Authors of the 'Take Me' boxed set explore elements of great love scenes
Skye Warren, co-author of the Take Me: Twelve Tales of Dark Possession boxed set of 12 books that explore the intense, dangerous side of love, checks in with her fellow authors in the set —Anna Zaires, Pepper Winters, Kendall Ryan, Shay Savage, CD Reiss, Pam Godwin, Gemma James, Jenika Snow, Lynda Chance, Dima Zales, Amber Lin and Shari Slade — to see what makes a love scene sexy to them.
Skye: Personally, I love a scene I can get lost in, both the physical sensations and the emotional resonance. And what I find most sexy is when power comes into play. Not with games, but where one side has the upper hand, the mingling of distrust and desire, of wariness and want.
New York Times bestselling author Lynda Chance takes us back to the beginning: "For me, sexy is in the tension that builds up leading to the actual sex — it's where the guy fights it because he knows she's going to change him irrevocably. And then the tension hits the breaking point, he loses it — and then it's no holds barred, baby."
For writing duo Amber Lin and Shari Slade, conflict is key: "For us, the sex scenes are about two characters in conflict, with each other and themselves, fighting with desire. Or for one of our scenes, three characters in conflict! Struggle and vulnerability, the friction point where need trumps self-preservation … that dichotomy really gets us going."
And Jenika Snow appreciates her alpha heroes … "I love a scene where the hero is so possessive and territorial in the way he treats his heroine. I love when he dominates her with his body and words."
Here are the other authors in the Take Me boxed set with their favorite kind of sex scenes:
Anna Zaires: "I love sex scenes where the man is very dominant, and where there is a certain element of reluctance on the woman's part. 'Forced seduction' sex is my favorite, especially if there is an emotional connection between the two characters. In my own books, I try to write scenes that are descriptive and engage all the senses, so we feel like we're truly there with the characters."
CD Reiss: "Sex scenes are the same as any scene. Both characters go in wanting something, and either come out with it or don't. If it's just, you know, the motions without the intention, it can get boring and repetitive."
Gemma James: "It's all about the buildup for me. I love to watch two characters dance around each other for a while before giving in to their wants and desires. I also love a good sex scene that's heavy in dubious consent. I'm twisted that way."
Kendall Ryan: "When I feel like I'm in the scene experiencing it right along with the character. I want to be as close as possible in that moment, and forgot that I'm 'reading' it."
Pam Godwin: "The buildup, the fight, the journey to get there. The sexiest sex scene is the one that is the toughest to earn."
And last but certainly not least, bestselling authors Pepper Winters and Shay Savage talk about how they make their sex scenes so hot …
Pepper Winters: "I think any scene that has a connection — regardless if it's BDSM or the sweetest lovemaking. It's the connection and buildup to the character that gets me. When I'm writing a sex scene, I really try to put myself in the heroine's eyes. I want to know what she's feeling, seeing, hearing, thinking. Makes it more real to the reader."
Shay Savage: "For a couple to be sexy for me, I need to feel something for them. It isn't just about a physical act, but the emotional charge between the two characters. If I can't feel that, I'll find myself skimming through the scene. When I'm writing a love scene, I always write the action from the climax backwards. Then I go back through and write the dialogue, emotions, thoughts, and feelings that go with it."
You can read all 12 books from these authors in the Take Me boxed set. Betrayal, redemption, and smoking hot couples fill over 750,000 words of this limited-edition set.
Take Me will be available for only one month, so grab your copy before it's gone!
Find out more at skyewarren.com.