forgive me, for I must snark. Or possibly just stare and wait for the knives to flash.

[lagilman]

As per GalleyCat, "Indie publisher Cleis Press has launched a new romance imprint called Tempted Romance. The imprint will publish, “ intelligent romance that stays one step ahead of the curve and pushes the boundaries of the genre,” according to a press release."

Oh.  I see.  Because other houses publish not-intelligent romance?  And you're going to be the one to break free, to publish intelligent romance?

Dudes, save a very brief foray into PNR as Anna Leonard (and, okay, some fanfic), I don't even play in that genre, and I'm fucking offended.


”'As a high schooler, I constantly read romance novels from my mother and older sister. I couldn’t get enough!,' stated Brenda Knight founder of the new imprint."

But as an adult, she doesn't read them?  She considers them apt for high schoolers, but not adults? Please tell me that quote was taken out of context, that she went on to say that she's aware of the field since then, and understands what's out there, all the smart, sexy, genre-pushing stories already being published...?

Unimpressed Kitten is Unimpressed.

Comments

[princejvstin.livejournal.com]

I don't read any romance (save where it winds up intersecting into my genre fiction) and I find this announcement condescending.

[jmward14.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they're idiots, but any news release that gets you annoyed enough to post black cat pics is a win in my book. Pumba's, too. Go Cat of Thursday. :-)

[lagilman]

Can you believe how wee he was, back then? Part of me wishes he'd stayed that way, part of me's very pleased with the mid-sized panther I've got now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/tesserae_/]

Not to mention the complex physics of simultaneously boundary-pushing and curve-mastering... and I'm sure that, say, Jennifer Crusie's publisher will be surprised to hear they're publishing stupid books.

[paulliver.livejournal.com]

I didn't have much luck when I tried reading Crusie's "Welcome to Temptation," but her essays on writing and the writing life on her website were funny and insightful.

[wheelwithin.livejournal.com]

Maybe try "Agnes and the Hitman" or "Bet Me" instead? "Bet Me" is my favorite, and "Agnes and the Hitman" is one of the Crusie/Mayer collaborations with alternating POVs.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

At best, that is really bad press copy from them.
Unimpressed kitten is very handsome!

[paulliver.livejournal.com]

The problem with trying to draw new readers into a genre, or old readers back into a genre, means explaining how this new imprint makes up for the reasons they didn't read that genre before. I could probably make up equally insulting marketing twitters for SF, fantasy, mystery, etc.