Today on Romancing the Weekends we have a special guest – Tiffany Reisz!! Yesterday I reviewed her amazing debut, “The Siren”, and today she’s here to chat about why we love reading these deliciously wonderful erotic stories:
Women Love Erotica – It’s Not News To Me
Written by Tiffany Reisz, author of THE SIREN
In late May at the Chicago Spring Fling Writers Conference, I presented a workshop called “What’s Love Got To Do With It? Erotica For Beginners.” Although ostensibly a conference for romance novelists, my workshop was packed with people standing to hear me pontificate on such topics as phone sex in the White House and butt-sex with Daniel Craig. The audience laughed openly and often and asked dozens of thoughtful questions. Everyone wanted to talk about sex. Not love and romance. Sex.
But why? You could argue that the recent success of the romance trilogy 50 Shades of Grey had inspired this interest. These women, however, would rightly scoff at such an idea. They were smart, extremely well-read, knew as much or more about erotica than I did. They’d been reading it for years, writing it for years…very few of them even considered 50 Shades of Grey erotica. So why all this interest in erotica? This willingness to read and write and talk about sex?
The women of my workshop weren’t talking about sex because suddenly they were interested in sex. They were talking about it because I was talking about sex and that made it safe for them to talk about it too. So even readers who disliked 50 Shades of Grey or haven’t read it now benefit from its success. Kink, sex, and erotica have become dinner-table conversations and front-page news. Readers aren’t suddenly interested in erotica. No, The Today Show and 20/20–just like me talking about Daniel Craig’s cock–have made it safe to admit it.
I haven’t read 50 Shades but I’m certainly grateful for the conversations it’s caused. At least once a day, a fan or friend will tell me that someone mentioned 50 Shades and they were able to tell them to read THE SIREN or my other BDSM-themed stories of erotic women’s fiction. And coming out as an actual kinkster is easier than ever. A coworker jokingly wished me a great weekend doing some “50 Shades stuff.” I replied, “Christian Grey ain’t got nothing on me.” “Damn,” was her only reply. A wicked grin was mine.
Erotica isn’t front-page news because women have suddenly discovered erotica. Erotica is front-page news because the world suddenly discovered women like sex as much as men. Let’s hope the world never forgets.
Paperback: 432 pages
Publish Date: July 24, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
ISBN-10: 0778313530
ISBN-13: 978-0778313533
ASIN: B007M8S3KC
File Size: 641 KB
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great post! I haven’t read 50 shades and don’t plan to because I have been reading erotic romance/erotica for many years – but its true that you said about ”
Erotica isn’t front-page news because women have suddenly discovered erotica. Erotica is front-page news because the world suddenly discovered women like sex as much as men. Let’s hope the world never forgets.”
I love that line too!
How synchronistic.
I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a hot romance/erotica and the only thing I have to draw from is my true life experiences. And of course that which I’ve already read. I would LOVE to have taken this class. Any other such classes planned? I live around St. Louis, MO by the way. Have car will travel. Thank you!
I read this book in one sitting…OK just about. What a magnificent debut! And for regular vanilla person like me, this was mind blowing and a psychological tease.
I’m now re-siting via audio, and the narrator is doing and excellent job bringing this…..What did she call it?….Ah! A modern Gothic novel, a mixture of romance and horror, and I couldn’t agree with her more.
Ooohhh, I’ll bet the audiobook is fabulous!
Than you Patti!
You’re welcome! I was thrilled Ms. Reisz agreed to guest post