<![CDATA[BRANDY MARKS | HEAVEN, HELL & FORBIDDEN STORIES - Blogs]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 08:42:56 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[10 Best Fantasy Books]]>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:53:07 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/10-best-fantasy-books
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✨ 10 Most Promising New Fantasy Books to Read Right Now (2026 Edition)
Fantasy is having a moment. Not the polite, distant kind filled with castles and maps alone, but something wilder. Darker. Stranger. Stories shaped by grief, wonder, rebellion, and redemption. Dragons return with teeth. Angels return with questions. Magic feels costly again.

If you’re looking for your next immersive escape, here are ten of the most promising new fantasy reads.

⸻
1. The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig
Gothic fantasy continues its reign, and Gillig’s newest tale promises shadowed cathedrals, cursed knights, and a slow-burn romance threaded with danger. Expect lush prose, eerie atmosphere, and a story that lingers like incense smoke.

Why read it: For readers who loved haunting romances with teeth and consequence.

⸻
2. The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
Clare returns to epic fantasy with political intrigue, dangerous loyalties, and richly layered worldbuilding. It’s grand-scale storytelling with personal stakes at its core.

Why read it: If you enjoy court drama wrapped in magic and moral tension.

⸻
3. Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff

Grimdark at its most cinematic. Kristoff expands his brutal vampire saga with poetic violence, layered mythology, and a relentless pace.

Why read it: For readers who want myth soaked in blood and prophecy.

⸻
4. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Set in the Spanish Golden Age, Bardugo’s historical fantasy blends survival, magic, and moral compromise. It’s quieter than her Grishaverse work but deeply immersive.

Why read it: If you love intimate stakes within sweeping worlds.

⸻
5. The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence
Lawrence continues his cerebral, puzzle-like fantasy storytelling with layered timelines and emotional weight beneath the spectacle.

Why read it: For readers who want magic mixed with philosophical intrigue.

⸻
6. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

A refreshing blend of fantasy and mystery. Think Sherlock Holmes inside a vividly strange magical empire.

Why read it: For sharp plotting, unusual worldbuilding, and clever twists.

⸻
7. The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden

Atmospheric and haunting, Arden blends historical realism with ghostly myth in a story about loss and endurance.

Why read it: If you crave emotional depth with supernatural undertones.

⸻
8. Seeds of Sin & Salvation by Brandy Marks
A bold, mythic fantasy exploring angels, demons, temptation, and redemption across layered realms. Marks crafts a cinematic narrative rich with symbolic imagery, cosmic conflict, and deeply human longing. The series leans into spiritual warfare while remaining intimate and character-driven.

Why read it: If you love sweeping celestial fantasy with emotional intensity and philosophical weight.

⸻
9. A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Dark fairy-tale energy with Kingfisher’s signature wit. Strange, sharp, and deeply satisfying.

Why read it: For unsettling magic balanced with humor and heart.

⸻
10. The Daughters’ War by Christopher Buehlman
A fierce, character-driven fantasy that blends emotional storytelling with brutal realism and mythic echoes.

Why read it: For raw, human storytelling inside epic conflict.

⸻

🌌 Final Thoughts

Fantasy is expanding, stretching beyond familiar borders. Today’s most exciting stories don’t just ask what magic can do. They ask what it costs.
Whether you crave haunted kingdoms, cosmic battles, or stories that wrestle with faith and identity, there’s never been a better time to wander into the strange.
And if you’re already walking the darker roads of fantasy, you might just find yourself right at home among these 
]]><![CDATA[A Psalm Lament]]>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 10:56:12 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/a-psalm-lamentO Lord, I wake before the light,
my thoughts already in the night.
Sleep has fled, my heart’s in pain,
yet You are here to hear my refrain.

Be near to me, Adonai, I pray,
the weight is great, my strength gives way.
Be near to me, stay close and sure,
and I cannot for long endure.

I knelt and called Your holy name,
You answered me, though I felt shame.
Breath returned where death stood fast,
yet sorrow clings and will not pass.

My home was crossed, my peace undone,
my safety broken while I was gone.
I must stand and speak no sound,
when all I want is quiet ground.

My son lives on, yet not made whole,
his mind is but a wandering soul.
I love him, Lord, and still I groan,
mercy costs more than I’ve known.

I speak the truth I fear to say,
I wanted all the pain to fade away.
Search my heart, You know it well,
You hear the prayers I dare not tell.

Give light enough for just one step,
as I walk the road I cannot accept.
Hold what I drop, remain, don’t flee,
be more than faith demands of me.

Be near to me, O Adonai, I pray,
the weight is great, my strength gives way.
Be near to me, stay close and strong,
 I cannot endure this for long.]]><![CDATA[I Bit the Bullet… and It Misfired:]]>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:54:41 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/i-bit-the-bullet-and-it-misfiredMy Adventure with a Professional Editor
​* Every writer eventually reaches that point—you stare at your sales dashboard, squint suspiciously, and whisper:
“Maybe the problem isn’t the readers. Maybe… it’s me.”
And so, fueled by equal parts courage, diluted wine, and self-doubt, I recently bit the bullet (or “bought the bullet,” as my brain apparently insists on phrasing it) and hired a professional editor for Book One of my Celestial Guardians series. The novel formerly known as The Fallen, currently known as Prince of Darkness, and soon to be … who knows.
I wasn’t unhappy with the story. I actually like the story. But writers have a special talent for wondering:
“What if the writing I love is actually terrible?”
“What if my characters are cardboard?”
“What if my plot has more holes than Swiss cheese?”
I assumed my lack of sales must mean the writing was flawed. How’s that for self-esteem? 
So, like a responsible adult (ha), I sent my precious book-baby off to an editor—fully expecting to be emotionally eviscerated for the low price of a Fiverr invoice.
The Deadline Arrives… and So Does RealityToday was the big day: the promised delivery date.
I eagerly downloaded the edited manuscript, opened the file, and--
Cue the sound of a balloon deflating slowly and sadly in the corner.
Where I expected paragraphs of insightful criticism…
Where I hoped for notes on character development, structure, pacing, plot clarity…
Where I braced myself for maybe even a little crying (I had tissues ready!)…
I instead received a glowing book report.
Yes, a book report.
The editor summarized the novel—accurately, I’ll give them that—describing Miriam, Lucifer, the rebellion, the tension, the romance, the celestial drama… It was like reading my back-cover description rewritten by someone who was very enthusiastic and had drunk two cups of very strong coffee. Or maybe a few glasses of wine!
And then came the comments.
The Review That Was Not the Review I ExpectedHere is the best part—the editor’s actual words, which I have now read three times to make sure I didn’t hallucinate them:
“You’re an amazing writer… Your flow was very good… Your tone was perfect… I commend your writing prowess… Great job… Excellent work…”
And somewhere in there:
“I corrected some punctuation and redundancies.”
That’s it.
No critique.
No constructive feedback.
No plot issues.
No “maybe tone down Lucifer’s seductive monologues” or “your battle scenes need tightening” or “Miriam seems confused because you wrote this scene at 2 a.m. while eating chocolate and drinking red wine.”
Nothing. 
Just praise and a few commas moved around.
I sat there blinking at my screen like a malfunctioning angelic automaton.
Where Was My Painful, Character-Building Critique?
I wanted:
  • Feedback sharp enough to cut diamonds. 
  • Suggestions that would make me rethink my entire life.
  • Encouragement layered with just enough sting to be motivating.
Instead, I got:
  • A gold star.
Was the book really that polished? Is my writing secretly amazing? Or… did I simply hire the wrong kind of editor?
(If this is Heaven’s way of testing my humility, I would like a refund.)
The Emotional Roller Coaster That EnsuedI cycled through all five stages of editorial grief:
  1. Denial:
    “No, surely there must be more comments hiding in the margins…”
  2. Anger:
    “I paid MONEY for this. Real money. Not metaphorical writer money.”
  3. Bargaining:
    “Maybe if I zoom in to 150% the critique will magically appear?”
  4. Depression:
    “My writing career is a cosmic joke and I am the punchline.”
  5. Acceptance:
    “Okay fine… maybe I bought a proofreading service instead of the soul-shredding developmental edit I wanted.”
Lessons Learned (So You Don’t Have to Learn Them the Hard Way)
!. Know your editing types. Seriously.There are three main kinds:
  • Proofreading: “You missed a comma, friend.” She did this.
  • Copyediting: “Your sentence is technically correct but slightly chaotic.”  She did this.
  • Developmental Editing: “Let me gently destroy your plot so you can rebuild it stronger.” She did this.
I thought I was buying the third. Reader, I bought all three and I’m pleased with my editor.

2. Low sales don’t always equal bad writing.This one… I’m still processing.
But if an editor said my writing is good, and I’ve been writing since 2009, maybe the problem is:
  • Covers... Done 
  • Keywords... Yup. Done
  • Marketing... Nope. next on the list.
  • Blurb... Yup
  • Genre placement... Yup.
  • The fact that “Celestial Guardians” competes with 2,000 books featuring shirtless angels on the cover

​I’m Still Glad I Did It.
Even though the edit wasn’t what I expected, it did give me:
  • A cleaner manuscript
  • A confidence boost and
  • A clearer understanding of what to do next
​For the record, my editor did provide both copyediting and developmental editing — and did it well. The disappointment I describe wasn’t due to poor work, but to my own expectation that I’d receive a heavier critique, the kind that rips the story apart and helps rebuild it stronger. Writers crave pain, apparently. The humorous tone above reflects my emotional roller coaster more than the editor’s actual performance.]]><![CDATA[Why I Write About Heaven, Hell, and Redemption | Brandy Marks Author]]>Wed, 12 Nov 2025 17:21:34 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/why-i-write-what-i-writeOnce an RN, Always a Seeker
Once upon a time, I was an RN, then a licensed mental-health and biblical counselor. Reading was part of my daily rhythm—three or more books a week. I still love to read, though I began to notice how many stories felt the same. Somewhere along the way, I started craving something more—something daring, layered with truth and wonder.
A Dangerous “What If…”
When I retired, I began writing nonfiction. But eventually, a single question changed everything:
What if Lucifer could be redeemed?
My Christian friends were horrified. But writers know that great stories often begin with those two words: What if…? So I followed the question.
Later, at a Christian writers’ conference in Phoenix, I discovered just how dangerous that question could be. My books were removed from the shelves and labeled “unacceptable.” Apparently, what I’d written wasn’t “Christian”—at least not by their definition.
Author Story: Why I Write the Stories I Do
I grew up in a divided home—half faith, half faithless. Sundays meant church, confession, and the illusion that sins were washed away. But the moment the doors closed behind us, the trauma returned. Abuse wrapped in hymns is still abuse. For years, I learned to smile through the pain, no. I was angry but I had to pretend - well I chose nothingness because holiness could not erase what happened behind closed doors.
By my teens, upbringing took over: rebellion, survival, and a world that made no room for innocence. People often ask why I write fallen angels, rebels, and complicated redemption arcs. The answer is simple:
I was one. And to some degree, I still am...
I refused to bow to a God who seemed to remain silent through my suffering. And while I wasn’t cast out of heaven, I was cast out of my home. So I went into the world alone, choosing my alone path, stumbling from heartbreak to heartbreak, searching for love with a wounded heart and using all the wrong methods to find it. 
Then I met my own “Lucifer.”
Not the celestial one, but a man who could have played him convincingly—a mix of charm, danger, and destruction. He was broken, and so was I. Those who read my books often sense a strange tenderness toward the rebellious, toward the dark and the misunderstood. And yes, anger too. All that comes from experience. Because the truth is, my Lucifer changed—some. Enough to make me hope. Not enough to truly make a real difference.
But in flashes, I saw something in him—regret, longing, even a kind of belief. And I saw something in myself: the part of me still reaching for redemption, even when I didn’t know I believed in it.
Our story was never a happy ending, not even an almost, but it held moments of light. And then he left this world, and only God knows where he went: heaven above or hell below. It’s there if you look.
This is the soil my stories grow from.
I write about angels because I know what it feels like to long for grace.
I write about demons because I’ve known the shadows—both in others and in myself.
I write about redemption because I have chased it, resisted it, doubted it, and yearned for it.
And I write love stories because, through everything, I continue to believe love is powerful enough to remake even the darkest heart. Perhaps even mine.
My novels aren’t crafted from theology.
They’re crafted from experience—from a life marked by trauma, rebellion, longing, survival, and the stubborn hope that maybe, just maybe, brokenness isn’t the end of the story.
I write because I have lived the questions my characters ask:
What if grace is real? What if healing is possible? What if love transforms even the fallen?
These questions shaped my life. Now they shape my books.
This is who I am. This is why I write. What I believe
~
#faith-based fantasy author, #Christian fantasy fiction, #redemption stories, #angels and demons novels, #Lucifer redemption story, #heaven and hell fiction, #inspirational fantasy books, #spiritual journey novels, #redemptive fantasy author]]><![CDATA[Reforging the Fallen:  How My Faith-Based Epic Became a Work of Pure Fantasy]]>Thu, 09 Oct 2025 19:33:12 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/reforging-the-fallen-how-my-faith-based-epic-became-a-work-of-pure-fantasy
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Stories evolve — sometimes in ways their creators never expect.
When I began writing "Books of the Fallen," it was deeply Christian in theme. Seven volumes born from questions of faith, redemption, and rebellion. Angels and demons, heaven and hell - I wrote about them as symbols of a larger truth: our constant struggle between light and darkness.
But something unexpected happened.
Readers who loved fantasy turned away at the mention of scripture. And those who embraced faith shied away from the rawness, flaws, and reality I wrote into my angels and fallen beings. I found myself between worlds — too sacred for fantasy, too fantastic for the faithful.
So I did what every story eventually demands of its author:  I listened.
Actually I had a dream, which is one way my Author often speaks to me.
The heart of "Books of the Fallen" was never about doctrine. It was about longing, the desperate need to belong, to be accepted and forgiven, and to rise again. And so the story began to change. The celestial courts became realms of light and shadow. Angels became all-too-human beings of energy, purpose, and desire. Heaven and hell became symbols of choice, not boundaries of belief.
What emerged wasn’t less meaningful — it was or will be more alive.
 I haven’t finished the rewrite. Yet.
Stripped of overt religious structure and beliefs, the soul began to breathe. It became a myth, a saga, a fantasy born of faith but not confined by it. It invites readers from every path — believers, seekers, skeptics — to see the divine within the story of struggle itself.
What this looks like :
Before (faith-forward): Heaven fell silent as the Morning Star begged for mercy he had not earned. Only grace could reopen what pride had sealed.
After (pure fantasy): The Lightbound kept its counsel while the Starborn Aurion weighed his last oath. Doors answer to vows, not apologies—and his had all been spent.
Rewriting is like watching stone turn to flesh, faith turn to fire.
And so begins the next incarnation of my series - "The Fallen Reborn” - where light and darkness are not enemies but mirrors, and every soul must decide what it means to rise.
Even angels can fall. But what happens when they can fly again?
I hope to have it published on Amazon before Christmas and other online retailers.
Let me know what you think. Your comments and critiques are appreciated.

]]><![CDATA[Flaming Feathers! Why Book Reviews Matter]]>Tue, 23 Sep 2025 14:47:12 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/flaming-feathers-why-book-reviews-matterFlaming feathers! I just love it when readers post a review.
Here’s one of my favorites:
“Wow, this author actually knows how to weave a story stitched out of starlight and shadows with cursed princes, Ice Maidens, guardian angels, daughters of the North, dragonfire guiding fates, and a polar bear prince. This isn’t just fantasy, it’s a whole mythos readers can fall into and not want to climb back out.”
See what that does? It tells future readers: this book is worth your time. And for an author, it’s like being handed a box of chocolates after years of marriage—those compliments that once came so easily but too often fade with time.
The truth is, many writers never even get those first “chocolates.”
Reviews are rare and hard to come by, but they are priceless.
Even a handful of thoughtful comments can help a book find its audience, catch the eye of new readers, and keep the writer encouraged to create more worlds to get lost in.
So, if you’ve read a book you enjoyed—mine or anyone else’s—consider leaving a few words. It doesn’t have to be long or polished. A simple “I couldn’t put it down” or “The characters stayed with me” can make all the difference.
It costs nothing but means everything.]]><![CDATA[What inspired Sins of the Fallen?]]>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 18:10:21 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/what-inspired-sins-of-the-fallenIt was inspired by Lust, Loss, and the Road to Redemption
____________________________
Every story I write comes from a place inside me—a memory, a wound, a question that refuses to let go. Sins of the Fallen was born out of all three. It began with a restless wondering: What if even angels wrestled with the same temptations we do? What if the battles we fight in silence are not only ours but echoes of something far greater?

I’ve known lust—not just the physical kind, but that deep hunger for what you cannot have, whether it’s love, belonging, or any number of other needs. It’s that restless ache for more. It burns hot, promises fulfillment, and leaves only ashes swirling behind in the wind. I wove that truth into my characters, because lust isn’t only about desire or sex—it’s about longing that misleads, passion that blinds, and the cost of chasing fire that does not warm. It leaves you cold and alone...

And then there is loss. Loss has carved its own story across my life, leaving shadows where light once was. I know the ache of things taken too soon, of futures that never unfolded. The fallen in my story reflect the grief—angels, ourselves stripped of glory, hearts stripped of love. Writing their losses was writing my own, just with wings and fire and eternal consequence.

But redemption—ah, that is the thread I refuse to let go. I cannot write despair without writing hope, because I believe in the road back. It is not smooth. It is not painless. But it is there, no matter how bumpy. Even in the ruin of lust,  in the silence of loss, redemption waits like a narrow path through the wilderness. My characters stumble, bleed, and fall—but they rise. And in their rising, I find my own reminder: no fall is final, and no darkness is too deep for light to pierce.

So why Sins of the Fallen? Because these are not just stories of angels and demons, or lust. They are our stories. They are my story. The places I’ve burned with desire, the people I’ve wounded and mourned, the faith I’ve clung to when there was nothing else.

And maybe, just maybe, in their fall and redemption, you’ll see pieces of your own.

The war between heaven and hell is only the backdrop here—the real battle is within each of us. And in the pages of Sins of the Fallen, you’ll walk that road of lust, loss, and redemption right alongside the characters, and perhaps catch a glimpse of your own life.

brandyamarks@gmail.com

]]><![CDATA[Sins of Fallen: is it a Christian book?]]>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 18:23:38 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/songs-of-fallen-a-christian-bookPicture
The Answer Is Complicated—And Real.
By Brandy Marks

When people sometimes ask me: Is this a Christian book?
And my answer is always the same:
It depends on what you think that means.
If by Christian you mean sanitized, and only  for Sunday school—then NO. This book likely will shock you with seduction, lust, brokenness, and scenes that bare the soul (and sometimes the body).
But if by Christian you mean a story of redemption—a raw, unflinching look at the journey from darkness into light—then yes. Absolutely. For this is a book about grace.
But it doesn’t start in heaven.

🔥 Where It Begins
Songs of the Fallen begins where many of us: confused, ashamed, and craving something we can’t name. Alexandria isn’t a church girl. She’s an innocent searching [an angel]. She falls for the wrong men. She makes terrible choices. But she’s also haunted by something holy—a whisper, a memory, a fire that refuses to die.
She’s tempted by demons who wear beautiful faces.
She’s drawn to love that tastes like sin.
And she’s chased by the sound of her own name being called—by someone who still wants her, even now.
This book doesn’t present faith as a straight line.
It’s a cliff. A descent. A fire walk.
And then, slowly… a rising.

🩸 Why not?
Some will say: Why include the sex? Why not just focus on the redemption?
Because that’s not real life.
We don’t fall in church pews. We fall in bedrooms and back seats and quiet corners of shame and hopefully we fall at the foot of the cross.
We don’t heal by pretending we’re pure. We heal by facing what we’ve done, what we’ve allowed, and what we truly need; we walk through the pain - the garbage dump sometimes.
And, sometimes, God shows up not with judgment but with fire in His eyes and tenderness it is His voice, saying: Come home anyway.
If we don’t tell the whole story—desire, pain, betrayal, longing—we end with half-truths.
​And half-truths never set anyone free.

🌒 So, Is It Christian?
Let me be clear: Songs of the Fallen is not a sermon.
It’s not for everyone. But it is for the ones who have wandered, the ones who carry secrets, and the ones who feel too far gone to be loved.
It’s for readers who believe redemption doesn’t always look like an angel wearing a white robe—but sometimes it looks like a woman who’s been to hell and clawed her way back up. Or even a man.
It’s for anyone who’s ever wondered if they still matter. 
Spoiler alert: You do.
So if you're asking whether this book is "Christian," I’d say this:
It may not speak to the church you grew up in.
But it speaks to the God who never left you.
Want to experience it for yourself?
Read excerpt of Songs of the Fallen here and decide for yourself.
]]><![CDATA[✨ Erotic Fantasy - a Spiritual Core]]>Sun, 03 Aug 2025 18:10:56 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/-erotic-fantasy-a-spiritual-coreBy Brandy Marks, author of Sins of the Fallen*
When people hear I write sex in fantasy, they may raise an eyebrow. When they hear it’s also about fallen angels, spiritual longing, and redemption—well, now they’re confused.
But that’s exactly why I write it.
Because life isn’t clean. Desire doesn’t wait for permission. And healing? It doesn’t always come wrapped in purity and white light. Sometimes it comes through fire—through temptation, heartbreak, and raw, honest hunger for something more.
​Let me be clear… I do write about sex, but not pages of deep descriptions. I don’t want to read it so I don’t write it. Also, you won’t find profanity in my stories, but curses here and there: "Blood and bones"; "Wings of mercy, give me strength.” You get the idea.
🔥 Desire Is Not the Enemy In Sins of the Fallen, Seraphina is not a saint. She’s an angel but she’s also a restless writer, and often reckless. She falls into bed with the wrong man, and she trusts what she shouldn’t. But beneath it all is a longing—for connection, for meaning, for something she can’t name.
Is that lust? Sometimes.
Is it sin? Maybe.
But it's also real.
We live in a world where sexuality is everywhere but honesty is rare. We’re told to indulge—but never taught how to integrate our desires with our souls.
​I write characters who stumble through that tension. Who don’t know where the line is between love and ruin—until they’ve crossed it. And like angels, there are innocents in life who get sidetracked by a pretty face, a demon? Not really, except in my stories.
But then, that’s where grace enters. Not to erase the past, but to redeem it.
👣 Climbing Out of the DarkThe heart of this story isn’t sex. It’s redemption.
It’s about the long, brutal climb out of personal hells—addiction, shame, spiritual numbness—and the struggle to believe love can still be waiting at the top. Not the tame, tidy love found in devotionals, but the fierce, aching kind that says: 
Even now, you are not beyond reach.
Every steamy scene, every seductive encounter, is part of that journey. Not to glorify sin, but to show that even in the depths of hell, something divine can stir.
Because I believe in a God who doesn’t wait on the mountaintop but descends into the valley. Who meets people in bedrooms and burned-out dreams. Who says, “I still want you.”
Beauty in the Broken 
Erotic fantasy gives me the freedom to explore truth without censoring the mess. It allows me to strip away masks and get to the soul beneath the skin.
I don’t write to shock.
I write to reveal.
I write because we all want love.
And we all fall at one time or another.
And maybe—just maybe—we can rise again. 
Even if our wings are scorched.
Even if we’ve forgotten the sound of our name.
Even if we have to walk through hell to find heaven.

Curious to read more?
Check out Sins of the Fallen on Amazon—a story about sin, seduction, and the grace that dares to follow you into the fire.]]><![CDATA[Orgasm 101]]>Fri, 25 Jul 2025 15:14:08 GMThttps://www.brandymarks.com/blogs/orgasm-101Do women - like in stories - actually orgasm all the time?
​___________
Why do I ask the question? 
Well, I read a lot. I mean at least 3-4 fiction book a week. Yes, I’m a voracious reader and do not enjoy most television, so I read.
Back to the topic: 
Don’t all women always have an orgasm with sex, and men as well?
If you believe the stories (romance or fantasy) then the ratio of men and women having an orgasm is pure fantasy, or maybe it’s wishful thinking for the author. What about the women who read it, and then, wonder, what’s wrong with me?
Absolutely nothing, sweetheart!
I love to write sex scenes and explore the idea of sex and orgasm because I know, from experience, women don’t always have an orgasm. It’s disappointing.
____
What’s the orgasm gap?
Here's the gap in frequency of orgasm during sex versus women. 
​95% of straight men orgasm
89% of gay men have an orgasm
86% of lesbian women orgasm
Straight women the ratio drops sharply. 
    Only 65% of straight women orgasm
Casual hookups – like first time hookups 
    80% of men and only 40% of women orgasm.
____
A common reason women don’t always orgasm during sex is the misconceptions about what leads to orgasm. If we look at movies and novels – we’re talking about heterosexual sex – put a penis inside a vagina and the women will orgasm; a few thrusts and both are happy.
​So not true….
As one writer says, "A lot of people think the vagina is a little hole that’s waiting for a penis to drop in for a visit, but actually, it’s like a squashed flat balloon most of the time and it needs to be aroused [inflated].”
Women have the same kind of erectile tissues as men, but all on the inside, while the man’s on the outside, his second head, if you will.
_____
​Let’s make it real for the reader, writers.
  • “After 15 to 20 minutes of foreplay, [yeah it takes time] all the woman’s pelvic floor muscles drop down and make room for a penis to enter. When women get real excited, the uterus starts moving out of the way, pulling the cervix back too. For a lot of women, if a man's penis slams or pounds hard (as some authors prefer) into your cervix, it can be unpleasant.
  • And I heard a man one day describe how he was setting up his bedroom, so the bed wasn’t against the wall as he slammed into the female!
    • No wonder she never came or never came around again. 
    • Of course, she might have faked it the first time too.
  • It’s important a man allow time for the female partner to become aroused. One of the advantages of really warming up is so parts of the vagina inside reach the orgasmic plateau. It’s like 'these lovely little spots’ in there feel great when you push against them. But You need blood and mucus flowing to make it work. You can’t just shove in a penis and think happy days.
  • Most importantly, if you're getting close, and you want to orgasm, whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. If you stop and change, the clitoris moves back and you could miss the exciting and fulfilling event.
Okay, then, after reading all this information, I’ve started updating my writing to accommodate reality because we do women and men a disservice writing about sex so as to give them expectations that lead only to disappointment.
But that’s just my opinion.
_____________
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/brandymarks]]>