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And Here’s Jess Michaels!

pssst… Jenna Petersen, is that you?

What’s in a Name, anyway?

Last week I was a guest blogger at the FanLit Forever Blog and they asked me to talk about having multiple names. I explained why I chose the two names I write under, as well as gave some general tips about picking a pen name.

What I didn’t discuss was the difference between my two names, so when Bam asked me to visit again here today and told me she was interested in the whole pen name thing, I knew that would be a perfect topic.

See, I write two different genres. As Jenna Petersen, I write sensual historical romances for Avon Books. As Jess Michaels, I write erotic historical romances for Avon Red.

Confused?

Well, that may be because the whole definition of porn, erotica, erotic romance and sensual romance has gotten so mushed together both by the publishers who produce the books and the authors who write them. So let me give you my definitions:

Porn: Stories that are labeled as pornographic are really sex for sex’s sake. The characters’ emotions, motivations and growth (okay, their CHARACTER growth) are not explored.

Erotica: In erotica, one of more characters are on a journey. Although they may not end up in a romantic relationship in the end of the story, they will still grow as a character in some ways. But if you’re looking for the satisfaction of a romantic ending, you may end up disappointed in this genre.

Erotic Romance: A genre that melds the super sensuality of erotica with the emotional satisfaction of romance. The story will be highly explicit, but in the end the characters involved will be in some kind of relationship that the reader should feel is a long term one.

Sensual Romance: A romance that does not close the door on the love scenes. In fact, it will likely be more detailed than your average romance, but it may not be as explicit or blunt in its language as an erotic romance. But in the end, the couple will be in a relationship that the reader feels is long term.

As you can see, the differences are pretty subtle. And even Congress, when trying to define pornography many years ago, punned the oft quoted response, “I know it when I see it.” So, these things are sometimes also personal.

But I think they give a good base for what the different elements in this subgenre are. And I write the last two categories. But the funny thing is that I don’t really have a different process when I write as one name versus another. I still work with character information first (because I truly believe that character IS plot and it IS motivation). I still write about 10-15 pages a day, 5 days a week. I still want a strong romance throughout and a solid plot, even though I end up working with 10,000 or so fewer words in erotic romance.

The main difference, at least for me, is the core conflict. Every book has one. The big “issue” that is keeping the hero and heroine from being together. There may be smaller conflicts that arise and are resolved through the course of the book, but that big one doesn’t come to a complete head until the “black moment” and it isn’t resolved until the end.

When I build the “core conflict” in an erotic romance, I build it around sex. Plain and simple. Why? Because I don’t want to write just a long string of sex scenes that have nothing to do with the story. I don’t want you, the reader, to skip over a scene because ‘it’s just another sex scene’. I want those scenes to be so integral to the plot, have so much impact, that the reader is pulled along, breathless.

Now I want the same thing to happen when you read a Jenna Petersen love scene, but there are so many more in the Jess Michaels books that I think it ends up being a more vital issue for me as a writer.

In a Jess Michaels book you’ll probably find much stronger language, perhaps a little more description and a lot more sex. But I work just as hard to create a powerful story to go along with all that as I do when I write a Jenna book.

Do I succeed? Well, you’ll have to read and let me know. My latest Jenna Petersen release is SEDUCTION IS FOREVER (October 2007) and my new Jess Michaels release, EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN (November 2007) just hit stores.

So are you a fan of erotic romance/erotic/sensual romance? Who do you think does it really well? And do you notice when there is a strong story in an erotic romance or are you just looking for “the good stuff”?

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 8th, 2007 at 10:02 am and is filed under Guest Author. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

23 Responses to “And Here’s Jess Michaels!”

  1. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
    1

    Hello? :) Anybody out there??

  2. Mike
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
    2

    When I build the “core conflict” in an erotic romance, I build it around sex. Plain and simple. Why? Because I don’t want to write just a long string of sex scenes that have nothing to do with the story.

    I think this is absolutely vital in making an “erotic romance” work. Otherwise, it really is just a string of meaningless sex scenes and I might as well be reading Penthouse Letters. Do you ever have any difficulties devising a premise built around a sexual thing? I’m genuinely curious. ‘Cause I’m kind of sick of the whole “poverty-stricken widow forced to sleep with the wealthy lord because of the childrenz” thing.

    For the record, I happen to love porn.

  3. Jam On It
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
    3

    Do you have separate personalities for Jenna Petersen and Jess Michaels? I’ve always wondered this about authors who write things under different names. Stephen King once said he was more able to go to a “darker place” writing under Richard Bachman. It was the basis for his book, The Dark Half.

    So the question is, are you a bigger horndog under Jess Michaels? Ha ha. :P

  4. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
    4

    My definition is definitely not a judgment! Each category has value, absolutely!

    Obviously the poverty stricken lady is a great way to make a sexual conflict, especially in a historical romance. In fact, I just used that particular one in my November release, EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN. But there are so many others. I have done a courtesan who needs protection, an erotic curse on an ancient tomb where the hero and heroine are trapped and a sexual cult that the hero is trying to help the heroine escape. I think it’s really about characters and making sure it’s something that will fit the characters you’ve built, you know?

  5. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
    5

    LOL Jam on It! I don’t know if I have different personalities. The writing is definitley more erotic as Jess. But in my ‘real life’, I am just a writer in my pjs. LOL Does that ruin the mystique?

    Okay, Jess wears black silk. Now the truth is out.

  6. Jennifer Y.
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
    6

    Great post! I have to say that I lean more toward the sensual and erotic romances when I pick books to read rather than the first two options. Even just plain romances are fine with me…no sex is required…just a relationship/falling in love is fine. I like the romance and Happily-ever-afters (or Happily-ever-afters-for-now). I am more about the story than “the good stuff,” but will say “the good stuff” doesn’t hurt…LOL. Oh, and I like what you said about making the sex scene integral to the plot.

  7. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
    7

    I think that’s the beauty of romance, don’t you, JenniferY? The emotional relationship! And that’s why I love writing erotic romance. I get to have ‘good stuff’ and the heart stuff, too. LOL I actually think my latest Jess Michaels book, EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN has one of my more emotional endings.

  8. Anon
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 3:00 pm
    8

    Very interesting! Everything’s Forbidden looks amazing, by the way. I can’t wait to pick up.

    And FYI - the “I know it when I see it” line was not coined by Congress, but by Justice Potter Stewart in a 1964 Supreme Court obscenity case. The more you know, I guess! :)

  9. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
    9

    Hope you enjoy EF! And dang it, I knew I’d get that one wrong. But hey, it’s still a great quote.

  10. bam
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
    10
    Author Comment

    Never mind about all that.

    Inquiring minds want to know, Jenna: Butter, Margarine, or Olive oil? :D

  11. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
    11

    LOL bam! Um, olive oil. It’s healthier. At least this week. Next week doctors will say something different.

  12. Jennifer Y.
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
    12

    I will definitely have to try and get EF then Jess/Jenna (not that I didn’t already want to read it…LOL). It looks and sounds amazing!

  13. fiveandfour
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
    13

    I’m wondering where in the spectrum you think stories involving more than just a h/h fall (I’m using the generic “h/h” there purposefully to imply any combination of two people). For example, a story like Emma Holly’s Strange Attractors features a kind of happily-ever-after with more than just two people in the mix and “erotica” is the label I seem to append automatically.

    Using your definitions, though, I think “erotic romance” could also apply quite comfortably, which opens up my thinking. I don’t generally think of stories involving more than 2 people as anything less than erotica on the sexx0rin scale, which says something about my thinking, the industry’s thinking, or possibly both.

    On an unrelated subject — when you’re writing for the less explicit genre do you find your characters sometimes getting away from you as respects what they’re doing behind closed doors so you have to rein them in, or conversely, not participating in the show-and-tell quite as openly as they’re supposed to?

  14. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 8th, 2007 at 5:06 pm
    14

    fiveandfour, I guess that depends on the story. It used to be those wouldn’t be published as romance, but now, with erotic romance expanding, you’re seeing them more and more. Romance requires a ’satisfying emotional conclusion’. So I guess if a threesome (or moresome LOL) story ended with that satisfying ending where the three leads were in a romantic, long term relationship, it would be erotic romance. It’s actually been very interesting to see the industry slowly (s-l-o-w-l-y) expand to include varying kinds of stories into what it markets as romance.

    As for my characters, I don’t close the door. I just don’t. But yes, sometimes my romance characters want to get a little freakier than I expected. And I let them if it works for the story. So far no one has asked me to tone it down.

  15. Tumperkin
    Posted: Nov 9th, 2007 at 3:52 am
    15

    Good post, Jenna. I’m with you 100% on your definitions. Funnily enough I never used to read erotica cos I had this prejudiced idea it was just porn but I’ve recently read a couple of phenomenal erotica books which put most of the more mainstream books I’ve read recently to shame in terms of tight plotting, character development and beautiful prose. I don’t mind the absence of an HEA - in either erotica or romance (although I know I’m in a minority there). I read erotica, erotic romance and sensual romance and I don’t see them as inhabiting a ’spectrum of sexiness’. Sometimes less is more. Takes real skill to write good sex.

    BTW, I live in the UK and the bookstores here don’t stock much in the way of Avon - I didn’t even know they had an erotic romance line - so I’ll be checking you out on Amazon

  16. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 9th, 2007 at 5:42 am
    16

    Thanks Tumperkin! I hope you enjoy my work if you pick it up! :)

  17. Rae
    Posted: Nov 9th, 2007 at 7:14 am
    17

    Oh thank you! It’s nearly impossible to describe well to people what distinguishes erotic-romance from “regular” romance or sensual-romance (hey! new term!). I would like to write both (I had no idea until recently that you wrote under two names, although I’ve read pieces by…um, both of you), and I agree with Tumperkin, it’s hard to write good sex scenes–I decided to try my hand at erotic romance first so I got used to writing sex scenes, which has helped tremendously.

    Such a great entry, thank you so much for your descriptions! I’ll make sure and put your new books on my TBR List!

  18. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 9th, 2007 at 7:58 am
    18

    Thanks so much Rae! I hope you enjoy the new books!

  19. lisabea
    Posted: Nov 9th, 2007 at 8:11 am
    19

    ” I’ve recently read a couple of phenomenal erotica books which put most of the more mainstream books I’ve read recently to shame in terms of tight plotting, character development and beautiful prose.”

    I have as well. I find myself buying more erotic romance now than ever before based on better quality and availability. My one complaint:the cover art deters me from purchasing many books in print. Just too wanky to carry around in my car pool bag.

  20. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 9th, 2007 at 8:14 am
    20

    That’s what I’ve loved about my Avon Red covers, lisabea! I think the one for EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN, especially, is very sexy without being wanky. LOL

  21. SweetNSourGirl
    Posted: Nov 10th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
    21

    Hi! I happen to agree with your definitions, I think a lot of people can’t tell them apart, hence the quote “I know it when I see it!” heehee.

    Question: how’d you come up with your pen name? Did you use a formula (maternal grandmother’s maiden name + name you almost were) or did it just come to you?

  22. pingback:
    Posted: Nov 12th, 2007 at 12:28 am
    22
    Seduction and Relationships » Blog Archive » And Here’s Jess Michaels!

    […] You can read the rest of this blog post by going to the original source, here […]

  23. Jenna Petersen
    Posted: Nov 12th, 2007 at 5:48 am
    23

    One pen name is a combo of my first name and my husband’s first name. The other is my real last name and a first name I just liked. We went through a LOT of pen names on a list. LOL

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