Romance in the Mainstream...
Erotic romances are the Next Big Thing. But the mainstream media has just figured this out. Publishers, authors and readers have known for a while. USA Today reports that:
Plain old courtship just doesn't seem to cut it anymore. At least not with readers of romance novels.
More women want more fiction about what's going on between the sheets, book publishers say.
None of this really fazes me one way or another. I like books with hot sex and without hot sex. It all depends on the book and how the author tells the story. For instance, in a recent batch of published books I judged for a contest, for the first time ever, I gave out two perfect scores. One was a sweet story with no sex, but so poignant and tender that I had a hard time putting the book down when I was finished. The second book was a blazing hot with lots of sex that revealed the characters in such a way that they took up permanent residence in my heart. I loved both those books for different reasons.
So what does interest me about this article? It's about women, and their power to influence entertainment markets. The mainstream media is taking notice. And I find that very cool!
What about you?
posted by Jennifer at 2:53 PM
4 Comments:
I agree with you, that it is all about the story, not just what goes on in the bedroom. I guess it depends on the reader. Some people may be very religious or simply old fashioned and prefer not to read about all the fun bedroom details. However, I would guess that generally speaking, younger audiences would prefer more details of what goes on behind closed doors.
We see this trend in movies as well. Everthing is so explicit these days, they leave nothing to the imagination. I have always said that some of the best movies I have ever seen have been low budget starring no-name actors but were awsome because of the great story. Yet people flock to movies like big budget action flicks with all star casts and seem to enjoy them, even though the story lines are thin at best.
I think the blanket statement that 'plain old courtship just doesn't seem to cut it anymore' is incorrect. It just doesn't apply to everyone.
Jennifer M
Yep, Jen, I'm not fond of blanket statements myself. I think the concept of courtship has changed anyway. Thanks for sharing your throughts!
Years ago I quit reading romances altogether. They always set up these incredibly unbelievable scenarios of intense passion without any results.
Nowadays, I love to read mysteries and if it can be a little more realistic or down to earth the better I like it. If there is some humor I enjoy that as well. I certainly look forward to the hot sexy encounters between the hero and heroine. I like it best when this comes from a building relationship and mutual respect.
I tell people that I like steamy smut and not porn. There is still such a thing as going to far. I don't really see it in the modern romance and mysteries that I have been reading and would encourage it to continue.
Most of the people I talk with desire some degree of sex in their books. Regardless of the genre.
In my bookclub we discuss ongoing fictional relationships and how the author chooses to let them grow or sometimes die. It can be a very big part of any series character.
Anyway, that's my thoughts.
Thanks for your thoughts, Marie. LOL on the steamy smut, not porn!
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