It is my pleasure to share a guest post by author Michelle Garren Flye, who gives shares her opinion on the fact that...
Sexism Ruins Everything
by
Michelle Garren Flye
Before I began writing romance, I tried a little of
everything. Scifi, fantasy, horror, even a little Southern literature. My
objective in writing was always to make things better. When my second son was
born, I decided rather than by showing my readers how bad things could get, I
should show them how beautiful things can be.
Over the years, my perspective on my chosen genre has
morphed. I feel like romance as a genre has been twisted to mean sex. And not
just sex, but sexual practices that should probably remain on the fringe of our
literature, not showcased on the bestseller shelf. Anyone who thinks that Fifty Shades represents a new sexual
revolution needs to pay attention to the headlines. Women are more objectified
and abused than ever, and in many cases, it can be traced back to the practices
that are glorified in that particular branch of romance.
The truth is, sexism ruins everything. It ruins
tennis. Look at what happens on the court to the best women players versus the
best men players. Sexism ruins politics and government, movies, comedy—and it’s
on the brink of ruining love in general. The reason for this is pretty simple. The
war between the sexes is a very real thing. But every time our side wins a
battle, the other side pitches a fit.
I persist in optimistically believing I can somehow
convince the world that love is a beautiful thing. That romance and sex between
two consenting adults has the potential to be uplifting, and that even
flirting, when done right, can be fun. I do this by creating characters I hope
my readers can relate to and putting them in situations I hope my readers will
aspire to. That’s where I believe my genre can make a difference.
Of course, if I wanted to, I could paint a
different picture. One where one sex has finally won the war. Where one sex
enslaves the other and uses them for procreation only. I’m fairly certain there
would be buyers for such books. Probably more than there are for my straighter
view of what romance is and can be. Because we all want our side to win the
war, and love is about compromise, not winning.
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by Michelle Garren Flye
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GENRE: contemporary romance
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BLURB:
Carole
Barnes once believed she would make her own way in Hollywood, but those days
are long gone, leaving behind only a dark, slimy secret that Carole has never
shared with anyone. Now she hides in the bright sunshine of the Crystal Coast
of North Carolina. As far away as she can get from Hollywood. But what to do
when Hollywood comes knocking in the form of a sexy movie star?
Connor Wallace has everything going for him—looks, talent, a successful career—but what he really wants is to perform magic on stage. His love of magic leads him back to his mentor Walt Bryson. At first, he’s pleased when Walt suggests his assistant Carole produce a documentary of his transformation from movie star to magician. He’s worked with Carole before—but the ambitious girl who had a crush on him is gone now, leaving a beautiful, withdrawn woman.
It’s the perfect arrangement. Carole knows she can make a success of the movie and Connor wants to work with her. But as they grow closer, Connor determines to find out her secret. Can love overcome the boundaries of fear? Or will Carole’s past return to plague them both?
Connor Wallace has everything going for him—looks, talent, a successful career—but what he really wants is to perform magic on stage. His love of magic leads him back to his mentor Walt Bryson. At first, he’s pleased when Walt suggests his assistant Carole produce a documentary of his transformation from movie star to magician. He’s worked with Carole before—but the ambitious girl who had a crush on him is gone now, leaving a beautiful, withdrawn woman.
It’s the perfect arrangement. Carole knows she can make a success of the movie and Connor wants to work with her. But as they grow closer, Connor determines to find out her secret. Can love overcome the boundaries of fear? Or will Carole’s past return to plague them both?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
She looked around, spotting Connor almost immediately. She
took a half step toward him and froze, stumbling a little, her eyes on the
dark-haired man at the next table. He was the large, powerful type you got used
to seeing in Hollywood. The kind who worked out at a gym first thing in the
morning and then again at night. He was good-looking in a slick, well-kept way.
Nothing about this man was an accident.
And nothing about his appearance should make her want to
find the nearest potted plant and puke in it, but that was exactly how she
felt, nonetheless. She felt hot and cold in quick fluctuations. She swallowed
hard against the bile that rose in her throat and wheeled around, knocking into
a waiter with a tray full of glasses as she did, sending them flying with a
crystalline clatter.
The icy water erased the need to throw up, but not the need
to flee. She wanted to look over her shoulder, to see if Connor had seen, but
nothing mattered except getting away now. The world whirled and refocused on a
narrow aisle leading her away and she followed.
Buy links:
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Michelle Garren Flye is an award-winning romance author of eleven
novels and counting. Her short stories have been published by the romance
anthology Foreign Affairs, Opium.com, SmokelongQuarterly.com and
Flashquake.com, among others. She has served on the editorial staffs of Horror
Library, Butcher Shop Quartet and Tattered Souls. Michelle has a Bachelor’s
degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in Library and Information
Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the mother
of three and lives in North Carolina.
Links:
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