# A Rarity — erotica that's well-written (and not just the naughty bits)



## MaryEllen Redmond (Oct 17, 2010)

Do you read any Kindle erotica? I don't read much anymore because it's very repetitive and, as a teacher of English, find much of it very poorly written. But I recently came across a very positive reference to "The Circuit" on the Kindle boards on Amazon. Curious, I checked it out and was initially intrigued by the classy cover: an enigmatic photo of a young woman in profile with her hair obscuring her face while she gazes out of a window through which we can see only stark white.

I downloaded the sample and couldn't believe how well-written and witty it was. And the story was as intriguing as the cover: the first-person narrator refers to herself as "Victoria J.", which is also the author's name. The scenes are very cinematic, as if you're actually watching reality. The publisher's blurb says the story is based on the author's own life.

Anyway, that's my mini-review. I recommend it highly. Here's the link to the Amazon listing: The Circuit


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

Seek out Kindle Smut on Goodreads - it's a vibrant community who devour erotica, and can point you in the right direction. There's plenty of great stuff out there.


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## Budo von Stahl (Aug 31, 2010)

I'm not much for erotica, but I thought http://www.amazon.com/Just-Having-Fun-ebook/dp/B005EMOGB8 turned out to be a cute little story. Of course, I kinda knew how it was going to end before I started reading it, lol.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

I have read/heard many times the following assertion:

*- Women read erotica.
- Men look at pictures.*

Is this generally accepted as true? Do the stats back it up? Are there any men who read erotica?

Just curious - especially since I know there are several indie (self-pubbed) erotica authors who are very successful,

Todd


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I suppose there is a grain of truth to that, but it is an overgeneralization. There have always been "smut novels" marketed at men, most of which were very poorly written, and Penthouse's Letters are always popular. Men might be more inclined than women to enjoy visual erotica, but there's not much good research on this. Women are more likely than men to read romance novels, and romance novels range from quite tame to downright raunchy. This has been true well before they were called erotica.


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

Studies show that women respond in almost exactly the same way to visual stimuli as men, even getting aroused by the same things.

Whether there's a gender difference in Kindle erotica, I don't know.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

Here are some titles I can recommend:

BE GOOD TO YOUR ELF by Elizabeth Coldwell (Christmas-themed short story - funny)
CARNALLY EVER AFTER by Jackie Barbosa (regency erotica novella)
Lair of the Jaguar God by Marie Dees (M/M erotica short story)
The Taking of Dove by Marie Kulhane (M/M erotica novella)


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## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

*shrug* A lot of Kindle erotica is self-published by people hoping to cash in. Not all of it by any means; there are a lot of serious erotica writers out there who put a lot of effort into their work, many of whom hang out here. Circlet Press offers a lot of pretty well-written, often thoughtful smut, especially if you like your smut with a little science fiction and/or fantasy and/or if you are looking for more than just straight romances. (Full disclosure: I'm in two Circlet anthologies--out of hundreds of books they've produced, so I don't feel too guilty touting them.)


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

Todd Trumpet said:


> I have read/heard many times the following assertion:
> 
> *- Women read erotica.
> - Men look at pictures.*
> ...


I think women are more likely to read romance novels with highly erotic content. The sex-for-sex's-sake books are popular but not nearly as popular as erotic romance novels. There has to be an emotional as well as a physical connection. It also doesn't have to necessarily be romance and hot sex between straight partners. M/M erotic romance has always been very popular with women.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> I suppose there is a grain of truth to that, but it is an overgeneralization. There have always been "smut novels" marketed at men, most of which were very poorly written, and Penthouse's Letters are always popular.


It's funny you mention "Penthouse Letters" because these are often a shorthand punchline to me and my male friends.

Example: The group notices a particularly sexy woman (in real life or, more likely, on TV) interacting with an average looking male (who is some type of customer, or patient, or perp in an interrogation room), and someone in the group will intone, semi-luridly, "Dear Penthouse..." Everybody gets it (and hilarity ensues).

The irony is, I doubt any of us has actually seen one in print in the past 20 years!

Todd

P.S. "Dear Penthouse: Today I was making an innocent reply on a message board about erotic fiction..."


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## joshtremino (Jul 31, 2010)

I generally don't read erotica, but this one sounds interesting.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

I've read some stuff that was so odd, it made me think "... you've never actually had sex, have you?" Sort of written as if someone has only seen a diagrams of the procedure is supposed to work, but hasn't actually tried it.


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

There's plenty of good stuff. Seek it out.


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## BiancaSommerland (Mar 8, 2011)

A rarity? Really.

Umm...just wondering how much erotica you've read to be able to make that claim. I've read plenty of very well written erotica. Kitty Thomas, Cherise Sinclair, Tymber Dalton, Sommer Marsden...I could suggest some more. Have you heard of any of these authors?

Maybe I shouldn't look at posts like this before coffee in the morning. Sorry if I sound terse, but honestly, I found the thread title a little insulting. It's great of you to pimp the book of an author you enjoy, but I think you could do so while putting down the rest of the genre and the many many talented authors who write it.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

Todd Trumpet said:


> I have read/heard many times the following assertion:
> 
> *- Women read erotica.
> - Men look at pictures.*
> ...


Like many generalizations, I think these are based on partial truths.

When I was growing up extremely repressed in India, I would read a book simply because it had the word "breast" in it. I was omnivorous, I didn't even understand sex, and every time a character decided to take a shower, or to change her clothes (yes, it had to be a female character), it got me excited.

Naturally, after coming to America and having a collection of Playboys and Penthouses, the old ultra-soft core porn could no longer work on me.

But good writing that honestly deals with sex--that is vulnerable, for example--still turns me on. (I confess I do some of it, though it is up to someone else to judge if it is good). Henry Miller's Tropic books, Philip Roth's novels . . .

It's possible, though, that genre erotica may have more women readers and/or that certain types attract women or men more specifically.


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## Marata Eros (Jul 23, 2011)

I love that new group on goodreads: Kindle Smut!

Todd: Men are reading erotica. Men are reading my erotica shorts. I don't think they're reading the novella as it's romance-driven. I'm always looking for well-done erotica? Any suggestions?

I've read _The Auction_ by Kitty Thomas and liked it. That whole master-slave angle...ah-huh.


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## S.A. Reid (Oct 3, 2011)

"Kindle Smut!" on Goodreads?  I really need to check that out.


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

Kindle Smut is a fantastic group. Come and play.


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## JamesHutchings (Feb 27, 2011)

Todd Trumpet said:


> I have read/heard many times the following assertion:
> 
> *- Women read erotica.
> - Men look at pictures.*


Most of the cover pictures seem to be of women rather than men. Is this because women imagine themselves to be the character on the cover, whereas men imagine themselves looking at the person in real life?


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

I thought the male torso was de rigeur for erotica covers ...


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## Sondrae Bennett (Mar 29, 2011)

I'd second anything by Cherise Sinclair. And the Kindle Smut group on Goodreads. They're very friendly and helpful, and just plain fun.

Other erotic romance novels/novellas that are well written are: Poppy's Passions by Stephanie Beck, Blood of the Maple by Dana Marie Bell, Stay With Me by Maya Banks, My Shifter Showmance: Shifting Reality, Book 1 by R.G. Alexander. Most are erotic romances or explicit romances, not erotica, but I'd highly recommend them.


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

Not sure it's even available on Kindle since it's faily old, but The erotic Edge is a compilation of short stories that was very nicely done.


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## Alexis-Shore (Feb 20, 2011)

I always enjoy Selena Kitt.


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## ParisRivera (Oct 28, 2012)

I think covers (and text) that leave something to the imagination are sexier. I guess we will see whether readers agree!


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## JamescCamp (Oct 18, 2012)

Question (and I don't mean this facetiously, it's an actual, honest question meant to spur discussion):

What's the point of erotica?

The point of pornography is pretty simple: to arouse, to use as foreplay, either with a partner (or two), or by yourself. It's visual, immediate, and leaves the hands free for other things.

Erotica though, is textual, and requires the imagination to generate the same effect. And it takes much longer to arouse because the 'naughty bits' may not be for ten or twenty pages in (if the writer is following any sorts of best practice in terms of plotting or character development).

Now, I don't know if I speak for all men or just myself, I find that once I get to the 'naughty bits' and my imagination goes off, I can't really focus on the text anymore because I'm, well, _preoccupied_ with other things 

Do women have a different reaction? Can they maybe handle the slow boil, physiologically, than men?


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## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

Everyone's different, obviously, but broadly speaking women are physiologically set to simmer to a boil and men are on high heat from the get-go.


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## JamescCamp (Oct 18, 2012)

MeiLinMiranda said:


> Everyone's different, obviously, but broadly speaking women are physiologically set to simmer to a boil and men are on high heat from the get-go.


So that would sort of support why men, generally, prefer watching videos or something, while women can either watch something or enjoy reading as well.

For me, reading erotica just sort of takes too long to achieve the desired effect, if you know what I mean.

What I would like to see is more good, erotic writing permeate into text in general. I generally enjoy reading literary fiction, but the sex scenes in these types of books are often too silly or overwrought to be interesting. I don't see why a sexual moment can't be both exhilarating and essential to an overall plot.


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## MeiLinMiranda (Feb 17, 2011)

Try erotic romance, then. Usually the sex is integral to the story.


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## M. P. Rey (Nov 3, 2012)

Alexis-Shore said:


> Kindle Smut is a fantastic group. Come and play.


Yup. I agree


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

It's more common than you might think when you include LGBT. Much of LGBT that isn't actually erotica is classed as that because of a persistent conviction by booksellers that even any depiction of same-gender sex is "dirty" and "offensive to many".


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

JRTomlin said:


> It's more common than you might think when you include LGBT. Much of LGBT that isn't actually erotica is classed as that because of a persistent conviction by booksellers that even any depiction of same-gender sex is "dirty" and "offensive to many".


Have they removed the Gay Guide to NYC from the erotica categories yet?


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Krista D. Ball said:


> Have they removed the Gay Guide to NYC from the erotica categories yet?


Not the last time I checked. Frankly, insane. It takes a wild stretch of the imagination to consider that even close to erotica. It didn't take same-gender sex in that case to turn something into supposed erotica, just the existence of gays.


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## JohnCaprini (Feb 8, 2013)

QuantumIguana said:


> I've read some stuff that was so odd, it made me think "... you've never actually had sex, have you?" Sort of written as if someone has only seen a diagrams of the procedure is supposed to work, but hasn't actually tried it.


Often just looking at the author photo makes me think that as well 

No but seriously, as already mentioned on this thread, most of it seems to be written by people just trying to make a bit of money. A lot of them seem to think the fact that they learned to write at school, coupled with the fact that they've probably had sex, qualifies them to write it. I suppose it just leaves a bit more work for people who want to dig through it all.

Pleased to meet you all by the way...

John Caprini


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## BenEBrewer (Nov 5, 2012)

I think it's a bit wrong to say that erotica is rarely well-written.  Just because it is still seen by some people as sub-literate does not mean that it is poorly written.

I've read a lot of poorly written books in every genre and erotica is as mixed as the rest of them.

Good erotica writers would include, Selena Kitt, Jade Logan, Claudia King, et al...

Just because you may have read one or two bad ones does not mean erotica is subject to constant bad writing... shop around, you'll see


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