Why I Write Erotica

When I announced to my friends that I had an erotica novel releasing some of them gave me a response that ruffled my feathers a bit. Okay, more than a bit, if I'm being honest. Which I am.

One said, "Oh well, I guess you have to make a living." And they haven't talked much to me since.

Really? Really?! The reason I chose to write erotica isn't because of the success of the latest erotica book that propelled the author into stardom. I did not leap into this with dreams of being the next 'Grey' so to speak. Ever since I hit my teen years my writing has been spicy, to put it mildly. For the books I wrote under my other name, I was forced to tone it down to keep my editor happy. Erotica came naturally to me, so naturally that I have a file of deleted scenes from many of my earlier books that never even made it to my editor.

Sex is one of the basic instincts, one we all have. Couple that with the basic need for love and companionship and you have a powerful mixture for a novel. That has always appealed to me. When I was given the chance to write freely and naturally, I jumped at it. And I couldn't be more happy that I did. It feels as though the chains have been removed. And it doesn't hurt the sex life either. ;)

How about you? If you're an author of erotica, why do you write it? If you're a reader of it, what draws you to it?