Normally, I write hot contemporary
romance. And in most of my stories, I toe that line between steamy sex scenes
and erotic romance. This time, I boldly stepped over the line. Why, you might
ask? Mostly, because I like my romance hot and, this time, I wanted to explore
the concept of power dynamics between two characters. I love writing sex
scenes. I've never been one to shy away from writing them. I don’t like the
bedroom door closed in the romance I read and write because, for me, it’s all
about the emotional and physical connection between two people. Romance and
love is tightly intertwined with the mating ritual of sex. Period. For years,
women have been ridiculed and put down for reading trash or mommy porn if they
read romance or erotic romance novels. And romance writers, of all genre
writers, often bear the brunt of sly, back-handed compliments and snikers about the smut they write or they
experience out-right sexual harassment because they celebrate women who are
sensual creatures--those characters who are not afraid to discuss and explore
sexuality and the dynamics of sensuality between them and their lovers.
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| Mackenzie Lucas reading at LJS |
Romance is primarily a genre written
by women for women. Erotic romance celebrates the beautiful sensuality at the
core of the mating ritual. It is a genre where women get to define and redefine
what it means to be sexy, smart, strong, beautiful, and powerful for themselves.
So the next time someone ridicules you for reading or writing romance, give
them that knowing smile and tell them you’re redefining hot. Because what you
do when you read or write romance is tap into the human condition and celebrate
the most beautiful connection in the Universe. And that’s a pretty awesome.
Later this week (Feb. 10 & 11) I’m
attending and also coordinating Washington Romance Writers volunteers at the
Library of Congress’s What is Love? Romance in the Digital Age conference--an event that’s
free to the public. At the conference, they’ll be screening The Popular Romance
Project’s documentary, Love Between the Covers. I’m excited about this event
because panel after panel is filled with educated, articulate women who write,
study, and read romance novels. I’ll be interested to see what they have to say
about the state of the romance novel, erotic romance, and the peek the romance
genre gives us into our popular culture and the human condition. I have a
feeling they’ll say romance is thriving.
