How to Write a "Rocking" Sex Scene with Leigh Court & #Giveaway

Rock Star by Leigh Court

How To Write A “Rocking” Sex Scene by Leigh Court

One of the top pieces of advice given to authors is to “Write what you know.” So after publishing nearly a dozen contemporary, historical and sci-fi romances, I’ve decided to write a rock & roll romance.

Why?

Because my career as a former television news journalist, entertainment reporter and TV producer led to a fateful meeting and happily-ever-after with my music-industry husband. Since then, I’ve been backstage with more than a dozen rock bands, and travelled to countless arenas and stadiums around the world. So I thought it would be fun to give readers a behind-the-scenes peek at the inner workings of a rock-and-roll tour.

How To Write A “Rocking” Sex Scene by Leigh Court

One of the top pieces of advice given to authors is to “Write what you know.” So after publishing nearly a dozen contemporary, historical and sci-fi romances, I’ve decided to write a rock & roll romance.

Why?

Because my career as a former television news journalist, entertainment reporter and TV producer led to a fateful meeting and happily-ever-after with my music-industry husband. Since then, I’ve been backstage with more than a dozen rock bands, and travelled to countless arenas and stadiums around the world. So I thought it would be fun to give readers a behind-the-scenes peek at the inner workings of a rock-and-roll tour.

And the funny thing is…that advice of “write what you know” really worked for me! Rock Star was probably the easiest book I’ve written (second only to my book Fear Of Flying, because I’m deathly afraid of flying, LOL).

Rock Star by Leigh Court

Here’s the premise of Rock Star:

Rock singer Sebastian Roe was shot onstage during a concert five years ago, leaving him with a deep fear of performing. But his love of music is too strong to keep him off a stage forever, despite the fact the police never caught the gunman. He’s just announced a new U.S. tour, but his performance anxiety is putting the shows in jeopardy.

New York City therapist Mia Merrill was in the audience the night of Sebastian’s fateful concert. She loves his music and wants to help him overcome his PTSD, but there’s another reason she’s determined to become his therapist: She’s the reason he was shot.

Driven by guilt and a need to atone, Mia takes Sebastian on as a patient. Forbidden romantic sparks fly between the two during their therapy sessions, but no sooner do they start to make progress on Sebastian’s stage fright than the gunman announces he’s back to finish the job.

I’ve peppered the story with factual details of how a band rehearses pre-tour, what goes on backstage before a live show once the band hits the road, and even worked in a few things that actually happened to me on the road. (I’m hoping it might be fun for readers to guess.)

The music industry has a reputation for “sex, drugs and rock & roll.” So here are a few of my personal tips for “Writing A Rocking Sex Scene”…

  • “Amp” Up Sensations – Feed in sensual references wherever possible. My singer Sebastian compares an electrified rock concert to “a massive orgasm shared with thousands of people. And the moment of anticipation, before each song starts, is like delicious foreplay.”
  • “Stage” the Seduction – Create strong visuals of your characters’ physicality. Tight pants onstage outlining an impressive package, the flash of silky skin revealed by a leather corset, the shortest of skirts all hint at what’s soon to come.
  • Appeal to Base (or “Bass”) Instincts – What scents do your characters exude? What feelings does a fleeting touch evoke? How does a smoldering look raise the temperature (and the stakes) for your characters? The sensual possibilities are endless.
  • Beg for “Encores” – Make your characters wait for sex until it’s almost unbearable and readers will be aching for it as well. And when glorious release comes, readers will be as, er, satisfied as your characters.
  • “Performance” Variety – Remember to make the world your characters reside in as detailed as possible. Introducing readers to a world you know intimately will add excitement and realism to your story. The band member snorting coke off the toilet tank in the Ladies’ room because the Men’s room only had urinals? Totally happened!

Here’s a quick excerpt of Rock Star to illustrate at least one of these tips:

Sebastian Roe lived for nights like this one.

The roar of the audience echoing in his ears, the wail of Nick’s guitar making his body vibrate, the pounding of Trevor’s drums pulsing like a living heartbeat.

In concert, Sebastian gave every ounce of energy to his fans, every drop of sweat, everything he had. They loved him for it, and he fed off that love. Hell, he mainlined it. It was a beautiful symbiosis, like a massive orgasm shared with thousands of people.

And this moment of anticipation before each song started was like delicious foreplay, a breathless excitement that danced along his nerve endings.

The first recognizable notes of “I Can’t Live Without You” launched into the air and the roar of the crowd became thunder. A solid wall of sound. Even with the earpiece in his ear, Sebastian could hardly hear Nick’s guitar to listen for his cue to start singing. But he knew this song as well as he knew his own name so he strutted to the front of the stage, throwing open his arms in a show of embracing them all. Every single person out there in the audience.

The roar got even louder.

“The sands of time run through my hands, my dreams and hopes and all my plans,” he crooned, his voice intentionally cracking to convey the sad emotion of the song. “I can’t live without you.”

It was his biggest hit. But more than any of his songs, Sebastian’s favorite music was the sound of the crowd’s deafening approval. He wasn’t disappointed now.

He grinned widely, and then suddenly felt an odd sting in the vicinity of his left shoulder. It pushed him back on the stage a few steps, as if a ghost had just shoved him. Weird. He looked around, but clearly nobody else was onstage except him and the band.

The sting became a burn, but he ignored it. Had he just pulled a muscle? No time to deal with it now. He straightened and then noticed a commotion in the seats near the front of the stage. A fight, maybe. People were running, shoving each other, climbing over chairs.

Whatever the problem, the band knew enough to keep playing. Sebastian took a breath, readying for the next verse, but he was distracted by an odd warmth now spreading across his chest. He looked down and tried to make sense of what he was seeing – a stain on his shirt where he’d felt that stinging burn. As he watched, the stain got larger. It was a dark shade of red.

It was blood. His blood.

His head started to spin and he sank to his knees. The wail of Nick’s guitar stopped. The pounding of Trevor’s drums stopped. Everything went eerily quiet in a venue built for sound.

Sebastian felt of the heat of the spotlights still trained directly on him, and as his vision began to fade his last thought was that he’d lived his life on a stage and tonight he was going to die on one.

© by Leigh Court

 

I’m giving away a free e-copy of the book to a commenter, with the winner chosen at random. Just answer this question: What was your most fabulous memory of a rock concert?

Writing Rock Star was so much fun that I’m giving each of the band members his own book. So now I’m busy thinking of other outrageous trouble these boys can get into! Rock Star is available at all outlets, and you can sign up for release news at my mailing list at www.leighcourt.com.

Thanks so much to Romance Junkies for letting me post today!

Leigh

5 Responses to How to Write a “Rocking” Sex Scene with Leigh Court & #Giveaway

  1. bn100

    going with friends to a concert

  2. Colleen C.

    Everyone sounded like Chipmunks after the show… boy was my hearing off for a while, LOL.

Back to Top