I’m beginning to think my true calling in life was that of the consummate antagonist because my keen ability to piss people off is unrivaled. Yesterday, two fellow authors and I sat on a panel discussing the evolution of standard prose & genre definition.


To be honest, I’m rather sick of these conversations. With the publishing houses and editors casting their lot on the side of modernity, we can all agree that the unyielding rules of style and genre categorization are being rewritten. The days of black and white lit are gone; in its place we have gray areas: Romanica, polylit, docudrama.


Not only have readers embraced these new genres, we created them. I say we because most modern writers are nothing more than refugees from the Harlequin camp who struck out on our own after reading one too many tales of heaving bosoms and rigid fiddlesticks.

“Cocks have no place in romance.”

I don’t know about that. True, one shouldn’t employ graphic language to create a scene; it should be used to punctuate the setting as I’ve written here and here. Cocks will remain in my writing. But the level to which the bluestockings are prepared to go to bar any form of naughtiness from impregnating their genre pretty much epitomizes their staunch commitment to present sex completely stripped of any pleasure.

And don’t get me started on humor!

One of the panelists mentioned reading “Hers For The Taking” and found the humor 'light'. Humor, it turns out, has no place in romance and erotica. Bitch, it wasn’t like there were juggling circus clowns! And yes, I told her as much (there’s where the pissing off bit came in). I’m a cheeky smartass with a hankering for the absurd, and I have a sneaky suspicion my readers are the same way.


A story should combine a little of everything: Humor, love, tragedy, and sexytime. No one wants to read entire stories about characters taking long rain soaked walks on the moor, dreaming of unrequited love. Even to the most untrained of eyes, that story would suck!

So, there you go. I pissed off my fellow panelist. This to, she shall overcome.



Yesterday, Eva sent me this picture. I love that gal!