I’d love to welcome you to the Lust After Death Blog Tour today! Author Daisy Harris is joining us today to promote her new release, share a little about her writing and yes, there’s also a giveaway! Whether you love zombies or are just a little curious about these sometimes repulsive paranormal creatures, you’ll want to stick around…you won’t regret it!
Read my review of Lust After Death here.
The Ex Issue by Daisy Harris
When writing romance, especially erotic romance, there’s always an issue of the characters’ sexual pasts. Sure, one can write virgins. A writer can create paranormal, science fiction, fantastical, and/or historical reasons for a character’s virginity. But if that writer’s like me—turning out a story every 2-3 months, the excuses for chastity begin to wear thin.
For example, my Lust After Death heroine Josie is a virgin because she’s a re-animated human brought back to life only a few days ago. Literally born yesterday, she had no recollection or understanding of sex. Granted, she has an (albeit brief) abusive past with her creator. But with Josie, I didn’t have to worry about the ex issue. She was a blank slate.
Her hero Bane, not so much. But if he wasn’t to be a virgin (and really, the guy had no possible excuse not to have gotten around to having sex.) who were these women of his past?
The answer was simple—his sexual relations had been confined to brief and sordid encounters, always while drunk, and never with women who’s named he would remember. In other words, he was an emotion virgin. The situation worked for Bane because he was so cut-off, gruff, and anti-social. It fit his personality. But what of other heroes and heroines I would write in the future? With each new character I write, I come up against the question of their past. And I’m forced to find new ways to express their connection with past lovers without overshadowing their relationship with their current co-star.
Here’s a few examples of how I, and other authors, have dealt with the ex issue:
1. “No one ever meant anything to me before you.” –The casual sex excuse can work on occasion, but I find it… Well, it only works in very circumscribed situations. Most people form some kind of emotional attachment to people they screw. So if they’ve slept around a lot, it stands to reason that they would have cared about at least one of the people they’d done the horizontal bone dance with.
2. “I was a sex slave, and therefor never enjoyed the sex I had.” –Outlandish as this excuse is, I LOVE IT. Many of my favorite heroes are former sex slaves or prostitutes, including Bones from the Night Huntress series, and Royce from my second Love-Bots book, Studenstein. Of course, Bones did have a meaningful ex, but not till the second book. The downside of this trope is that you really can’t use it all that often. Even in space, or the future or the past, “male sex-slave” was not a terribly common occupation. Unfortunately. ☺
3. “I loved once…but s/he died.” –This is the premise of my third Love-Bot book, and many other love stories as well. The only danger with this is that the past love will overshadow the present one. Authors: Use flashbacks at your own risk!
4. “I loved once, but s/he turned out to be evil.” –I’m gonna be totally honest and say that I’m not that crazy about this plot device. The reason? It calls into question the hero/heroine’s judgment. Like, I wonder why they didn’t recognize that their ex was evil. But maybe that’s just me.
5. “I was a self-centered/self-loathing/self-obsessed twit.” –That’s pretty much Bane’s excuse for not having a meaningful ex. In life, I would run as far as I could from an adult male who’d slept with several people but never grew to care about any of them. However, the “lost soul” hero type works better in fiction than in real life. (IMO.) So I like to believe that with Bane, it worked.
How about you? What’s your favorite way that authors have dealt with the ex issue? Any memorable likes or dislikes? Comment for a chance to win a copy of Lust After Death!
Lust After Death by Daisy Harris
In the Pacific Northwest, where life hurries to keep pace with technology, a re-animated bride named Josie struggles to escape her creator.
Assassin Bane Connor wants to get the girl to the Zombie Underground and receive his payoff—a mental reset that will erase his memories as well as his guilt. But an attack by a rival faction derails his rescue, and the wide-eyed female ignites desire like he’s never known.
The newborn stein needs touch to live, and wanting her is a complication Bane doesn’t need. The last thing a killer wants is a his lover who can read his thoughts, but if Josie can love him the way he’s programmed, perhaps Bane can find a way to heal his past.
Assassin Bane Connor wants to get the girl to the Zombie Underground and receive his payoff—a mental reset that will erase his memories as well as his guilt. But an attack by a rival faction derails his rescue, and the wide-eyed female ignites desire like he’s never known.
The newborn stein needs touch to live, and wanting her is a complication Bane doesn’t need. The last thing a killer wants is a his lover who can read his thoughts, but if Josie can love him the way he’s programmed, perhaps Bane can find a way to heal his past.
Lust After Death can be purchased here:
About the Author:
Birkenstock-wearing glamour girl and mother of two by immaculate conception, Daisy Harris still isn’t sure if she writes erotica. Her paranormal romances start out innocently enough. However, her characters behave like complete sluts. Much to Miss Harris’s dismay, the sex tends to get completely out of hand.
If you like science-y subplots, fantastical creatures, and red-hot chemistry, you’ll love Daisy Harris. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook and at www.thedaisyharris.com.
One lucky winner will win an e-copy of Lust After Death.
Giveaway Details:
Must be 18 years or older.
Giveaway runs from October 8th – October 15th, 12:00am, EST.
Open Internationally (ebook is in English only).
Winner will be chosen by random.org
To Enter:
*Answer Daisy’s question in the comments and leave your name and an email address.
(No answer, no entry!)
Good Luck!
Next stop on the tour:
This sound good please enter me. Thanks for the giveaway!
bittenbyparanormalromance(@)gmail(.)com
I have never read a zombie book (shocking!) I would love to give this one a try. Thank you for the giveaway.
June M.
manning_j2004(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hi Laurie and June! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. 🙂
This sounds so good love what I read would love to read this book! Thank you so much for the great giveaway!
tishajean@ charter.net
I recently read a book where the characters both said, we both have pasts in the past, move on. It allowed each character to have some doubts becuase they don’t know each other’s background except the background they have with each other. It really developed the tension.
jepebATverizonDOTnet
I enjoy where the author doesn’t make a seriously contrived excuse of either characters past sexual experience. I enjoy it a lot more if both parties agree that they have had a past and let it go at that. It doesn’t make sense to be a reader with a moral high ground if you make a huge deal over it. Then why are reading this genre?
Thank you for the give away, and looking forward to reading more of your wonderful books!
Darcy
pommawolf @hotmail.com
I just read a story where the ex was brought back into the present relationship. A great way to introduce a menage storyline!
rootml1 AT hotmail DOT com
Usually the books I read. There is some feelings still there for the ex but by the time they reach the end of the book they realize it is over. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com
I can’t think of any story/book I’ve read where the ex had a really great karmic payback. Lost job, realized he/she lost the babe/guy with money,a little public embarrassment, kind of the usual.
acm05atjuno.com
I like the books where the hero was a completely oblivious of what he wanted until it was gone, by either giving her up or her leaving. Then has to work through many complications to get her back.
Thanks for the chance at a great giveaway!
mnjcarter at charter dot net
Having an ex involved in the storyline can be interesting! To use the excuse that “it didn’t mean anything” just makes the person seem really shallow and easy. I don’t like that one.
The sex slave is believable if it fits the storyline and is not used over and over again by the same author. Then it gets boring.
I loved him but he’s dead – well, that is ok but then the new partner is always left wondering how they rank and if that person’s heart really does belong to them.
I think the best – most believable – way is to simply say that…yes, I was involved with someone else but we grew apart and it didn’t work out.
Sometimes the crazy ex can be fun – a la Fatal Attraction!
Thanks for the giveaway!
darlenesbooknook at gmail dot com
I can’t remember where I read it but this author had the ex eaten by a dragon it was hilarious because the ex was a douche. Ugh I wish I could remember what book it was.
Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com
I just realized that I think I have missed some of your first stops! Let me see if I can remedy that 🙂
Anyway, the ex-issue – sometimes I like the damsel in distress, the hero will rescue the heroine from an ex who doesn’t want to let go. And then there’s the ex because they realize they made a mistaking, so they go their separate ways.
Eva
evitap67(at)gmail(dot)com