It’s Flirty February! This week on #RWchat, we’re talking about love scenes! Regular participant LaQuette (author of the Queens of Kings series) is known for writing extra hot love scenes, so we asked her to handle this week’s guest post. Take it away, LaQuette!

I love romance novels. To my way of thinking, that should be a given since I write them for a living. I love the excitement of experiencing the couple’s journey to love. I love knowing I’m going to get a happy ending when it’s finished. And yes, I even love all of the sizzling parts that make me put down my reading device and fan myself because the chemistry and/or love scene is so hot (if you’re not having this experience while reading a romance novel you are missing out on everything that is good in life).

Now that you know I love romance novels, you should also know there is one thing that irks my reader’s brain while reading one. The one thing that will make me roll my eyes, and snatch me out of the reading experience quicker than anything else is too much dialogue during a sex scene.

For the love of all things holy, please, just NO!!

Art is supposed to imitate life (or at least mimic it in some way). Think about a romance novel you’ve read, one where there was a tremendous amount of talking on the page between the characters while they were having sex. Now, put yourself in the place of one of the characters and think about participating in all of the sexy shenanigans the author describes while holding a full-blown conversation. I don’t know about you, but I’m either telling my partner to shut the hell up so I can enjoy myself, or I’m laughing at the bad-porn-speak he’s doling out while he’s trying to be sexy. Trust me, either scenario is bad.  Being laughed at is not something one wants to have happen when they are attempting to be seriously sexy. Not to mention, if his stroke game is as marvelous as you’re describing it to be, then where is all of this extra air coming from that he’s using to form and speak full sentences? (Have you tried talking while running a sprint? Honey, it doesn’t work.)

Sex is primal, and by primal, I don’t mean the hero has to turn into a beast when he’s in bed—unless you want him to, and if that’s the case I say, “Yassssss, baby!!” When something is primal, it falls to its baser instincts. That instinct is what grabs your reader’s attention. The passionate way it expresses itself is what catches your reader by the throat and keeps them gasping for air until the characters (and possibly the reader if the author has done an exceptional job) are peaking at the height of climax, and spilling over into a soul-soothing release. Can you tell I like reading/writing sex? I mean, it should be so evident by now.

The formation and use of language is a higher-functioning skill of the brain. If your character is in the throes of passion, he/she/they shouldn’t have enough available brain capacity to figure out how to form a coherent sentence, let alone a full-on conversation when sexy times ensue.

Sex can be fun, flirty, and downright filthy (when it’s done right. Oh, stop looking at me like I’m the weirdo for acknowledging that fact) when the chemistry between the characters is allowed to blossom. Instead, try letting the touches, the facial expressions, the descriptions of your characters’ desire draw your reader in and captivate them. And if your characters want to become chatty in your love scene, shake your head and tell them, “Shut the hell up!”

I’m LaQuette, your friendly erotic romance author, embracing my crazy one character at a time.

Keep it sexy!

What do you think? Are you a fan of dirty talk in romance novels, or can you do without it? Join us Sunday, February 18th, to discuss writing your own love scenes!

LaQuette—Romance Author, is the 2016 Golden Apple Award Author of the year winner. She writes bold & sexy tales for diverse characters who are confident in their right to appear on the page. Represented by  Latoya C. Smith of the L. Perkins Agency.

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