Vampire Erotica for Women Who Want More

Although the love and romance in Twilight was great, adult fans of Twilight might have been left wanting a little more (and some of us might have wanted a lot more) than what Edward Cullen was able to give us.

Born in 1901, Edward Cullen is, technically, 17 years old. I know that it sucks to be reminded of this small, annoying technicality, but it is always gnawing at the back of your mind, isn’t it? And if you happen to have a 14-year-old daughter who has posters of Edward Cullen plastered all over her bedroom walls, it makes it all the more difficult to forget this small technicality.

Ladies, even if we allow ourselves to calculate Edward Cullen’s age in vampire years, the fact remains that he was turned at age 17. We all know the rule—vampires don’t age—they will forever be stuck in the same body as when they were turned. Let’s face it; Edward Cullen may be worldly, but not in that way. Not ever. Edward Cullen may have super-human strength with sexy vampire fangs, but at 17 years old, a boy is still growing and hasn’t become quite the man that he will eventually become, physically speaking.

Poor Edward…stuck in that 17-year-old body.

Poor us.

Jean-Claude is a Master Vampire created by author Laurell K. Hamilton. I have to hand it to Laurell, she really knows what (some) women want.

At 5’11”, Jean-Claude has midnight-blue eyes, dark, wavy hair and wears tight leather pants and leather boots. Jean-Claude was turned by his maker because he was seductive, and Jean-Claude’s maker, Belle Morte, fed off of sex. The familiar rule applies to Hamilton’s storyline, where strong, mortal characteristics are magnified after being turned. Jean-Claude has sex and lust oozing from every inch of his beautiful body.

Jacob has nothing on Richard Zeeman, king of the Thronnos Rokke pack of werewolves. I didn’t find furry attractive, but I’ll admit that this is so not the case anymore. Standing slightly over six feet with a body that puts Jacob’s to shame, Richard has two sides to him—the Boy Scout and the beast that is aroused by violence —and a lot of women will find both very appealing.

What is even more refreshing is Hamilton’s main character, Anita Blake. Anita is a far cry from the helpless Bella. Anita can hold her own against vampires and werecreatures of all kinds. Standing at five foot three, Anita Blake packs a powerful punch with her sassy mouth as well as with her fist. Armed with concealed guns and knives, Anita Blake is a legal vampire executioner for gone-rogue vampires, part-time consultant for RPIT (Regional Preternatural Investigation Team)—a taskforce that investigates preternatural crimes—and a full-time necromancer, raising people from the dead.

The first of currently twenty books in the series is “Guilty Pleasures”. Hamilton introduces us to a world that is set in present day where vampires and shape-shifters have civil rights, spearheaded by the ACLU—everyone’s favorite organization.

Perhaps this is appropriate, because unless you happen to be a closet Democrat, book number six, “The Killing Dance” will have most conservatives dropping dead from utter shock.

Books one through five sets the foundation and is a build up of sexual tension that Anita Blake tries to deny with all of her might. After all, Anita was raised Catholic. Although books one through five offers something for everyone (and book number nine, Obsidian Butterfly), books six and beyond offers everything for some of us.

No, erotica isn’t for everyone, but that doesn’t mean that erotica is inappropriate literature.

There seems to be a line that divides what some people consider to be appropriate and inappropriate literature, especially when it comes to sex. Appropriate is sometimes only a little bit of sex—when there is more unwritten than there is written. This is what I refer to as a scene-fade (it sometimes has me wondering if my book has missing pages) and what people will often refer to as “age-appropriate”, much like the Edward and Bella consummation.

Sometimes appropriate will include a more detailed sexual encounter as long as there is romance or love tugging at the reader’s heart.

To some people, inappropriate sexual content is just raw sex. Since erotica is much more than just raw sex, those of us who enjoy erotica will sometimes have to battle with book availability based upon what other people have decided is appropriate literature. (And, incidentally, when trying to place this hub in the appropriate category, I was unable to locate “erotica” as a category for literature.)

This is the review I received from the woman who sold me the first five books of the Anita Blake series at the used book store I frequent. Yes, she had the first five books (plus Obsidian Butterfly) on the shelves. Yes, she was a fan of the first five books (and Obsidian Butterfly), but the quote above is why I’m unable to purchase the remaining books of the series from her store.

Face in a red flush, head shaking from side to side, and eyes squeezed tightly shut, she did manage to whisper, “threesomes, and, you know…eww.” Her body involuntarily shuddered with disgust saying that icky word “threesomes” to explain to me why she didn’t carry the other books.

I didn’t bother to point out that she has an entire room dedicated to Harlequin romance novels…therein lies the acceptance of sex as long as it includes love and romance.

I now receive sideways glances from her when I enter the store looking for more Anita Blake books. I’m hoping she will get the hint she has a buyer. I threw her for a loop when I visited her store last, purchasing two Fannie Flagg novels, forcing her to second-guess the character judgment she bestowed upon me.

But this is what erotica is, and this is what millions of women like to read…ménage a trois and ménage a more-than trois, homosexuality, bisexuality, sado-masochism, fetishes, etc. And while many women might be turned off by the mere mention of pornographic films, many of these same women are willing to accept pornography in print. The acting is a heck of a lot better.

Imagine erotica in a world of vampires, werewolves, wereleopards and every sort of werecreature imaginable…yes, the possibilities are deliciously endless in Laurell K. Hamilton’s imagination.

Ladies, there is nothing to be ashamed of, and there is no need to hide your erotica, especially your vampire erotica. Your significant other might surprise you with a pair of vampire fangs…thanks, honey.