And this would be why I need to quit writing smut for Ellora.

[valarltd]

Three Dollar Bill Reviews covered Showdown at Yellowstone River.

It got one and a half stars... See icon.

On the plus side, "Harriet, the parson’s wife, was an utter hoot, as was her husband; Catherine the saloon-keeper was flinty-eyed, smart and powerful without falling into the dread trap of the angel-in-the-whorehouse; the villainous banker does chew the scenery, it’s true, but I suspect that was written into his contract and besides, unlike most other pulp Western villains, he practices smart villainy. Much appreciated. And Paz, the problem outlaw, is ornery and powerful and complicated."

One the down side, they hated Matt and the Ellora-style sex scenes were described as "atrocious." (in fairness, after re-reading the scene quoted, I can't argue!) Also, the second-draft addition, Rosa, got shorter shrift than first-draft Duke.

My take-away from the review:
From here on, no more smutting it up. We write in our voice and our style and keep the sex scenes in our comfort level of act and vocabulary. And if we do a sequel, there needs to be something likeable about Matt. He doesn't fall far from the source material, so that's tough.

Am I bad for LOVING the idea of Catherine setting her sights on Paz, and they corrupt Harriet together?

Comments

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Sorry about the bad review, my sympathies!

I think you are sensible though - I don't think it's ever a good idea to mould your voice(s) for other people's expectations because you are going to sacrifice what people like about your own style. I watched a programme the other day about Mills & Boon and they said they can always spot the people who were writing what they thought a M&B should be like.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

Creamy mounds. Ack! Ack!
I have no idea what possessed me to try using their "erotic words" list.

From now on I stick to breasts, bosom (if it's clothed) and tits.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

they have a LIST? Hahahahahaha!!!

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

A whole .doc file of "erotic synonyms"
And some of it is just hilarious.

I can handle "lance" or "stem" for penis in the right context. (If one is being taught by a very formal Japanese instructor who uses the old pillow book language, stem is quite appropriate)

but hose? meat? tool? mushroom tip?
Mushrooms have no business in my sex scenes, unless someone's severed testicles are being sauteed with them.

Dugs and gash, womb and fuckhole, regardless of their place on the list, are NOT sexy. And anyone who refers to semen as honey or brandy or slime is out of the question.

[nbrooks.livejournal.com]

Sorry about my creation of the unlikeable hero. That's the dangers I run into by being a villain-lover, I think.

I thought the sex was entirely unique and right for them as characters. I thought his general mindset was right for his time. He's not going to be a modern, enlightened man in the Victorian age. He's not cultured or a gentleman, really.

And I don't think the smutting it up was our downfall here. I think it was the het. There are all sorts of unspoken rules of how to write a het romance, and I, personally, really neither care nor want to about them.

We're guilty of trampling rules. *shrug*

[celestinenox]

Rule-trampling is nothing to feel guilty over. :D

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

We used the words "creamy mounds" without irony or shame. *headdesk*

[m-barnette.livejournal.com]

I feel your pain and understand your decision. I just got a bad review on a story that my editor totally gutted all the suspense out of as well as mucking up my sex scenes.

I've decided that, while the money was good, the compromise to my writing style is not. That being the case I'm going to return to my own writing style which is 'fiction with an erotic edge' not porn without plot.

[baka-kit.livejournal.com]

Ouch!

Out of curiosity, I googled EC's writing guidelines. It looks like they're a whole bunch of Not My Kink.