Fantasies...getting your engine going

Fantasies are on my mind a lot lately. Winning the Lotto. Hooking up with the guy I've had a crush on since we were four years old. The credit cards all paid off. Jetting off to the destination of my choice without having to worry about how I was paying for it, or needing to be back at a certain date to go back to work. Having all of the housework magically done. My buddha belly morphing into a 6-pack. See, lots of different fantasies.

But we're here to talk about the more lustful kind of fantasies, aren't we? Lately, in addition to the lifelong crush, these guys have been making guest appearances in my fantasies:

Sean Patrick Flanery

The first volume of the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles are due out next week. I've had a crush on the character of Indy since I was a wee child. Sean as Indy got my teenage hormones *all* worked up!

Milo Ventimiglia

Looking at his hot bod alone makes Heroes worth watching.

and last, but oh so certainly not least,

Josh Radnor

The star of "How I Met Your Mother", who greatly appeals to my lust of dark haired, boys next door.

Whisper in my ear...who are you fantasizing about now?

Vampires, Werewolves, Aliens, Oh My!

What is the allure about the fantastical? Is it the oddity? The unknown?

When I first thought about potentially becoming a writer, I decided I wanted to write fantasy romance so I could truly make up everything on my own. Oh, how naive I was. Especially as I've spent time in the contemporary and historical trenches. As a writer who has a series percolating that stars vampires, werewolves and witches, I may be able to make up a lot, but I have to intimately understand the mythology of all three magical beings because my readers have basic expectations of all three. Good thing I'm a librarian by day and have learned how to effectively research ;)

The next question is why are fantastical characters so prevalent within the erotic romance genre? My personal theory is because what makes something erotic to a reader is the ability to tap into that reader's fantasy life. If we're tapping into their fantasy life, why not make it a full-blown fantasy? As a writer, I've hopefully already done my job of getting the reader to suspend disbelief. It's less than a hop, skip and a jump to go the extra bit...if I like writing that anyway. I also think it's a two-way street. Fantasy readers are probably more open to erotic writing because they routinely read about worlds which have little similarity to the real world, at first glance.

As for why vampires, at least, are so prevalent within erotic romance...well, they've got a long history of being there. The concept of sharing blood is visceral in much the same way sex is. Vampire lore is very much one of seduction of the mind. Another element that makes an erotic story a success.

*Sigh* I feel like I'm rambling because it's so late at night for me, and there are just so many different points to which my mind keeps flitting. Save me from this insanity: tell me what you think of the connection between what is erotic and what is fantastical?