When I first started Embracing Calla I was aiming for Erotica. I sent my first draft to the editor it had a whopping 23 foreplay scenes and 13 intimate scenes. If you read Behind-the-Scenes: From Fear to Series you’ll know that my editor loved the scenes. She thought I shouldn’t remove them, and I honestly didn’t want to.

After a couple of edits, I decided to send it out to beta readers. The response I received back from them was the same “Great love scenes, but way too many of them.” I think only 1 wanted more of them.

So I decided that I could remove some of them. Only to make the important scenes stronger, like the main characters’ first time together. The story is all about the progression of the love interests so you see them grow from the first-time jitters to, well, naughty town.

No detail is left out and to be honest, the first-time scene is 30 pages long. I think that is the longest love scene in the book. I should double-check that.

Embracing Calla ended up with:

The final tally of naughty scenes ended up being 7. Now with only 13 scenes based on self-love, education, and foreplay. Of those 13 foreplay scenes, 4 lead up to the passion. Even though in the beginning I didn’t want to cut scenes, I’m glad I did, because those 7 scenes are spicy.

Calla’s eagerness to learn and Benedict finally starts to relax. Their communication is there, teaching them both that sex is supposed to be fun. Shaping the magical trust between them.

Benedict and Calla learn to talk about sexual needs and aren’t afraid to ask or try anything that interests them at least once. You never know if you don’t ask and you could miss out on the fact that they’re just as kinky as you are.

It’s still very erotic, but now with a plot.