Hi peeps, we have Jake C. Wallace popping in today with the tour for his upcoming release Soul Seeker, we have a brilliant guest post, a great excerpt, and a fantastic giveaway so enjoy the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~

Soul Seeker

Jake C. Wallace

Nineteen-year-old college student Levi Reed has spent his life with hollow emotions and a darkness so deep that he’s convinced he’s losing his mind. He’d give anything to feel something, anything, real.

When a mysterious stranger appears, Levi is convinced the man is trying to kill him. When he’s near, Levi experiences head-crushing pain and something surprising—real emotions for the first time. Jeb Monroe is arrogant, self-assured, closed-off, and handsome, but his isn’t the harbinger of doom Levi assumed. Jeb’s mission: help Levi find his missing soul.

Levi is pulled into the secret world of Seers and Keepers, those born with the innate abilities to manipulate souls and tasked with balancing the negative energy they can produce. Levi learns he possesses a rare gift, and he’s in danger. As Jeb and Levi grow closer, they discover a group of zealots who want to harness Levi’s power to cleanse the world of damaged souls. Everyone Levi cares for is threatened unless he agrees to become their tool of death. But agreeing could spell the destruction of humankind. With no one to trust and nothing as it appears, it’s up to Levi to save them all.

Jake C. Wallace & Sex Scenes!

Hi, everyone! I want to thank MM Good Book Reviews for having me on the blog. Soul Seekers is my fifth novel release. In this post, you will get a sneak peek at the story. But first learn what I think of writing sex scenes and don’t forget to enter for the giveaway!

Check in at www.jcwallacebooks.com for links to all of the blogs in the tour and you can enter as much as you like!

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Sex Scene Writing…Yeah or Nay?

I love to read sex scenes in my M/M novels. In fact, if there aren’t sex scenes, then I’m less likely to read it. It’s just something I like in my stories. I don’t read het romance so don’t ask me about M/F sex scenes.

Unfortunately, writing sex scenes when compared the rest of the story isn’t much fun for me. I had one reader tell me how much this revelation disappointed her, which was odd to me because whether or not I enjoyed writing a scene shouldn’t matter. There have been hundreds of other scenes without sex that I’ve wanted to shun as well. So, what is it with sex scenes that makes me want to skip them all together when I enjoy reading them? Well, here’s a short list…

They are tedious and detailed.

When writing sex scenes, you really have to stop and really think of mechanics. It’s more than two bodies writhing and joining in sexual bliss. Body placement – arms, legs, lying down, facing one another, sitting, standing, where the two people are in relation to one another – are all of major importance. It’s technical and, I feel after writing numerous sex scenes, I have an inkling of what porn directors or actors go through when filming. It gets pretty exact. I recently read some hilarious sex scenes from published stories reprinted on a blog. Some of the things the authors had body parts doing were physically impossible. While you’re shouldn’t be narrating a sex scene move by move, you always have to know where body parts are and what they’re doing. That takes some real concentration on my part when the participants are supposedly out of their minds with passion.

Needing more than the same old, same old.

Some sex scenes can get pretty wild, when, in an attempt to add something fresh and new to the romance genre (gay and het), authors may go to extremes…On the backs of moving horses (really?). Or with werewolves (one step from bestiality). Or using descriptors that are more ridiculous than they sound such as “man sword” and “fluttering hole.” But without venturing out and striving to create something different, then you just get the same old sex scenes reproduced over and over. Finding new ways to describe what each person is feeling physically and emotionally usually requires several hundred trips to the Thesaurus. In many M/M books I’ve read, I’ve seen the following progression over and over (may vary slightly):

Man sees/meets hot man. Man jerks off to visions of hot man in the shower. Man and hot man give each other blowjobs or rub one off on one another. Man and hot man have sexual intercourse in the shower (because their dirty, of course). Man and hot man have sexual intercourse in the bed. Man and hot man are separated or have a falling out. Man and hot man have make-up sex. The end.

I raise my hand in guilt with following some of this pattern, and I am trying to better my sex scene writing in the future.

Not in the mood.

You’re MCs are hot and panting and ready and you’re not. You really have to get into something remotely resembling the current mood of your MCs. You can write sex scenes when you’re exhausted and have about as much sex drive as a dead person, but this makes the writing even more aversive. You really don’t want to write a sex scene if you’re pissed off at someone, unless maybe it’s angry sex. I rarely ever skip a sex scene and come back to it because sex scenes must do the same as every other scene—drive the plot forward. MCs should never have sex just to have a sex scene. Something must happen during that scene that adds information to the story, even if it’s as simple as one of the MCs realizing they actually love the other person, or that the sex they just had with the other person wasn’t enjoyable (not necessarily the kiss of death you might think it is in a romance). Yeah, being in the mood, really important.

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In conclusion, I love to read sex scenes. Writing them not so much, however…once I’ve written them and hashed them out in my story, I think, “Hey, this turned out pretty good” and “Okay, that wasn’t so bad” —until I have to write the next one.

Excerpt

Jeb reached over and touched his cheek, taking his focus away from the others. Those dark brown eyes pulled Levi in. “Like Art said, it’s going to get rough. If they tie you down with rope, you’ll hurt yourself fighting. Hopefully, this way, we can keep you safe.”

Levi watched Phillip tie his ankles together with a piece of fleece. It was better than rope, but the panic over being bound closed Levi’s throat. This was going to hurt much worse than that last time with Jeb. He wanted to back out, but Phillip instructed Hank to leave. There was nothing left to protect Levi from the pain… from Jeb.

His heart rate tripled upon seeing Hank leave the cabin. “No… I can’t… do this.” Levi tried to get the blanket off his chest, but it was tightened.

“Levi, calm down.” Phillip’s voice was too gentle, too focused, too soothing.

Jeb cupped Levi’s cheeks. “Deep breaths. You can do this. I’m right here.”

Levi tried to take a deep breath, but the thought of the pain, of possibly losing who he was overruled Jeb’s instructions.

“Jeb….” Levi managed to say between gasps.

“I don’t think we should do this.” Phillip’s face had paled, and he appeared as scared as Levi was.

Jeb’s gaze was unyielding. “Levi. It’s going to be okay. Stay calm.” Levi wanted to listen, but he couldn’t hear past his fear of the pain and possible death, of the pressure already building in his head.

“No, it has to be done. Do it quick.” Art held the blanket taut. “Before he totally freaks.”

“Levi!” Phillip shouted, startling Levi into ceasing his struggle momentarily. “Just remember I didn’t want to do this.”

“Just do it!” Levi heard his dad shout.

Phillip touched his fingertips to Jeb’s forehead, taking Jeb’s gaze from him. Grasping for anything, he recalled after Phillip had touched his forehead in the vision everything had gone black. Sweet Jesus, maybe he’d be out for this.

Please knock me out.

Phillip touched Levi’s forehead, muttered several undecipherable words, and waited. Maybe taking the crystal away wouldn’t be enough. Maybe he’d gotten used to Jeb’s symbol. Pain ripped through Levi, negating those thoughts. He heard himself scream from a long way off as if every cell in his body were going to explode.

About Jake

Formerly, I wrote under JC Wallace, but recently decided to use my full name. I have been writing all of my life but didn’t start publishing until 2014. In my day job, I am a behavior analyst. At night and on the weekends, I write about all things men. I believe there is nothing hotter than two men finding and loving one another, whether for a night or forever. An avid reader of M/M romance, I love a good twist of a plot, HEA, HFN, or tragic ending.  I am owned by three kids and two grandchildren. I live in Northern Vermont.

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Giveaway!

1 – $15 All Romance Ebooks Gift Certificate
1 – Ebook copy of Soul Seekers
2 – $5 All Romance Ebooks Gift Certificate

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