I’m eagerly awaiting the premiere of the new movie version of Pride and Prejudice, especially after seeing Matthew McFayden, who plays Darcy, in another film. The guy certainly has that "je ne sais quoi.” Anyway, Jane Austen’s book is in my personal top five, and I’ll happily check out any new take on it.

Don’t be surprised that an author of erotic romance adores a book that climaxes with a couple of chaste kisses. I happen to believe that P&P is one of the most arousing books ever written. The rise of Colin Firth as a sex symbol after playing Mr. Darcy attests to that. He looked hotter wet but fully clothed than any half-naked hunk on today’s erotica covers. And that’s yet more proof that with arousal, less is often more.

In tribute to my favorite romance author Ms. Austen, for my next book Soulful Sex Volume III I wrote a Regency story. I will admit more happens in this tale than Jane would dare to have put on paper, but still, I tried to keep in mind the social constraints of the period. And in the process, I discovered firsthand just why Regency society lends itself so well to erotic writing: no one is permitted to do anything. Life is like a veritable orchard of forbidden fruit. To steal a touch is scandalous, to do close dancing like a waltz is decadent. To even consider making love out of wedlock, even monogamously and faithfully, is enhanced with all kinds of delicious guilt and shame.

Therefore all the desire and arousal builds up under the surface in the most wonderful fashion. Were this another genre, when Mr. Darcy offers Elizabeth a sullen stare you would simply figure he was having a bad day. But in a Regency, you know he’s lusting after her in the worst way. When Elizabeth realizes she wants Darcy after all, circumstances lend themselves beautifully to her torturing herself for chapters on end. In short, it’s the old delayed-gratification trick, the literary form of tantric sex. Erotica experts know that lust is just as fun as satisfaction, if not more. And I have a feeling Jane Austin knew it too.

I read a review of the new P&P movie the other day, and it referred to the film as "sexed-up.” The commercials I’ve seen also seem to indicate a lot of scenes I certainly don’t recall from a book in which minimal physical contact occurs at last in the final chapter. Now I don’t mind the prospect of love scenes between Matthew McFayden and Keira Knightly, but something tells me this movie will be losing something in the translation to 2005. It’s a shame, because I truly believe you can do a lot with a little erotica-wise...or at least that’s what Jane taught me.

At any rate, Colin Firth’s status is probably quite secure.