Laura Braley: September 2013

Due to some outside factors, we've added today as a stop on Lisa Bilbrey's Journey to a New Life blog tour. Luckily, being the consummate professional that she is, Lisa sent me everything I needed to be able to help out.

Today she joins me to give her views on writing sex scenes into a book.

Before I start this post, let me state for the record that I don’t have a problem with sex being written into books. I think it’s important that I make that clear before I continue on. I love sex. Sex equals goodness, but there is a huge difference between a book having a plot that happens to have sex, and a book being porn.

It’s been two years since I released my first book, and in those twenty-four months, I’ve released a total of eight others. Have I written sex into any of mine? Yes, three of them, and I have to admit that I regret it. You might ask why, and I’ll tell you: the sex wasn’t needed. So why did I write them in there? Because at the time, I thought they were. Now, when I go back and read through them, I cringe at them. Not because they’re badly written, either, but because they do very little to advance the storyline of my books.

And that’s really what it boils down to for me. When is sex good for a storyline, and when is it bad? That’s not something that is easily detectable, and I realize that. A lot of books are based on the sexual attraction of its main characters, and that’s fine, but sometimes a book is just sex with very little plot line, character development, or even taste. They are simply written pornography, yet they’re some of the best sellers on the various selling channels.

What’s the point of this little post, you might ask. Well, I guess it’s that sex shouldn’t be the selling point of any book. Sometimes, the fade to black is the best way to go, and other times, the sex developed.

Thanks so much, Lisa! You make some great points in your post and I appreciate you taking the time to voice them.

Check out Lisa's newest release:

Summary

Travis McCoy’s journey has led him down a road of changes where he found the love of his life and their child. Travis, Penelope, and Max have struggled during their time apart, found their way back home, and finally tied their lives together as a family.

Now, Penelope and Travis find themselves on a new journey, one that leads them to the greatest journey of all.

Journey to a New Life is the fourth and final installment in the Journey series, four short stories that tell the story of Travis and Penelope. If you have not checked them out I highly recommend you add them to your reading list. Lisa has crafted a story and characters that draw you in, and make you reluctant to let them go.

Author's Bio

Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996.
Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.

In late 2011, Lisa opened Renaissance Romance Publishing with Michele Richard and Laura Braley.

Links To Find Lisa and Her Books

Goodreads

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Renaissance Romance Publishing

About.me

Giveaway

The giveaway will begin on September 10^th and end on October 1^st, to ensure that everyone on the tour has a chance to benefit from its exposure.