10th Anniversary Contest Round Four

We asked readers, "How has Ellora's Cave improved your sex life?" and boy have we gotten some fun answers! Big congrats to Laura, who won Round Three. She gets a free ebook of her choice and goes into the Grand Prize round for a chance to win a netbook computer. Read the ones below and vote in the right hand panel for your favorite. The winner of this round gets a free ebook of his or her choice and goes into the Grand Prize round for a chance to win a netbook computer!

Jennifer
It has taught me all kinds of new positions and interesting bedroom games and tricks!


Ian
It has really helped me get past a few insecurities. I have progressed to the extent now where I can really go balls to the wall. Thanks again and thanks for the contest.

Abbe
This is somewhat roundabout, but Ellora's Cave books improved my sex life by being well written. They aren't embarrassing to read like I had always imagined romance novels to be. I wasn't worried about the sex (Ok, a little. How my hippie parents raised a prude, I will never know) but reading "fluff" has always had a stigma to it. The characters were one-dimensional girl-women without personalities that the reader could insert herself on to. The relationships that came to mind when I saw book covers were always "oh, rescue me" or dysfunctional.

So when I actually did take a chance (aka, ran out of "good" books to read) and borrowed from a friend's bookcase, imagine my surprise when dysfunctional turned out to be a good thing. Sometimes being rescued is interesting! I wasn't expecting originality, a story that I got emotionally invested in, and scenes hot enough that I'd blush and hope nobody saw. The story might change, the heroine may do the rescuing but each novel I read took away more of the "fluff" shame.

I'm still a newbie of the genre but one of the big differences is that by introducing me to a literary genre that I had shunned, EC also helped me accept fantasies that I had thought were silly or embarrassing as well...sexy, and that's definitely an improvement to my sex life.

Anne
Ellora's Cave provides a wonderful spectrum of different romantic stories, ranging from the mildest to the hottest. I do not really have a traditional "sex life" to speak of, and it is kind of unbelievable that a 25-year-old female in this day and age is still a virgin. It is not due to any personal hard-held beliefs, but simply due to how life circumstances have played out for me. I have had my share of longing crushes from afar, but have yet to go on a date or even experience a first kiss. Throughout it all, I have enjoyed the world of romance, more specifically Romantica®. I truly believe that it is these stories that have allowed me to last so long. I have always been a romantic at heart, and therefore am a complete fan of romance.

I discovered Ellora's Cave several years ago through an advertisement in Romantic Times. At the time I was still somewhat conservative about sex and was shy about exploring other stories that were much darker than vanilla. So at first I only looked at the Ellora's Cave stories that seemed "traditional" and "missionary." As time went on I discovered that my curiosity about different types of sex was growing, albeit slowly. New positions were being exposed to me, and I found that I began to enjoy delving into the stories that were steamier and steamier. Ultimately Ellora's Cave developed my imagination and opened my mind to other aspects of sex.

So slowly, but surely, I began to explore the stories on BDSM and spanking. Honestly, at one time I would never think about reading those kinds of stories. But Ellora's Cave introduced classy stories that did not appall me, and it also educated me on BDSM by completely blowing my preconceived notions out of the water. It showed me that there are special relationships between these partners that add a new dimension to the romance. If anything feeling that intimacy makes the romance more engaging and really touches my heart (among other things ;-)).

My sexual exploration and education continue to grow every day. I have begun reading some multiple-partner stories, but mostly M/M/F. Although the majority of my stories are still traditional M/F stories, I am much more open about looking at the different novels offered. And now my imagination is wilder, and my expectations are possibly higher. Even though I do not have a man to share my fantasies with, I can hold on to them and continue to hope that I will meet that special someone to share them with. Ellora’s Cave continues to give me hope that I have every possibility to meet that special person, and in the meantime I can continue to enjoy reading and opening my mind to other sexual possibilities. I look at it this way: When I do meet the one for me I will have a library of fantasies to keep us busy, courtesy of Ellora’s Cave. Thank you, Ellora’s Cave, for educating me and providing a world that has supported me as well as entertained. Thank you, Ellora’s Cave, for helping me develop my fantasies as a sexual woman, and I look forward to more wonderful stories to come.