length, pausing at the lushness of her breasts. “Is your beauty real, or myth?” “Perhaps you’ll learn tonight.” “Perhaps it will take more than one night.” She made her voice a purr. “One night will be enough.” ...It's just a short scene, but can you feel the heat? This scene sizzles yet all the words are g-rated. I hope you'll find plenty of sizzle in The Silk & Steel Saga!