Oral Gratification
Post by Lily Harlem
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 and write.
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 week, 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 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 wellbeing 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…
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
Nice excerpts! I do think food can enhance a story if it has a role to play beyond as, well, a filler. There's a lot to be shown about characters in the way they resound to food.
ReplyDeleteCan I just say that I have serious cover envy? Dessert looks absolutely gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI also remember specifically being impressed with the way you handled food in your story for Smut for Chocoholics. :)
Thank you ladies for stopping by and commenting - and yes I love that cover for Dessert too but then I'm a big sushi fan. And thanks for the chocoholics compliment Annabeth - that was a fun concept to play with :-)
ReplyDeleteLily x
Thanx for the tasty nibbles, Lily. I can't say I've done much with food as an erotic device, but I will use food smells to establish an atmosphere. And there's always restaurant sex! Wheeee!
ReplyDeleteI used lots of my homemade pie recipes in one of my books, then I put up a page on my website that gives all of the recipes, including what I call my "never-fail pie crust". I also used a black beans and rice recipe in another of my books, and since the heroine and hero were chefs, and many of the foods I had them cooking were things I make myself. I think having appetites other than sexual satisfied makes for a fun read.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a neat idea! :)
DeleteYeah I LOVE that idea :-)
DeleteMy characters tend to like my favorite foods...!
ReplyDeleteMy recently completed novel The Ingredients of Bliss is a total food-fest. Two of the three main characters are chefs, and they're in France, doing on-location shoots for a French cooking show. Since I spent three luscious weeks in France last year, I got to revisit some of my favorite meals from the trip!
Oh how lovely - three weeks in France. Inspiration indeed x
DeleteI'm reminded of the famous eating scene in the movie version of Tom Jones. :) As a sensual pleasure, eating good food certainly seems appropriate in erotic stories. Your snippets are delicious.
ReplyDelete