The dictionary defines romance as " . . .a novel or other prose narrative depicting heroic or marvelous deeds, pageantry, romantic exploits, etc." Romantic fiction novels often present 'heroic' or 'marvelous' themes. But in today's marketplace it seems that the bar has been lowered, diving deeply into the realm of erotica, as evidenced by the success of novels such as '50 Shades Of Grey' and others.
Rusty Blackwood, author of the romantic fiction novel 'Passions In Paris: Revelations Of A Lost Diary', believes that this trend will ultimately blur the lines between romantic fiction and erotica, and that movement will result in lowered standards for romantic fiction authors and lowered expectations for romantic fiction readers.
"Speaking from the standpoint of a romantic fiction writer, I really feel the need to take a stand on this issue and voice my opinion," stated Miss Blackwood. "The very comparison of these two genres makes about as much sense as comparing apples to onions in flavor. I find the idea absurd. Furthermore it is totally misleading, especially when a title that is nothing more than pure erotica in genre is marketed and touted to be that of a good old fashioned love story, when in literary fact, is as far from a good old fashioned love story as one can get. Readers are always free to choose as they like, of course, but the damaging factor in this scenario is that the reading public has bought into this misconception, and have made the mistake of believing the likes of '50 Shades of Grey', as well as other titles written in the same vein, now the standard for romantic fiction. This is totally wrong, and it has done nothing but hurt the genre of romantic fiction, and those who write it."
In a review of '50 Shades Of Grey' by Frank Santo on the Daily News website, Santo stated that "the experience of reading E. L. James' '50 Shades of Grey' on the subway was enough to make me feel like a complete psychopath." While a review is but one person's opinion, this nevertheless begs the question - "What is romantic fiction really?"
"Romantic fiction is," continued Blackwood, "the creation of a world in print that sweeps the reader to a place that touches their heart, their soul, and totally absorbs them into the story they are reading. Real love is gentle, caring, passionate beyond the limit of imagination. It allows the reader to feel what the writer is hoping to share, and throughout the story allow them to experience whatever road they imagine they themselves and the one they love to travel. Love can also be hurtful, deceiving and heartbreaking, but it is not a place where a man plots to defile a woman, demeans her beyond all limit, and sends a message to all young women that this conduct and misuse is acceptable, and this is what real love is. This is why the comparison between these two genres is so unbelievably wrong, and needs to be clarified. The reading public should not be manipulated into believing otherwise, regardless of how much a title is hyped, and I hope for the sake of romantic fiction writers everywhere this will soon materialize."
Blackwood's romantic fiction novel, 'Passions In Paris', is a sweeping saga written in the tradition of Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' and 'What Dreams May Come'. It has been compared to Erich Segal's 'Love Story' and Nicholas Sparks' 'The Notebook'. The novel has also received extremely positive reviews from Reader's Favorite reviewers and has a 4-star rating on Amazon. The book was chosen as a finalist in Indie Author Land’s “50 Self Published Books Worth Reading”. Rusty was also a finalist in The Authors Show “50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading” Awards.
"Passions In Paris" has received rave reviews from readers. Reader Fred Pifer stated the new romance book, "is a fascinating book of a love story that seemed to be written with me in mind. In the book 'Love Story' by Erich Segal, he told of a deep abiding love story that reminds me of Cullen and Joy’s in Ms. Blackwood’s book, but the twists of intrigue and mystery that she adds keeps the reader on edge throughout." Another said, "Passions in Paris I think stands it ground with these other powerful romantic stories like 'The Notebook' by Nicolas Sparks."
Readers can download the epub version of the book at Smashwords. 'Passions In Paris: Revelations Of A Lost Diary' is also available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions, Barnes and Noble in paperback and Nook editions, and Create Space.
Blackwood will appear at Seaway Mall Coles in Welland on on September 20th for a book signing event.
Rusty Blackwood is available for interview in the Toronto area and can be reached using the information below or by email at writerrusty@hotmail.ca. More information, including 'An Evening With Rusty Blackwood - Parts 1-3' is available at her website at http://www.rusty-blackwood.com.
Profile:
Rusty Blackwood is a prolific Indie author of romantic fiction, short story comedies, contemporary and traditional poetry and children's books. Her first love is romantic fiction, but she crosses genres with ease.
Contact:
Rusty Blackwood
Web: http://www.Rusty-Blackwood.com
Email: writerrusty@hotmail.ca
Posts
