Saturday Surprise –A Writer’s Ruminations
September 12, 2020
I might receive some shit for this post, but I’m going ahead with it anyway. <<Shrugs>> The older I get, the more I care about doing the right thing for me instead of the easy thing, adding my voice to causes I believe in, instead of staying silent for fear of offending someone, and sharing MY perspective, which admittedly is probably a little skewed.
I get a lot of questions about my writing process, where I get my ideas, what’s next, what I do when facing writer’s block…so I thought I”d share a glimpse into what’s been on my mind recently and how it’s created some stumbling blocks that I know I’m not the only writer wondering how to get over them.
For better or for worse, from the start of my writing journey, I’ve written what I wanted. My goal in writing mysteries was to showcase my state, particularly western South Dakota and the types of good and bad people that call this place home. I touched on local issues, but also ones I felt were universal. I created unapologetically tough lead female characters. I strove to show readers the issues solely from their eyes, which meant no other points of view except a female’s. I’m damn proud of the Julie Collins series and the Mercy Gunderson series. It is still a huge gnawing hole in my gut that I never got to finish those series on my terms–and is partially why I specifically chose an end book for the Rough Riders series (against ALL industry advice, mind you) because I finally got to accomplish a full story arc.
So I haven’t felt…limited in what point of view I could write from–and I don’t mean first person or third person, although I am comfortable in both of those. I’ve never hesitated to write from a man’s point of view, even though I don’t have a penis. I’ve created characters that were straight, gay, biracial, indigenous, young, old, assholes, saints…choosing to write from whatever point of view best fit the STORY. That approach has always worked well for me, and I honestly didn’t think too much about it…until now.
I don’t know how much of what’s been going on in the book industry has caught the attention of readers, besides the LOUD voices on Twitter who find fault with just about everything and don’t have an issue blathering on about that opinion, even if it adversely affects specific authors. No, I’m not talking about #OWNVOICES because I honestly believe it is awesome that authors who share the same ethnicity or sexual orientation as the characters they’re creating are finally getting noticed in the publishing industry. In this case, I’m referring to the people in the book industry, be it authors, or reviewers or bloggers or even readers, who decided their opinion matters on how an author has crafted a character/issue/situation that they perceive as derogatory to a specific group of people.
I’ll use my own work as an example. I’ve gotten the smack down for:
Fat-shaming for describing a secondary character as having sausage fingers or chubby or barrel-shaped.
Gender/trans shaming for making a joke with a male character still being attracted to his love interest even if his penis was cut off.
Trying to act PC by including a trans character in a storyline.
Condoning homophobia/racism when characters use language that’s considered a slur.
Lack of ethnic diversity in my Wyoming set westerns.
Appropriating Japanese culture in my series with a biracial male hero.
Appropriating Indian culture in my series with a biracial female heroine.
Appropriating Indian culture in my series with a white female heroine.
Appropriating queer culture in my stories that have gay men as the lead characters.
(Mis)appropriating stereotypes to my characters who aren’t American born.
I’ll stop there. And with each accusation I take a deeper look at what I’ve written, how I wrote it and if I could’ve done something different. So far…my answer is…no. And while I understand that oftentimes I’m too close to the characters I write, regardless if they’re primary or secondary, I will say this: every race, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, physique and gender have people in their groups that are GOOD AND BAD. If I write a skinny character who is a total jerk, that doesn’t mean I’m putting a blanket statement out that *I* think all skinny people are jerks. It is ONE character in ONE story. And it doesn’t have a damn thing to do with my personal opinions.
Because it’s goddamned FICTION, okay?
In the past month I’ve seen one newish author get called out for making the queer character in her romance the villain. And I do mean called out–the mob that attacked her (and her editor and publisher) raised such an issue about this, that people were cancelling their preorders and sharing the title of her book in an effort to affect her sales. Guess what? It worked. And they also got her to leave social media during her release week. And I’m standing there scratching my head, because I’ve made a queer character a villain too. Are they going to come after me? So there are NO queer people who are assholes? Huh. I mean, I could understand the uproar if this author consistently chose to make a queer character the villain, but this is ONE book.
Another author pulled her book from publication due to the outcry her that writing a young adult story where the main character is a Hawaiian hula girl was somehow wrong because she’s a white woman who misappropriated the culture. So does that mean even though my great-grandmother (who I admittedly never met) who WAS a full-blooded gypsy and referred to herself her entire life as a gypsy, and I have those same genetics (albeit it watered-down now) that I am or I am NOT allowed to incorporate that culture into a future work? Would I be allowed to use the word gypsy or would I get lambasted because it’s considered derogatory?
I have a writer friend who has stopped querying agents regarding his urban-set story dealing with an ethnic gang scenario because in this climate…would he be called out for writing a story that fed stereotypes? Or would he be accused for misappropriating a culture? Either way, a good story isn’t getting told before it’s gotten a chance to be read. That is sad.
A few years back I got into a heated discussion with a gay male author, who said women like me (meaning white heterosexual) were flooding the gay romance market with stories that weren’t an accurate representation of the gay male lifestyle. Basically, he said if I hadn’t lived it I had no right to write it. Another head scratcher. So I’m supposed to “stay in my lane” and only write about things that I’ve deal with as an overweight midwestern woman?
FUCK THAT NOISE. Seriously.
I don’t have to actually KILL someone to be able to write about it accurately. I don’t have to have been in a threesome to craft a sexy scene. I don’t have to have a big swinging dick to write from a male’s point of view. I don’t have to had lived in the 1800’s to pen a historical, or in Romania as a vampire or in the woods as a werewolf or as a dragon in a cave to write paranormal, so why should any other scenario I deem interesting be off limits to me as a writer because I haven’t experienced it?
At the end of the day, this always speaks more loudly than anything else:
Thanks for listening, peeps 🙂
XOXOXO
L~
PS – Last week’s winner was Tambra Byrne!! email me lorelei@loreleijames.com for your prize!
72 Comments:
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Stacy Baglio said:
WOW!! Very well said and I support you & your writing!!
Donna said:
Maybe I’d be considered biased since I’m a overweight Southern woman, but I think you’re viewpoint is the correct one. As long as an author doesn’t have an agenda (i.e. wants to turn everyone against a certain type of person), then I don’t think the author should be ridiculed for their stories. You write what you want and I’ll be there to read it!
Jacey said:
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your post today!! You’ve hit the nail on the head about writing about what you want and NOT listening to others! Thank you for being such an awesome, amazing, Midwestern, strong- minded female!! You represent us proudly!!
Denise Gilbert said:
Well said!! I agree with you, completely! Seems people these days forgot about that little word called “research”. People in a certain culture/group are not the only experts on those topics. We all continue to learn until the day we die. Sending lots of love.❤
Nicole Contreras said:
I agree 100% with everything you have said!! You keep being you and stand by your writing! You should not be pigeon holed into a corner based on gender, sex or culture etc. Keep writing the way you do as there is always going to be haters you just have to rise above them and be strong.
Ronda said:
Keep writing what you want. I’ve read books and honestly have no idea if the author is a man or woman or anything at all about them. I’ve read almost every one of your books why because I love your writing so from this Sassy Overweight Southern woman keep writing.
Roxanne Farrington said:
Well said! People feel that the anonymity of the internet gives them the right to say whatever they want without repercussions! Most of them are small minded and/or bigoted! You, and every other author, have the right, of not an obligation, to write as you see fit! Keep up the good work! I love your books! Please don’t stop!
Lori Ratchford said:
Amen, Amen 🙏
Gloria said:
I have always enjoyed reading your books. I think in today’s society everybody is so concerned about being PC correct that it’s stifling a lot of different areas of everyone’s life. The comedy, the movies, the books everything has to be so gender and culture and ethnicity correct that it’s killing spontaneity and creativity. Write what you want and let the readers decide if they like it.
Karen said:
Very well said. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Juli Hall said:
*applauding* well said. I totally support you. You as an author has every right to write what you want as do every other author
Reinventing Perfection said:
I am shocked that people called you out… Wait, nope! Everyone has something to say these days. One of the reasons I loved the Rough Riders series is how inclusive it is. You have men acting a horn dogs, but then enter Keeley McKay – My hero! She would get slut shamed and not give two fucks because she was proud of her sexuality! Your polyamorous relationship with Trevor, Edgar and Chassie – not only are they not living a main stream lifestyle, you have different ethnicities in one relationship – that’s not even taking on the sexual orientation and everything Trevor went through trying to figure out who he was.
Colt and Indie are recovering addicts. Indie is a bad ass tattooed and pieced strong fierce woman. Carter becomes an artist instead of a cowboy… The lists goes on and on and on! I love how you captured so much in just one series and how all the family drama gets intertwined. This series is something straight out of real life!!!
Please don’t stop writing these amazing stories. They are fiction and how some of us escape our day to day. When I need to get away – I put on my noise cancelling headphones and listen to one of your many books I love and enjoy!
Thank you for sending this! Thank you for writing for you! Thank you for standing up for yourself! The world needs more of this!!! ❤️
wendy said:
I totally agree with what you said. Rough Riders is my all time favorite series. Keep writing what you want Lorelei I will buy it.
B.J.Dworkin said:
Ditto
Suzie Weber said:
⬆️ What she said!!
Katherine said:
Do what feels right for you and let us, readers, be the judge. I don’t assume knows of any race, gender, stereotype just because I read it in a book. I make my own judgements but I do expect a writer to absorb me with their story. You do that in spades.
Theresa Prather said:
Ms. James keep doing what you are doing. I enjoy your writing style.
Jennifer Beyer said:
OMG! Thank you for writing this! I have been watching the writing world go crazy with this sort of thing and all I can think about is the books of Piers Anthony. If you can only write in your own lane then the world would never have the wild and wacky books of Piers Anthony and that would be such a huge loss. BTW, if you ever get the chance to write more mysteries, I’m there! I love Mercy and Julie (even when I want to slap her).
Ashley said:
Well said! BTW the comment you made about your mysteries made me realize I had yet to do so, even though its been on my reading list. So for this rainy Sunday I picked up the first Julie Collins series and OMG another great book. I love your writing, iver the last 10 years I have tried every book you put out and you never disappoint
Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Heidi said:
I fully agree with what you said! I enjoy your books and you should be able to write what you want! That’s what makes you unique! I fully support you! Keep doing what you’re doing!
PatD said:
Please keep writing great stories and ignore the assholes! I think I have read every book you have released as Lorelei James. I have enjoyed them all. The Wyoming cowboys were favorites, or was it the dojo in Denver or the current books located in Minneapolis. It’s the stories, the characters and the locales that work together to give us an enjoyable read.
I am tired of the bullies infringing on my reading pleasure.
Sue Pecenka said:
Most people are so unimaginative that the !meaning of fiction is lost on them. What you create comes from inside you and none of the business of anyone else but sadly we’ve come to the point that everything has become so serious and ridiculous that even Rudolph the reindeer has been shot at for someone’s idiocy and 10,minutes of fame. I love your writing and if you want to hit my ethnicity be my guest. It’s Slovak German and Swiss . We are all way too politically correct touchy about things that don’t matted. You matter.
Mary C said:
Reminds me of the lyric from Garden Party
But it’s all right now, I’ve learned my lesson well
You see, you can’t please everyone, so you’ve got to please yourself
Jenny Black said:
I honestly hate social media and the internet sometimes. I want to smack people and tell them to shut up and just enjoy the story. Haters gonna hate because in real life they’re too chicken to say it to people’s faces.
Devon Hensley said:
This! Right here, is why I love you. You are true to yourself and stand by it. And if someone has an issue, they can talk to your “James Gang”
Sharon said:
I stay off of Twitter because of the mob mentality over there. Personally I think it is ridiculous how writers are coming after other writers for all of these scenarios. If writers only “stayed in their lane” think of all the classic literature we wouldn’t have. I’m over the bullies taking people down for writing characters of other cultures, races, and sexual orientation. As long as it was researched and due diligence was done, that’s what I as a reader expect.
Kate Wagner said:
Ignore this post modern, Orwellian reality and keep writing! We need to believe in our promised freedoms for ALL and work continually for happiness and unity! Fiction is just that…and everyone has the right to create. Cultural appropriation is BS people use to keep us all separate and in our own boxes. Keep writing! Keep fighting the good fight!!!
Desiree said:
The internet gives people the ability to say whatever they feel like because it’s not your face and they can do it without anyone knowing who they are. It’s sad. We creating this though so we must learn how to fix this mess. You create wonderful stories with characters that come to life and seem real. People are assholes now. I don’t understand why. Stephen King isn’t running around in a clown suit killing people to make It. He wasn’t trying to raise animals from the dead for Pet Cemetery. It is fiction that means you can write whatever. It’s made up you’re not writing a history book. Can a gay romance author say that his relationship is the only way? No just like a a heterosexual can’t either. Everyone’s different everyone’s experiences are different. Why can’t a white girl be a Hulu girl? What if she was adopted into a family that was Hawaiian? What if she was just a child at one point and that’s what she wanted to do and she continued cause she was good at it. We tell our children they can be anything they want to be but yet people cut them down for that. Again people are assholes and it’s sad because in many cases we raised these assholes. I hope that my children show people more respect and kindness than what so many people are getting. It is really disgusting. I’m so glad I’m not on social media because I think my sons counselor was right social can cause depression
Kathy said:
I agree 100% with your post. If an authors writing is not your cup of tea then don’t read their books. There is no legitemate reason for trashing a writer and what they write.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but there is no reasonable reason to take away other peoples rights to enjoy a book that others may not enjoy.
IF YOU DON’T LIKE AN AUTHOR… THEN JUST DON’T READ THEIR BOOKS!!!!
Jeanine Lesperance said:
I love this post. I think you should continue to write what you feel. You do your research…and are accurate for your characters personalities. If all the characters were right and good, what fun would that be? I certainly don’t want to read sweet feel good stories all the time, some people love them, but I like my characters gritty, raw and real. Mostly doing the best they can, but not perfect by a long shot. I need tension and diversity in my stories. I feel that reading about diverse people and situations, is part of what makes people accept and understand that people are a lot more like them that they probably think. I love books that are based in different parts of the country because it give a glimpse life in those areas. I love learning about South Dakota through your eyes…. Because it is something I am not familiar with. When I first moved to South Carolina from California, about 25 years ago… I was able to learn so much about southern culture from authors that wrote books that were grounded in the culture of the place where they were set. An example of this is Margaret Maron, her Debra Knott series teaches so much about North Carolina and it’s history and culture. But there is also always a great mystery to go along with it. Stories allow us to go to places we haven’t been and experience things that we will never experience in person. Since I love mystery and suspense thriller, a lot of these things, I have no desire to experience in person. (Murder, Serial Killers) I love books. If all authors stayed in their lane and only wrote characters like themselves, then we wouldn’t have any of the paranormal that are great and so popular. I can’t imagine a world without books that include witches, vampires, shapeshifters, fairies, and a million variations. Authors are my superstars because they are able to take me out of my boring life and transport me to something different. I am grateful for your ability to craft such wonderful stories, and to all of the other authors that I read that do the same thing.. Stephen King is a personal favorite. His characters are wonderful and while not always likable, they are true to the character of who they are intended to be. They are relatable. They read true. Please keep doing what you do best, which to tell a darn good story, that makes us care about what is happening and want to read more.
Ruth said:
Well said Lorelei James! My heart aches for the Author/Authors who
Will fade away because of Social Media. Stay strong and write what
YOU hear, and NOT what THEY tell you is Right and or Wrong.
Be Brave and Strong, and Kick some serious Author ASS!
Kimberly Collins said:
You can not please everyone write what you love. If someone does not like it they do not have to read it. Keep up the great writing you enjoy writing.
Have a very Happy Fall🍁🌻🍂🍁🌻🍂
Annette Brindle said:
I agree with what you said.If I Don’t like what a book is about I don’t read it or don’t buy it.I will never put an author down for what they wrote.I have read a lot of your books and for the most part enjoyed them.Thank you.
Terry Blackmon said:
I am completely appalled at people who decide to be offended at everything that doesn’t agree with them. Way too much time on their hands, and way too much selfish attitude!!! Personally, Lorelei, I enjoy ALL of your characters and stories!!! People are not black and white and the same personalities. People are different. Period. There are no two people exactly alike. I enjoy your stories of different lifestyles. In so many ways it has helped me become more mindful, more tolerant of others, even though it’s all fiction! I don’t know how to stop idiots, and we certainly, unfortunately, can’t fix stupid. It’s so sad that those types of people have a strong say and try to ruin someone else.
Erin Bajcar said:
So, should I only read books that are meant for “middle aged” (hate that phrase), overweight, white, with watered down Irish ancestry, kids, bills and a husband that works too much?
I read your stories BECAUSE they take me to other places – introduce me to other points of view – and just plain, freaking entertain me. Seriously. People need to get over themselves and let the authors do what they do best. Take us away from where we are – to some place we enjoy visiting.
Keep doing what you do – and I’ll be there to support / read / cheer you on.
Thank you for speaking out – and if there is anything I (or we) can do to support the author you spoke about, please share.
DollyOlson said:
Hurray for you.
Monica Lemmers said:
We are now living in an age when someone will find fault in whatever is said and done. When is it okay to go back to a book banning culture. I read books to learn, to live a fantasy, to relieve stress. Hell I am not a stick thin person, we live in a world where everyone is different. You are writing about the world and its very diverse people. Lord when did we all become so easily offended!?!?
Nancy Shaw said:
I have been reading for over 50 years and I am still amazed that people who read a book seem to feel that their opinion is the only important opinion. I love to read because an author can tell someone’s story and make it important enough that I meet a person with thoughts, ideas and lives that are not like my own or even like my own, that I want to meet. I don’t want authors to give me their opinion but the character’s opinion and to let me think about the how their lives helped them form their opinions. Characters and their stories have taught me so many things and given me the chance to develop my own thoughts. Books have taught me a lot and I’m sure will always remind me that I always should be awake to the ideas of others and keep open to new ideas. Please keep writing what you want to write about, there will always be people who think their ways and thoughts are the only way people should think and that if you think differently you are wrong.
I also know how angry it makes me when I meet someone who is completely closed to thinking and that my way of thinking has no value, and the I have no value because I think differently than they do. It’s also amazing to me that people feel it is all right to condem or criticize other people’s words . Please, keep writing what you want and readers, like me, will keep reading and supporting you.
Tracy Barbour said:
Social media has become such a double-edged sword. People don’t think one second about wearing their feelings on their shoulders then getting butt hurt over anything they don’t agree with. You write fiction, very entertaining fiction & your ability to articulate characters from so many different walks of life is amazing!!!
Shirley Long said:
I DESPISE SOCIAL MEDIA for that very reason. People hide behind their computers and spout trash that they’d never be brave enough to say otherwise.
The amazing thing about books is that we all know going in that it is fiction. That’s the whole point of reading ~~ being able to lose myself in a good book while never leaving my chair. I say to hell with all of them. If they don’t like it, they certainly don’t have to buy and/or read it. And DO NOT, under any circumstances, tell me what I can and can not read. Nor should anyone attempt to tell any author what to write. For God’s sakes, shut the hell up and get a life.
If we, meaning your readers, don’t want to read what you give us, then we just won’t buy it. Simple, easy, no problem. Let me assure you, my author friend, I hope, no I expect, you to continue to write “YOUR” books and ignore all the nay-sayers. Cause if you conform to their way of writing, you will not be the Lorelei James that I know and love.
Robin Cobb said:
Well said.
Kathi said:
Seriously!?! There is no such thing as common sense anymore!
You write FICTION!!! Amazes me that people have to “hate on” something they don’t like, instead of just reading something else!
I am a Midwest raised, Mountain state transplant, overweight, middle aged, white, heterosexual, married mother and grandmother with pretty conservative views, that loves some down and dirty FICTION! I especially love it when it is written by you!
Sherry Mason said:
I agree with you 100%! Love your books and lots of other authors too.
Melissa Hillman said:
Thank you for your thoughts. As I was reading your post I thought about how incredibly sad it is that so much public sentiment seems to stem from a place of hate or blame….from one segment or group to another. Why can’t we celebrate the simple fact that we are ALL unique? No two are exactly alike with all the same experiences and histories. There is good and bad in all of us. No group or segment can take the glory or blame for the actions of single part of a group. So why so we even try?
I enjoy books for the simple reason that I want to see into the lives of the characters created by others. I enjoy seeing the different points of view presented by the authors I read.
Thank you, Lorelei, for being one of my favorite authors sharing glimpses into those different worlds you create.
Debra Taylor said:
Very well said ! You keep on doing things your way because you are an awesome writer.
Linda said:
I am going to agree with some of the comments above that I have just read. I love your books. Don’t change anything you do.
Amy Perrault said:
Very well said!! Keep up the great work
Sylvain Perrault said:
I like how you said it. I enjoy your writing.
Stacy G said:
Write what you want. People that have nothing better to do than go after others, need to get a life. It’s fiction people not a real life documentary. I find it truly appalling that they go after someone’s livelihood because of a perceived sense of righteousness. There are far worse things going on in the world that deserve attention than someone writing a fictional story. As you said there are good and bad people in fiction and unfortunately in real life too.
Baylee Hollar said:
I for one love your writing and people get way to serious about FICTION. If you don’t like a story you don’t have to read more from that author. I love and miss your mysteries!! I especially felt the Mercy Gunderson stories were left hanging at such a pivotal place. Idk if you gonna write more of those but I know I’ll love whatever you do!
Tami said:
So Well said, I’m so glad you aren’t afraid to speak your mind & none of that PC business. There is a reason fiction books are called fiction. They aren’t true your supposed to use your imagination.
D. Schenk said:
It’s called fiction for a reason. I choose my books to read based on what I want to read. If it’s something that offends me then I just don’t read it! This is a free country and we have the rights to write and read anything we wish; and making complaints about what an author wrote well why did you even read it.
Judith Cromer said:
Totally agree with you. So many people pushing this politically correct crap on everyone.
Krisin said:
Well said. I think you are a great writer and i have loved every book you wrote and i say tell everyone to take a flying leap. Who cares what they say. You write from the heart and the others have to remember…there fiction they dont have to be true.
Valerie said:
Lorelei, you do you and those of us who enjoy your work will continue to support you!
Lynnette Minturn said:
I love your email today. All the people that think they have the right to call someone out about the book they wrote are assholes. It is your book and you should write it as you hear it in your head and heart. If they don’t like it then they don’t have to read it.
You keep writing and I’ll keep reading as I have loved everything I have ever read of yours. Keep them coming!
Karen Hollanitsch said:
I think our “woke” movement in this country is trying to totally smother creativity and free thinking. (Newly-announced Oscar quotas included)!
Can you say ” 1984″ anyone?!?!
Why should anyone dictate to any artist how they should create/craft their work?
I agree with what you’re saying here – it’s fiction, a product of your imagination, creativity, artistry, whatever you’d like to call it.
And it’s wrong, wrong, wrong of anybody to purposely try and harm someone’s book sales by inserting their unsolicited opinion.
Anyone who can’t figure that out needs some serious help, IMO.
Please continue to write your own way and try to ignore the outlandish critics who make blanket assumptions about your motivation, of which they obviously know NOTHING!
Love what I’ve read of your books; have many more to get to, and am looking forward to that when I finish my current second re-reading of the entire Rough Rider series! I want to personally than you,, Lorelei, for providing me with hours and hours of reading entertainment!
Lois said:
So when I choose a book, I read the back. I don’t look too see the ethnicity, religion, political views, sexual orientation or any other damn thing of the writer OR characters in that book. I read it because it sounds interesting to me. I’m really over the public shaming pc crap, I’m over being TOLD to read more black authors, buy from black bookstores etc. The public doesn’t get to tell me what to read, how and where to spend MY money .. flat out NO. I read Lorelei James books because I find them interesting .. end of the story. My brain, my money. End of rant from an overweight southern woman. All that being said .. I freakin LOVE your words and your books but you need to make yourself happy first .. and if that means you don’t write anymore I’ll be freakin sad but I’d rather you were happy.
Vicki Mikel said:
Wow! Good for you. I now understand how you can write such strong, amazing women characters. You rock. Don’t buckle, don’t change a thing.
kc said:
For years they kept squalling in Hollywood–should cast an Asian to play an Asian character, a Native-American to play a Native American character, etc…and then in Daredevil, they cast a black guy to play what was always written as a white (very nasty) villain. Fine, he did a great job as that villain–I just had to get over the shock because I’d read Marvel Comics for decades & had a mental picture of that villain–esp. since the mental picture matched the way he’d been drawn for all those decades. Did anyone squall? Not that I ever heard!
So the attitude these days is that you can only write about something if you actually match that something; otherwise, you’re misappropriating that culture. So Island of the Blue Dolphins would never have been written, right? Maybe it would have; it was a young girl having to survive on her own, using the skills she’d learned growing up. And yes, Research helped the author to understand those skills.
Currently, they’re not saying we can’t read these books; just that you have to be that match to write them. But is the reading option far behind? Sure, lets splinter our country even farther apart! I’ve had little tolerance for PC for many years, and I’m considered a fairly liberal feminist! But I find changing the word doesn’t help; they find out what it changed from/what it meant before, and the new word has the same meaning as the old. We need to change the thinking, not the word!
And, LJ, I hope you told that fella that the way he thinks; he can’t write any other characters than gay males…and see how boring the books become–it’s the interaction between the variety of characters that help make the story interesting! He doesn’t think they’re written correctly; wonder if all gay males think that way, or if that was his explanation for why his books won’t sell–we’re buying the wrongly written instead?
Hang in there, LJ, I’m afraid it’s going to be a rough road for a few years as people continue to lose track of the fact: if you don’t want to be stereotyped; don’t stereotype everyone else! But I’ll keep buying your books as long as you want to put them out there! As the saying goes: “Give ’em H**L, Harry!”
Pamela Lee said:
I do not write, but have been a reader all my life and love reading about all kinds of people and places. I am a white, heterosexual female almost 77 years old and have lived thru a lot of those years and one thing I know for sure is that we have a right in being a reader to say that a book may not have moved me, or that it was slow coming to an end or that the end was only a paragraph or two and wanted more after reading 300 pages that led up to the ending. But I do not have a right to decide that you could not write what you wanted to and from many different places even tho you had not ever been what that “person” was. It is your book and your decision and you will be the only one who either profits or looses because of it. I enjoy stories of all types of people and don’t spend time trying to decide if the author was trying to tell me I should “hate” the character or love them simple because of their gender or some other reason they have no control over. We really need to be more forgiving and more understanding of the world around us and not always look for a problem. Maybe we should simply learn something from that character and treat other people as we should.
Debra said:
WOW! That was awesome! Thank goodness you are NOT pc. Please write the way you want and have been. And listen to the voices IN YOUR HEAD and not the garbage coming out of ignorant mouths.
Elisa said:
Hugs, love and respect to you , Lorelei. I have enjoyed every one of your books. I enjoy getting lost in your stories and love that you write about a variety of people.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think the world of social media has been more damaging than good. People hide behind their words, and feel that it’s OK to say hurtful things. Meanwhile, you know that if they were standing in front of you, they wouldn’t have the guts to say it to your face. These people are bullies! Plain and simple.
People sensationalize bad and evil, everybody wants a part of it. I hate it!
The world needs to be more accepting, understanding, and encouraging. There’s enough evil in the world. We don’t need to add to it.
I hope the new author you are talking about hasn’t been discouraged from continuing to write. I wish there was a way to laser someone’s social media account to prevent them from posting for 30 days if they say something bad.
Linda Erickson said:
Well said—keep writing the way you do—I enjoy everyone of your books!!
JUDY D BOYLE said:
I always say to my friends after reading one of your books (or some of my other favorite authors books) , I know it’s a good book when if listening to it or reading it you can close your eyes and picture the people places and things in the book. THEN IT’S A DAMN GOOD BOOK. I love your books. It’s just a shame that this world we are living in today gets their feelings hurt by the craziest things. My feeling is you don’t like whats on tv? Change the channel. You don’t like the book your reading? Put it down and get another one. You don’t like the music in the CD player? Take it out and pop in something you like. Not everybody likes the same things, if they did this would be a very boring life. I have one grandson that hates broccoli but loves corn. The other grandson hates corn but loves broccoli so I make both.
Please don’t let these small minded people keep you from doing what you love. And I hope part of that doing what you love gives you joy in knowing that there are allot of us out here that wait on pins and needles for your next book.
Keep doing what you do and FUCK THEM.
Nan D. said:
You GO Girl! Stay true to yourself above all things.
::standing up applauding::
Suzie Weber said:
I am in the top ten of being your Mercy Gunderson fan club and hate it remains unfinished. Why is it I can read M/M way before F/F? Probably bc an author stated there is less
drama in M/M books. What happened to just saying the book didn’t work for you and go on to the next. I rarely pay attention to ethnicity in a book. So what if Cam meets a girl from Romania (or wherever). The story is the people. I have never been offended by a single book you have written. Most I have loved, some a bit less but I’m quiet about it. I hate leaving bad reviews even when the book, in my opinion, was not so great. Can you forward the book info from the one who pulled her book. Not fair, I Would like to read it. I hope I love it and can write a good review. I say there are only “know-it-all’s on earth. God has that title in Heaven and Satan in Hell.
Christina Weaver said:
YOU are the author and the captain of your own ship so to speak. Write how you feel the story plays out and true to the natural unfolding of the story. I personal enjoy your books I’ve been reading the Lund series. I have looked at the rough rider series and as I generally read traditional H &H romance I was skeptical and asked my self would I enjoy reading about a threesome, romance as the is not my lifestyle I am not sure how I can relate to the characters. However will I know if I do not try? Your writing style is so awesome that I am willing to read it and try it out. Is that not the point of reading? To let the author take you to a place of a situation you have never been in before and perhaps expand your mind to new possibilities. As a author you want to evoke an emotional response from your readers while some may have positive thoughts and feelings others may not but weather it be good,bad,ugly or indifferent you are evoking and provoking thoughts emotions and feelings from the reader. Who cares any way it mean they had to BUY the book maybe even the whole series to read and pick at. Keep on writing your way its great.
Jeanette said:
This post was so wonderful it brought me to tears. I’m so sad and tired of the issues you’ve mentioned.
I just have to keep the faith that there are more of you then there are of them.
You be you gurl!
April P said:
As always this post was spot on.
here said:
I need to read more about this from you! Also I intend to share this |blog right now. Awesome!
Pamela Lee said:
I must have missed all the interest in questioning every thing a writer is writing about. I always thought I was reading a story (FICTION) that an author had in her/his mind. It never occurred to me that I should look for “wrong information” and make a stink about it. I read for the story and how it moves and if it is something I am interested in. I have read a couple of stories over the years of the area I was born and raised in (Orange Co. California) and there have been wrong information regarding those areas. I just figured it was changed to make the story work better….people need to stop LOOKING for something to bitch about. Enjoy the story and don’t spend all your time looking for something that you can complain about. Life is much better that way.