More on this issue...

Since my blog the other day I've had a number of people write privately about their own experiences in talking to others about what we write or even, whether or not it's important to be quiet about our work or come out of the closet. Someone mentioned how the word 'erotic' is viewed. It was a good point and it had started me thinking about this.

Honestly, it's terrible that we must worry about a level of shame involved with that single word. Most folks see 'erotic' as 'porn'. Now WE know the difference but most don't. I've always viewed the difference between "HOT" and "EROTIC" as simply our language is a little different, less purple-prosey terms for sex acts and body parts. Think about it. An erotic romance tells the same story as a hot mainstream romance, we are just more explicit. Nothing wrong with that. So it's the word EROTIC, right? Yes, there are other 'out there' fetish things in some works but the central themes are the same. Self discovery, falling in love, solving a dilemma etc. Why should our stories be perceived as different from hit television shows like True Blood? The show filled with adult language and situations, nudity, all the things we put out there in erotic romances. So the individuals who are glued to every episode of True Blood or other similar shows yet turn their noses up at erotic romances display hypocrosy, in my view. I just can't take people like that seriously.

Like the rest of you, I've worked hard to become a writer. I've studied and polished my craft. I am doing what I was meant to do. I refuse to hide my light under a basket out of fear. We teach our kids to take a stand on issues they care about. Why should we do any less?