Gay Romance and Women Readers

 

 

    Women love gay romances. They love gay erotica, too. I know that because I receive a lot of e-mail from female readers who explain that, while they are heterosexual women, they just happen to enjoy tales of men falling in love, getting it on, or both. But why? I suspect it’s for different reasons than why straight men love hearing about hot lesbian sex.

     I’ve heard that they like the idea of a man having to be submissive. Granted, one is still being dominant, but perhaps just one submissive male is satisfactory. It might also seem kind of sweet that they are enjoying each other’s sexual company. That’s the erotic side, but it doesn’t necessarily account for the purely romantic side of things.

     Two hot guys are better than one, which might be the appeal for some. Happily ever after is always important and the idea of two men in love being the happily ever after is more satisfying. After all, they had to break down more barriers in order to achieve their everlasting love and to live happily ever after. Therefore the straight female reader may feel more satisfied.

     Another thing to consider: these romances should be devoid of themes of AIDS, bullying, suicide, etc. A lot of gay fiction does deal with those issues, but driving towards the happily ever after is far more upbeat and optimistic. I’m the kind of guy who would rather have a realistic ending than a happy one (necessarily), but I understand how business works. You can’t deny a happy ending to a reading audience who is paying good money to have one. Otherwise your sales won’t move very fast.

     I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re a straight female and read gay romance or erotica, what is the appeal?

 

     Also, I'd love it if you'd check out the first installment of my M/M serial erotic romance "His Magnificent Body": A Game of Inches, #1

 

 

Matt Morgan, beat reporter for the Rochester Renegades, falls for new backup quarterback Tyler Waters almost at first sight. He wants to get to know him better, but he’s so elusive. He’d love to see him get the starting quarterback job, too, but he knows that the odds are stacked against him. But opening day brings its share of surprises and challenges that they both must overcome.

This sizzling hot erotic romance should not be downloaded by readers under 18.


Available at Amazon

 

Hugs

Donovan

Guy of the Week: Tom Brady

     I know, I know, another football player. Like last week, I’m profiling said football player just days after seeing him play live. I saw Tom Brady play when the New England Patriots came to Buffalo. During warm ups, Brady had his butt sticking out in the air, pointing in my direction, and life was good. I should have taken a picture of that with my phone, but I was a tad too entranced.

     Tom Brady is another one of those guys who will never lose his looks. Ironically, he wasn’t that impressive until he reached superstardom by dethroning Drew Bledsoe as the Patriots’ starting quarterback. But something happened that year—maybe it was winning a Super Bowl.

     Tom dated a supermodel (no kidding, eh) and impregnated her for his first son. Then he married his current wife, another supermodel named Giselle with whom he’s had another child. Tom has appeared all over, including GQ magazine. He has absolutely perfect teeth and knows how to make the unshaven look work for him. Fine features don’t usually work for football players, but they sure do for him.

     Shirtless Brady pics are out there. He doesn’t have a great body, but he doesn’t have to. With a face like his, he can afford to have an average physique. Besides, being some hulking, ripped guy could throw the rest of his looks off-balance. Seriously.

     So, feast your eyes everyone and enjoy J

 

Donovan

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart Back Together. Really??

     Twilight fans will be glad to know that Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are back together. The whole thing strikes me as a bit fishy, though. Forgive me for a bit of negativity here, but I want to express a few thoughts. First, if you’ve got Robert ‘Edward Cullen’ Pattinson wrapped around your little finger, why the hell would you cheat on him? The guy is generally gorgeous and isn’t likely to lose those looks either. If you’re willing to blow your relationship with the guy that so many Twilight teeny-boppers would kill to have, you can’t be that bright.

     Second, I question whether or not these two are in a genuine relationship. In my previous paragraph, I questioned Kristen Stewart’s intelligence, but that really shouldn’t be necessary. R-Patz and Stewart are together because it’s a way to continually sell the Twilight franchise. It’s also a way to help sell tabloid magazines and to draw attention to the film’s leading stars. Since it’s a steamy, sexy romance, it would naturally seem cool for Pattinson and Stewart to have a steamy and sexy romance off-camera.

 

     For a while, they’re everyone’s darlings, but once the attention wears off, they need something new to happen. Hence Kristen’s ‘affair’. It’s something that’s meant to refocus attention on themselves so they can push Twilight movies and more tabloid magazines. It’s no different than Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez being an item. It isn’t love at first sight, true romance or a genuine connection between them. It’s a Hollywood-manufactured courtship.

     But it’s okay. How could I not forgive Robert Pattinson? Just for fun, he’s a shirtless pic of our dear Edward . . . . 

Guy of the Week: Scott Fujita

     This is the return of the weekly “Guy of the Week” feature. This week I’ve chosen to profile Scott Fujita. Currently Scott is a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns and I even had a chance to see him in action (in person) just a few days ago. The Browns lost to the might Buffalo Bills in that game and Scott was the only Brown I was cheering for. Can you blame me?

     Scott is caucasion but was adopted by Japanese parents hence the Japanese last name. He was raised with numerous traditional Japanese customs like eating with chopsticks.

     So, what makes Scott Fujita so hot? Let’s start with his flowing brown locks. Really, the color suits him and it shines in a manly way. Then there’s his strong jaw line. Let’s not forget about those muscles, shall we? He’s not one of those refrigerator-shaped linebackers. No, he’s solid muscle, guys.

     Don’t get your hopes up, though. He’s married. However, he’s an adamant supporter of gay rights, which I think is pretty cool. The only bummer is that he was suspended for apparent involvement in the NFL’s Bounty Scandal. But can you believe that anyone so handsome could do something so heinous? I’ll let you be the judge. In the meantime, enjoy some fetching pictures of this hunky stud.

Interview with Andrew Stark

 

     Andrew Stark is the face (and other parts) recognizable from Randy Blue, a swell site for the best in gay porn. This Colorado cutie has all the looks and moves to please the For the Luv of Men audience. So, naturally I wanted to have a sit down with him - and here he is. Enjoy!

Donovan Starr: What features do you find most attractive about other men? Would your followers be surprised by your preference?    

Andrew Stark: It wouldn't surprise people because it's not really something out of the ordinary. I like someone tall, decent build, I'm a big fan of nice pecs, nice smile and eyes, maybe some scruff. Pretty much a similar version of me...

DS: What is the sexiest intangible quality you see in a man?  

AS: Romance. I'm a very romantic and passionate person. If you can match my love of affection, I'm yours

DS: How attracted to your partner must you be when doing a scene? How much does their personality figure into your attraction to them?  

AS: I have been very fortunate to work with studios of such high quality that I never have to worry about if my partner will be attractive or not. And I'm a very open minded person and one who gets along with just about anyone so I rarely have a problem during scenes

DS: What is the sexiest scene-shooting location you can dream up? Any unique situations?  

AS: Let's see... You follow a trail of rose pedals down a hallway lite only by candle light to a set of double doors where muffled soft music can faintly be heard. The doors open to several doves in flight to reveal a room covered in rose pedals and velvet. In a wash of deep red colors, you see a heart shaped bed that spins and more pillows then you would ever need. Your partner is wearing nothing but a silk robe draped over the appropriate areas and holding only a bottle of lube.

DS: Common problems named by porn stars are the ability to maintain an erection for long periods and to ejaculate on cue. Those aside, what do you find to be porn's greatest challenge?    

AS: Dating. I love being in the industry and find very few challenges while being on set but the biggest problem off set is dating. It's difficult to find someone understanding enough to keep a committed relationship. A hazard of the business, I guess...

DS: Do you and your partner discuss sexual desires and turn-ons to create a genuine feel to the scene?  

AS: Not usually. I always ask if there are do's and donts but a lot of times, someone's specific desires can't be fulfilled and still go along with the scene.

DS: How much freedom do you and your partners have in constructing the scene? Do you take commands from directors or are you free to be creative?  

AS: It depends a lot on the other scene partner and filming crew. Sometimes the director knows exactly how the scene needs to go but I'd say a good portion of the time they're up for creative input. And "free flow" is always encouraged since that shows more chemistry and the fact that we're really into each other comes thru onto film

DS: Randy Blue seems like a genuine fraternity. How do friendships made on set affect scenes?    It can only help. Take Travis James for example. We knew each other before we shot (in fact, we asked to film with each other) and it made it only that much more intense. Not only was it a lot more fun, in the end, I made him cum 3 times. I consider that bragging rights!

DS: What's the hottest thing a partner can do to rev you up for a scene?   It's all in the foreplay. I want it drawn out, hot and heavy. Don't just go straight for my zipper, take your time and slowly work your way down. Chances are, you'll have my pants tight and begging to come off by then.

AS: What do you think is the most common misconception about working in the adult industry?   We all aren't STD infected sex-aholics. At least with the studios I've worked with, we are all tested thoroughly and most of the performers have steady boyfriends/girlfriends. I, however, am single but I'm not screwing anyone who shows interest.

Translators Needed!

     I’m expanding, folks! And I want you and your friends to be part of it! I’m working toward expanding my line of erotic titles into multiple foreign languages. First, I’d like to see my most popular titles translated and proceed from there. Currently, Pounding my Professor is being translated into Spanish and will be available for Spanish readers worldwide very shortly. I’m very excited about that.

     For now, I’m seeking translators for Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch and Portuguese (though not necessarily in that order). Let’s call this creative entrepreneurship. That’s Scott Nicholson’s term and I really like it.

     I’m offering 20% royalties for what will be a joint-project, which I truly believe will benefit the translator in the long run. Royalties will be paid as long as the story is available as an eBook. These are short stories, so it isn’t a huge, time-consuming undertaking.

     If you or someone you know is willing and able to do the work, then by all means step forward! Contact me at donovanstarr123 (at) gmail (dot) com and we can work something out. This would also be good work for college students who are looking to earn a few bucks.

Donovan

Interview with Gay Erotic Author Nate Tanner

More than one audience seems to exist for gay-themed fiction. How do you view these categories and where do you place your work?

I suppose the easy answer is to claim that gay men and women form different audiences, gays inclining more toward straightforward or hardcore or fetish material and women more toward paranormal, erotic romance, etc. But the truth is, I don't really know... I tend to write rather direct, more confessional stories and I suppose I probably have more male than female readers, but I couldn't back that claim up with any solid evidence. I just write what makes me hot --- I couldn't do this job any other way --- and I don't really have any answer other than that.

What's more important between the hotness of the men involved or the uniqueness of their situation?

Both are subjective, of course, but I'd say the latter. In written porn, once you've described the guys involved, that's really all you've got to work with. But their situation can always keep getting hotter, more involved, more fraught. Since my job is to create that tension and manage its buildup to an explosive climax <3, I pay more attention to ratcheting up the situation than to making sure I've described every last contour on Dude X's washboard abs. In fact, I'm tempted to say that sometimes it's better for an erotica writer to leave the characters just slightly sketchy, so that the reader can project their own fantasies into them. (I like to think of this in terms of Scott McCloud's "masking effect" in comics, described here: http://www.comicscube.com/2011/06/comic-book-glossary-masking-effect.html) There's probably also such a thing as "overselling" a guy's hotness in fiction. I quickly tire of hearing how SUUUPER HOT a dude is (it's far better to hear a single evocative detail that makes your mind fill in the rest of the picture), but I rarely get tired of a situation that keeps building up and twisting in new directions.

What balance do you prefer between sex and plot?

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive -- IE, orgasm is generally the payoff to all the plot that came before and is therefore part of the plot, people can get discovered during a sex act, fucking can be interspersed with dialogue, BDSM scenes about power and control can serve as plot setups and payoffs... However, I generally aim to have my stories be about 2/3 buildup to sex and 1/3 pure sex. And even when I experiment with story structures other than the traditional meet-flirt-kiss-suck-fuck this seems to happen!

For instance, my latest story, Thirteen Brojobs, is only about 7000 words long, but it has thirteen scenes and thirteen sexual encounters that track various stages in the relationship between two mostly-straight guys. It was started as an attempt to write a pure sex story... but I got interested in the characters and its ratio between sex and connective tissue still ended up being the same as in my other stories! However, I'm happy with the story anyway :-) If you want to read it, it's free for the next five days at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EA3460

How important do you feel the sex act itself is as compared to erotic detail and tension?

The mechanical sex act itself is definitely less important than detail and tension. When it comes to simply depicting the ins and outs of a gay fuck, erotica loses out to visual porn in nearly every respect. If readers were just interested in two hot bodies getting it on, they would visit Gaytube or whatever and would never bother to read (or pay for!) an erotic story. But in erotica, it's the character arcs, the seemingly extraneous details and tensions, that catch the reader's interest and make them care that it's not just two random guys fucking, but rather, THESE particular guys. That's why in the hands of a good author, a single long-delayed kiss can sometimes be hotter than a cumshot.

How do you covey the hotness of a man who is beautiful to you but not necessarily to others?

Well, I think all men fall into this category! Every single man on earth probably looks hot to at least one other guy, but remains uninteresting to many others. There's nothing I can do about this, so all I can do is write about the kinds of guys I happen to like and hope other people are on my wavelength. Of course, it probably helps that I don't have particularly unusual tastes in men :-)

More than one audience seems to exist for gay-themed fiction. How do you view these categories and where do you place your work?

I suppose the easy answer is to claim that gay men and women form different audiences, gays inclining more toward straightforward or hardcore or fetish material and women more toward paranormal, erotic romance, etc. But the truth is, I don't really know... I tend to write rather direct, more confessional stories and I suppose I probably have more male than female readers, but I couldn't back that claim up with any solid evidence. I just write what makes me hot --- I couldn't do this job any other way --- and I don't really have any answer other than that.

What's more important between the hotness of the men involved or the uniqueness of their situation?

Both are subjective, of course, but I'd say the latter. In written porn, once you've described the guys involved, that's really all you've got to work with. But their situation can always keep getting hotter, more involved, more fraught. Since my job is to create that tension and manage its buildup to an explosive climax <3, I pay more attention to ratcheting up the situation than to making sure I've described every last contour on Dude X's washboard abs. In fact, I'm tempted to say that sometimes it's better for an erotica writer to leave the characters just slightly sketchy, so that the reader can project their own fantasies into them. (I like to think of this in terms of Scott McCloud's "masking effect" in comics, described here: http://www.comicscube.com/2011/06/comic-book-glossary-masking-effect.html) There's probably also such a thing as "overselling" a guy's hotness in fiction. I quickly tire of hearing how SUUUPER HOT a dude is (it's far better to hear a single evocative detail that makes your mind fill in the rest of the picture), but I rarely get tired of a situation that keeps building up and twisting in new directions.

What balance do you prefer between sex and plot?

I don't think the two are mutually exclusive -- IE, orgasm is generally the payoff to all the plot that came before and is therefore part of the plot, people can get discovered during a sex act, fucking can be interspersed with dialogue, BDSM scenes about power and control can serve as plot setups and payoffs... However, I generally aim to have my stories be about 2/3 buildup to sex and 1/3 pure sex. And even when I experiment with story structures other than the traditional meet-flirt-kiss-suck-fuck this seems to happen!

For instance, my latest story, Thirteen Brojobs, is only about 7000 words long, but it has thirteen scenes and thirteen sexual encounters that track various stages in the relationship between two mostly-straight guys. It was started as an attempt to write a pure sex story... but I got interested in the characters and its ratio between sex and connective tissue still ended up being the same as in my other stories! However, I'm happy with the story anyway :-) If you want to read it, it's free for the next five days at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EA3460

How important do you feel the sex act itself is as compared to erotic detail and tension?

The mechanical sex act itself is definitely less important than detail and tension. When it comes to simply depicting the ins and outs of a gay fuck, erotica loses out to visual porn in nearly every respect. If readers were just interested in two hot bodies getting it on, they would visit Gaytube or whatever and would never bother to read (or pay for!) an erotic story. But in erotica, it's the character arcs, the seemingly extraneous details and tensions, that catch the reader's interest and make them care that it's not just two random guys fucking, but rather, THESE particular guys. That's why in the hands of a good author, a single long-delayed kiss can sometimes be hotter than a cumshot.

How do you covey the hotness of a man who is beautiful to you but not necessarily to others?

Well, I think all men fall into this category! Every single man on earth probably looks hot to at least one other guy, but remains uninteresting to many others. There's nothing I can do about this, so all I can do is write about the kinds of guys I happen to like and hope other people are on my wavelength. Of course, it probably helps that I don't have particularly unusual tastes in men :-)

To give a less flip answer, i think the method has something to do with showing an enthusiastic protagonist noticing his partner and becoming aroused. This works as a kind of framing device. Say I mention that guy X has deodorant stains on his T-shirt. That's not exactly the sort of detail everyone would find sexy. But, if I show protagonist Y noticing guy X's deodorant stain and instantly going so hard that his jeans bulge out and he begins walking funny, suddenly that stain seems to take on a different character. It's not that I'm telling the reader what to feel, but rather by showing the protagonist being turned on, I also give the reader permission to be turned on by that detail too. (Or something.)

To give a less flip answer, i think the method has something to do with showing an enthusiastic protagonist noticing his partner and becoming aroused. This works as a kind of framing device. Say I mention that guy X has deodorant stains on his T-shirt. That's not exactly the sort of detail everyone would find sexy. But, if I show protagonist Y noticing guy X's deodorant stain and instantly going so hard that his jeans bulge out and he begins walking funny, suddenly that stain seems to take on a different character. It's not that I'm telling the reader what to feel, but rather by showing the protagonist being turned on, I also give the reader permission to be turned on by that detail too. (Or something.)