Age, Sex, and Crossing the Line in Erotic Romance

When it comes to age, sex, and crossing the line in erotic romance I take that very seriously. In fact, I was once banned for a book (Skater Boy) that had the word "boy" in the title during the paypal censorship debacle a few years ago, and that book had characters that were all over eighteen years old, and it was stated very clearly in the book description. I did that on purpose so no one would get the wrong idea.

And because of search engines, the book was still banned. I have posted about this numerous times, and I've stated that I never have, and never will write a book or story with an underage character.

I assure you, there are no underage characters in this short book. I don't judge those authors who decide to do things like this, but I've never done it and never will do it. In fact, the main character, Jared, the guy referred to as a the Skater Boy, is only a quasi skater boy. He's in his twenties and is clearly a consenting adult.
But I am curious about something, and I'm hoping someone can offer an opinion. It's not something I'm writing, but a friend asked me this question and I'm not sure how to answer. I hate censorship, but my gut instinct is to play it safe at all times with things like this. You can e-mail me in private at rfieldj@aol.com or leave a comment here or on social media.

What I'd like to know is this. If there is a character in a book or story that is twenty-two years old and that character has erotic thoughts about another character who is seventeen years old, would that be off limits? Would that be offensive and considered taboo? There are no physical scenes; it's just thoughts. And that's explained well, and the character even feels terrible about his thoughts and he swears he'll never act upon them.

My gut instinct is to make the character eighteen years old instead of seventeen. I would rather play it safe, especially if it's not going to make a difference in the story. But I could also be paranoid because of the things I've been through, and I could be wrong. In the same respect, it's not something I would ever do in erotic fiction.

Any thoughts or e-mails will be appreciated.

Gay As Blackface in Liberace?

I read an article very late last night that gets into gay as the new blackface and the HBO film Liberace. Before I get into it, I've already posted my thoughts on the HBO film Liberace and I even posted about the use of yellowface in the film Cloud Atlas.

I would also like to state that some of the gay men I know seemed to like the way Liberace was handled, and they said they liked the way Matt Damon and Michael Douglas portrayed gay men. Others were insulted and found it patronizing. I still stand by all of my comments I've linked to above. I'm not one of those who write blog posts and then take them down to hide something.

The article I'm talking about can be read here. I'm going to take a few small pieces and comment now.

This is what the article said in the beginning:

“Behind the Candelabra” was troubling from the start. First came the wearisome sight of Michael Douglas congratulating his heterosexual costar Matt Damon for having the “courage” to play a gay role.

Although I do admit that I thought both Douglas and Damon did excellent jobs portraying Liberace and his young dysfunctional lover, I also mentioned how annoyed I was with the promotional events I saw both online and on television. I wasn't annoyed about the "courage" remark because I actually do think it takes courage for a straight actor to play a gay part, and for a gay actor to play a gay part. This is what I said in a previous post:

No, no, my dear. We just had this thing online called the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia because this does actually exist and it's not cliche. The homophobia is still there, and this is the reason why so many gay actors do NOT come out of the closet. It's why so many young straight actors hesitate to play roles.

However, one of the offensive post filming promotional pieces I read was where ultra liberal Ben Affleck actually joked that he was jealous of the kissing between Damon and Douglas. For those who don't know, Damon and Affleck were rumored to be gay, and lovers, which was completely false. But Affleck seemed to find it amusing to joke around with his good old dude-bud about being gay for him. There were other issues with the way the film was handled during the promotion that I found as offensive, and I'm glad someone else agreed with me. I also focused on review train wrecks for the film that were often more insulting (link above).

The article says this:

“Behind the Candelabra” and its reception open up an entire can of worms about the whole notion of straight-created, gay-themed entertainment. Why aren’t we looking upon Douglas’ and Damon’s performances with the same queasiness we now regard the blackface performances of Laurence Olivier in “Othello” or Al Jolson in “The Jazz Singer”? (Like Douglas and Damon, Olivier and Jolson didn’t set out to mock an entire category of people – but they ended up there anyway.)

He has a point, and a very valid point. It's hard to dispute this from the most basic politically correct POV. And I can't help but ask why aren't we (gay people) getting the same kind of respect? Trust me, there are days now when I find myself being insulted, as a gay man, several times in any one given day just on social media alone. And the sad fact is most people don't even realize they are doing it.

The article goes into more depth about gay cultural consumers where the author mentions the fact that there are, indeed, more openly gay actors than ever before. He also gets into the hetero-normative aspects of how gay stories like Liberace are told from the hetero POV. And we as the public wind up comparing Liberace and Thorson to gay couples of today with marriage and equality, when their relationship was nothing like most gay couples of today.

And then there is the old argument that if straight actors can't play gay roles because it's politically incorrect than gay actors can't play straight roles for the same reason.

At the same time, surely I can’t be the only gay viewer who has felt as if some of the most highly lauded performances of recent years — Christopher Plummer as the just-out-the-closet 80-something in “Beginners”; Sean Penn as the slain gay activist Harvey Milk in “Milk”; Colin Firth as a closeted professor grieving for his lover in “A Single Man” – were impressive, yet fundamentally hollow acts of mimicry. These actors capture the looks, sounds and movements of their gay characters, but barely seem to scratch the surface of the depths of anguish, self-hatred and fear these men must have known in their lifetimes.

He's not the only one. I've felt this way, too. And not as deeply as other gay men I know. I tend to be more forgiving, but that's because I focus in on the specifics in detail, like the way Michael Douglas and Matt Damon portrayed their characters in Liberace. And to be perfectly honest, there were (and still are) gay men like them in real life, not just in Hollywood or Vegas. But for me the big question is always why don't we see more gay stories that represent other aspects of gay life...like the gay republican living in a small town with his husband? Or the gay corporate executive who lives in middle America with  his husband?  In other words, we only get to see what they want us to see, and it winds up becoming a massively broad misrepresentation of the entire gay community...and what usually winds up being a sideshow at the circus.

There are so many excellent, smart quotes in this article I'm not linking anymore. I highly suggest you read it in full to get the impact of what the author is trying to say. I don't say this often enough, but this time I think someone finally got it right. But more than that, someone, blessedly, addressed this issue and now we can all talk about it openly. I will continue to link to this article in the future, because I know that sooner or later I'm going to be insulted again by Hollywood...or publishing. And now I have back up that actually makes sense.

The only thing I would like to add is that I wouldn't have been as harsh on the film Liberace, but for me it was more about the way the film was handled in reviews and in promotional pieces. And for those of you who are wondering what I'm talking about, I'll make it simple. The next time you want to discuss or say something about gay people think about people of other minorities and wonder if you'd say the same thing, or make the same joke. The odds are you probably wouldn't. And I don't think that's too much to ask for. And remember, when it comes to gay content, even though it's still a fight to the finish, the gay guy or woman always gets the final word. I think that's what I want engraved on my headstone when I'm gone.

photo attribution

Academic's Guide to Self-Publishing

I wanted to post about The Academic's Guide to Self-Publishing alone because I think there are a lot of people out there who are curious about self-publishing but don't know where to begin, whom to trust, or where to start. And, I'm still seeing snippy remarks coming from genre authors who are with small e-presses about self-publishing as if they are far too grand to self-publish.

But I think we've reached the point where self-publishing has become a viable alternative to writers, especially now that well known lit agents are helping their clients self-publish. And then there are those who have faced obstacles in both trad publishing and small press e-publishing...one of which is the endless query process in trad publishing, and then there are small e-presses going out of business because there's so much competition out there. And now part of that competition is with self-published authors.

So when I find things like this I pass it along for anyone who might be interested. It's no secret I've self-published five digital books myself and I started from scratch and learned a lot of these things on my own. I've posted about people like Joe Mihalic who did the same with non-fiction and had excellent results where he gained national attention, and, found a TV gig as a bonus.

Here's something from the web site:

Self-publishing draws as much praise as it does condescension for the exact same reason” democratizing literature. The voluntary lack of editorial and marketing oversight means authors control the entire means of production, from pitch to promotions. This route particularly benefits more independent-minded writers who want to reach audiences on their own terms, bypassing the usual publishing games involving pitches, agents, editing for marketers, and book tours. It grants them an opportunity to share what they have to say with readers who want to listen. Traditional publishing does not always allow that, no matter how insightful or worthy an author may be.

You can read more here. I don't see anything I can dispute.

Nigella Lawson Choked; K.Z. Snow Rant; Gay Celebrities

(Update Below)

Nigella Lawson, international celebrity known for cookery, was choked by her husband. And when you read about it you'll be just as stunned and appalled as I was. According to the following links, this not only happened in a public restaurant, but also in front of more than a few people.

Onlookers told the tabloid, owned by the Mirror Group Newspapers, that the pair were having a heated fight during which the star was reduced to tears.

The TV chef appears terrified as her 70-year-old husband firmly placed both hands around her throat and then appeared to squeeze on several occasions.

He reportedly at first used his left hand, then both hands as he grasped at her neck on four occasions, the paper reported. Lawson then jerked her head back several times.

He then pinched her nose before he pushed both hands in her face.

The story devolves from there, it is being investigated, and there are cringe worthy photos to go along with it.

But the part that doesn't make sense to me is that there were so many "bystanders" nearby watching and no one...not one...did one single thing to stop this from happening. Did he have to pick her up and throw her through a window to get someone to say something? One Sunday I was standing in line at one of those large drug stores where they sell everything from medications to turkey dinners with dressing. And a kid about eleven or twelve years old was standing in the next line waiting for the cashier to ring up his sale. When all of a sudden a woman with a cell phone pressed to her ear jumped in front of the kid, put her back in his face, and placed her flip flops on the counter.

As this woman continued to talk on the cell phone, the cashier blinked and the poor kid's jaw dropped. I exchanged a quick glance with the cashier, and then I tapped the woman talking on the cell phone on the shoulder and told her the kid was there first. She hesitated for a moment, but when she saw my expression she backed up and let the kid go first. The kid and the cashier smiled at me and then the cashier went on to ring up his sale. The woman continued talking on the cell phone.

I normally mind my own business and I'm far from being a confrontational person, but when I see someone being abused or mistreated it's hard not to do something. And how those people could just stand by and watch someone get choked passes me by. You can read more here, and here.

K.Z Snow Rant

Update: The post to which I linked has been removed by blogger, K.Z Snow. I have no idea why, but I do have screen shots. The Beyonce links and other links are still up.

Update II: In fairness to blogger K.Z. Snow, and in light of the fact she removed the post to which I linked, I have also taken down the quote from her blog post. All other links remain valid.

In a recent blog post, an author I don't know at all, K.Z. Snow, ranted about how authors deal with and tend to "photoshop" their public images. She began the rant with a link to an article about a Beyonce image that seems to have sparked controversy. I wish I could post the Beyonce image here, but I can't for copyright reasons. I do suggest you check it out, though. And this is the reason why.

It's a highly exaggerated image of Beyonce that's almost a caricature of her by designer Roberto Cavalli. And it's done in the typical way most fashion designers create their images. There's a reason they do this. My brother in NY used to work for the infamous fashion designer, the late Mollie Parnis. At the time he was fresh out of Drexel University's school of fashion design and he was hired as Ms. Parnis' personal assistant. I remember his sketches and how all of the designers he knew sketched in this exaggerated way. You see it's not photoshopping, not exactly. Photoshopping is when you see a photo of seventy year old Martha Stewart on a magazine cover and she's hocking her brand and trying to look like she's thirty years old. What Cavalli did with the Beyonce image is considered an art form in the fashion world and it's not about the model. The model is just a vehicle that wears the design, and the design is the focus and the art form. The design is the ART. If you study this in depth you'll see that every single designer (and fashion house) has its own look and the sketches of their designs are distinct...and usually highly exaggerated and over the top. Some of my favorites (and I have a few hanging in my home I found at auction in NY) from the 1950's almost have an abstract, post modern feel.

I often get frustrated over the way the media tries to force certain images on us, especially this painful need for us all to be thin and perfect. I also know the difference between classic fashion design and photoshopping. But I digress. Ms. Snow's rant was more about how public author images are often exaggerated and "photoshopped," and the post talked about how authors do this by using words like "award winning, critically acclaimed, and bestselling."

Quote Removed.


There you have it, verbatim. As I said, I know nothing about Ms. Snow, other than what I've seen on comment threads like this one.


Gay Celebrities

This is one of those web sites I find hard to believe. Could they be right? I suppose so. I just don't like it when someone assumes something without having actual proof. A lot of the celebrities on the list have come out, but not all...as far as I know.

It used to be a Hollywood sin, especially if you were an A-list male celebrity, to be gay, to come out of the closet. Girls, the majority of them straight, paid big money to see male movie stars, such as the late James Dean and Rock Hudson, Montgomery Clift, all confirmed gays, kiss their on-screen (female) counterparts. Not each other. (That was left for the wrap parties).

A big problem with this topic is that there's still shame associated with being gay in so many places a lot people can't come out of the closet, and it's not just celebrities. I know more than a few people in real life who live quiet unassuming lives and they can't come out either. And until the shame associated with being gay disappears, that's not going to change.

You can read more here. In a way, articles like this do more to diminish gay men and women than they do to help them.

Photo of Madonna Sketch attribution.

New Release Today: Internal Desires

I'm late to the blog today because it's Sunday and I had like ten million things to do around the house I never get a chance to do during the week. I keep telling Tony that town house life is looking better and better to me these days.

In any event, my new novella Internal Desires is up on Amazon. You can check it out here at this link. It's a .99 e-book and it's part of the lending program KDP select. This means readers that are part of the lending program will get a chance to do this:

What is the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library?

With an Amazon Prime membership, Kindle owners can now choose from thousands of books to borrow for free once a month, with no due dates. For more info, click here.

This is the book description for Internal Desires:

When young Randy’s mom and dad leave the ranch in Montana for a week long road trip, he remains home alone because of a baseball game and his job as a part time cowboy on a dude ranch. But Randy really has plans that week to experiment with his secret internal desire. It’s something he’s kept hidden for years beneath his old baseball gloves and athletic cups, and something he’s never told anyone aloud.
After gathering up all the courage he can, he sets out for an epic night of adventure only to discover the darker side of his secret fantasy that includes a misogynist idiot at a country western bar and serious brand of rape culture he’s only studied about in community college. Randy panics and he isn’t sure what to do. But when the man of his dreams shows up and turns out to be his real life hero, Randy winds up discovering internal desires he didn’t even know he had

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Four Steps to Writing Book Reviews

Four Steps to Writing Book Reviews

I have never made any great claim to being a book reviewer. I may have a lot of published books out but I'm still an amateur as far as reviewing books goes, and I always will be. My main issue when writing a review is that I'm usually worried about giving out spoilers to those who haven't read the book.

So when I came across this article that gives four steps to writing book reviews I figured I would share for anyone else who has ever felt intimidated by reviewing.

This is step one:

Simply reading a book takes a lot of time, but it isn’t enough for writing a worthy book report. Read smart! Enjoy your reading, but pay attention to the following points to make book review writing easier:

1. Genre
   • What is the art form – fiction or non-fiction; if fiction, then which particular form – novel, poem, short story etc?
   • Who are the ideal readers for this book?
   • What is the main purpose of this book? (To educate, inform, shock, or entertain readers)
   • What is the main message from the author?

It's a pragmatic approach I like. You can read the rest at the link I've provided above. And, keep in mind this is for people like me who don't consider themselves professional book reviewers and often get intimidated writing reviews. But we also take our book reviews very seriously and we want to do a halfway decent job at it.

I think developing a style is important in book reviewing, which should include writing good and bad reviews. Another reason why I consider myself an amateur is because I usually write only good reviews for books I like. I have written a few bad reviews, which are all on record, but I don't like to do that and I don't think I should be obligated to do that unless I one day decide to garner myself a professional book reviewer.

But more than that, for the most part, I do pick and choose books I think I'm going to like. I vet other reviews and book reviewer web sites so I know I'm not going to wind up with a book I don't like.

New Adult/MM Romance by Bella Stanberry

What I love most about a submission I received for The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance from author Bella Stanberry is that it has a new adult focus combined with m/m romance elements. I hadn't specifically asked for that in the call for submissions, but when I started reading it I fell in love on page one.

In fact, I loved it so much I contacted this author and asked if she would be willing to submit three short stories to make the first story part of a small trilogy. And she not only did that she blew me away with the two stories that followed.

The story begins with the main characters in college, and then it moves forward and ends with them living their new adult lives after college. That one year in the final story is almost like a bridge between their young adult lives and the lives they will one day lead as adults. It involves a gay man, a bisexual man, and straight women. There are romantic scenes that are very sexy, but not quite what I would consider hardcore sex. These are more subtle, and lean more toward the emotion and feelings of the characters. When I asked authors to submit to this book, I told them they had the freedom to do whatever they wanted to do, and I wasn't disappointed.

And as the editor, my goal with this book is to share the voices of these authors and remain in the background.

Here's one excerpt that I remember very well from one of Bella Stanberry's stories. This comes from the third story where the main characters are driving cross country, on their way to San Francisco to begin new lives. I love the feeling it captures...almost as if it is describing an era we're living in right now.

We planned two weeks for the drive. We decided we might never get a chance to actually take a road trip like this again and we wanted to see and do all the pop culture historical things Jack Kerouac had done on his cross country road trip in the novel, On the Road. This had been Luke’s idea…fantasy…because he’d always been a fan of the beat generation. In many ways we identified with Kerouac because he’d been just as unusual for his time period as we were for ours. In other words, we knew we weren’t mainstream and we didn’t want to be. We thought of ourselves as the best part of our generation because we were breaking all the rules. And, at the same time, we weren’t doing anything that differently in a literal sense from previous generations.

 

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