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Give Thanks for Romance: The Grand Finale

By Michelle Buonfiglio Mon., Nov. 26, 2007 , 11:04 am EST

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When I'm not wasting time staring open-mouthed at UrbanDictionary.com - totally enawed at the ability of young'ns to come up with nifty ways to say naughty things - I like to talk, write and think about, well, literary versions of overly large, oftimes pulsing, straining, and growing-impossibly-larger /thicker /painfully-hard-against-the-placket-of-his-breeches hero manhoods.

Some of you know this about me. To those of you who don't, or who haven't acquired this particular penchant - cheers! Welcome to my wonderful world of examining every aspect of romance to the smallest detail. Of course, that's an intended pun. But it's also my way of letting you know I'm not a total lech who only wants to talk about the anatomy of romance sexuality. I like to think about why I - and other readers - find certain sexual imagery appealing and arousing.

For instance, not only is there a preponderance of deliciously tumescent behemoth manroot in romance today, but I'm noticing more and more reference to the near supernatural attributes of clinginess and rippling muscle control of those centers of womanly womanliness, that warm welcoming hot heat known in some circles as "her most sacred, secret sheath of desire."

Yes, romance fans, in addition to slipping into the placeholding roles of all kinds of heroine bods - perfect to realistic -- we get to fantasize about having more than just the kind of flower of femininity (FOF) that a hero experiences once and decides he can't live w/out -- and for which he'll eschew all other FOF for the rest of his natural and eternal life. We can fantasize about having the uber-core, which remains as tantalizingly snuggly to our hero through the years-and-a-passle-of-young'ns-later epilogue, as it was when he introduced us to the delights of sin with is bad ol rakish self.

While I'd planned to go on at magnificent, well-beyond-average length about these dandy romance anatomical anamolies, I got a little sidetracked by something that I'm seeing more often in romance, but may have been around a while.

It's a style of writing that includes what I like to call the ubiquitous "Ask the Reader" query. Goes a little something like this:


She espied his flaring torch of love and decided it might be decidedly too magnificent in light of her most excellently snug FOF. It couldn't possibly fit. Could it?


Our "Ask the Reader" query is the words, "Could it?" Seems lots of authors now remind the reader of what they, the author, already have established. Which is to say, the "point of view" character telling the story at that point must ask the reader her opinion of the matter, just in case her own perception is skewed. The character's asking us to affirm the opposite of what she thinks is true, usually in an effort to bolster the "upside" of a situation that she may not be aware of -- or wishes were the case.

But, perhaps I'm not being clear. Am I?

You probably haven't noticed this "Ask the Reader" question. Have you? What's up with it? And, in terms of anatomical anamolies, what are your faves? What trends have you noted in this area?
***
Lucy Monroe GuestBlogs tomorrow, Tues, Nov 27th!
***
Beverly Jenkins
GuestBlogs Wed, Nov 28th, as part of Beverly Jenkin week.


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Posted in: sex, love, romance novels, authors, men, heroes, blogs, heroines, lady of light and..., c.l. lewis

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If I've read the "Ask the Reader" question, it's gone in one eye and out the other. I'm wondering if it's a device used more commonly in historicals than contemporary romance._____ Length versus width. Well... at my age one worries more about whether you can stay awake past 10:00 to try to do it. ;-)-- Marilyn
 
Oh sure, the one day I don't surf blogs until late in the day is the day Michelle brings out the girth/length debate. Girth! Girth! Girth! Hey I just like that word. Girthy. Now I really like that word. ;-) ________Anyway, I've seen so many romance heroines enchanted, enthralled, enraptured, and sometimes even fearful of the hero's mighty sword that I'm really in the mood for a hero who falls worshipfully before a woman's magical hoo-ha. Thinks of it all day, dreams of it, and will conquer kingdoms for it. :-) Okay, is that just silly? Seriously though, the girls are always swooning over the men, why not the reverse?
 
Oh sure, the one day I don't surf blogs until late in the day is the day Michelle brings out the girth/length debate. Girth! Girth! Girth! Hey I just like that word. Girthy. Now I really like that word. ;-) ________Anyway, I've seen so many romance heroines enchanted, enthralled, enraptured, and sometimes even fearful of the hero's mighty sword that I'm really in the mood for a hero who falls worshipfully before a woman's magical hoo-ha. Thinks of it all day, dreams of it, and will conquer kingdoms for it. :-) Okay, is that just silly? Seriously though, the girls are always swooning over the men, why not the reverse?
 
LOL LeeAnn.

I don't think I noticed that question Michelle, but I'm going to look out for it now. I always seem to find '...he could see the age-old question in her eyes' (or something to that effect). I just don't get out all the 'amateurs' (I can't think of the right word) can go from knowing nothing to being complete experts. When was the download? Or maybe it's just their 'magical hoo-hoos'?

orannia
 
****I’m staying optimistic and thinking that someday I will find the perfect one LOL. Let’s just hope that it attached to a good guy LOL :o)**** LOL LeeAnn. I think getting a good guy is the key thought there. Vibrators can solve all the other problems of the world. ROFL____________Oh WOW! Michelle. Thank you for saying my books are sexy and romantic. I now want to go back and stick my tongue out at my sister! LOL But I won't, I'm a mature adult. (ok, ok, sometimes! LOL) And I'm THRILLED that you're going to feature Mirage on your Hot Books for Chilly nights! ________ Can you hear me squealing with pleasure? LOL I was tickled when I got a TopPick from RT last week, but I know your standards are high, and I'm just thrilled to have reached that level. That and I can brag about it to my sister. ROFL__________As for heroes with less than exciting lengths or girths. Can't remember. I usually wind up envisioning my own little piece of c*ck in the read that's just my size. *evil grin* Monica
 
leeann: l.o.l.
 
I don’t think I have ever read about a Hero with an undersize penis. But I have read where they’re normal size the author just doesn’t emphasize on it. They usually just talk about the penis in general but don’t go on and on about its size.______ And for the whole “Great Romance Hero Manhood Conundrum: Length? or Width?” I have always felt that it has to land in the middle. You can have a wide c*ck but if it’s got no length then it’s not going to do you much good and visa versa. I’m staying optimistic and thinking that someday I will find the perfect one LOL. Let’s just hope that it attached to a good guy LOL :o)
 
Oh, the "Ask the Reader" question doesn't only happen in re the example I made up. I just wanted to give you one that made sense with our theme... :)
 
Buona sera, Bellas! Well, the "ask the reader' question is a "deep pov" device, but if I may jump a little "strunk and white," I think it's redundant. It's not like it doesn't make sense conversationally. Does it? (hee hee)_____it's not one book in particular, it's lots of em. I guess it's just a conversational style of writing, and I am always a fan of write as you speak. It's just that the thing keeps jumping out more and more. One book I read a while back was great, but the "ask the reader" question was used over and over and over. It struck me as a good device run amok._____Mon, if smut be the food of love, smut on! your books are very romantic, as well as sexy. As a matter of fact, I guess this is as good a time as any to let you know I'm featuring your latest, "Mirage," in my upcoming Hot Books for Chilly Nights holiday gift section feature. :) I'll let you know when it's out! Our siblings usually don't understand us, but the stuff they say seems to hurt all the more because we remember when they always took our side in everything. Those were the days...________Hey, mk, knew you were gonna bring up the magic hoo hoo. Which is why, in response to Portia's writing *I'm sure that all hoo hoos are created equal* i must reiterate that my hoo hoo is, indeed, magical. I believe every woman deserves a guy who thinks hers is magic, feels privileged when he gets to enjoy it. :)_____Hi, Belle! Good to hear from you. OK, I read the most awesomest book over the weekend, "The Spymaster's Lady," a debut by Joanna Bourne. Buzzz buzzzz, Bellas. I'm thinkin it's the first great book of the new year. And...the cover's ab fab, with NK (nathan kamp) looking as delish as I've ever seen. sigh sigh, triple sigh. I also read a super hot regency (alert: boys on boy and mens takin themselves in hand) oh, gosh, goody. It's "fobidden shores," by Jane Lockwood. Also, read Hope Tarr;s "Enslaved." woo hoo, very sexy and great story. It's book 2 of a trilogy. Started Anne Gracie's "The Stolen Princess, " and ordered her "Rake," which I haven't read yet. Also started a new historical, "Distracting the Duchess" by emily bryan.___leann, excellent bargaining with yourself! I always laugh at the "can it fit" passages. I was telling a guy friend about this blog today. He said, "do they ever have heroes with average or undersized manhoods?" I thought about the Lori Foster book, "too much temptation," I think. The heroine -- a virgin -- says something like, "your penis must be much large than most men." And the hero was thinking, "I'm not gonna be the one to disabuse her of that notion..."____Oh, and mon? I definitely vote girth over length in the Great Romance Hero Manhood Conundrum: Length? or Width?
 
Asking the reader...hmmm, well, it's been a while, but when I've read it, I find it happens with a virgin who's so innocent she's not even seen artwork of a naked guy. I don't mind reading about virgins, but I like it when they're at least curious enough to have information BEFORE the BIG moment. *grin*___________Generally when I read the heroine asking the question (or the hero thinking he's too big), I view that as deep POV where the character is just talking to themselves. God help me if one of heroines thinks her man is too big. It would not be intentional. LOL Thick is DEFINITELY more pleasurable.___________And it sure would be nice to start calling a c*ck a c*ck these days. I'm so tired of society getting all up in arms about women just enjoying and reading S*X like men have been doing for a long time._________Of course, my little tirade is due in part to my sister flat out saying my books are smut. And she's NOT EVEN READ ONE!!! Grrrrr I get so tired of people thinking that what I put down on the page is right out of my bedroom (we should ALL be soooo lucky - and if you are that lucky, I DO NOT want to know. Jealousy is such a hard thing to deal with. LOL). Monica