A few years back, I was hesitant to read or write menage. I always loved a one-on-one relationship and didn’t think I could get into a story about three partners. After reading menage and trying my hand at writing one, I found out what I’d been missing. I love the complexity of the romantic relationship between three characters who aren’t just together for sex, but also because they love each other.

Like characters in a one-on-one romance, their personalities need to fit together for the story to be believable. Sometimes it can be tricky to build the relationship without having one character seeming left out, but if their personalities are right for each other, they’ll work it out for themselves.

I’ve found that each partner takes on a different role that keeps their family together. Though all three love each other, usually one stands out as the “sex god,” or the guy or lady the other two can’t ever seem to resist. In my most recent menage story, Menage a Tasia, that character is Drago. He’s very dominant and though he adores his mates, he also has a strong independent streak. He’s their protector, though that’s not to say they haven’t done their share of protecting him in return. In this particular book the role of mediator falls to the female, Tasia. She’s the most well-adjusted of the three and has the least emotional baggage. Tasia knows when her guys need a reality check and she doesn’t hesitate to tell them. She also realizes when they need emotional support and she’s the one who binds them together. The character both Tasia and Drago love deeply is Staff. He’s the slow burn, the one who takes a little longer to surrender, but once he does there is nothing he won’t do for his mates. He’s the one who signifies the roots of their family, setting the standards for trust and still loving deeply even after being hurt.

In my vampire/shapeshifter menage, Carnal Obsession, the male characters don’t have a sexual relationship, but the love and respect is still there between all three. In this story, the roles are shifted around. Ceres is the sex goddess, keeping both her males entranced. Pascal is the mediator, coaxing his stubborn partners into admitting how they feel about each other, and Noble is the crux of the family, the one with the strong code of honor.

The characters always have different personalities and sometimes the roles change in each story, for instance in my vampire menage, The Masters: Samson, the ancient vampire, Sampson, is the remote sex god and Jendaya is the mediator. Cortez is the comic relief, the guy who arouses his partners’ tempers and amusement as much as their desire. No matter what their roles or personalities, the characters in menage find a way to blend and work out a loving relationship, in and out of the bedroom.

Writing menage has been challenging and a lot of fun. Since my first menage, Carnal Surrender, I’ve written thirteen in total and have a new menage series, Naughty Nights, scheduled for release by Changeling Press in late 2009. As a reader and a writer, menage has become one of my favorite types of erotic romance. It might not be for everyone, but if you’ve never tried it give it a chance. I’m really glad I did.

For more on Kate Hill go to her website at: http://www.kate-hill.com

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