Two Middle-aged Introverts write a Sex Scene (and ruin my childhood)

Catriona writes: Two swerves today, Mind Readers. One - I am bunking off. Two - honoured guests Jess Lourey and Shannon Baker aren't even answering the question! I can't imagine there will be any complaints because, instead, they are going there. Yep, it's fluttering curtains and tumbling puns as the double-booked tour tackles sex scenes..

And now over to Shannon and Jess.

Thanks to Catriona for inviting me, Shannon Baker, and Jess Lourey back for our Third Annual Lourey-Baker Double-Booked Blog Tour. We love you guys because your couch is the most comfortable and you don’t complain when Jess eats all the cheese. (Jess here: cheese is more addictive than heroin and I’m okay with that.)

Shannon’s newest page-turner in the Kate Fox mysteries, Bitter Rain,  and Mercy’s Chase ), the latest in Jess’ feminist thriller series that Lee Child calls “highly-recommended,” are available for preorder and will be released within days!

Make sure to read to the end for a chance to win a signed copy of both.

Shannon: One of the best things about being in a joint tour, apart from the fact that Jess is so darned fun to hang with, is that we take turns coming up with topics. And since this is our third tour, we’re trying not to revisit issues we’ve already covered. Which brings us to today’s topic, chosen by Jess. I don’t know what prompted her to think of this, but, as it turns out, writing sex scenes is a very real problem I’m struggling with right now. Jess, what is the real reason you came up with this? And did it involve wine?

Jess: I was hoping you wouldn’t ask that, but here’s the truth: I HATE writing sex scenes. I get squirmy and ashamed when I do it (not that it; the writing of it). I know you also struggle with writing them, Shannon, and so I figured we could talk it out and get each other over the hump, pun totally intended.

Shannon: Okay, so Immuna ‘fess up here. Not that it really needs forgiveness or confession. I’ve ventured into the romance genre and I’m not ashamed to say it. I’m of the opinion that writing romance is like having an affair. If you can’t say it out loud, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Even if I do write under an alias: Shanen Black.

Having said that, I’ll admit that my books make me blush. I don’t have any trouble channeling my inner romantic side, and even writing to market by using the tropes romance readers expect. But I accidently fell into writing steamy romance because a friend encouraged me. Steamy makes me squirm. (Jess here: I have to note that we both used the word “squirm” in talking about writing sex scenes. Any therapists reading this? Please diagnose us below.)

A friend tempted me with writing romance because she’s so successful with it and because I told her I want to learn to write better emotion. She offered to  partner with me, mostly to teach me the ropes about indie pubbing. It’s a good thing she did because, turns out, writing steamy sex scenes is not my strong suit. It’s like in real life for me, I’m much more comfortable closing the door. What about you, Jess? Do you write good sex?

Jess: I recently got the rights back to my Mira James Mysteries, and reading them over, I was delighted to find that while it was incredibly uncomfortable to write the steamy scenes in those books, they’re pretty awesome. I loved rereading them! So yeah, I think I do write good sex. I now need to figure out how to write more of it. Do you have any tips?

Shannon: My writing partner read my first sex scene and told me that until I was comfortable using the words “p*ss*, and *co**,” I’d never make it in the steamy world. She insisted I could not use Mr. Happy and “my secret place,” instead. (True story.) I tried, bless my heart. Finally, with infinite patience (in email, because I don’t know what kind of fits she was throwing in real life) she said just leave the spot blank and she’d write those scenes.

Sometimes, when I can’t bring myself to find different words for “hard” and “wet” (seriously, think about it) I’ll leave the scene blank for her and write “pound, pound, pant, pant,” and move on. She’s pretty good at filling in the blanks.

Because I don’t want to give up, I still try to write most of those scenes, though. She edits them and makes them… more robust.

Jess: Okay, it’s hard to type while I’m laughing. I think “Mr. Happy Goes Camping in My Secret Place” was a popular children’s book back in the day? To be fair, I’ve never written explicit sex scenes and would have no idea how to do it. I’ll have to read your upcoming release to see how to do it. (Shannon here: not upcoming at all. One released at the end of June, one at the end of July, the next at the end of October, a novella in November, and one planned for January. I’m (ahem) pumping them out.)

Shannon: A writer I know said to me once, “Did you notice how I write my fight scenes? I write them like sex scenes.” I walked away confused by what she meant. But I’m wondering now that since I’ve written lots of fights and action, if I ought to write my sex scenes like fight scenes. Still not sure what that means, but it might take me from the label of steamy romance into BDSM.

Jess: Do you think she meant to write it like a dance, with give and take and tandem movement, rather than to literally throw punches? In any case, I’ve begun outlining April Fools, which is to be the final book in my Mira James Mysteries. I make a promise to myself (and to you, dear reader) that I will put at least three sex scenes in that book. And…drum rollllll…I swear to god I’m going to use “Mr. Happy” and “My Secret Place” because that’s too beautiful to waste.

What about you, dear reader, do you enjoy reading/writing sex scenes and on the scale from closed door to erotica, where do you make your bed?

GIVEAWAY

We are each giving away three signed books on the Lourey/Baker Double-Booked Tour. To enter to win, sign up for our newsletter!

●       Jess Lourey newsletter sign-up (when you sign up, you’ll automatically receive a free copy of May Day, the first in Jess’ comic caper mysteries): BookHip.com/KJNSXH

●       Shannon Baker newsletter sign-up (when you sign up you’ll receive a free Kate short story): https://mailchi.mp/d5ccfe1840ea/shannonsbooknews

For every comment you make along our tour stop, you’ll get another entry in the contest. Don’t be shy; we love talking to you.

DOUBLE-BOOKED BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE

August 23: "Two Middle-aged Introverts Write a Sex Scene" on Criminal Minds

August 26: "Write What You Fear" on Writer Unboxed

August 27: "The Five Stages of Author Grief" on BOLO Books

August 29: "Tools and Tricks that Changed the Game" on Femmes Fatales

August 31: "Write a Great Scene" on Fiction University

September 2: “Author Interview” on Jess Lourey

September 4: "The Unexpected Places Authors Get Their Ideas" on Wicked Cozy Authors

September 8: "A Day in the Life of Our Characters" on Dru’s Book Musings

September 13: "Most Embarrassing Author Moment" on Jungle Red Writers

September 26: "Create an Author Persona" on The Creative Penn

TBA: “More than the Sum of Our Parts” on Career Authors

ABOUT SHANNON AND JESS

Shannon Baker is author of the Kate Fox mystery series set in rural Nebraska cattle country, and the Nora Abbott mystery series, fast-paced mix of Hopi Indian mysticism, environmental issues, and murder. Now a resident of Tucson, Baker spent 20 years in the Nebraska Sandhills, where cattle outnumber people by more than 50:1. She is proud to have been chosen Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2014 and 2017 Writer of the Year.

 A lover of the outdoors, she can be found backpacking in the Rockies, traipsing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, skiing mountains and plains, kayaking lakes, hiking, cycling, and scuba diving whenever she gets the chance. Arizona sunsets notwithstanding, Baker is, and always will be, a Nebraska Husker. Go Big Red. Visit Shannon at www.Shannon-Baker.com.  Bitter Rain is an August release.

Jess Lourey (rhymes with “dowry”) is an Anthony, Lefty, and Agatha-nominated author best known for her critically-acclaimed Mira James Mysteries, which have earned multiple starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist, the latter calling her writing “a splendid mix of humor and suspense.” She is a tenured professor of creative writing and sociology, a recipient of The Loft’s Excellence in Teaching fellowship, a regular Psychology Today blogger, and a sought-after workshop leader and keynote speaker who delivered the 2016 “Rewrite Your Life” TEDx Talk. Mercy’s Chase, the second in the feminist thriller series Lee Child calls “highly recommended,” releases September 8. You can find out more at www.jessicalourey.com.