Survey says ... Multicultural Romance

Hawaii taught me diversity ...

I discovered Buzzr TV during Winter Storm Jonas. The cable station replays game shows from the 80s - Match Game, Super Password, Card Sharks, and Family Feud with Richard Dawson. During Family Feud's Fast Money, Dawson asked, "Name an occupation that makes people feel good."  

My answer, of course, was romance writer.  Romance creates hope. Romance sparks love. Romance delivers the Happily Ever After.  I intended to write more about this topic ... but a family feud has erupted in Romanceland.  A feud that needs to be addressed. 

Freelance writer Bobbi Dumas posted an article on Kirkus Reviews, New Year, New Reading Resolution, at this link.   Bobbi introduced her month long promotion of Celebrating Diversity in Romance at this link.

Scroll to the second comment to read the questions posted by historical author Courtney Milan. 

Bobbi responded to Courtney in a second post at this link.

Courtney posted a summary of the issues on her own blog, Speaking up against systemic racism in the publishing industry, at this link.  She wrote, If you care about romance and the future of the romance genre, why aren’t you angry with me?

Wendy the Super Librarian adds her thoughts, The One Where Wendy Talks About Diversity, at this link.

I understand Courtney's anger.  I've seen injustice in the military, as an officer and a spouse.  I have witnessed officers and their spouses, who had the means and opportunity to address injustice, simply ignore it.  I have reported unethical behavior to commanders, only to find myself the target of retribution.  I know my actions made a difference, but it was painful to be isolated by my own community.  This happened during my family's last year in Hawaii when my husband was away in Korea.  Two other military spouses kept me sane - NL Gassert, author of Gay Fiction, and D. Renee Bagby, author of Interracial Fantasy/Paranormal Romance. 

Nadja and the Laie Sea Arch

Nadja, Renee, and I met on a weekly basis to tour the island. We would chat about books, TV, and movies. I would share my adventures at conventions. I think they would have enjoyed the 2014 RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans, especially the Welcome Party (link). RT sponsored the delicious crepe breakfast along with a salute to romance trailblazers, including:

- Lindsay McKenna as the pioneer of Military Romances (she is a Vietnam era Navy veteran)

- Heather Graham for her efforts to revitalize New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

- Brenda Jackson, Sandra Kitt, and Beverly Jenkins for pioneering multicultural romance.

Sadly, the audience talked through Lindsay's comments. Then, most of the audience walked out after they finished their crepes just as Kathryn Falk took to the stage to introduce the multicultural pioneers.  They missed hearing how these women overcame challenges to bring their stories to life in romance novels.  I was embarrassed that many attendees did not take the time to hear these legends. From this experience, I understand why multicultural writers feel dismissed by the romance industry.

(I will ask RT if they recorded the Welcome Party.  If the staff did, I will encourage RT to post it on YouTube ... it is worth watching!)

Barse's Romance in the Library of Congress
Public Domain (link)

In February 2015, I attended a special symposium, What Is Love? Romance in the Digital Age, at the Library of Congress (link, link, link, and link).  The first panel, Romance Canon, featured multicultural pioneer Beverly Jenkins.  As I wrote on my blog,

I borrowed a pen from the lovely lady next to me - a fan of Beverly Jenkins - so I could take notes. I uncapped the pen just in time to hear Beverly discuss that African American romance has been absent from romance canon. She added that it took Terry McMillan's WAITING TO EXHALE to hit the best seller for the publishing industry to realize black women actually read books (Beverly was very funny in her delivery).

I skipped the second panel to watch the documentary Love Between the Covers (link).  The film spotlighted the everyday lives of several authors, including Beverly Jenkins.  She spoke to the camera (paraphrase), "If readers can accept vampires fall in love, why can't they accept African Americans in a relationship?"  Beverly's comments still resonate with me.

One year later, Beverly's question has been answered with her latest release, FORBIDDEN.  It landed on Sarah MacLean's recommend reads for February in the Washington Post (link),

Jenkins does not shy away from the challenges that Eddy and Rhine and all black Americans face in the 1870s, and the truth of their journey makes this romance even more powerful when Rhine must reveal the truth to be worthy of Eddy’s love. This is historical romance at its very best.

Military friends at RT in Dallas
Tamara Argyle, Sharon Hamilton, Jackson Young,
 Siera London, and Kathy Crouch.

Back to Family Feud.  Dawson asked, "Name an occupation that makes people feel good."  The number one answer, "Nurse."  I immediately thought of Siera London.

I met Siera, a retired Navy nurse, during the 2014 RT Booklovers Convention in New Orleans.  She introduced herself to me as a fellow RomVet at the SOS America promo table. The following year, we bumped into each other at the Library of Congress.  She also attended RT in Dallas, where I invited her to be a guest on my blog (link).  

Thank you, Siera, for your service!

In celebration of nurses and authors, who make people feel good, I am giving away Siera's latest release, A DOCTOR FOR CHRISTMAS: A Bachelors of Shell Cove Romance Novella, to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Siera currently lives in the Florida Keys - what do you know about the keys?  I grew up in Miami, so the Keys were a weekend escape where we enjoyed Key Lime Pie!

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 6, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 7.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

More books from Siera London

Aloha to the Library of Congress - Romance Fiction in the Digital Age (part 4)

Above are Nicolas Cage and Justin Bartha in NATIONAL TREASURE: BOOK OF SECRETS as they scour the Library of Congress for a clue. What treasures will digital books hold for the future?  The Library of Congress hosted a day long conference, Romance Fiction in the Digital Age (link).  Panel Four explored this very issue - Where is Romance Fiction Heading in the Digital Age?

Moderator:  Sarah Frantz Lyons, founder of The International Study of Popular Romance

Panelists:  Liliana Hart, self published author, Jon Fine, Former Director of Author Relations for Amazon, Angela James, Editorial Director for Carina Press, Tara McPherson, Associate Professor of Gender Studies at USC, and Dominique Raccah, CEO of Sourcebooks.  

From the panel (paraphrase):

Liliana Hart: I was tired of being told that romantic suspense would not sell (so she decided to self publish).  I self publish like a traditional house - I hire a professional editor, cover artist, etc.

Angela James: Digital publishing provides hope to aspiring authors.

Dominique Raccah:  Find where are your readers.

The panel agreed that romance community embraced digital format, paving the way for indie publishing.  

I recommend Sarah Wendell's storified Tweets at this link.  For tweets related to this panel, scroll to 3:44 pm. 

I prefer print books.  I'll probably be buried with a print book in my hand.  But I appreciate the new opportunities afforded by digital books - traditional authors publishing backlists; traditional authors completing series; any author publishing genres (like romantic suspense) that "dont' sell"; and any author pursuing a dream.

What are your thoughts on digital publishing?   One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, March 7, 10 pm.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to the Library of Congress - What is Love? Romance Fiction in the Digital Age (part 3)

Library of Congress - Main Reading Room (link)

Continuing my recap of the romance conference hosted by the Center for the Book (link), I was eager to hear Panel 3: Community and the Romance Genre:

Moderator:  Mary Bly/Eloisa James, Professor of English, Fordham University, and romance author

Panelists:  Robyn Carr (romance author), Brenda Jackson (romance author), Kim Castillo (author assistant), Anne Jamison (Associate Professor of English, University of Utah), Kathleen Seidel (romance author and WRW member), and Sarah Wendell (book blogger)

Here are snippets from the conversation (paraphrase) about "community":

Romance is less about sex and more about hope

Robyn:  romance community is a place to comfornt vulnerable emotions in a safe place

Brenda:  garner relationships with readers

Kim:  "pay it forward", reading romance is life affirming, it becomes personal to reader

Sarah:  reading fiction makes us more empathetic

Sarah also asked Robyn how many virgins swam in the river (as her series is called Virgin River).   Sarah is a born entertainer and enthusiastic reader.   

The audience was comprised of romance readers, romance writers, and nonfiction writers curious about the genre.   The panel demonstrated that the romance community is alive, well, and welcoming.

What are your thoughts on the romance community? Comments are open through Saturday, March 7, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Lucky enjoys the romance community ...

Aloha to the Library of Congress - What is Love? Romance in the Digital Age (part 2)

Library of Congress in 1898
Public Domain (link)

Continuing my recap of the romance conference at the Library of Conference, Panel 2 featured What to the Science and History of Love Reveal?   But I skipped it to view the documentary Love Between the Covers (link)

Romance fiction is a female-powered engine of commerce, a multi-billion dollar business, and a tech-savvy global sisterhood. Women who write and think about relationships turn out to be amazing community builders. In Love Between the Covers, we enter one of the few places where women are always center stage, where female characters always win, where justice prevails in every book, and where the broad spectrum of desires of women from all backgrounds are not feared, but explored unapologetically.

For three years, we follow the lives of five published romance authors and one unpublished newbie as they build their businesses, find and lose loved ones, cope with a tsunami of change in publishing, and earn a living doing what they love—while empowering others to do the same.

Authors include Eloisa James, Len Barot, Beverly Jenkins, Joanne Lockyer, and writing team Susan Donovan and Celeste Bradley.  The documentary also interviewed other writers, academics, and fans ... here are my notes from the interviews:

Romance books offer readers a fantasy; Arnold is never killed at the end of his movies yet romance books are criticized for their HEA.

Romance is not solitary.

Love conquered all; hero and heroine made the journey together.

Jane Austen dominated early romance, challenging the norm of the time that gentry did not marry for love.

Romance demonstrates "nothing that happens between us can be wrong". 

What is your cup of tea?  Some one (in romance) is serving what you like.

The documentary also filmed during the RWA National Conference in Anaheim in 2012 - I recognized the hotel.  The film captured several "aspiring" authors describing their pitches.  One such author was a perky blond and an impeccable dresser.   She has since published three historical novels in her series, Trick of the Ton, with Sourcebooks.  The author is Elizabeth Michels!

The documentary is worth a look at this link.

If you were filmed for this documentary, how you would answer why you read romance?  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Saturday, February 28, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City 

Check out Sarah Wendell's storified tweets from the conference at this link.

Books from the RWA Conference in 2012

Aloha to the Library of Congress - What Is Love? Romance in the Digital Age (Part 1)

Barse's Romance in the Library of Congress
Public Domain (link)

On Wednesday, February 11, I rode the Metro into Washington, DC for a special one day conference at the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress - What is Love?  Romance in the Digital Age (link):

"This two-day gathering will unite authors, scholars and fans to explore the changing dynamics of the genre, its relevance in popular culture and how digital technology is shaping the future of romance fiction," said John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book.

"Our conference will include business and social interests and influences, romance literature scholarship and public engagement with people who love the genre," he said.

The conference kicked off with Panel 1 - What Belongs in the Romance Canon:

Pam Regis, Professor of Englis, McDonald College and President, International Assocation for the Study of Popular Romance

Len Barot/Radclyffe, President/Author, Bold Strokes books

Beverly Jenkins, Author, Avon Books

Nicole Peeler, Associatoin Professor of English, Seton Hall University

Eric Selinger, Professor of English, DePaul University

Susan Ostrov Weisser, Professor of English, Adelphi University

I borrowed a pen from the lovely lady next to me - a fan of Beverly Jenkins - so I could take notes.  I uncapped the pen just in time to hear Beverlydiscuss that African American romance has been absent from romance canon.  She added that it took Terry McMillan's WAITING TO EXHALE to hit the best seller for the publishing industry to realize black women actually read books (Beverly was very funny in her delivery).

The panel referred to E.D.E.N. Southworth's THE HIDDEN HAND as one of the first books written by a woman for women. From Goodreads (link),

E.D.E.N. Southworth was one of the most popular and prolific writers of the nineteenth century and her Capitola Black, or Black Cap - a cross-dressing, adventure-seeking girl-woman - was so well-loved that the book was serialized three times between 1859 and 1888 and was dramatized in forty different versions. When we first meet sharp and witty Capitola she is living among beggars and street urchins, and dressed as a boy because a boy can get work and be safe, whereas a girl is left to starve for want of "proper" employment. Unknown to her, Capitola has a very rich elderly guardian who finds her at a providential moment and takes her back to his palatial mansion where she finds herself "decomposing above ground for want of having my blood stirred." But not to fear. There are bandits, true-loves, evil men, long-lost mothers, and sweet women friends in Capitola's future - not to mention thunder storms, kidnap attempts, and duels. The pace is fast, the action wonderfully unbelievable. This is escape literature at its nineteenth-century best, with a woman at its center who makes you feel strong, daring, and reckless.

The panel agreed that canon is not like the Highlander - there cannot only be one.  

Sarah Wendell from Smart Bitches tweeted her musings from the conference and storied them at this link.   She took better notes via her tweets than my chicken scratch on the program.

Let's chat about canon.  From Dictionary.com,

a fundamental principle or general rule

a standard; criterion

any officially recognized set of sacred books

Many "academics" refer to Loretta Chase's LORD OF SCOUNDRELS and Jennifer Crusie's BET ME as must haves in romance canon.  What would be in your canon?   Mine would include the first romance book I read ... Cathy Maxwell's THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT.  It has a Highlander!

One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 28, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City