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lagilmanApparently, there is someone out there ranting on-line about CURSE THE DARK. Mainly that it's all about the sex*, and that the sex scenes are just dropped in there for no reason, and don't do anything, and etc etc waste of ink and paper and why don't I just focus on the story?
*blinks*
There is one significant sex scene in the book, where Wren and Sergei finally stop doing the dance of avoidance. It's pretty tasteful, all things considered, and rather funny (if I do say so myself) and sets up the change in their relationship in a way that also illuminates their own personalities and how they deal with each other. Everything after that? Pretty much in service to the evolving Personal Situation (spoilers averted for those of you who haven't read all the books), and to move along the case -- like many couples, they tend to talk about things in bed, and for them that often means work-things.
I suspect we're seeing this particular person's Issues in this review, not anything about my book. Hopefully, it will intrigue people to pick up a copy, rather than making them avoid it.... [and they won't be disappointed that it's not particularly smutty]
Also, and totally off-topic: couscous with feta -- a perfectly reasonably breakfast, y/n?
*this will be a particular surprise to my publisher, who often bemoans the fact that I refuse to throw more overt romance into my fantasy.
*blinks*
There is one significant sex scene in the book, where Wren and Sergei finally stop doing the dance of avoidance. It's pretty tasteful, all things considered, and rather funny (if I do say so myself) and sets up the change in their relationship in a way that also illuminates their own personalities and how they deal with each other. Everything after that? Pretty much in service to the evolving Personal Situation (spoilers averted for those of you who haven't read all the books), and to move along the case -- like many couples, they tend to talk about things in bed, and for them that often means work-things.
I suspect we're seeing this particular person's Issues in this review, not anything about my book. Hopefully, it will intrigue people to pick up a copy, rather than making them avoid it.... [and they won't be disappointed that it's not particularly smutty]
Also, and totally off-topic: couscous with feta -- a perfectly reasonably breakfast, y/n?
*this will be a particular surprise to my publisher, who often bemoans the fact that I refuse to throw more overt romance into my fantasy.
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 12:37 pm (UTC)I think stories like this belong under I See Stupid People.
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Date: 2009-05-12 12:45 pm (UTC)The sex scene in question? Two secondary characters going into a bedroom for plot-purposes.... and the chapter ends.
*facepalm*
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Date: 2009-05-12 01:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 01:40 pm (UTC)Don't even get me started on the people who look at a book clearly marked Dark Fantasy; This is NOT a Liaden book do you SEE any Turtles on the Cover? and felt compelled to shout to the internets that OMG! This is NOT a Liaden book! The Sex! It Makes My Eyes Burn!
*sigh*
...going back to work now.
Oh -- couscous with feta sounds like a perfectly fine breakfast to me. *looks adorable*
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Date: 2009-05-12 01:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 02:01 pm (UTC)But then you do wonder whether the book that some reviewers read is actually the one that you wrote, or something that has slipped in from another dimension.
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Date: 2009-05-12 02:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 02:17 pm (UTC)How sheltered I was.
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Date: 2009-05-12 02:21 pm (UTC)*offers up a bowl*
(Arather WASP-y friend looked askance at my breakfast choice, so was wondering if he or I was the one off-kilter. Apparently he is. Or we're all weird together in LJ-land.)
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Date: 2009-05-12 03:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 03:53 pm (UTC)People who tweak about sex scenes that leave the bedroom door open at all (to the point where they're all lalalalalala reading through my fingers is it over yet) sometimes have a tendency to skim read or be so cringy with it that they can't/don't read it closely enough to notice anything (read:characterization development) but the fact that there are BOOBIES AND PEENS. WHY ARE THERE BOOBIES AND PEENS IN MY FANTASY/SF/NON-ROMANCE?!?! (or even, sometimes, romance.)
If I had a dollar for every time I read a comment like "I just skim the sex scenes" followed by one like "The sex scenes were gratuitous/pointless" in comments on certain romance review sites, I'd have... several dollars. Not that there aren't plenty of romances (and other books) that are guilty of just that, but if you just skim till they're not naked any more, how would you (oh mythical reader) know?
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Date: 2009-05-12 03:56 pm (UTC)Feta and couscous sounds yummy to me.
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Date: 2009-05-12 04:35 pm (UTC)And it *is* published by Luna, a division of, ahem, *Harlequin*.
As for couscous with feta, not appropriate. You need to add greens! Add a salad! You have to eat healthy :)
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Date: 2009-05-12 05:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 06:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 06:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-12 11:22 pm (UTC)No, they don't want romance, they want graphic (and gratuitous) SEX. Apparently they think readers want it - I'm not sure how true that is, but what would I know? I just buy books and read them... but not, on the whole, for the gratuitous sex scenes.
Sex scene in CtD? Absolutely relevant to the Wren/Sergei relationship, the character development, and the plot. No problem.
The person who's ranting is either a troll, or stupid (not mutually exclusive categories), or a stooge set up by your publishers to increase sales. In which case I hope it works...
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Date: 2009-05-13 12:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-13 01:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-13 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-13 01:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-13 01:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-13 02:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-13 05:52 am (UTC)Part of my problem, was that I kinda follow the military legal definition for sex "Penetration however slight". That's also the big divider for softcore & hardcore porn, the latter shows the penetration while the former doesn't. I personally wasn't expecting a Penthouse Letters description of the act in the middle of a fantasy.
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Date: 2009-05-13 11:00 am (UTC)All I can say in response to that is that I'm sorry that sexual relations between consenting adults, given the same amount of detail as a firefight in any "boy adventure" novel (less, actually), squicks you out. I assume from your comment that the violence in my books didn't bother you, even when someone was gutted, or blown apart by magic, or otherwise physically, er, penetrated?
[I'm trying not to be snarky here, I really am. But... wow.)
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Date: 2009-05-13 04:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-13 04:18 pm (UTC)Actually I found the passage very well written, and in good taste, without this particular scene, I feel that we would have been left scratching our heads as to why Wren and Sergei are suddenly doing better.
All relationships have up and downs, and I find that most are resolved in the bedroom.
Sex between a loving couple is a fact of life, get over it people.
They even have it in sections of the bible!
Keep up the great writing, I look forward to your books and blog.
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Date: 2009-05-13 04:24 pm (UTC)(they're still going to have problems, though. Those two? Always!)