Blogging with Tawny Weber

Today at TRRC, we have author Tawny Weber blogging about and what makes a good love scene.

Welcome to TRRC Reading Tawny!


Loving the Love Scenes


One of the things I love about reading and writing for Harlequin Blaze is that these are some awesomely hot books. I’m a big believer in the power of a love scene to not only make the book a little more exciting, but to bring so much more depth (no pun intended) to the characters and add layers of dimension to the conflict. The connection between the heroine and hero that drives the story and keeps the reader turning the pages. A well-written love scene not only heats up the pages, but it moves the plot forward and adds layers to the story conflict.

I’ve had 14 books published with Blaze so far, each one with multiple love scenes. And just as the characters in each story are different, no two love scenes in any of the books are the same. To me, a love scene has to be driven by the emotional needs and fears of the characters it showcases.

To me, a good love scene should push the characters’ emotional buttons and force them to face their own needs and wants. When I write the scene, I want to know exactly what my characters’ wants and needs are –and why they have them. And because the reader expects it—and the characters deserve it—I also want to make sure the love scenes address and fulfill those needs and wants... eventually. Why eventually? Because any need immediately fulfilled ceases to create conflict. And conflict is what keeps readers turning the page! So how do I write love scenes that touch on, but don’t quite fulfill my characters deepest emotional needs? The same way we write the rest of the story. With turning points, mini-epiphanies and escalating tension.

Here’s an example from my current Undercover Operatives release, SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES, which is the third book in the Sex and Lies trilogy.

~~~~~~
“You need to start following the rules,” Danita snapped.
Sick of rules, sick of someone else calling the shots, Gabriel strode over, grabbed her shoulders and took her mouth in a quick, searing kiss. Her lips melted beneath his, soft and welcoming.
His body hardened. But before things could get interesting, she pressed her palms against his shoulders.
“This is crazy,” she protested, pulling her mouth from his and stepping quickly away. So quickly, she almost tripped over her own feet and landed on the bed. She grabbed the footboard for balance with one hand while shoving the other through her hair. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head in protest.
“Crazy,” she repeated. “You need to stop doing that. I’m a federal agent. You’re in my custody. Quit,” she stopped, as if she’d run out of words. Instead she waved her hand in the air to indicate whatever had happened before and grimaced. “Just quit.”
“But I like it,” he said with a grin as he leaned against the headboard and crossed his arms over his chest. He liked her all flustered and out of control, too. The more confused she was, the more confident he was that he was in charge of this little game. And as his daddy had taught him when he was young, confidence was key to everything.
He stepped closer, trapping her between the footstool and the hard length of his own... Body. His muscles tensed, hardening right along with his [****]as he watched her breath shudder. Her pupils were huge as she ran her tongue along the lush deliciousness of her lower lip.
His eyes narrowed, taking in the rapid pulse fluttering against the delicate line of her throat, the gorgeous sight of her nipples pebbling against the soft fabric of her black sweater. She was incredible.
And he was going to have her.
Keeping his hands to himself, he leaned in, brushing a soft whisper of a kiss against the pulse pounding in her throat. She moaned. He leaned back and grinned.
“Get a grip, Black. We’re here to do a job,” she reminded him, her words coming out in a gasp. “You’re just getting carried away with the roles we’re playing.”
“Roles?”
“Right. This isn’t real,” she claimed, sounding desperate. He figured she was trying to convince herself as much as him. “None of this is real.”
“Didn’t you hear? The food at that little gathering was all made up of aphrodisiacs,” he said, his fingers sliding along the silky smooth curve of her cheek before tangling in her soft blonde curls. “You know the thing about aphrodisiacs? They don’t create desire. They amplify it.”
Her breath shuddered, washing over his lips like a soft caress.
“So baby, all this heat between us? Those oysters and asparagus, the chocolate and cayenne, they’re just turning up that heat. And that heat is real. Do you like how it feels? Aren’t you curious about how much better it’ll be when it hits a boiling point?”
This time he pressed his lips to the delicate line of her jaw, whispering tiny open-mouthed kisses all the way to her ear, where he blew softly before nipping at the soft flesh of her earlobe.
Her tiny mewl of approval made his [****]dance with happy joy. Damn, she was responsive. This was going to be one hell of a hot night.
~~~~~


So what do you think? Are you a fan of love scenes? Who is your favorite author when it comes to the sexier side of romance?


Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy stories for Harlequin Blaze since her first book hit the shelves in 2007. When not obsessing over deadlines, she’s shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking or hanging out on Facebook and Twitter. Come by and visit her on the web at www.tawnyweber.com


Tawny launched her Undercover Ops series with SEX, LIES AND MISTLETOE, in December 2011. The second book in the series, SEX, LIES & MIDNIGHT on shelves now, was released in January 2012, quickly followed in February by SEX, LIES & VALENTINES. You can read the first chapter of SEX, LIES AND VALENTINES on her website, too! All you have to do is join the Reader Love-Fest! Be sure to follow Tawny on her Holiday Survival Tour as she celebrates these three books with tons of fun and a chance for readers to win a $100 giftcard!