As a reader, do other reader reviews influence you? I know I always check out Goodreads before I buy a book. I find reader reviews a handy tool, but of course no review is ever the definitive word for me if a book really interests me. It’s amazing how one person’s dreck is another’s treasure.

I once left a negative review because I truly felt obliged to warn people that the book was full of epithets, constant head-jumping POV and was just terribly constructed. The characters were very appealing, but I couldn’t get past the writing style issues. (Of course I should note that the book in question is very popular and overall has a very high rating on Amazon, so to each their own!)

Do you ever review books online? If you do, why do you take the time to share your thoughts with other readers on Amazon, Goodreads and other sites? Do you review a book only when it’s something that has inspired a strong emotion — whether it’s love or hate? If you don’t review books, why not? Is it a lack of time, or simply a lack of interest in sharing your thoughts with the rest of the world?

In the aftermath, it’s like any news story in this day and age: when it bleeds, it leads. Controversies can quickly be out of sight and out of mind. But Diana is right that we really should work harder to follow up on these controversies when positive changes are made — and, I would add, when they aren’t.

PD Singer shared her thoughts on the issue of genres and sub-genres and how GLBT romances fit in:

Start with the broadest category, not the details….The genre is historical. The sub-genre is het and another sub-genre is GLBT. Or the genre is contemporary and sub-genres are GLBT and het.

What RWI tried to do here is start with the details and call the pairing the genre. If we stand still for that, we negate that we are telling a story of people. We’ve bought into it so far by calling a story a GLBT historical or m/m paranormal, as if the first term is the overall defining idea.

An m/m contemporary has more in common with a het contemporary than it does with an m/m mystery or an m/m science fiction story. If it comes to grouping like with like, for a contest or, for that matter, shelves at a book distributor, all the contemporaries should go together and all the science fiction should go together. The gender of the protags is a detail, not a definition of the genre.

I couldn’t agree more. Of course, it’s complicated. My bio states that I’m an “author of gay romance novels.” At this stage of the game, GLBT romances are still a niche. So how do we get from niche to mainstream? I don’t have the answer, but I think it’s important that we ask the question.

However, this weekend it’s come to light that an RWA-sanctioned writing contest run by one of its member chapters is barring same-sex romance entries. From the More than Magic contest rules:

– Note: MTM will no longer accept same-sex entries in any category.

Well.

Why not, you may ask? It seems the “majority” of chapter members are “uncomfortable” with same-sex romances. Author Courtney Milan provides a summary of the issue, and RRW president Heidi Cullinan weighs in and later has thoughts on bigotry and a few suggestions on what we can all do to fight it in regards to RWA and the romance industry.

What if this edict had been decreed about interracial romances? In the year 2012 how is it considered acceptable to discriminate so freely? LGBT authors pay the same RWA dues, and should be eligible for all contests and RWA activities. Again from the MTM contest rules:

Our judges are all romance readers. Within that group are RWI chapter members and members of other RWA chapters. We recruit judges nationwide and even worldwide (for e-books) and our only requirement is that they are regular romance readers.

They tell us which categories and what “heat” level they prefer to read, so our entrants’ books get into the hands of people who might give them the most favorable rating.

Our final round judges are chosen for the diversity of their romance reading interests and enjoyment, sense of fair comparison across all categories, and knowledge of the romance genre.

I don’t think “diversity” means what they think it means.

Surely somewhere on the planet Earth they could find romance readers willing to judge same-sex entries? Well, apparently that’s not the issue. Author Larissa Ione offered to judge, and shares her correspondence with the MTM contest coordinator:

“Thank you, Larissa, but it was never a lack of judges that made our determination. It was that the majority of our members were uncomfortable with being a contest that takes same-sex entries.”

Too bad they seem perfectly comfortable with bigotry. I, for one, will not be giving RWA a red penny to join any of its chapters until all members — and all romances — are treated equally.

ETA: As you can see, the contest was just cancelled. A shame that they pulled the plug instead of simply allowing all romances to be considered equally!

This is a breathtaking story taking place in the mid 1800s, beginning in England and ending in the Australian Outback….There is lots of dust, sun, unfriendly insects and animals, hardship and hard work for them all and a final twist… before a very satisfying happy ending.

I really loved this book. I give it a 5/5.

Often they featured pirates (still a favourite to this day), or devilish earls, lords, viscounts (which I mispronounced terribly), barons or marquesses. Or sometimes our heroes were highland warriors who could tame the land — but could they tame our plucky heroine?

By reading my sister’s books I discovered that “oral sex” did not actually refer to French kissing. (I recall Virginia Henley’s books being particularly instructive in such matters.) In case you’re wondering what my parents thought of my reading material, I’d always read far beyond my years and my sister and I were such good kids that they never worried we’d become sex crazed or take to the high seas to find dashing-but-dastardly pirates of our own.

As an adult I’ve discovered the joys of reading and writing gay romance, and historicals remain a soft spot. If there’s a pirate or rake involved, it’s pretty much an autobuy. There needs to be a term for the gay equivalent of a bodice ripper. “Linen-shirt ripper” doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, though, does it?

How about you? Do you enjoy historical romances? Or do you prefer the here and now?

Loose Id? Torquere? Ellora’s Cave? Dreamspinner? Carina? Samhain? Somewhere else?

If you had to pick just one for your favourite, which would it be?

I’m also a slow reader, so I suppose it makes sense. Not slow as in I have trouble with comprehension, but I’ve always taken my time reading. If there’s a passage I really like, I’ll re-read it before going on. When I read, I imagine everything unfolding like a movie in my mind, and I pay attention to details to create that world in my head.

I remember when the last Harry Potter book came out, some friends read it in several hours. That was just unimaginable to me. Not just because I got the book at midnight and had to be up at 5 a.m. for a flight to California, but because I can’t imagine speeding through the book that quickly. It’s not a judgement — I know many people who can read and enjoy books much faster than I can and I don’t think they’re doing it wrong. It’s just not how I operate.

On Saturday I spent the afternoon and evening dedicated to writing the first chapter of a new book. I turned off my web browser and the siren song of Gmail — since I can’t see that (1) and not click on it. I was engrossed in writing, and I’m really pleased with the outcome.

Which was 2,521 words.

Nothing to sneeze at, but I know many writers who would have triple that after working the same amount of time. I know when I’ve worked hard and when I’ve slacked off, and I didn’t slack off. So perhaps it’s time to accept that in this race, I’m a tortoise, despite my aspirations for speed. Especially since I really only get quality writing time on the weekends because I write 9 to 5 during the week at my day job. After all the day at the computer more writing at home is not very appealing.

Ah, well. I won’t ever write a novel in a month, but slow and steady wins the race. Are you a tortoise or a hare when it comes to reading and writing?

Obviously you want a title to attract readers. In a recent study on Harlequin titles over the past several decades, researchers found:

…the most frequently used word in the title was “Love,” which appeared 840 times. “Bride” was close behind at 835. “Baby” was slightly back at 696, followed by “Man” at 672 and “Marriage” at 612.

Since I’m writing gay romance, there are likely to be far fewer brides in my books. But plenty of men, that’s for sure. And a few marriages and babies, perhaps!

What attracts you to a title? Do you like it to spell out exactly what the book is about? (For example, a Harlequin-style title, such as The Billionaire’s Pregnant Bride.) Or do you like something more creative? What are some of your favourite book titles? One I’ve always loved is The Outsiders, although this alternate suggestion for the title is quite apt.

I also really enjoy this romance title generator. The Nordic Paper Company Sales Representative’s Buxom Captive is not to be missed!

It’s not that things have been going wrong for me, but I like the idea of changing things up and branching out. Instead of doing what’s familiar, I’m going to try something different. Go left instead of right.

It could be something small — perhaps trying a new dish at a favourite restaurant instead of my old stand-by, or going to see a movie that wouldn’t normally be up my alley. I’m a very happy person and I like my life, but it’s always good to broaden horizons and switch things up.

What are your resolutions for 2012?

I wish a very merry Christmas and happy holidays to all — and peace, love and hot men kissing in the new year. Here’s a little something to put us in the right frame of mind.