Book Recommendations (Poly)

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Viridian

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I'm looking for a specific kind of book to read. One that involves a poly relationship between three people.

Really, what I'm looking for is romance, not erotica. Erotic content is fine, but if it's the primary focus, I'm not interested. Also, I'm not -- repeat, not -- looking for books in which two people share a third. All three people must be in love with each other. Preferably with all that kissing and dramatic declarations of undying affection and such. :D

Sorry, I realize that's a bit specific. Anyone got any good recommendations? The gender of the characters doesn't matter.

Oh please oh please, I know this is a weird thing to ask recs for.
 
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Viridian

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Waitwaitwait, is it because Crow gets to be part of the romance too? I like Crow. :)

Hahaha... yeah. Transparent, aren't I? Originally, he died at the end of the book, but somewhere between the first chapter and the last he became my pet favorite. You know how they say 'kill your darlings'? Crow is my darling, only instead of killing him I gave him two love interests and his own sequel.

Whoops.

Anyway, now I'm writing a menage, but I have (almost literally) never read one before. So. Here I am.
 

KimJo

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I have a few menages, two that I think actually fit what you're looking for, Viridian. I won't completely pimp myself here, but if you're interested, I can PM you the titles.
 

Viridian

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I have a few menages, two that I think actually fit what you're looking for, Viridian. I won't completely pimp myself here, but if you're interested, I can PM you the titles.

I'm picky, but I'd welcome the titles.
 

Hopefully WLCT

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" A Rose In Winter" by Kathleen Woodiwiss is my favorite, she's all about the romance. I read it once a year, it's one of my favorites.
 

gingerwoman

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I'm looking for a specific kind of book to read. One that involves a poly relationship between three people.

Really, what I'm looking for is romance, not erotica. Erotic content is fine, but if it's the primary focus, I'm not interested. Also, I'm not -- repeat, not -- looking for books in which two people share a third. All three people must be in love with each other. Preferably with all that kissing and dramatic declarations of undying affection and such. :D

Sorry, I realize that's a bit specific. Anyone got any good recommendations? The gender of the characters doesn't matter.

Oh please oh please, I know this is a weird thing to ask recs for.
Mine are a very high heat level, but I feel I balance erotic content, a strong romance between three people and the paranormal plot pretty equally, although I get that people looking for what your looking for often don't want a paranormal romance.
 

Ann_Mayburn

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I write a crap ton of menage and I make sure that all three people are equally represented, often with POV from all three characters. I hate, loath, when the third person is treated like a sex toy to be used and then put back in the drawer when done. ;)

If you like BDSM with a 'gay for you' slant try:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JVDE3GO/?tag=absowrit-20

If you like sci-fi with a 'mars needs women' slant try:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L7DCGMY/?tag=absowrit-20

Or if short stories with some F/F are more your style:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NSY9X30/?tag=absowrit-20

Or just go to my website. I label all of my books with the gender pairing because...well I write pretty much every gender pairing under the sun. ;)
 

Pisco Sour

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I don't mean to derail the thread, but I've been wondering...what's the difference between polyamory and menage? I've written a novella (flogging it at the moment) about a woman who falls in love and has sex with different men, at different times. One on one. I guess she's sort of collecting lovers on her journey of discovery, but she eventually enters a committed relationship with all of them. Is that poly? I've also written two novellas where three or more peeps do the deed together, MFMMM+ Is that menage or poly? Thanks. Sorry to derail.
 

KimJo

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Polyamory translates as "loving more than one." So polyamory involves any type of situation where someone LOVES more than one person romantically. Sex may or may not be involved, whether we're talking about fiction or about real life. I have a polyamory romance under consideration that, per instructions in the publisher's call for submissions, has a wee bit of implied sex and nothing on page; in real life, I'm online acquaintances with a few asexual polyamorous folk. Polyamory is about *love*, not about sex, though obviously there may be overlap.

Menage (at least in fiction) is generally more than one person having sex with each other. Given the nature of romance, there kind of has to be love involved, but there also pretty much has to be sex involved, as I understand the genre. If you're writing menage erotica that doesn't involve any loving relationships, it is menage but NOT polyamory. If it's *only* about sex, it isn't polyamory, because polyamory requires there to be love.

Polyamory does not mean that *everyone* is involved with each other. Your first example, Pisco, of a woman who falls in love with and has committed relationships with more than one man would, in my opinion, be polyamory, because she is loving more than one person. It's irrelevant for definition's sake whether she has sex with all--or any--of them, or whether any of them men are involved with each other or only with the woman.

Your second example, I would consider "menage plus", but if the characters are only having sex with each other and aren't in love with each other, it would not be polyamory.

Not sure if I've clarified anything or made it more confusing...
 
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Viridian

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I don't mean to derail the thread, but I've been wondering...what's the difference between polyamory and menage? I've written a novella (flogging it at the moment) about a woman who falls in love and has sex with different men, at different times. One on one. I guess she's sort of collecting lovers on her journey of discovery, but she eventually enters a committed relationship with all of them. Is that poly? I've also written two novellas where three or more peeps do the deed together, MFMMM+ Is that menage or poly? Thanks. Sorry to derail.

KimJo explained it well, I think. But really it's a debatable point.

The word "poly" describes relationships. "Menage" describes sex. Poly is when one person has multiple relationships. Menage is when multiple people have sex at the same time.

Let's say that Alice is in love with Bob and Jane. There are Alice/Bob sex scenes and Alice/Jane sex scenes, but not Alice/Bob/Jane sex scenes. All the characters are aware of this and are okay with it, and Alice is not being forced to choose between them. This would be poly, but not menage.

Let's say Alice, Bob, and Jane all have sex together at the same time. Now it's poly and menage.

Now lets say that Alice, Bob, and Jane are all single. They're all friends. They get outrageously drunk and have a threesome. That's menage, but not poly.

On another level... it's my understanding that when a reader picks up a book labeled "menage," what they expect is erotica. Usually a situation in which two people (or more) share a third. But when I pick up a book labeled "poly," I expect a focus on poly people and relationships, not just a threesome or foursome.

But I've noticed some publishers use the terms poly and menage interchangeably. So to some people, there is no difference at all.

But when I say poly, what I mean is "romance, not erotica."
 
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Pisco Sour

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Polyamory translates as "loving more than one." So polyamory involves any type of situation where someone LOVES more than one person romantically. Sex may or may not be involved, whether we're talking about fiction or about real life. I have a polyamory romance under consideration that, per instructions in the publisher's call for submissions, has a wee bit of implied sex and nothing on page; in real life, I'm online acquaintances with a few asexual polyamorous folk. Polyamory is about *love*, not about sex, though obviously there may be overlap.

Menage (at least in fiction) is generally more than one person having sex with each other. Given the nature of romance, there kind of has to be love involved, but there also pretty much has to be sex involved, as I understand the genre. If you're writing menage erotica that doesn't involve any loving relationships, it is menage but NOT polyamory. If it's *only* about sex, it isn't polyamory, because polyamory requires there to be love.

Polyamory does not mean that *everyone* is involved with each other. Your first example, Pisco, of a woman who falls in love with and has committed relationships with more than one man would, in my opinion, be polyamory, because she is loving more than one person. It's irrelevant for definition's sake whether she has sex with all--or any--of them, or whether any of them men are involved with each other or only with the woman.

Your second example, I would consider "menage plus", but if the characters are only having sex with each other and aren't in love with each other, it would not be polyamory.

Not sure if I've clarified anything or made it more confusing...

FABULOUS! Thanks for the explanation. I'm embarrassed to admit I've been unclear about these terms for yonks, not knowing what I'm writing and where it fits in publishing terms. Being relatively smart, I did look up the terms in the dictionary at some point. However, publishers do seem to use these terms differently, which kinda added to the confusion! Thanks again!
 

Pisco Sour

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KimJo explained it well, I think. But really it's a debatable point.

The word "poly" describes relationships. "Menage" describes sex. Poly is when one person has multiple relationships. Menage is when multiple people have sex at the same time.

A great segue to Kimjo's explanations. All of it, including 'Bob and Sue' examples. Thanks! This is why I love AW! At least now I know what I'm writing and am clear on the terms. I find publishers confusing sometimes in their uses of poly and menage, but at last I'm clear in me own 'ed.
 

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<---- They don't all love one another right away, but give it time...
 
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