Thursday, February 9, 2012

Nympho Or Just Normal?


I watched a French movie yesterday called Diary Of A Nymphomaniac. Despite the provocative title, it was actually quite thoughtful and very good. The lead character's sexual journey resonated with me. Some of the things Valerie said stuck in my mind, in particular this statement: "You know, I communicate better with my body than with words. With a caress I describe things that make me feel alive." I created a character with similar ideals in my book "Don't Call Me Baby". This book will be on sale at half off next week at AllRomanceEBooks. Get it for about four bucks! What a bargain!

Another quote that spoke to me came from Valerie's grandmother. It went something like this: "Nymphomaniac is a word created by men to condemn women they can't control." Sadly, women are just as likely if not more likely to negatively judge a sexually free woman. You know the saying, "Why buy the cow if you can get the milk for free"? I respond to that dig with this: "Why buy the whole pig when all you want is a little sausage". That shuts things up real quick.

Here is yet another quote from the movie stuck with me: "I'm a promiscuous woman, yes, because I want to use sex as a means to find what everyone is looking for: recognition, pleasure, self-esteem, and, in short, love and affection". My character Catherine Stone is on a similar journey. She uses sex to communicate in part because she's very attractive and men of all stripes are drawn to her. Her choices don't take her in the direction Valerie goes in in the movie but her motivations are similar. 

It's easy to judge Catherine since she doesn't follow the rules. She sleeps with married men. She's promiscuous. She's selfish. But she's also thoughtful, intelligent, and compassionate. Rather than judge her in a knee-jerk fashion since she's not your typical romance novel heroine, try to understand why she does what she does and thinks the way she thinks. She's actually a bit ahead of her time. She's blunt and somewhat brutal. She wants to experience all that life has to offer and she'll take what she wants - sometimes against her own better judgment. Does she find the love and affection she's looking for in the end? You'll have to read the book to find out. Pick it up now or buy it next week when it's half off at AllRomanceEBooks.


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