Velvet Rose's Blog

Ok, I admit it, I’ve been MIA for quite awhile now. I could try to explain why and tell you everything that happened, but it is probably more believable and more interesting if I just tell you I was abducted by aliens, had really weird anal tests ran on me and then was dumped naked in a nearby field where local farmers came upon me. It may not exactly be the truth, but hey, it is an entertaining story.

Anyhow, I have finally made my way back to the land of the living, so I wanted to say hello to all my blog readers and thank you for sticking with me even though I fell off the face of the planet for many months. On the positive side, I did release a new romance/erotica book during the time that I was gone. So for those of you who liked my first ebook, “Sexy Little Bites”, I would invite you to try out my new collection, “Erotic Dreams & Fantasies”.

If you haven’t read any of my books, this is a great time to try them out since both ebooks are only $.99 per download! “Sexy Little Bites” is available both for Kindle on Amazon and for Nook on Barnes & Noble. “Erotic Dreams & Fantasies” is currently only available for Kindle, but I will definitely let everyone know if it makes its way to Nook.

I will try to post some more cool, sexy subject posts here soon, but just wanted to drop by today to let you all know I am back from outer space

As probably all writers know, occasionally when you are plotting a new story or novel, you will get stuck.  Whether it's the perfect character name, plot points or the words themselves that elude you, perhaps you just need a change of pace or a different perspective on things.

That is why as a writer it is so important to have other hobbies and activities to turn to when you need a break.  Some writers make the mistake of focusing exclusively on their writing, allowing all of their other interests to dwindle away.  Unfortunately, this kind of single-minded obsession can actually have a detrimental effect on your creativity.

So what kind of things can you do to recharge your batteries and give your muse the freedom to speak to you again?  Any kind of activity can be helpful if you enjoy it, but here are a few that I have found especially helpful to me, perhaps they can help you too!

Reading.  This one is a no-brainer.  Every writer needs to read broadly and frequently to be good at their job anyway.  However, when you are looking to distract yourself from your current writing block, perhaps you should consider looking to books entirely different from what you are writing.  For instance, if you are writing a romance story, sit down and enjoy a good horror story, children's book, memoir or other non-fiction subject that interests you.  Thinking outside of  the "genre box" may be just what you need!
Going for a walk or exercising.  There is just something about physical activity that really clears the mind and refreshes us to return to the task at hand with renewed enthusiasm.  It doesn't necessarily need to feel like a workout either.  Often I play Wii dance games or go roller skating because I really enjoy it.  Not only does it help my writing, but it keeps me in good shape as well!
Grab your partner and go have some wild, dirty sex.  If no partner is available, pleasure yourself.  I know it may sound funny, but having a few great orgasms can really enhance your creativity!  It's no surprise this works for erotica/romance writers, but this has also helped me in other genres.
Be a kid again.  Pick up a coloring book and crayons.  Do a jigsaw puzzle.  Watch some cartoons.  Play with your kids.  Read some comic books.  Just do something that gets you in touch with your inner child.
Indulge your artistic side.  Draw, paint, sculpt, make jewelry, knit, etc.  We all have some kind of artistic talent, so use it!  Even if you are convinced you are hopefully inept with artistic stuff, you can visit the local art museum or gallery and appreciate the amazing creativity of others.  The same could be said of other art forms like music, poetry, drama, dance and cooking/baking.  You might be surprised how focusing on another area of creation will inspire new heights in your writing.

Well, I guess that is enough for tonight.  Do you have any special activities that really help you with writer's block?  If so, please feel free to leave a comment below and share your ideas with us!

Lately I've been thinking a lot about when might be a good age to allow your children to start reading romance novels.  My son who is 9 wants to read the Twilight series because he really likes the movies.  Some people have freaked out when I told them he wanted to read the books because there are a couple of sex scenes in the 4th book.

Debating about this matter has had me reflecting on my own childhood.  Personally, I started reading romance novels around the time I turned 12.  I found a Harlequin romance novel for a quarter at a garage sale and bought it.  After reading the sex scenes, I was hooked.  For a curious kid who was almost a teenager, these books appealed to my budding sexual curiosity.  My friends often secretly borrowed my stash of romance books, but always had to keep them hidden from their parents who would ground them if they found them reading such "filth".  One friend even hid the naughty books I lent her under the collection of age-appropriate books her parents were trying to force her to read.  I always found that a bit ironic.

In my house sex was never a taboo subject.  When I was around 5 or 6 my mom told me all about sex, even showing me a pop-up book filled with pictures of genitals and other reproductive organs.  I don't think I will ever forget the cardboard penis that would pop up when I turned the first page.  For some reason it even fascinated me back then!  So when I started reading romance novels she didn't mind at all.  In fact, she would even buy steamy ones for me for Christmas.

Did all this sexual freedom make me promiscuous?  Quite the opposite actually.  I didn't engage in any sexual activity with a partner until I was 19.  I think having the freedom to express myself sexually actually made me want to hold off on having sex until I felt ready.  It wasn't this huge forbidden thing that many parents make it, to me it was natural and good, but also something to be taken seriously, especially since sex can sometimes come with serious consequences such as unwanted pregnancies and nasty diseases.

So what do you think?  At what age should children be allowed to read books with sexual scenes in them?

Just a quick note to wish everyone who celebrates the season in some way a very happy holiday!  Our family celebrates Christmas, so we will be opening our gifts tonight (on Christmas Eve) as is our tradition.  I'm hoping I get some goodies, but more than anything I just hope to have a nice, relaxed evening with my loved ones.

This time of year really makes you reflect on life, and I must say that I am one lucky little girl.  Thank you so much to all of my fans out there who have supported my writing over the past year.  I'm hoping the next year will bring even greater things, including a few new book releases, the first of which is planned for January or February, so keep an eye out!  I will say this, if you liked my first ebook, "Sexy Little Bites: Short Stories to Excite", I think you will find my second release to be even more exciting!  If you haven't had a chance to read "Sexy Little Bites" yet, stay tuned to my blog, because I hope to do a giveaway or two soon!  Of course, you can always buy it for yourself from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Smashwords (only a 99 cent download).

Again, Happy Holidays and I wish you all the best for the coming year!

Today I received an interesting review on one of the male/male romance stories I wrote.  Normally I write straight sensual romance, but once in awhile I do like to experiment with gay relationships, probably because I am a big fan of Yaoi manga and anime.  Anyway, this reviewer (who happens to be a part of an extensive writing group I am involved in) wrote the following review of my story:

"This is rape!  The younger guy was taken advantage of by an older man, even if he enjoyed it anal sex is disgusting.  Next time you should only show frontal sex.  Great job though!"  The review had a rating attached to it as well - 5 stars, the best that can be given through the group's rating system.  Which left me wondering, if he thought the story was disgusting and immoral, why in the world did he say that I did a great job and give me 5 stars?

The reviewer went on to explain that although he thinks gay sex is fine, anal sex is just taking it too far.  Of course, my first thought was 'what the hell'?  Gay sex is fine but anal sex is disgusting?  How does that even make sense?  And what did he mean by saying I should only show frontal sex in the future?  Anybody have a clue on that one?

Also, for the record, the story was far from a rape because I do not write rapes.  I will admit there was persuasion and seduction involved, but people should remember that sensual romance or erotica is about fantasies, not necessarily what we would do in real life.  I do not agree with taking anyone against their will or harming another person, so please do not think I am in favor of those things, but if we can't fantasize a little bit, what's the use?

The whole encounter left me scratching my head a little bit and feeling discouraged by the homophobia that is obviously still a big part of our society.  Even some of my fellow writers who write gay romance admit that their husbands are homophobes…seems odd doesn't it?

It also seems like men are generally more homophobic than women, anyone have a clue why that is?  Is it because they feel that accepting and befriending gay males will damage their own masculinity?  If so, it makes you wonder how insecure they are in the first place.  Of course, I am just taking a shot in the dark there, so if you have a theory or insight into this subject, please feel free to leave a comment!

 

 

If you read a lot of romance or erotica like I do, then you start to notice that certain animals just show up again and again, whether it is in the form of pets, metaphors, similes, shapeshifters or some other kind of fantasy creature.  This got me thinking, what exactly is so sexy about these particular animals?  Well, I thought about it and here are the conclusions I came to about the typical animals you see related to sex:

Cats (domestic) – I think part of the reason pet cats feature predominently in erotic literature is simply because cats are the pet of choice among writers.  A quick look through literary history, ancient or recent, will show a host of word buffs who adore felines.  Besides that fact, cats are sexy of their own accord.  They are stubborn, independent, self-assured, graceful and full of attitude.  Cats are also full of feminine wiles, even their purring and meowing reflect their manipulative methods of getting what they want from us.  As women, we often use similar tactics to encourage men to fulfill our deepest desires.

Cats (big & wild) – Of course the wild aspect is a big part of the draw when it comes to big cats.  Where domestic cats may remind us more of the feminine, wild cats tend to portray more masculine traits.  Big cats are the kings of their domains, protective of their own family, deadly to any threat that comes along.  They run the place and they aren't afraid to let everyone know it.  Their physical strength and stamina rival the most athletic of creatures, yet they still manage to retain the grace and simple majesty of their smaller feline cousins.

Wolves – Again, the wild factor pops up here.  Wolves possess the same qualities we love about dogs, but retain the ferocity that makes them predators.  Intensely loyal to their pack, wolves are dependable, brave and protective of their entire group.  Of course, lone wolves have a sexiness all their own, stemming from their rebellious, mysterious nature.

Rabbits - Ok, you might laugh at this one, but I have recently read several good erotica novels that featured bunnies.  What would be the sex appeal here?  Well, what do you think of when you think of rabbits?  Rapid procreation right?  I think that just about says it all.

This past weekend my husband and I got to do something that is rare nowadays…we were able to go to the movies and out to dinner without any kids!  Of course, I was determined to take advantage of the opportunity and see a romantic, sensual movie…unfortunately, there really weren't any available in the theater.  We ended up seeing "New Year's Eve", a romantic comedy which was a decent movie in its own right, but not quite what I had been wanting.

The experience got me thinking about romantic movies and how few of them have really stuck with me and are able to instantly put me into the mood.  So I decided to put together a list of my top 5 romantic movies, some of them might be predictable and many people might find them boring and stupid, but I like them.

#5  Bridget Jones's Diary (I chose this movie because Bridget Jones is weird, awkward and far from the most beautiful woman around, but she has a hot man who loves her and treats her like a queen, even when she is being an idiot)

#4  Jane Eyre (One of my favorite love stories of all time, I love the novel, and so far, have loved every film adaptation I have seen)

#3  Titanic (Ok, it might be corny and so 90′s, but I love Rose and Jack.  There is something so romantic about tragedy)

#2  The Notebook (When Allie and Noah finally made love, it was awesome, even if Allie was engaged to some other poor guy at the time.  Plus, who doesn't love the scenes between Allie and Noah as an old couple?  When they died in each others' arms, it was enough to make the hardest heart soft)

#1   Gone with the Wind (Probably the first romantic movie I can remember watching that really got to me.  I always loved Scarlett and wanted her and Rhett to be together, but she was just so stupid at times, sitting around pining for that wimpy Ashley Wilkes.  One of my favorite scenes of all times though is when Rhett gets drunk and carries Scarlett up the winding staircase to make love)

Ok, so there you have it, my top 5 romantic movies.  What about you?  Feel free to share your own favorite romantic movies, I just might check them out if I haven't seen them already!

 

 

Ok, I may go to hell for writing this post, but my hubby and I were laying in bed the other night and I was complaining that I was cold (as usual).  I asked him to put my extra blanket on me, but instead he threw my big stuffed Elmo at me.  For some reason, that prompted me to ask "Do you think Elmo has a big penis?"  That simple question started us down a twisted train of thought, where we debated the pros and cons of having sexual relations with various Sesame Street characters.  Here are the conclusions we came to:

Elmo – since Elmo has been a preschooler for like 20 years or more, any kind of sexual relationship there would border on pedophilia.

Cookie Monster – he is cute, funny and sweet, but not sure I would want to chance having oral sex with Cookie Monster, the enthusiasm might be good, but I don't think his technique would have any rhyme or reason.  Plus, he might get cookie crumbs all over me.

The Count – love the count, but he would just be too detail oriented during sex.  One thrust, two thrusts…

Big Bird – never really liked him anyway, he would annoy the crap out of me.

Snuffy – seriously?  That would be like doing an elephant!

Oscar the Grouch – I would worry that he might have some kind of weird infections from hanging out naked in a trash can.

Grover – Grover is adorable and I love him, but he would probably be acting like "Super Grover", hanging off the ceiling fan and crashing into walls.  Not the best thing to put you into a romantic frame of mind.

Ernie – He would probably bring along his rubber ducky (or Bert).  Still not sure what their relationship actually is, but I'm not really into the whole menage thing in real life.

What about you?  Have a hankering for any of the Sesame Street puppets?  Who do you think would make the best lover?

Ok, today I'm going to talk about something a little naughty…foreplay.  How important is foreplay to a fulfilling sexual experience?  Are you the kind that likes to take the scenic route, or do you just want to get down to business?

I must admit that as a woman, I am probably unusual in this department, in fact my husband is more like the typical woman and I am more like the typical man.  My husband likes to take it nice and slow, involve all of the body and mind before reaching completion.  I can often be just the opposite.  When I am really in the mood and don't need any revving up, I just want to get my freak on.  I want to tear off his clothes and mine, feel skin against skin and start bucking wildly until we are both worn out and ready to collapse.

I think sometimes this personality quirk shows in my writing and reading tastes as well.  I like blunt sexual scenes that are fast, hard and unrestrained.  I often have to force myself to slow it down a bit when I am writing a love scene, because I know that many readers want a good build-up.  I am happy to provide this, provided that I get to eventually turn things up and get a little wild.  Not that sex shouldn't sometimes be sweet, gentle and slow, but my Scorpio nature just doesn't seem to go for that as often as the harder stuff.

Sometimes I wonder if astrology is the cause behind my husband's preferance as well.  As a Libra, he is the sign of balance, a proud fan of romance and about as easygoing as anyone you will ever meet.  I am a Scorpio and often the exact opposite.  I am passionate, easily carried away by my emotions, impatient and I prefer sex to be exciting and forceful.

Luckily, my husband and I try to meet each other halfway.  Sometimes I give him the slow ride he craves and other times I simply jump his bones and see how crazy I can make him go.  In the end, I think it all evens out.

What about you?  Are you a sightseer or a hit and run driver?

This week I received my first real ereader in the mail!  I have read ebooks on the Kindle app on my laptop and read many ebooks in PDF format, but it just isn't the same as having an actual ereader.  I have been obsessed the last few days with my new gadget, trying to figure out exactly what it can and can't do.  I should probably admit up front that I don't have the fancy new Kindle Fire.  I figured it would be easier (and cheaper) to start out with the regular model and see if I even like it.  So far, here are my thoughts on the Kindle:

*I love being able to change the font style, size and other things like that.  I am one of those people who will not read a book if the print is too tiny or annoying.  For that reason, I think the Kindle will be great for reading some books I might have passed up otherwise.

*I hate the fact that I can't read the Kindle in the bathtub…at least not safely that I can figure.  I do ALOT of reading in the bathtub, probably because my preferred method of relaxing includes surrounding myself in a big pile of bubbles.

*I like the free games that you can download on the Kindle…maybe a little too much.  I find myself wasting time that I should spend writing, playing games like Thread Words, Jigsaw Words and Grid Detective.

*Although they did a good job of making the Kindle thin, small and fairly light, it still doesn't feel as good between my fingers as a new paperback novel.

*The selection of free or cheap books on Amazon is really pretty good, you only have to know where to look and give authors a chance, even if you have never heard of them.  The quality of indie books seems to be improving, and you can often tell by using the "Look inside this book" feature whether an author has written a quality book or not.

*An electronic device just isn't as comfy to curl up with.  Maybe in time I will get used to it, but so far I do miss the smell, feel and look of a classic book.  In no way have I given up on my Kindle, I really do like it, but in some ways I am just an old-fashioned girl at heart.

What about you?  Would love to hear what others think of the ebook revolution.