Jun 18 2013
Letters of Opinion
Jun 11 2013
Alpha, Beta, Gamma, or The ABG’s of Romance Heroes
When I wrote my post last week on what I’m calling Extreme Romance, it seemed to translate for some readers into the ballad of the “controlling hero.” In fact, several readers asked for more books in which the hero and heroine have an “equal power balance.” While it is true that books that tend to(…)
Jun 4 2013
It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me
When I started this series, I was working toward a consideration of why certain types Romance novels and authors are so popular right now, especially when they have generated so much controversy and even divisiveness among readers. I started with the assertion that Romance, because it covers the territory of love, marriage, family, and relationships(…)
May 28 2013
Out on the Border
Note: This is super-long, but I wanted to talk about the E.L. James and Kristen Ashley phenomena together. I will be doing the final summing-up post next week, so this one might appear to end abruptly. Sorry about that, but — surprisingly enough — even I run out of steam! When I started writing this(…)
May 21 2013
The Limits of Marketing: When Does Manipulation Go Too Far
In 2006, a billboard appeared in New York City which announced that Emily knew all about her husband, Steve’s, cheating ways. The news of this spread through websites and emails faster than you could read the text of the billboard. The whole thing turned out to be an advertisement for Court TV’s reality TV show,(…)
May 19 2013
Why Amazon, Google, and others want to serve as your currency
Amazon introduced Amazon Coins last week. Everyone with a Kindle Fire was offered 500 Amazon Coins which equaled $5.00. The coins can be used for apps and games. By using Amazon Coins, Kindle Tablet owners will save 10% automatically on apps and games because you receive a 10% discount when you purchase more coins. But(…)
May 12 2013
Barnes & Noble’s Nook Dilemma
At the beginning of the year, rumors started at Barnes & Noble would be looking to spin off its Nook Media entirely. Len Riggio, the chairman of Barnes & Noble, express interest in buying back the retail arm. Over 95% of the retail stores are profitable and Barnes & Noble is increasing profitability by refusing(…)
May 7 2013
We should let the historical genre die
When I began reading romances in the 80s, they were almost all historicals. Books were set during the American Revolution, the early settlement days, the Gilded Age. They were medievals, regencies, and the old West. They featured horse racers, steel magnates, and pirates on the high seas. I read everyone from Phoebe Conn to Judith(…)
May 5 2013
Being Nimble
When I was at Romantic Times convention, I heard the news that The Tools of Change conference, a technology and publishing conference, was being shut down. Begun in 2007, the conference was aimed at bringing technology and publishing together. The announcement indicates that the sponsor, O’Reilly, will move on to offering other things. The publishing(…)
Apr 30 2013
Why I Now Hate Erotic Romance
In the history of American Arts and Letters there have been many persons convinced of their own ability to write. Since they speak the language, they are certain that they can wield a pen and produce a story, transferring the errant imagination into a book. Writing, in this view, is considered an extension—albeit a skilled(…)
Apr 23 2013
Together We’ll Break These Chains of Love
Last week I discussed the device of forced seduction as part of the literary legacy of North American captivity narratives on genre Romance. As I’ve noted several times during this series, I think that the genre as it has developed in America, at least (and I would include a good deal of Harlequin’s offerings in(…)
Apr 21 2013
What traditional publishers are doing with digital first for readers
When I was looking up deals last weekend, I saw Jessica Clare’s “Stranded with the Billionaire” (review here by The Bookpushers) priced at $2.99. It had the same cover treatment as Beth Kery’s serial from last year but SWtB is a full length novel. And it wasn’t a discounted price either. $2.99 is the listed(…)
Apr 16 2013
Life During Wartime
Avon’s publication of Anna Campbell’s Claiming the Courtesan in 2007 sparked quite a conflagration online. Campbell’s unapologetic use of captivity and sexual force generated a great deal of discussion and controversy, some of which is captured nicely in Sarah Wendell’s review and its attendant comments. Many readers characterized the book like Mala Bhattacharjee does, as(…)
Apr 9 2013
Take the Long Way Home
I had initially planned to jump right into late 20th century Romance novels and their reliance/reflection on captivity narratives, but since it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve posted, I realized that I needed to sit down and catch myself up. And that turned into this catching up post. I apologize in advance if this(…)
Apr 7 2013
To Save Indies, Publishers Need to ReConsider DRM
Yesterday Books on Board posted a notice that it was “temporarily” shuttering the retail portion of its site. Consumers could still access titles that they had previously purchased but no new purchases could be made. This leaves some readers who had gift cards without recourse for now. One of the arguments made by publishers when(…)
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