This is ... Interesting

Okay, the word I was looking for was actually offensive.

From time to time, I Google my own name. This shows me reviews and blogs I might not otherwise see. Reviews of and blogs about my work.

For the most part, I find the typical information and reviews that can be found on Amazon and here on Goodreads. Sometimes I'll find a blog that makes my day because it's clear my work touched the writer.

And then there's THIS ONE.

Go ahead, go read it. I'll wait.

Oh, good, you're back.

Romance readers, are you offended yet? Romance authors, how about you? Because I am on both fronts. Don't get me wrong. This woman is entitled to her opinion. So are the reviewers who blast me for not having sex in my books. And the ones who complain that my characters are "always praying all the time."

Not only does this woman ridicule every reader of romance novels, she has, based on someone else's opinion, which is based on a single line or two in the description on Amazon, lumped several books in as "light porn". That's what she called it. Light porn.

I've read one of them, and it's a really sweet story. It's not going to win any Pulitzer prizes, but it's light and entertaining. It's a serial story, written in round-robin fashion. There is absolutely NO sex in the story. None. Additionally, the hero is a strong godly man--that is, in fact, what the heroine initially dislikes about him. She's annoyed that he's always singing hymns in his apartment upstairs. (She comes around.)

As it happens, some of you might also have noticed ... yep, that would be one of my books categorized as "light porn". Because of another woman's opinion of the description of one of my books, this woman has called Not His Type light porn. Did I miss something when I wrote it? Did someone follow behind me and add a bunch of bedroom scenes?

I'll be the first to admit that some of my books are a little "warmer" than others. But at no point do any of them ever cross a line into anything questionable. In those books that are a little spicier, my sole purpose in writing them that way is to demonstrate that Christians feel physical desire just like anybody else. They simply choose not to act on it until the time is right (after marriage). I also strive to show that Christians don't put themselves in the lap of temptation when sexual desire might be present.

I'll also be the first to admit that Not His Type has the weakest faith-based theme. But can anyone read Jace's Healing and not find God's grace and mercy? Can you read the sequel to Not His Type and not find a man so sure he knows what God's plan is that he almost misses an opportunity placed right in his path? An opportunity, not only for love, but to lead another soul to Christ.

If you read all the way to the bottom of the blog, you'll see it says there are no comments yet. I submitted a comment yesterday. I said, "I'm curious to know if you've actually read any of these books, or if you're basing your blog on descriptions only." After I clicked "SUBMIT", I received a little message that said my comment would appear when it was approved. I'm not sure how long it takes her to approve a comment, but it's been nearly 24-hours. My comment is still not there.

Here's the thing: I agree with her, in theory. There are some unhappy women out there who are disappointed their husbands aren't make-believe kind of men. I happen to feel I have a husband far better than any hero I've ever written. Does he make grand sweeping gestures like the one Travis did at the end of Not His Type? Not likely. Does he, however, work hard to support his family? When our children were young, did he help out with all that little ones entail? Does he love me with all his heart? Does he make my heart beat a little faster with a certain smile? Absolutely yes to every one of those. If a woman is unhappy that her husband isn't a romance novel hero, her problem is a heart problem, not a literary one.

I believe if you're going to put something on the internet, you need to do the research to back it up. And if you're not willing to do the research, be willing to let someone--in this case, an author whose work you've painted with a nasty and uninformed brush--comment on it. Otherwise, don't put a place for people to leave comments.

So here, dear readers, is where you come in. If you read the blog and are offended at being lumped in with silly women who really believe their lives should be like a romance novel, comment on this woman's blog. If you're offended on behalf of any authors whose work you might recognize (not just mine), comment on this woman's blog. She needs to understand that you can't just call someone's work "light porn" based on a single line (taken from a blog by someone else who took it from the description on Amazon.com).

I'm stepping down from my soap box now. I'll be interested to see if any comments show up on her blog. And feel free to comment on mine.