Mar 10 2013
In a recent Wall Street Journal article (1) it was noted that books by 60 self published authors have been acquired by traditional publishers. 2012 was definitely the year of the self published author from E.L. James to Tammara Weber to Colleen Hoover. While there are some bloggers who are resistant to reviewing self published(…)
Mar 5 2013
Note: this is the third part of a series I’m doing on the current popularity of what I’m calling Extreme Romance Novels. Part One can be found here, and Part Two here. I do think the first two installments are best read in order, but you can easily start with this post and then(…)
Feb 26 2013
Last week I addressed the issue of gendered and sexualized power dynamics as central to the project of Romance, particularly heterosexual Romance. I almost wish I’d written that post after last night’s Oscar show, because I think Seth MacFarlane’s hosting reflected the kind of white male privilege we so often take for granted, to(…)
Feb 19 2013
When I first started reading Romance, I tended to avoid contemporaries, because the sexual politics were so blindingly overt. Even in books that did not purport to be about power, it was just so there. Over time, however, I realized that all Romance was essentially about power, because, well, the way human beings relate in(…)
Feb 12 2013
Romance readers can pick and choose from a wide selection of heroes, but despite our need for variety, are there certain kinds we’ll avoid no matter the circumstances? That question came to mind recently upon reading a comment at my blog and I’d like to get your input on the issue. Author Linnea Sinclair shared(…)
Feb 5 2013
Over the last couple of months it seems as if a lot of romance community members have been writing about how reading romance is a form of escape from everyday life. This isn’t new, of course; genre fiction has always been treated as primarily escapist (as opposed to educational or enlightening) , and romance reading(…)
Jan 29 2013
It wasn’t until I saw this picture of Shaquille O’Neal and his girlfriend that the size disparity between paranormal heroes and their heroines really hit home. Shaquille O’Neal is 7′ 1″ and his girlfriend at the time was 5’2″. In “Lover Eternal,” Rhage is described as having “shoulders were broad as the door he’d come(…)
Jan 22 2013
Remember at the end of the year I said that Dear Author would really benefit from guest essays and guest voices? Author Rebecca Rogers Maher (http://rebeccarogersmaher.com/) wrote me with an essay regarding Realistic Depictions of Rape in Romace. It’s a great guest piece and I hope others will consider contributing to the community here. Rogers(…)
Jan 15 2013
Romance is often criticized for being formulaic, but in a way that suggests that the genre is synonymous with formula, and that formula is bad. Romance, as a form, has come to be known by three main elements: a) a romantic love story, b) that is central to the narrative, c) and resolves in a(…)
Jan 1 2013
Recently in Swaziland, short tops and short skirts are being outlawed because they are deemed “rape inducing.” Police in Swaziland are cracking down on rape—by putting women in jail. Authorities in Africa’s last absolute monarchy have issued a ban on “rape-provoking” clothing, including miniskirts, midriff-revealing tops, and low-rise jeans, the AFP reports. Women caught wearing such clothing(…)
Dec 25 2012
Now that NYTimes has acknowledged that there is a sub genre called New Adult, I guess it’s legitimate. St. Martin’s Press introduced the phrase back in 2009 and authors have been involved in writing and promoting those books since then, facts not mentioned in the NYTimes article. But ignoring the origins of the origin(…)
Dec 18 2012
Will Romance ever come to terms with its marginalization by the mainstream literary establishment? Yeah, I know many readers claim they just don’t care, or think literary fiction is overrated pretentious crap, or scoff at popular fiction authors who talk about the need to promote female authors, while still seeming to ignore the largest(…)
Dec 4 2012
Romance publishers, especially those based in the US, often seem to lag behind in recognizing how culturally diverse and international their readership is. Harlequin/Mills & Boon is neither US-based nor unaware of its global reach, but their book lists are still overwhelmingly tilted toward white characters, and the majority of their non-white heroes and heroines(…)
Nov 20 2012
I don’t remember the last time I read a stand alone Romance – one not populated with friends, brothers, sisters, cousins, colleagues, and random townspeople just waiting for their own story. In fact, I hadn’t even realized this until I read a recent interview with Julie Anne Long, in which she commented on the ETA(…)
Nov 13 2012
I asked Inez Kelly if she would be interested in doing a post for Dear Author on her research into the use of prosthetics. She graciously responded to my request. I don’t remember reading my first romance. I do, however, remember when I read my first romance that portrayed something other than the perfect hero.(…)
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