Romantic Interlude ~ Difference between the Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy

This whole week I've been hedging writing this one love scene in my WIP. Why? Well, because in my seventh book "Vampire Interlude", Sabrina and Bill Gannon finally "do it".

Oops! I guess that was a bit of a spoiler. Well, something to look forward to, I guess, for those of you out there who are fans... all ten of you.

Oh, I see one of you has their hand up. Question?

Yes, if Bill and Sabrina are going to do it, will it be at least five pages long with lots of detail?

Eh, no. I'm not sure how long it will be, when I get done with it. I'm still adding things to it. But for those of you who primarily read paranormal romance you are not going to be reading things like and then he plunged himself inside her and filled her with his seed. Or He thrust into her... a long, languid stroke that made her moan. (Well that one I might reconsider...). Nor will I put in descriptive words of the male genetalia like lance  or my personal favorite from certain erotica tool. *Chuckles* He isn't going to "trace her inner curves and explore her wetness". Oh, there will be teasing of nipples and gazing upon the rock-hard abs and so forth. Gotta have all that going on. Admiration of the bod about to plunder is always a good sell.

I was looking through certain paperback books I have--one's I've won, or by mistake in the early years when I didn't know the difference between "paranormal romance" and "urban fantasy"--and realized in the paranormal romance many times the p.o.v. is done in third person, and from either the man's or the woman's perspective. It usually takes about 3/4 of the book to get to that bedroom scene, by the way. There's a lot of sexual tention--which is alright--all through out the book, and eventually there'll be this big pay-off. But you know, if you paid darn good money to get to the juicy scenes you expect something that's hot and you sure don't want to be sitting on a bus next to some smelly guy while you're trying to read it. Right?? You want to curl up and read this somewhere in your own home with a vibrator handy. *again chuckles*

Ah-hum.

Well, this doesn't mean that urban fantasy has to be dull in comparrison. Not from my view point, anyway. I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse books (urban fantasy) by Charlaine Harris from #1 to end, and can report that the first 4 had plenty of sexual encounters in them. In #5 it would seem that Sookie goes without for a while, and finds a warm-blooded boyfriend who turns into a tiger when the full moon is out. Grrrrowl. I found it amusing that every time they were about to go at it, something interrupted them. And the fact that Sookie is not willing to just jump into bed with a guy just because she's hot for him, mainly because she's been hurt in the last book by someone she trusted, who she thought loved her, was a good enough reason/deturant. Plus, I think she was on the rag.

What I noted is that in most cases with paranormal romances, the woman is resiting the sexual encounter with the vampire (or whatever the supe is), for whatever the reason. In urban fantasy it's (almost always) done in first person (in mine and in the case of the Sookie books), it's also done in first person from the POV of the woman. Our women are as hot for the guy as they are for them. Our women are not shy about sex, but they are reluctant to jump in the sack with just anyone. For my character, Sabrina, she's rather lusty and needs sex on a regular bases. She doesn't stick with one man throughout the series. But she does try to stay with one guy per book. But in the first book it's like she's looking over a tray of the most delicous chocolates trying to figure out which one might be the best, tastiest treat. Hmmm. Tough choice.

While the paranormal romance writer will detail each and every stroke of delight, us urban fant writers are not going to go to that sort of trouble. We're all adults here, and we don't need a flashlight to know what's going on in the dark. Unless it has something to do with the story, we are not going to go into great depths (lol), give page after page of the rutting. No. (Go take your vibrator somewhere else, hon!) That isn't to say that our sex scenes can't be hot. They can. It simply depends upon what we think we want to go on in any portion of the book. In my third book, Vampire Nocturne, Sabrina turns into her were-creature (partially) and seduces Jett, the prince. He's of the Victorian erra, and so her fresh and un-shy approach to sex is welcome... and surprised when she suggest they do it "doggy style".

Lorelei has created the Sabrina Strong series,
is working on more of these adventures, so stay tuned
to news and updates here and at her main blog, Lorele's Muse

The purpose of the sexual encounter in urban fantasy is NOT the main goal of the whole book. Usually there is a lot of stuff happening around, and to our main character. Usually there's a mystery to solve. There's always danger afoot, even if she doesn't quite see it that way. Maybe there's two mysteries--one is solved along the way and it's a minor thing. The other one is usually a murder and the murderer is still at large and is going after the MC. It might be up to the hero/boy friend to try and protect her, but even if he does keep her from being killed, she must solve the mystery, usually facing off with the murderer.

Well, I didn't want to bring you all this way without a little sample of what I was working on. Granted, it's only one paragraph, but I think you'll get the gist of what I meant when I said the woman isn't shy about sex, and wants it at least as much, if not more than they guy in bed with her.

I grabbed the sides of his shirt and pulled, yanking the tails out of his pants, but this proved to be a little difficult, and he used one hand to help me. After a few struggling moments, I had his shirt undone, and he shrugged out of it, having to undo one last button. I wasn't sure, but I think I might have ripped that one off, as I wasn't as patient as he. Now I could view his musculature at my leisure, and he looked much better up close. I slid my hands over his bare chest, marveling at the hard contours. My legs were still spread and he pressed himself against me and I gave a moan. I wasn't about to act coy about sex with Bill. I'd wanted him earlier today and I wanted him worse right now. I tugged at my own shirt and he helped me with it off. The bra went next, as I arched to allow him to get to the hooks in the back. What the hell? Next time I wasn't going to wear a bra, it wasted too much time to take off.