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Something A Character Did or Said That You Didn't Like (Spoiler Warning)
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Arch wrote: "Characters being naughty in other people house."LOL. Being naughty on piece of furniture then turning around serving dinner on it is another one I don't care for.
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That's flat out nasty!
Brenda wrote: "Arch wrote: "Characters being naughty in other people house."LOL. Being naughty on piece of furniture then turning around serving dinner on it is another one I don't care for."
LMAO! You're too funny, Brenda.
Good thing what we don't know can't hurt us otherwise we'd stop visitng friends and family all together! lol
Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Okay here's goes, I won't give the title of the book or author. I read this book awhile back when first came out in two parts.The first..."
I know I have yet to share one of my stories, but I hope you give us the honour one day, Brenda. In my opinion, you write the best kinds of love scenes. There is nothing more beautiful than two people who love each other manifesting that love through touch and a union of their bodies.
I use a pen name too, but not out of embarrassment. Well, this is the trick, it's not *really* a pen name, it's my first name that no one knows of. Almost eveyone in my life knows me as Davina, which is actually my middle name. hehe
Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Okay here's goes, I won't give the title of the book or author. I read this book awhile back when first came out in two pa..."Davina, what are you waiting for, share your gift. I promise you, it won't hurt.
As for pen names mine is combination of my Grandmother's and my maiden name. And thank you, I'm nervous to see what readers will think after my story comes out with RRP sometime this year.
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Who are you talking to? Me?"
Yes, regarding your comment about a guy getting his hands dirty.
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I have created this thread for fun. Not for attacks.
I thought that my statement "Respect everyone's reply/opinion. No debates. was clear, but I can see that it wasn't.
If my statement was unclear, I wished that I was asked what did I mean by it.
My thread was created to talk about our dislike of things that a character said or did. Not for anyone to take what people say about a character or themselves and shine the bad light on them.
I really don't want to close this thread, because I was having fun. I will step back and return back after lunch with my decision.
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The answer is both.
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The answer is both.
"
--Okay, got you.
Arch wrote: "I'm sorry Chaeya, I didn't really see the reply that has offended you, until you've quoted it above.I have created this thread for fun. Not for attacks.
I thought that my statement "Respect..."
Arch wrote: "I'm sorry Chaeya, I didn't really see the reply that has offended you, until you've quoted it above.
I have created this thread for fun. Not for attacks.
I thought that my statement "Respect..."
I'm done, don't worry about, I've deleted my post. I have to get insulted and then when I respond to getting told I need therapy and what I like is considered "nonsense," I have to get called out for it. Carry on.
Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Davina wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Okay here's goes, I won't give the title of the book or author. I read this book awhile back when first cam..."Brenda, I didn't know you'd gotten so far in the process!
I'll definitely buy your book once it becomes available. The problem is once I buy it I can't promise to read it immediately. :)
I bought a book of Rae's months ago and it's still on my mac, unread. I'll get to it eventually.
As for sharing my work, I'll try one of the challenges one day when a challenge comes up that I find really appealing. Hopefully, when that day comes I'll also have the time to dedicate to writing the story!
For my other stories -- those I'm seeking to get published -- I tend to only share those with my crit pals I'm afraid. But who knows, maybe I'll change my mind about that one day.
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1. My reply in regards to the spanking offense comment. I was apologizing for the comment being made.
2. I can see why Chaeya has gotten offended. I am not afraid to stand corrected. The spanking that Chaeya was talking about was the former and not the latter.
My email box is open.
I want to apologize to the board because I did see something that caused me to lash out and that wasn't right. Arch has a way of asking people what they mean and I should have flat out asked Davina what she meant instead of just flapping off at the mouth.I wasn't really mad, but I do have a sharp tongue so I'll respond and I'll be done with it, but I did attack Davina in my bad mood and that wasn't right and I will hold up to Arch's post about keeping this lighthearted and fun. I've just been a grouch most of the morning and I think I just took it out on Davina.
So with that said, I would like to clarify a little on the spanking thing which I didn't before.
There are many things that occur within a romance novel, and some of those things we take in romantically, emotionally and sexually.
With spanking there are some people who flat out find it a turn on, and I do know that the physical sting of getting rapped on your bottom during sex does heighten pleasure. There's that.
Then there is the hero as sort of a father image and the heroine becomes like sort of a child. In older movies and books, I have read and seen where men spanked their women when they got out of line. I'm not talking about Ike Turner's Guide to Disciplining Your Wife, either. Now, in light of all the pedophilia going on, forced raped between fathers and daughters in recent years, something that was very prevalent in older Romance books say in the 60s, 70s and 80s, has become almost off-limits in todays world. Women don't even want to consider this. It is not to say that the hero is constantly in the role of father. It isn't to say he isn't smacking her butt every time she does something he doesn't like. In fact, these are usually very strong and feisty women. The other side of this fantasy is it's fun to be able to stand up to a man like this. So there's the other emotional aspect.
Today's woman want men to be their equals. They don't want men in any kind of father role, he is simply mate and that's it. However, I will say this, there is a passive side to woman. And being a woman who is in control of her family, the breadwinner, having a man who stays home and do the homekeeping, nurturing, I find I like reading about controlling, alpha men. I'm married to a beta man, so I really don't want to read about them. I have equal rights with my husband and no, in all reality, I don't want some guy running the show and spanking me if I do wrong because he'll get his butt whooped. Then again, maybe not. :o) We'd probably end up with some serious hot sex afterwards. That's right, make me call you daddy kind of thing.
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I feel that the rape in romance issue is a really sensitive one. I can totally see why some readers don't want anything to do with it. It's completely dependent on the situation and the strength of the storytelling. I totally get when some people are zero tolerance on it. I just don't think other readers should be judged because they don't mind rape in their romances. I think that goes for most subjects. Yes, their are some things that have an ick factor to most, but it's fiction. Who's being hurt by a fictional story (as long as the readers are mature adults who can reason and understand the difference between fiction and reality)? And if you don't feel comfortable with that subject matter, it's perfectly okay for you to abstain.
I know that people probably think I'm narrow minded because I don't care for erotica. That's okay. It's not my cup of tea in general, and not storytelling that grabs me and keeps me reading. But I'm not judging anyone for liking it. So I hope I don't come off that way at all. My big issue is give people the choice to read what they want to read. That goes both ways. If I do want to read it, more power to me. If I don't, I should be able to find content out there that doesn't throw in erotica just because it's selling big time now. The reason why I'm saying this is going back to my point about how posts get misunderstood and interpreted in light of our personal thoughts and issues. Someone might think I'm saying she or he is immoral because they like group sex, and I don't. Nobody's saying that. I'm just saying I don't want to read a romance with multiple partner sex in it.
I have found that I will read a post and get offended, and then I go back and read it, and I realize that this person was not making a potshot or putting me down personally. That's why it helps to walk away when you get hot on a thread. Come back and read the post again. Maybe you misunderstood what was said. I think Arch is great in how she will ask what a person meant. We can't see each other, so how do we truly know what that other person meant. Also, it could be a typo because the person types faster than they proof-read their posts.
I see my favorite authors and books get bashed in ways I feel are unfair all the time. I just blow it off. I know how I feel about those books and authors, and how much I love them. That doesn't mean that everyone else has to love them. Or I will find people who like the same book as I do, and it's great. But even if I don't, does it matter that that other person feels the exact opposite way that I do? It might seem like it, but it really doesn't.
This is a really great group full of passionate, intelligent people, and I really hate to see each other at each other's throats. And another big fear of mine is this vitriol is making the more shy members afraid to post because they're afraid someone is going to slam or belittle them, and that is absolutely not allowed on this forum!
I don't think that anyone is perfect, and I think that we all make mistakes and do bad things, so I don't expect a hero or a heroine to be perfect. But I like to see them learn from the error of their ways. That's why I will get the characters leeway in a lot unless it's something outside of my personal comfort zone. Otherwise, if the author did a good job of showing what's going on with this person who did this thing I didn't like, I'd be surprised how often I'll change my mind. If you read any of my reviews, you will see that happen a lot.
Arch wrote: "I love Sam. I might have to soon hide from Alyssa."I really need to meet this Sam you're so in love with. Hopefully he's as fun as John Medina.
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Davina,
You never read Suzanne Brockmann's books?
Oh my goodness! I thought you have.
I like John, but he doesn't have anything on my Sam.
I will post something from one of Suzanne's book, in about an hour or a little after.
Arch wrote: "Davina wrote: "I really need to meet this Sam you're so in love with. Hopefully he's as fun as John Medina. "Davina,
You never read Suzanne Brockmann's books?
Oh my goodness! I thought y..."
I've read only one SB book. It's called Stand-In Groom and it wasn't a book for me. It was a part of an omnibus, but I didn't bother to read the other books because Stand-In Groom really left me with a bad taste.
I also have several of the books from her Troubleshooter series on my TBR, including Gone Too Far. It's been there ...er...for a while now. I will read it. One day ...
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I've read both Sam Starrett and John Medina and, I have to say Davina, Sam is just....sigh. Honey, you don't know what you're missing. LOL.My favorite Brockmann book hands down isOver the Edge. I think the Sam/Alyssa love/tension and the awesomeness that is Sam Starrett comes to the fore moreso than in their own book. But this isn't The Sam Starrett Appreciation Thread, so I won't hijack.
I agree with Danielle that rape in romance is a very sensitive subject. For myself, I reserve judgment on that issue. It depends on the writer, the story the context. For instance, for a romance set in modern times I would in no way accept any form of rape or coerced seduction. Nowadays we know that 'No' means 'No', our hero should also. If he doesn't then he's not hero material, imo. The heroine should be smart enough to know you don't say No when you really mean yes. If she doesn't she isn't heroine material. So yeah, in a contemporary romance no way.
I am much more flexible when it comes to historical romances. I love The Wolf and the Dove and it does include a relationship where the sex is not consensual. But the it makes sense in the context of the story and the time and the place. And it is a good book.
One thing that I really dislike is in some shifter paranormals where some writers basically use the "animal in heat" plot device. It strikes me as an easy way to get the h/h together without having to create a the attraction/conflict push and pull. And in a way it almost seems to take away choice.
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I know that there is a spoiler warning in the title, but I'm posting another spoiler warning, because I'm off topic.
Spoiler Warning
The book that I am sharing a little something out of is Defiant Hero.
Sam invites Alyssa to join him at "Pool Hall" and the name is of the place is called "Pool Hall"
I want to say in this book, Sam and Alyssa are nemesis and this is the second book in the series. The second book that I have read. Gone Too Far the first. In this book, Sam and Alyssa hook up for the first.
Page 205 -206
There were four tables in the back and...
Starrett.
He was there.
He was standing off to the side of a game being played by a group of young women-college students from the look of them. As one of them set up her shot, the others hung on Starrett's every word.
From a safe distance, Locke could understand and ever appreciated his appeal. He was handsome but not too pretty, with a face that was all masculine angles and edges. He wore his hair much too long for a Navy office, tied back in a pony tail. She knew that meant he still spent much of his time in extremely hostile, dangerous places where looking like a U.S. Navy officer would have been bad for his health . On one level-a very distant level-she had to admire him for that.
He was taller than most men, and well built, with long legs, narrow hips, broad shoulders, and the kind of muscles that meant he used his arms for picking up more than a pen and paper. He wore a snug black T-shirt tucked into a pair of worn-out blue jeans that were stacked-over-what else? Cowboy boots.
And that, Locke realized, was a hint that he probably wasn't going to try to outrun her. Earlier today, when he'd lost her, he'd had his sneakers on.
He probably wasn't going to outrun her, she reminded herself. With Starrett, she could assume nothing.
After all, why had he called her here if his goal was'nt to humiliate her again in some way?
Keeping an eye on him, Locke sat at the bar and ordered a soda. It wasn't long before he came and sat down next to her.
"Bored, huh?" she said.
"To tears." He smiled at her as if he were actually glad to see her.
"Right." He smelled good. She didn't want h im to smell good and she didn't want him to smile that way. She took a sip of her soda, frowning across the room at the young women who were sill glancing in Starrett's direction. Anything to keep from getting swallowed up by the blue of his eyes.
He turned to gaze across the room, too. "They're a little too young for me." He hooked his boots over the rungs of the stool and signaled to the bartender for another draft beer. "I prefer my women to be women, not schoolgirls."
"And you're telling me this because...?"
"Because you seemed, I don't know...interested?"
"I'm not."
He toasted her with his beer. "My apoogies. I guess it was just wishful thinking on my part."
Okay, that's all I am going to share.
Sam is a good bad boy. He's in love with Alyssa. She's in love with him too. They just don't know how to react to one another or their feelings, so they fight. Like, boy who likes girl, but doesn't know how to come out and say it, so he pulls her hair and girl gets mad at boy. She might even hit him, because that's her way of saying, I like you too.
I can see what you mean about the paranormals, Tina. I don't mind it so much as long as there's a more pleasant interlude later, and it is clear that the h/h are both interested and willing.I didn't care for The Wolf & The Dove for that reason. None of their encounters were positive. It was kind of a downer, LOL.
Tina wrote: "I've read both Sam Starrett and John Medina and, I have to say Davina, Sam is just....sigh. Honey, you don't know what you're missing. LOL.My favorite Brockmann book hands down is[book:Over the..."
Oh my god, Tina, is he THAT swoon worth??? I'm gonna have to dig up that book some way somehow. I remember saying I was going to promote it on my TBR early last year, but I lost sight. I'm really gonna have to do something about that. I simply must meet this guy for myself!!! lol
You know, Tina, I've never thought about the rape issue in contemporary times in those terms. But I certainly take your point and can even agree to a great extention. I'm a strong advocate for female social responsibly (which I think is visibly lacking in western civilisations), and that would defintely be relevant to heroines not saying NO when they mean YES. So I can definitely consider myself enlightened in that regard. It makes sense a lot of sense to not deliberately jerk people around.
Have never read THE WOLF and THE DOVE. Sounds like Kathleen E. Woodwiss. Is it? I read SHANNA, by said author, years ago. I can remember that I really loved that book, even though I can't tell you what it is about today. However, I did remember there was a slight rape scene in that one too and I can't recall finding it offensive. As you've said, it greatly depends on the context, although I don't think rape is acceptable in any time period.
Definitely agree with you on the Animal in Heat issue. It's a bit of lazy writing, if the author resorts to that sort of device ALL the time. I wouldn't like it, period, if the hero is having sex with the heroine in his animal form.
J.R. Ward used it too where the heroine goes into heat and the next thing, the two of them are doing it. Everything has been so bang bang in the first book anyway, its more like a crack fix than a story to me. Everyone loves the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but there's something cheezy about them, haven't really pinpointed it yet. Outside of a friend of mine whose book I edited, I've stayed away from werewolves. Not that into them, however, I did like her book. It's an IR and I found the sex in there quite tasteful as far as their first pairing went.
LOL. But we love the BDB anyway, cheesiness and first book notwithstanding. The rest are better, imo. Luff werewolves. :)
That's what I mean, NU, it's crack like a crispy creme donut. It gives you everything you need without a reader getting bored and paging ahead to where the juicy parts start. But don't you agree there's just something a little that makes your mouth twist to the side?
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My favorite Brockmann book hands down i..."
--I'm going to be in the minority here. I have to admit I don't mind the in heat scenario. It's sexy if it's between the H/h and it's an uncontrollable attraction that is unusual for both of them. I really liked the needing storyline in Lover Awakened. I think it was an excellent plot device to help Zsadist get over his negative sex issues, and he was able to do something special for Bella. It helped him feel needed. I thought it was extremely hot. I'm not a fan of sex for sex's sake. I think a great writer can take this sort of storyline and make something intensely emotion evolve out of it. Because of how much I love Lover Awakened, I wouldn't change that for the world. JMO.
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Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors
(last edited Jan 07, 2010 05:49PM)
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My favorite Brockmann book hands down is[book:Over the..."
You raised some good points, Tina, but a writer can make the forced seduction scenario work for me in a contemporary setting, if done well. But I can see how it would bother other readers.
Someone raised an excellent point about the rape issue being weighted towards women. She argued that what a popular female character did to her popular male character husband in a very popular historical romance novel was technically rape. I was pretty shocked at that statement. But he said no, and she insisted. So that's rape, yes?
LOL. There are quite a few of those moments, yes. xD
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I've read books, where a father denies their child, even if the child is a split image of them, all because they either want to deny they had a relationship with the child's mother or because the child's mother didn't inform the father of the child, because of the way the father treated her.
I don't like when a father does this. The child is innocent, regardless if the child is an adult or child.
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I can't stand it when a hero denies that he got the heroine pregnant when she goes to tell him, and it's pretty obvious he would have to be the father. In the books I read, there's usually no question.
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lol, I think the heroine should tell the hero. "Let's go pay Maury a visit."
I've read two or three stories where the hero gets another woman pregnant while in love with the heroine, but decides to marry the other woman out of obligation. I'm not sure that I like those plots because it makes me feel bad for the woman that a man who professes to love her so much can sleep with, impregnate and marry someone else...of course he somehow ends back up with the heroine. I don't know if I'm that forgiving.
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Arch wrote: "Loni, I know a storyline similar to that. But, the heroine didn't want anything to do with the hero, so he took his broken heart and went in a different direction. He didn't get the woman pregnant,..."I know what story you're referencing...but I read an ebook story in which a young, celibate couple were together and the hero got drunk and slept with another woman because he was horny. Well he got the other woman pregnant,as a result, ended up married to her after his girlfriend (the heroine) left him. The other woman lost the baby, but he remained married to her since he lost his true love anyway. After about 7 years of being with the woman he never really wanted, he decides to get a divorce and go after the love of his life. I think he got her too easily. Old boy would have had to do some serious groveling to make that mess up.
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Arch wrote: "I like when the heroine makes the hero gravel."Truly. Especially when it's well deserved.
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A certain person gravel in a certain story that we know well.
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Some hero doesn't like when the heroine is with another man, no matter if they are seeing another woman. They want to control the heroine. He wants her to belong to him and wait in a corner for his return.
Eugenia wrote: "Arch wrote: "I like when the heroine makes the hero gravel."I don't like begging, men begging is so unmanly to me. And if you've done something bad enough you have to grovel about it, you won't..."
LOL, Eugenia. I don't think we're talking about a guy who's a spineless punk. Just contrite and wants his woman back.
Eugenia wrote: "I had one that I just to put down, it was pure soap opera and not in a good way. The heroine got pregnant, she'd had sex with two men really close in time, she had fiancee but he was a jerk so for ..."Can't deal with the hypocrites either. I don't like those kind of characters. Especially when they persist in that thinking throughout the story.
I don't like in romances when the hero thinks to himself that he's never liked another girl like he's liked the heroine now. So he's never been in a healthy relationship before? Unless he's a virgin, the rest were what, chopped liver? Is that supposed to be attractive? LOL.
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I never understood that either New_User, especially if the hero is a widower and everyone knows how much he was in love with his wife. He even says it more than once that he was deeply in love with his wife and then later he thinks to himself or tell someone that he never loved anyone as much as he loves the heroine. Hello! What about the woman he was married to for 20 years?
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Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors
(last edited Jan 08, 2010 05:40AM)
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--I agree with you on this. That really gives me hives.
I like to think that if a man is truly in love with one woman, he'd be faithful to her. I know that reality doesn't mirror this. But I like my heroes to be this way. I'm not saying there is no exception (I'm sure that Arch and I have the same one in mind).
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Truly. Especially when it's well deserved."
--I love a good hero grovel, especially when the hero has messed up bad.
message 98:
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Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors
(last edited Jan 08, 2010 05:42AM)
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--I can't stand the storyline where a heroine doesn't know who the father of her baby is because she had sex with more than one man around that time. That really icks me out (no offense to anyone else).
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--I like when the heroine is the love of the hero's life. That doesn't mean he hasn't loved before. But he loves her more. Sorry, that's why I read romances: for the GREAT LOVE. LOL.
Fans of Interracial Romance
Books mentioned in this topic
Stormfire (other topics)Taming The Beast (other topics)
Gone Too Far (other topics)
The Unsung Hero (other topics)
The Wolf and the Dove (other topics)
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Arch, you're right they do. Some even write under more than one.