Where to Draw the Line: Romance vs. Erotica

In honor of the release of my second novel, Betrayal Bites - yes, release date is today! - I decided I wanted to delve into the discussion of when a novel is categorized romance, and when it's slapped with the label of erotica. Personally, I think I write romance, and there's always heavy paranormal elements to it. But then I got to thinking, maybe what I write could be considered erotica? I mean, if a love scene is built up to, and then the big 'penetration experience' is missed or only implied, that's considered romantic, right? I've begun to think that's no longer the case. While writing Betrayal Bites, I have to admit, my goal was to make the reader want to go and find their lover and go at it, I wanted to make the reader so hot they had to do something about it ;) Is that erotic? I don't think so. For me, and how I look at my writing compared to others, well, I think the best way to look at it is if there is penetration, fine, still romantic, but the inclusion of toys, and I'm not talking to pain inducing kind in the BDSM novels that are now rampant in the top sellers' lists, I'm talking stimulation toys, 'enhancing' items that help explode one's level of pleasure they experience during love play, now that's erotic.








Because today is a big release day for me, I wanted to also include the back cover blurb for Betrayal Bites, available at www.soulmatepublishing.com, and amazon and BN.com in the next few days!







Blurb: Sydney Sedrick, cursed with the powers of the Selected, is monitored by the vampires and werewolves who covet her abilities to rid the city of one another. Sydney receives a summons to attend the Blood Rites Ball, an Elder vampire ceremony to determine her fate. The Midwestern Werewolf Pack demands her loyalty, while Blake, the heir to the wolf pack, is adamant she is his life-mate, meant to be together, forever. To make matters worse, an insider is betraying the vampires, leaking information to the rogues, who want Sydney dead.