You know, it’s really difficult for me to blog about things that piss me off, because I have to always keep in mind my ‘professional face’, especially when dealing with my industry.
I write erotic romance. No surprise to those who know me. But there’s this pervasive undercurrent of censorship going on that’s making it harder and harder to silence my inner bitch. Within our own industry, there are those who want to push us under the rug, silence our voices and pretend we don’t exist. They want us to go away because we threaten their conservative values.
Guess what folks? I’m not going away and neither are a lot of my peers. Or the publishers who are joining the erotic romance fold by opening up lines of their own. BIG publishers, not just small press and e-publishers.
And the reason we’re not going away? Because readers are buying our books. In droves. Go ahead and fear romance mixed with sex, but it won’t do you any good. Readers like it. The days of closing the bedroom door or pretending that sex isn’t a healthy part of romance are over. You can use all the political and legal clout you want to, but we’re here to stay so you’d better get used to it.
Do you have to like what I write? Of course not. Do you have to read what I write? Again, no you don’t. Do you have the right to publish and write books that contain the sweeter, more conservative side of romance? Definitely! But I also have a constitutional right to be treated as an equal, to be treated fairly and equitably, regardless of the subject matter of my books. not only have the right, but I will fight to make sure I keep that right.
I write romance. Romance with a happily ever after. Deeply emotional stories that tug at the heartstrings and leave you smiling or crying. I also write sex within those stories. Hot, passionate, no holds barred sex. You know, kind of like real sex is supposed to be? And yes, I’m damn proud of what I do.
And there is nothing you can do, nothing you can say, no political maneuver that you can wrangle, that will make me go away.
I’m here, I love what I do, I’m proud of what I write, and I’m here to stay.
Get used to it.