Comments on: Thoughtful Thursday - Romance Coming Out of the Closet http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/ Official Blog of Caridad Pineiro, Author of paranormals, romantic suspense, women's fiction and all other kinds of good stuff! Fri, 05 Sep 2008 17:32:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Gretchen http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-48143 Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:48:57 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-48143 I started to leave a comment yesterday but got busy and never got back to it so here goes. Caridad you are amazing. How you crank out novels at the rate you do and still president your local chapter, have a full time job, guest speak (congrats on that, it sounds like a neat opp), keep your family going, and keep this website/blog fresh, just knocks me out. I bet you're hiding a golden lasso somewhere aren't you? I started to leave a comment yesterday but got busy and never got back to it so here goes.

Caridad you are amazing. How you crank out novels at the rate you do and still president your local chapter, have a full time job, guest speak (congrats on that, it sounds like a neat opp), keep your family going, and keep this website/blog fresh, just knocks me out. I bet you’re hiding a golden lasso somewhere aren’t you?

]]> by: Maria Lokken http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47940 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 21:27:29 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47940 I was recently interviewed by a magazine that was publishing a story about romance novel authors in Massachusetts. The interview was going along swimmingly, until she asked me what I call a 'dumb' question. "How did I feel running a site about romance novels when in literary terms romance novels are looked down upon?'" I took a beat - and then I answered. Statistics don't lie - there are millions of people out there reading romance. As in any genre there are good books and bad... but I have never thought reading a romance novel was a 'lower form' of literature. Romance is out of the closet - the numbers don't lie. There are far too many books being sold and thousands of web sites devoted to it. Both Barnes and Noble and Borders have created 'romance clubs' on their sites. It's out, and as we move along in the age of the internet, I believe more readers will be trolling the world wide web to find out what's new in romance and what others are saying about it. I was recently interviewed by a magazine that was publishing a story about romance novel authors in Massachusetts. The interview was going along swimmingly, until she asked me what I call a ‘dumb’ question. “How did I feel running a site about romance novels when in literary terms romance novels are looked down upon?’” I took a beat - and then I answered. Statistics don’t lie - there are millions of people out there reading romance. As in any genre there are good books and bad… but I have never thought reading a romance novel was a ‘lower form’ of literature.

Romance is out of the closet - the numbers don’t lie. There are far too many books being sold and thousands of web sites devoted to it. Both Barnes and Noble and Borders have created ‘romance clubs’ on their sites. It’s out, and as we move along in the age of the internet, I believe more readers will be trolling the world wide web to find out what’s new in romance and what others are saying about it.

]]> by: Gail http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47913 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:26:56 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47913 Interesting take on this. And I have to agree. As President of my local chapter, over the past two years I have been interviewed by several bright young women who were doing their master thesis on the romance novel and it's place in the marketplace. Over the years the type of women in the stories has changed for the "poor, rescue me" type of heroine to women who are strong and don't need to rely on a man to be complete. And they are not all about the "secret babies" anymore. The stories today deal with many social issues that women face on a day by day basis. The novels that are produced today can go head to head with any popular fiction out there and have just as much mystery and suspense as those produced by their male counterparts. Of course, the best part is that the romance novel will always have a happy ending. In a world where foreclosures, terrorism, world unrest and global warming fill the headlines, it's nice to know that you can read a romance and come away with that feel good feeling. Interesting take on this. And I have to agree. As President of my local chapter, over the past two years I have been interviewed by several bright young women who were doing their master thesis on the romance novel and it’s place in the marketplace. Over the years the type of women in the stories has changed for the “poor, rescue me” type of heroine to women who are strong and don’t need to rely on a man to be complete. And they are not all about the “secret babies” anymore. The stories today deal with many social issues that women face on a day by day basis. The novels that are produced today can go head to head with any popular fiction out there and have just as much mystery and suspense as those produced by their male counterparts. Of course, the best part is that the romance novel will always have a happy ending. In a world where foreclosures, terrorism, world unrest and global warming fill the headlines, it’s nice to know that you can read a romance and come away with that feel good feeling.

]]> by: Tempest Knight http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47892 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 18:36:58 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47892 Our local university put a promo sent by RWA on the bulletin board. I can't remember what it was about, but I was shocked and thrilled at the same time to see it. Especially considering what a bunch of snobs the Lit professors are. Our local university put a promo sent by RWA on the bulletin board. I can’t remember what it was about, but I was shocked and thrilled at the same time to see it. Especially considering what a bunch of snobs the Lit professors are.

]]> by: Caridad http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47868 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:20:32 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47868 For those that don't know the code: TSTL stands for Too Stupid To Live. For those that don’t know the code:

TSTL stands for Too Stupid To Live.

]]> by: Irene http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47865 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:02:26 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47865 What I've seen people reading are the romantic suspense novels...you know, the type of story that lured the biggies away from historicals and "sweet" romances. Add blood, gore and mutilation to a story with a woman in peril and some hunky law-type or military type and you've got a hook into male readership. The TSTL heroine is long dead and buried deep. Fine by me. But I am not big on body parts or blood or torture in a story. Ick. There has to be some way around the gross savagery of the villains. We have enough of those stories on the news or Oprah. What I’ve seen people reading are the romantic suspense novels…you know, the type of story that lured the biggies away from historicals and “sweet” romances. Add blood, gore and mutilation to a story with a woman in peril and some hunky law-type or military type and you’ve got a hook into male readership.
The TSTL heroine is long dead and buried deep. Fine by me. But I am not big on body parts or blood or torture in a story.
Ick. There has to be some way around the gross savagery of the villains. We have enough of those stories on the news or Oprah.

]]> by: Caridad http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47856 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:09:15 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47856 The current stats show that 22% of romance readers are men, SO BIG YEAH!! Thanks for the comments. The current stats show that 22% of romance readers are men, SO BIG YEAH!! Thanks for the comments.

]]> by: Rayna http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47855 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:58:12 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47855 When I was college, I wrote my thesis on Romance Novels. Talk about your uphill battles, but I did it anyway because I want to discuss a topic I enjoyed. Now keep in mind this was about nin years ago at this point. So, for me, it's extremely heartening about other bright young when who want to bring romance into academia and show them that despite what they may think romance novels are worthy. I think it's great that you can look around the train or an airport terminal and see people from all different walks of life reading romance novels and not trying to hide what they are reading. Although I must say I'm still a bit surprised to see men reading them. :) When I was college, I wrote my thesis on Romance Novels. Talk about your uphill battles, but I did it anyway because I want to discuss a topic I enjoyed. Now keep in mind this was about nin years ago at this point. So, for me, it’s extremely heartening about other bright young when who want to bring romance into academia and show them that despite what they may think romance novels are worthy.

I think it’s great that you can look around the train or an airport terminal and see people from all different walks of life reading romance novels and not trying to hide what they are reading. Although I must say I’m still a bit surprised to see men reading them. :)

]]> by: Caridad http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47845 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:20:14 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47845 Thanks for the comment, Chris! I hope this is a trend that says romance is moving more into the mainstream and thereby becoming acceptable. Thanks for the comment, Chris! I hope this is a trend that says romance is moving more into the mainstream and thereby becoming acceptable.

]]> by: Chris Redding http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47842 Thu, 29 Nov 2007 14:14:09 +0000 http://caridad.com/blog/2007/11/29/thoughtful-thursday-romance-coming-out-of-the-closet/#comment-47842 I think it is definitely coming out of the closet. It has changed to appeal to a broader audience. Despite what some proponents of romance want, there isn't such a strict definition of romance anymore. That's fantastic. That means all of our books can sell more! yeah! I think it is definitely coming out of the closet.
It has changed to appeal to a broader audience. Despite what some proponents of romance want, there isn’t such a strict definition of romance anymore.
That’s fantastic. That means all of our books can sell more!
yeah!

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