Everyone, I would like to take the time to welcome Stacy-Deanne: Please pull up a seat and enjoy her amazing post.
“The Top 5 Things I Hate to See In Black Women/White Men IR Novels”
Hello all! I’d like to thank Marie for letting me stop in on her lovely blog today. As some readers may know, I write crime/mystery novels mixed with interracial romance, primarily black women and white men storylines. I am a big fan of anything interracial but it has to be done a certain way for me to enjoy it.
I thought it would be fun to take my author hat off and put on my reader cap. Below are the top five things I personally hate to see in BW/WM romance novels.
Enjoy!
Mean Black Women
I hate a book where the BW is mean to everybody, including the WM who is in love with her. It’s unrealistic because who the heck would fall in love with someone who treats them like dirt? I’ve read books where the black heroine steps all over the man and he has to convince her to give him a chance. Just because a woman is strong and independent it means she must be a bitch too? Can’t she be nice with a decent personality? Can’t she show us a reason the man would love her? An independent woman on her own doesn’t always have to hate men and put down everyone who comes in her path. The behavior gets boring after the first few pages. If she’s pissed from being in a bad relationship, fine. But she needs to lighten up very quick or I’m ditching the book. LOL!
Stupid White Men
I doubt that a lot of white men read IR books and I say that because most men in general do not read romance novels. I think some would be very offended if they read how they are portrayed in some of them. While I hate the heroine to be cold as a dead fish, I also don’t like the man to be treated like a fool, let alone acting like one. Give the man some brains. I’ve read a lot of IR books where the white man was absolutely clueless about everything and spent his time running after the black woman. Nothing worse than seeing a character painted with a narrow brush. A stupid hero is a big turn-off for me. Who wants to read about a dumb wimp?
Characters with No Chemistry
Just because it’s an IR book doesn’t mean you can throw a BW with a WM and that’s it. Characters still have to have chemistry and they still have to be developed to where a reader finds them interesting and believable. Him just being white and her being black is not enough. We need to see them as people beyond the color of their skin. Most IR books rely on the opposites attract storyline which is fine but at some point we need to see why they would be attracted to each other. Just because they’re opposites does not mean they don’t have anything in common. It’s completely far-fetched that two people with zero in common would fall in love. It’s not possible. Even if it’s just their favorite color and nothing else, they need to have something that makes them click. Chemistry is the magic word in any romance and it should be no different in IR novels.
Clichés
This ruins any book for me. Does the white guy’s motive to date the black woman always have to be about sex? Why can’t he genuinely fall in love with her and let it progress? Why does it have to be where he sees her and instantly he’s thinking of sex? I find it offensive as a black woman. We don’t wanna continue the myth that white men only want black women for sex. Does the black woman always have to be on the rebound for her to date the “white” guy? Does the romance always have to be written like she’s embarking on some new venture instead of it being treated as her simply being attracted to a man who happens to be white? Does the black woman always have to give excuses as to why she is with the white guy? Does it always have to be about a black dude doing her wrong? And let’s not mention the token black guy who gets thrown in for no reason. I wanna see the BW with the WM because they’re in love period! I’m also tired of seeing books where folks hook up because they are curious about the other race. It’s not 1963 anymore. LOL! It’s a huge cliché in IR novels that’s been done way too many times. Also, let’s stop making the black woman “the woman on the side” in some of these books please.
The Author Pulls a Fast One
Ooh I hate this! I’ve wanted to burn books because of this. Have you ever read a book where the BW/WM went through a long-drawn out relationship only to have them break up in the end and the heroine end up with a black guy? Oooooh! This makes me wanna scream. I get violent when authors pull a fast one like this! It makes no sense and it cheats the reader. Look if this is supposed to be an interracial romance, that’s what the heck I want it to be! I don’t want a black woman and white man dating for most of the book only to have her go with the black man or him with the white lady in the end. Stuff like that would make me not read another book from that author. I’m sorry but I have no patience for being jerked around. If the IR couple doesn’t end up together then just label it a general romance and call it a day.
Best Wishes!
Stacy-Deanne (Dee-Anne) is an award-winning novelist of crime fiction, mysteries and interracial romance. She is known as, "Interracial Romance's First Lady of Crime and Mystery".
Check out her recent release: “Giving up the Ghost” the first installment in her interracial romantic suspense series. Book 2, The Season of Sin will be released December 2011. Her books are available in ebook and paperback. Giving up the Ghost is available in hardcover as well from Black Expressions.
Giving up the Ghost @ Amazon: http://tiny.cc/ivgxn
Read more about Stacy and her releases here: http://www.stacy-deanne.net
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Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/stacydeanne
3 comments:
Stacy, this is so hilarious! I like the bit about wanting to burn books! How many have you really bunrt? Lol!
You've got to read my IR title: THE GARDENER's ICE MAIDEN! You'll change your tune!
One reader just called me yesterday with these words: ‘What can I say, Gbade practically existed as a living , breathing person whilst I read The Gardener’s Ice Maiden. I locked myself upstairs and just was so engrossed . Once again no barriers. Totally hooked. Loving it all Stella. Can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the books.’
And a fellow author, Nkem said: ‘Even though it was late, I started on The Gardener's Ice Maiden and boy oh boy, was I in for a ride? I enjoyed The Gardener's Ice Maiden. The characters are real and believable. Oliver actually jumps off the page and I could almost see him in my living room. The story line, plot and conflict were realistic and well executed. I've since read the book again, that's how much I enjoyed it'.
http://flirtyandfeistyromance.blogspot.com/
Stacy, I'm with you on the crazy-making list you've given. I don't get far with those. They go flying against the wall after a short while. But I've got a short list of favorite authors that are soooo clever with characters that I love them both and am totally satisfied when The End comes.
That was awesome! Those would be the top 5 things for me too. I love reading inter racial novels almost as much as I love writing them. I make sure not to have ANY of those things on my books too.
Dana Littlejohn
www.danalittlejohn.net
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