A Goodreads user
asked
Tracey Garvis Graves:
I'm really intrigued by the synopses for your books and excited to read them! I know contemporary romances can be very different on the level of explicitness. Is there a lot of explicit description in your books?
Tracey Garvis Graves
Hi Kelsey!
I'm happy to hear that you're excited to read my books. You're absolutely right that contemporary romance can run the gamut in terms of explicitness. I don't feel that my books are overly explicit although some of them are more detailed than others, but it really depends on *your* definition and comfort level.
On the Island has been described by some readers as PG13, but super steamy and erotic by others. I tend to agree with the PG13 label, but feel that 14/15+ is probably an appropriate age for anyone who's thinking about reading it.
Covet and Cherish are probably my least steamy (and both lean more toward women's fiction), but they do contain sex scenes that are not "closed door." This also applies to Every Time I Think of You and Uncharted: not overly explicit, but not "sweet" either. Again, it really depends on your own personal preferences. I've had readers ask me to make my books more explicit, and I've had some who say they're fine the way they are.
Heart-Shaped Hack and White-Hot Hack are the most explicit books I've written. The level of heat seemed to fit the personality of the hero in that series, and the scenes developed organically from that.
I don't use a lot of profanity in my books, and I also don't use slang terms for sex or any body part. To me, those words don't necessarily make a book explicit or steamy, they just seem crude and will usually yank me out of the story. But that is simply *my* personal preference as a reader.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Tracey
I'm happy to hear that you're excited to read my books. You're absolutely right that contemporary romance can run the gamut in terms of explicitness. I don't feel that my books are overly explicit although some of them are more detailed than others, but it really depends on *your* definition and comfort level.
On the Island has been described by some readers as PG13, but super steamy and erotic by others. I tend to agree with the PG13 label, but feel that 14/15+ is probably an appropriate age for anyone who's thinking about reading it.
Covet and Cherish are probably my least steamy (and both lean more toward women's fiction), but they do contain sex scenes that are not "closed door." This also applies to Every Time I Think of You and Uncharted: not overly explicit, but not "sweet" either. Again, it really depends on your own personal preferences. I've had readers ask me to make my books more explicit, and I've had some who say they're fine the way they are.
Heart-Shaped Hack and White-Hot Hack are the most explicit books I've written. The level of heat seemed to fit the personality of the hero in that series, and the scenes developed organically from that.
I don't use a lot of profanity in my books, and I also don't use slang terms for sex or any body part. To me, those words don't necessarily make a book explicit or steamy, they just seem crude and will usually yank me out of the story. But that is simply *my* personal preference as a reader.
I hope this helps. Please feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
Best,
Tracey
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