We talk a lot about sex here, go figure, but what about the books we read that don't include THE ACT in glorious detail and in all of its forms? Are you disappointed when you get into a book and find it's sex-light? How do you feel about the closing of the door on a sex scene?

Now, I have to admit, I have a huge pet peeve about door closing, and to me there is a great difference between a book that is light on sex and one that closes the door. Light sex or no sex is fine -- closing the door is not fine, period.

Some of my favorite books and authors are not authors of hot romance: Lisa Scottoline, Charlaine Harris, Maria Snyder, Nevada Barr, Harlan Coben, just to name a few, write books that have romantic elements but not a whole lotta detailed sex, depending on the book. Their books are sexy, but not necessarily sexual. That doesn't keep me from buying every book they put out (heh, put out....)

But a book that closes the door is one that's dragged you along, built the tension, and then they not only close the door, they close it in your face -- you know the feeling. Reading these books is is like: Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it.... BAM. It sucks. It is a throw-the-book-against-the-wall killer moment for me. I am practically guaranteed never to pick up books by that author again, not just because I am disappointed as a reader, but as a writer I would have been more interested to see them exert the skill to show intimacy in more subtle ways.

A closed door leaves a reader with nothing but disappointed expectations, and that's very bad, IMO. I wish editors would kibosh closed doors, make them one of those mythical "things writers shouldn't do" -- an author doesn't have to write graphic sex, but they shouldn't be allowed to close the reader out, either.

However, while I hate closed doors, I don't necessarily need the books I read to include graphic sex. I don't know if I would write a book with no sex altogether, since it's important in romance to show how people act physically toward each other, IMO. I like to keep my options open, especially as I get older, the books I will write will change, too.

As I ponder some new projects that are not Blaze-specific, I am intrigued with the possibility of not putting quite so much energy into writing extended, graphic sex scenes. I think there is a separate set of skills and talents altogether to conveying sex and sensuality without all the sexual detail. I have read books where I've literally skipped through the sex scenes trying to find the story -- so having sex in a book is not enough to make it a satisfying read.

For me, in the end it depends on THE STORY, because at the end of the day, that is what rules all the decisions a writer makes, the needs of THE STORY. If THe STORY needs sex, well, then, sex gets written. But if not. . .well, hmmm.

So, how about you? Do you enjoy books that don't include a lot of sex? What are some of your favorites? Do you read any authors who write books with varied levels of heat? If you are a writer, have you thought of writing books with little or no sex?

Sam