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The Author
Alice Gaines
Chambers |
EXOTIC
LOCATIONS!
Location, location,
location
It’s often said that
in retail there are three things you need to succeed – location, location,
location. While much more goes into a romance than the story’s location,
it’s still true that setting can make a good story great and a great story
unforgettable. In my experience, setting can be especially useful
in the creation of ultra-sensual and erotic romances.
All romance takes
the reader away from the humdrum of everyday existence. But to create
the necessary level of sexual tension for erotic romance, a writer absolutely
must free the reader from the concerns and irritations of daily life.
One way to accomplish this escape for the reader is to set your story in
someplace exotic. I have tremendous admiration for writers who can
make the present day, ordinary world exciting. For me, everyday surroundings
just aren’t as sexy as a Central American jungle or a lavishly appointed
tent beside a desert oasis.
Exotic scenery and
climates can create heightened sensuality to enhance the sexual contact
between your characters. My e-book from Hardshell Word Factory, Moon
of the Jaguar (by Alice Gaines), takes place among the ruins of an ancient
Mayan city on the Yucatan Peninsula. I created the haunted city of
Caban Itza to enhance the mystery aspect of the story. I soon discovered
that the lush backdrop – complete with the eerie song of tree frogs and
the scent of burning incense – helped me to play on all five senses.
I deliberately made the greens of the rainforest brighter than those of
the real world. Even the heat of the jungle helped to make my story
sensual.
Different lands and
different societies may also have different sexual mores. What might
seem wicked to us could be more acceptable in another culture. Several
European countries have traditionally held more liberal sexual attitudes
than England or the United States. Imagine the erotic possibilities
of an American innocent confronting one of these cultures for the first
time.
Of course, the ultimate
in exotic locations are those that don’t even exit on Earth. I think
it’s no coincidence that so many ultra-sensual romances are fantasies and
futuristics. Within these settings, the author has the freedom to
construct situations that could never exist in the real world. My
first Secrets novella, “The Spinner’s Dream” (Volume 1), takes place in
a land where handsome boys of the churl class are routinely selected to
serve as sexual servants for their masters’ daughters. My hero, Thiele,
is a completely sexual being who wouldn’t exist in any other place (darn
it all). Characters can make love under multiple moons (Secrets,
Volume 5) or in zero gravity (Volume 2). A young princess can select
three young men to initiate her into sexuality (Volume 4)
In general, publishers
of erotic romance appear more open to exotic settings than more traditional
romance publishers. As the field expands, we may be fortunate enough
to read stories set in the most lavish cities in Europe. Paris and
Rome have been sadly neglected, for example. We may have stories
taking place in non-standard time periods. I would love to see some
books set in ancient Egypt or Rome. Africa, Australia/New Zealand,
the Indian subcontinent – all these settings are sadly missing from romance.
By expanding the possibilities for settings, ultra-sensual romance may
end up liberating the genre as a whole.
Alice Chambers
http://home.pacbell.net/halice
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