Oh, you dirty lot, I can hear you snickering from here! What
on earth do you think this blog post is about? Sex? Blow Jobs? Long, slow
licks? No, I’m talking about food in the erotic romance books that we all love
to read.
I recently
read a novel which, for several reasons didn’t hit my spot. It didn’t do the
job of engaging me in the story or making me care about the characters and I
think one of the problems was that they never ate. Not a morsel, not a single
scrap of food in several months on a timeline. They just didn’t need to, so it
seemed, which was quite unbelievable.
Off course
there are amazing books out there where the author hasn’t bothered with scenes
of the protagonist/s eating and it doesn’t matter in the least. Thrillers have
to keep the pace up, and eating isn’t thrilling (well, to most people). A short
story might be over and done with before any hunger pangs set in.
But food
can be a really useful tool to enhance storytelling. Another layer to add atmosphere
and an indicator of things going on beneath the surface.
Need any
more convincing of how fabulous food can be for fictional characters? Watch
this delicious scene from 9 ½ weeks, a classic film that still holds me
mesmerized.
Mmm, so now
I’ve got your attention!
But back to
the written word. How can food be used, well, some food has deep symbolic roots
the author can work with. It can reflect regional tastes, enhance the visual of
the world that’s been created and almost, if it’s done right, have the reader
imagining the tastes the characters are enjoying. I’m thinking of the first
story in my Hot Ice series, Hired , when the hero and heroine are having lunch.
See if you can picture where they are…
“Don’t fight it, I’m
not.” He paused as the waitress set down plates of barbequed fish and bowls of
vibrant salad glazed with a honey and mustard dressing.
“Anything else?” she asked, rubbing her hands
on her floral apron and squinting in the sunshine.
“No, this is perfect,”
Logan said, his gaze not leaving mine. “Absolutely perfect.”
Brooke and
Logan are on a beautiful tropical island and enjoying an al fresco meal at a
quaint harbor village. Did you get it? If not the harbour, it’s certainly a
fresh, summery dish that’s light and full of flavour and one that could be
associated with holidays in the sun and Caribbean Islands.
Food can
also indicate the time of year in which the story takes place. In my novel Cold Nights, Hot Bodies, the couple have just enjoyed
dinner in an English country pub with friends…
The meal was fantastic
and well worth the walk. The landlord made the cottage pie himself and served
it still wearing his blue-and-white striped apron. It seemed none of his staff
had turned up for work but it didn’t worry him since the pub was so quiet and
he was a jack-of-all-trades.
The conversation
between the four of us flowed easy and light. Rachel and Jeremy certainly
seemed well matched and very comfortable with each other. Jeremy even went as
far as spooning chunks of his chocolate torte into Rachel’s mouth.
It was cozy by the
fire and after a few glasses of wine and sitting within the curve of Shane’s
arm I began to feel my mood soften to one of utter contentment. I could stay
here forever.
Oh, transport me there right now! I love to snuggle up with
Mr H in our local pub before a log fire and with a nice meal warming my belly
and a glass of Merlot to hand – sigh!
This little
snippet, also from Cold Nights, Hot Bodies, tells a tale of it’s own about the
morning after the night before…
Breakfast arrived, a
fabulous spread of smoked salmon, eggs and fresh fruit, another pot of coffee
and a basket of croissants and Danish pastries. I tucked in eagerly as Shane
reached for a white envelope balanced against two glasses of freshly squeezed
orange juice.
“What’s that?” I
asked.
He read it with a
serious expression then looked up at me and grinned. “It seems the hotel is
advising guests to avoid travel. The lane to the nearest main road is
impassable because of the snow.”
I cocked my head and
nibbled on a slice of melon.
“They’re offering a
fifty percent discount to stay tonight,” he said, “No one coming in, no one
going out, they’re as stuck with us as we are with them.”
My heart flipped with
hope. Was my one-night stand about to
turn into a two-night stand?
Mmm, that
makes me hungry and the thought of a beautiful breakfast like that delivered
after a night of intense exercise between the sheets is just perfect.
The mention
of food can also show emotion and the relationships between characters. Missed
meals indicate stress and urgency but so can eating peanut butter out of the
jar with the biggest spoon in the drawer or wiping out all six portions of
chocolate mousse chilling in the fridge. In Breathe You In
– which by the way is on special offer this week – Kate is racked with grief in
the beginning of the book but as life takes a turn for the better, that’ll be
meeting Ruben Strong, she puts on weight and is pleased with that her curves
are returning. Food in this case shows an upward curve in the character’s
emotional well being and several times she digs in hungrily to cream cakes and
picnics when she’s feeling positive.
A wonderful
meal can also offer amazing sensory data for the reader and in Dessert, sushi eaten from a naked woman is what gets
my hero John in a very aroused state. Here’s a snippet… (EROTIC material)
I glanced at the woman
again. As her chest rose and fell with her slow breaths her breasts shifted
slightly. She had a freckle beneath her left nipple, on the downward slope
toward the heavier underside. My dick responded to my perusal of such a perfect
set of tits, my shaft filling and pressing up against the zipper of my suit
pants.
Damn.
“She has bathed in
fragrance-free soap and her body will warm the sushi and sashimi to perfection,”
Rai said. “As you can see she has absolutely no body hair for us to worry
about.” He looked pointedly at the aperture of her thighs and I couldn’t help
but follow his gaze. The satiny skin of her outer labia was a fraction darker
than the rest of her, a little rosier than the just-baked-biscuit look she
sported everywhere else.
I shifted on my seat,
irritated by my arousal when Rai was so calm and matter of fact. I guessed
years of dojo discipline could come in handy in more ways than one.
“The girls have many
hours of training, learning to lie still and quiet. For they are not allowed to
move or speak throughout the meal, though if they feel they are touched
inappropriately they ring.” Rai pointed to the brass bell just within reach of
our living plate. It had a red tasseled pull string and a fire-breathing dragon
etched onto the dome. “If the minders hear the bell, all diners in that booth
are physically removed and will never be allowed back to The Geisha Plate.”
“Oh, okay.”
“You understand that
there must be such rules to protect the girls who work here.” “Yes, of course.”
“And you must also understand that The Geisha
Plate does not advertise its unique style of serving Japanese cuisine. As you
are my guest, it is my duty to ask you not to discuss the evening’s
unconventional serving methods with anyone.”
“Well, no, of course
not. If that’s what you want.”
“Some Western and
Eastern cultures see nyotaimori as
degrading. But for many Japanese, we see sushi as an art form and it should be
a delight to every sense. What better way to serve it than on a truly beautiful
woman?”
“Well, I love sushi
and I have to say I love women too, so I couldn’t agree more.” I held out my
glass and had a sudden rush of appreciation for my supplier who had thought to
treat me to such a unique experience.
Rai filled my glass
and his. We drank once more.
Do you
agree with me? Do you think food/eating can enhance a story? Or do you think it
detracts from the important action? As a reader, do you enjoy culinary touches
in a book? As an author, do you use food as an element of your writing? Leave
me a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Lily
PS – Oh,
and special offers I have running this festive week for anyone with new
Kindles, or, if you just like a bargain…
Lily Harlem
Stories for When the Sun Goes Down – special Christmas week price for
a collection of ten of my short stories.
Breathe
You In – on discounted promotion.
Co-authored books, special offers from Harlem
Dae.
Good
Cop, Bad Cop – FREE until 29th of December.
The
Novice Book #1 Sexy as Hell Trilogy – permanent low price to whet your
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Sexy
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5 comments:
Food is a tough one for me. I've read some stories where the food is just play items, the whipped cream, strawberries, etc. But I do love to hear about characters doing things like eating and sleeping. Maybe because it makes the stories so much more normal!
Great books. :)
Great post, Lily! And catchy title ;) Hehehe :D
You have the most fantastic book covers, Lily! Food... I always include food in my stories. I love food and find it creates atmosphere. Thanks for the fun post.
Melissa, Nicole and Gemma, thank you for stopping by with your thoughts and kind words.
Wishing you all a happy New Year.
Lily x
I think that scenes that include the characters doing normal things (eating, combing their hair, taking the dog for a walk) gives depth and texture to the story. Thanks for the great post!
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