By Romance Author Kelli A. Wilkins
Hi everyone,
I write romances in nearly every genre – historical, gay, contemporary, and paranormal – and each book varies in heat level from mild to super-spicy. However, my historical/fantasy trilogy A Midsummer Night’s Delights, A Midwinter Night’s Delights, and Ultimate Night’s Delights are my only romances containing ménage scenes.
I didn’t let the historical setting deter me from writing some scorching-hot love scenes. Throughout history, people have loved and lusted after each other, regardless of social, political, or so-called “moral” rules. Forbidden romances and “kinky” behaviors aren’t new. Long ago, there were plenty of “sordid” affairs going on behind closed doors. People were having sex (in all sorts of combinations), but it wasn’t mentioned openly or discussed in proper social circles.
I thought about this and decided to write a romance (A Midsummer Night’s Delights) that addressed that “taboo.” It became the theme to the trilogy. (Basically, a respectable man in high society is running an invitation-only sex club for swingers.) These novellas gave readers who considered historical romances boring and stodgy a real shock!
A Midsummer Night’s Delights started out with a shy newlywed couple (Julian and Annabelle) exploring their hidden desires and soon blossomed into same-sex and ménage encounters. Why? They were ready to indulge in their wild fantasies. Over the course of the books, Julian and Annabelle get to experiment, be naughty, and break from the norm without any guilt or worries. The threesomes liberate the characters and everyone leaves satisfied. Of course, as the trilogy continues, things get complicated.
My ménage scenes are as varied as my characters. I write M/F/F, M/F/M, F/M/F, or any combination I can think of. The most common threesome I include is M/F/M. I often write these scenes from the female character’s point of view and show how she’s enjoying herself while being taken by two lovers. But everyone gets “equal time” in my books. Sometimes a hero wants to be dominated and ravaged by two eager ladies, or a man and a woman, or….you get the idea.
As a writer, I can use ménage to explore my characters’ thoughts and motivations. A threesome can bring the hero and heroine closer together if it’s something they share as a couple (invite a friend over to “play”, or a wife gives her husband the gift of a threesome for his birthday). It can also give a single character a chance to break out of his or her shell and indulge in a secret fantasy, whether it’s a one-time thing or an ongoing activity.
It’s important that writers understand why the ménage is in the story and not just drop it in there. (You know, two girls are at home one night and the pizza man shows up…) Why do the characters do it? For fun? To have crazy sex? Rebellion? Revenge? Or is their reasoning deeper? Maybe they have the urge to control or be controlled. Or maybe it’s something else…
Ménage can also be used as a plot device. Suppose a character becomes jealous after a ménage encounter. What if he (or she) starts stalking a member of the threesome? Maybe one partner loved the encounter and wants to do it again, but the other one has regrets or guilt. What if someone is being blackmailed? Is the hero or heroine hiding a “shameful” threesome experience from a current lover who wouldn’t understand? Complications can arise, and authors can use ménage (whether it happened recently or in a character’s past) to add conflict and drama to the story.
Ménage adds a bit of spice to a story and can heat up a love scene with something unexpected, but keep in mind that not every reader is willing to “go there” with the author and the characters. Some readers are completely turned off by the idea of threesomes, others may only read certain ménage combinations, and then there are those who read super-hot books and delight in the ménage when it comes along.
Whatever your preference is, enjoy!
Happy Reading,
Kelli A. Wilkins
ABOUT KELLI A. WILKINS
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has published more than 90 short stories, 19 romance novels, and 4 non-fiction books. Her romances span many genres and heat levels. Kelli had three romances published in 2014: A Secret Match, Wilderness Bride, and Dangerous Indenture. Look for her story, “Home for Halloween” in the upcoming Moon Shadows horror anthology. Preview it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N232UEG
Kelli publishes a blog: (http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com) filled with excerpts, interviews, writing prompts, and whatever else pops into her head. She also writes a monthly newsletter, Kelli’s Quill, and posts on Facebook and Twitter. Kelli invites readers to visit her website, http://www.KelliWilkins.com to learn more about all of her writings.
Catch up with Kelli on the Web:
Website: www.KelliWilkins.com
Blog: http://kelliwilkinsauthor.blogspot.com/
Newsletter sign-up: http://eepurl.com/HVQqb
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kelli-A.Wilkins/e/B001JSAB24/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Amber Quill Press Author page: http://www.amberquill.com/store/m/149-Kelli-A-Wilkins.aspx
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/@KWilkinsauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1123678.Kelli_A_Wilkins
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kelli.wilkins1
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