First, I want to apologize for totally flaking two weeks ago when I didn’t post a blog. 100% my bad. I forgot. 😐
I also want to say Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms out there! I hope each and every one of you is indulged to the max this Sunday. You deserve it! XO
As many of you know, I was in Kansas City last week for RT 2013. Now contrary to popular belief, I do not spend all of my time at the bar. In fact, this go around, I spent very little time at the bar. I spent a good portion of my time with Sylvia who, even if you lived in a cave, would know is having a phenomenal run with her amazing Crossfire series. Syl and I were roomies and it was exhausting watching that woman do her thing. But seriously, when I grow up I want to be Sylvia Day!
I met another young lady (the silver lining of the smoking section) I immediately liked and as the week went by grew to totally covet as my third daughter: Stephanie Grober , the lovely Marketing Coordinator at Riptide Publishing.
Riptide Publishing you ask? Well, so did I, and Stephanie happily explained to me that Riptide is a LGBT press that was kicking some ass.
Her enthusiasm not only for her job, but for her authors was contagious. She loved everything about Riptide. In her enthusiasm, she explained dicklit to me.
Dicklit you say?
Yup, dicklit. Simplified it’s chicklit with penises. MM erotic romance.
I explained to Stephanie that I had been curious for a while about MM romance and had wanted to dip my toe into that pool since last year at RT when one of the gals sitting next to me at the signing told me all about her MM love stories.
Well, you all know me, Procrastination is mah middle name! I never did pick up a MM romance, that is until Stephanie robustly recommended a few Riptide titles.
Well, there was no way I wasn’t not going to follow through, I mean, I promised her I’d read one of Riptide’s titles. And so, a couple of nights ago, I cracked open the Nook and began my new dicklit adventure.
Now before we go any further here, as I’m sure some of you have probably stopped reading this blog by now, which is fine, I still love you! But if you’re stopping because you’re afraid I’m going to get dicklit graphic on you, not to worry. I’ll leave that to the dicklit authors.
So, I’m really glad I made the time to start TOO STUPID TO LIVE by Anne Tenino, and while I’m only 100 or so pages into the story, I’m very much enjoying Ian and Sam’s romance. Two very different men, so not the others’ type, but as in real life, when cupid strikes, one really doesn’t have much of a say. The author has a fun light voice that I enjoy. From the first page, I found myself smiling. Smiling is good. Very good.
I’ve only read one sex scene and as an erotic romance writer myself, I was not in the least offended, mostly because I was rooting for Ian and Sam to get together, and in my books, sex is part of falling in love. Not only did I enjoy the sex scene, I found myself studying it. Student of the act studying it. Get my drift? It’s another reason I eagerly looked forward to reading this new-to-me sub-genre. I wanted to know what the big deal was, because dicklit is coming (pun intended) on very strong and I suspect here to stay.
Will it be a staple of my future reading? Probably not, but I won’t turn it down either, especially if there’s buzz on a particular title. It’s why I picked up the 50 Shades trilogy. Professionally and personally I needed to know what all that buzz was about! I’m so glad I did and don’t have one regret.
I like new and different. I like books that push me out of my regular reading zone (except horror, I’m a wuss).
I’m not sure what’s going to be my next first new-to-me genre or sub-genre read, perhaps you could recommend a title or two? And while you’re at it, tell me what was the last book you read outside of your normal reading genre that you loved!
K*
National Best selling author of romantic contemporary fiction.
This was a lovely post, Karin. Didn’t know what was going to show up as I read ather down the pag, which is very much like reading one of your books…lol! My interest is piqued, and I guess, I might have pick up one if these books and check it out for myself.
The last book r rather series that I read out if my comfort zone was, Kate Douglas’ Wolf Tales series. It has a warning label, and I can only read one book a year…lol! Talk about HIT and very different from what I’m used to. I’m glad I read them though because I found a new to me author I like. The stories have substance, and like with my typical reads, I connected well with characters and was totally immersed in the book. They ke a lot out of me emotionally, though. But, that’s part of why I keep reading them. That emotional ingredient is why I crave as a reader. If a book doesn’t have that, it’s very are for me to read it.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Paula, WOLF TALES along with the HARD STUFF antho (my first published work, was in that antho) launched the Aphrodesia line. WT raised a lot of eyebrows to be sure. With Kate being a fellow imprint author, I read it and agree, she did a great job with her characters. Besides, I like being shocked by authors and she did that very well too. ^_~
Dicklit! That’s hilarious– and incredibly apropos. Despite having grown up in the land of BL/yaoi, where MM is pervasive in all media (yes, the West is waaaaay behind the times!), I never quite got into it. Nothing against the (sub) genre, but it’s like paranormal and Young (& New) Adult: there are other genres I find more interesting.
The last book I read outside of my usual was *gasp* nonfiction. Other than travel guidebooks, I hadn’t picked up a nonfiction book in years! But being a scuba diver diving in New England and getting into recreational shipwreck diving, not having read SHADOW DIVERS was pretty much considered heresy. Now it’s (supposedly) being turned into a movie– scuba, death, and a lost U-boat!
Cris, I love the tag too! It just–fits. ^.^ I’m not a big fiction reader either, but like you I recently read a great title, AMERICAN SNIPER. It was fascinating and broke my heart at the same time knowing Chris was gone.
I’m not that thrilled with the horror genre either, but I love Mira Grant’s Newsflesh series (which falls into the genre, but doesn’t seem like horror to me). You could give that a whirl.
Since I read pretty much anything, I can’t think of what would be outside my normal genre that would fit. I don’t read a lot of short stories or literary, so I guess Quent Cordair’s Lunch Break would fit. It was a pretty awesome volume of Quent’s shorts and poetry. Also, I read a military thriller at the end of last year that I loved: Dead Six by Larry Correia and Mike Kupari.
Beth, I may just give Mira Grant a try! TY.
Loved the post!! Thanks for the laugh! None of us knew where you were going but I for one kept reading. 🙂
I’m glad you did, BJ! 🙂
I do lots of contest judging and end up with everything from inspirational to BDSM and dicklit–not that those last two are necessarily linked. There are a lot of kinks out there and sometimes the story is simply two people falling in love. And isn’t that what romance is all about?
Happy Mother’s Day, everyone!
I agree with you 100% Silver. For me, a romance reader first and foremost, it is all about the romance, hence the reason I’m enjoying TSTL so much. 🙂
Have you read a BDSM by Candace Blevins? I’ve read Safeword Matte. I did not find it romantic or erotic, but it was different and my reaction or lack of one was interesting for me to think about. She’writes about more extreme BDSM and covers objectification in her latest release which was new to me (I have not read the book).
No, Anne, I haven’t read her, but I’m going to add Safeword Matte to my list! Love the title! TY
SInce my son in an MM romance for real (domestic partner status and he’d better not get married (when allowed in CA) without me!) I was interested in your blog post. While I cannot write it (he would put me in a home – told me to write “what i know” – well damn – that doesn’t leave much!) I won’t be running to that genre. But I am glad it exists. Everyone should celebrate love and life!
Great post! And so glad to hear you enjoyed TSTL 🙂 My first Anne Tenino was FRAT BOY AND TOPPY and I loved that one as well.
Hmm….last book outside my genre was a re-read of Gibson’s NEUROMANCER (and W.J. Williams’s HARDWIRED before that), but that’s kind of a cheat because I re-read them to get my mind around a cyberpunk idea that could be a new genre for me to try out.
Before those, the last book I read in a genre I have no intention of writing was probably one of the Codex Alera books by Jim Butcher. I like his Dresden books, but they’re just mysteries with a wizard protag. The Alera books are true traditional epic/high fantasy, and they are awesome.
Jake my fried Poppy gave a me a few Jim Butcher books. I started one, got busy and never picked it back up, but I was enjoying it!
Fun post! Dicklit! I never knew….
I will have to pick up some of those titles….
Outside of my genre….probably Deborah Harkness or Charlaine Harris. I’m not to big on paranormal, etc. but I really enjoy those two.
Truly, though, I read lots of different things just because I want to know what everyone is writing/reading….and I do discover some wonderful stories I never might have such as THE THIRTEENTH TALE.
Deborah, I’m with you on wanting to know what everyone is reading and writing. And I’ve been pathetically underread this past year. I’m determined to change that. I love books, I LOVE to read. And I write better when I read.
Hi Karin,
Jealous! Sounds like so much fun! I’m glad you got to go. I’m hoping to catch up with my writer buds at RWA. Are you going this year?
Laura I hit Atlanta the 13th! Can’t wait to see you. You’ve had such a great year. Must celebrate!
I think my last ‘outside my usual’ reading was Lonesome Dove. I got it by mistake from the Doubleday Book Club. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I loved RT. So much fun and such great parties.
Jill, it was great to see you at RT! I knew you’d love it. Next year it’s in NOLA. 🙂 Can’t wait!