Guest Ava Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Hi All, I am an author and old poster to AALBC from years back. I've had my head down writing like crazy for some time and finally a company recognizes my brilliance and my novel will be released soon under my new pen name. But I'm not here to promote just yet. I just want to touch base with the people here, find out if there are still romance lovers on this site? I read a blog recently (if you knew how technologically challenged I am you would be very proud of me for knowing what a blog is) that said romance novels aren't realistic to the African American experience. If I knew how to respond to that blog I would . It's easy to post here so here I am. I take issue with that notion. Am I alone? Maybe this conversation has been done before or done to death, but I just read the blog last week... Like I said--a little behind on what's going on outside my world. Ava Bleu P.S. If I knew how to create an autosignature it would be here. I suppose I'm aging myself by admitting ignorance, but don't worry, I'll be out of the crawling stage soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cynique Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Hi All, I am an author and old poster to AALBC from years back. I've had my head down writing like crazy for some time and finally a company recognizes my brilliance and my novel will be released soon under my new pen name. But I'm not here to promote just yet. I just want to touch base with the people here, find out if there are still romance lovers on this site? I read a blog recently (if you knew how technologically challenged I am you would be very proud of me for knowing what a blog is) that said romance novels aren't realistic to the African American experience. If I knew how to respond to that blog I would . It's easy to post here so here I am. I take issue with that notion. Am I alone? Maybe this conversation has been done before or done to death, but I just read the blog last week... Like I said--a little behind on what's going on outside my world. Ava Bleu P.S. If I knew how to create an autosignature it would be here. I suppose I'm aging myself by admitting ignorance, but don't worry, I'll be out of the crawling stage soon. Seemingly the black romance genre has undergone a make-over at the hands the gritty street-lit authors. But, although I am personally not among them, I'm sure there is still an audience of black females who like "relationship" novels, preferring their heroines and heroes to be something other than skanks and gangstas. Obviously, your publisher thinks this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ava Posted March 11, 2010 Report Share Posted March 11, 2010 Yes, I think the industry needs to be reminded that not every black person lives in the inner city. I hope readers recognize that fact, as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ava Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 Wow, seems like all the romance readers have flown the coop. Oh well, I would encourage people to pick up a romance novel every now and then. A community can't prosper when the people don't love, worship and adore each other. We spend so much time reading and watching negative things, can't we spend a little on things that will remind us of the importance of romance and love? I'm just saying... All the best, Ava Bleu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erzulie_Danto Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 I read some AA romance that still takes black relationships seriously; the most recent I think being Gotham Diaries and a novel about a black teacher who began a romantic relationship with one of her former students (years later once he's a grown man, of course). I think those were pretty well-received. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Chavis Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 Wow, seems like all the romance readers have flown the coop. Oh well, I would encourage people to pick up a romance novel every now and then. A community can't prosper when the people don't love, worship and adore each other. We spend so much time reading and watching negative things, can't we spend a little on things that will remind us of the importance of romance and love? I'm just saying... All the best, Ava Bleu Actually your not going to get the response your looking for here so I'll speak for some of the women in the 6 book clubs Im a member of and tell you that AA romance readers are out there and ready for new work. LiLi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrishayden Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 I am not a Romance FAN but I did study the genre for a while and I did write a few for magazines like Intimacy Black Romance (maybe more confession?) and other mags back in the 80's back before they found out Chris was not short for Christine and they stopped buying them from me. But i digress. Discussing realism in the same breath as Romance is the same as discussing it with any other escape genre which means there ain't none. It's all escape, just like Science Fiction and hardboiled fiction and others. Women, and sometimes male--readers, who are often lonely vicariuosly participate in some doings that only occur in film and on tv and in other romance novels. The fact that I, a male, could write such doings in the first person proves it. Not hatin on ya. I hope you make as much money as Danielle Steele. At least you are probably still writing your own books.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chris Hayden Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 Contact R.A.W.S.I.S.T.A.Z. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ava Posted March 16, 2010 Report Share Posted March 16, 2010 Hello All, I am glad there are some AA romance readers on this site but I admit I'm a little baffled, this being a literature site and all. I expected more than a couple but I'm out of the loop. LOL, all fiction is escapism. Only nonfiction is not escapism. Anytime a made-up story is involved, no matter how familiar the circumstances, surroundings, etc., it's escapism. I can read a story about a beautiful modern woman who happens to write books but no matter how much her life mirrors mine , the book is still fiction and reading it allows me to escape my world and enter hers. As for realism of romance being on par with sci fi, with all due respect, isn't that a bit of a leap? As far as I know we can't exist on another galaxy but we can fall in love. Am I wrong? Ava Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xeon Posted March 17, 2010 Report Share Posted March 17, 2010 Seemingly the black romance genre has undergone a make-over at the hands the gritty street-lit authors. But, although I am personally not among them, I'm sure there is still an audience of black females who like "relationship" novels, preferring their heroines and heroes to be something other than skanks and gangstas. Obviously, your publisher thinks this. This is true. I'm also sure there is an audience for black romance novels. Although I personally have no use for such a genre, I believe such novels should be available to those who enjoy them. It's tragic that black literature seems to have taken on the stereotype of nothing but inner city street coonery, vice and violence. Unfortunately, there is a generation of young blacks who seem to believe this is the only type of writing that is worth their time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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