ManLove Erotic Romance Books

The Romantic Times and Houston Hyatt screwup at the recent Romantic Times convention deserves another mention. RT and Hyatt management treated male/male romance author Laura Baumbach with a different standard than they treated any other author.

A little birdie told us that Hyatt has denied they would EVER do what they did. RT is trying to blame a volunteer for overwhelming a paid staff member. How do you spell CYA? I suggest spending your money with someone other than Hyatt and Romantic Times.  

Here’s a couple more links:  

Publisher’s Weekly:

The issue isn’t whether the material is appropriate or not, it’s about the freedom to choose.  We were all adults at the convention and walking down the “freebie” aisle, I noticed people browsing and deciding what went into their bags.  Nothing was forced on anyone.  Personally, I wouldn’t want anyone telling me I couldn’t look at the  historical romance displays (which had great bodice ripper covers that rivaled this one and my bag was full of them), and I’m sure there were some not interested in that genre, but they didn’t complain.

Houston Press:

We guess when the Hyatt booked a romance writers’ convention, they expected to see lots of tasteful Fabio posters. And by “tasteful,” we just mean pants-on. But we’ll never know, because the spokeswoman for the Downtown Hyatt didn’t return calls.

Romantic Times and Hyatt thought this was going to blow over? It looks like it has only just begun.  

Aspen Mountain Press has released the latest by Thom Jaymes: Fresh Air 

Here’s the excerpt of this ManLove, gay erotic romance novel.

Shortly after preparing their drinks, Jillian ventured into the flailing mass of bodies again. Alan, already regretting his decision to stay for another drink, made his way to the couch. However, he found it occupied. A guy from his office and the woman from the coffee shop¾madly groping one another and kissing sloppily¾were sprawled across all three cushions. 

“Damn,” Alan muttered. 

“Can’t find a place to sit down?” a voice asked from behind him. 

Alan turned. It was another guy from the office. He was handsome; bald, probably shaven to counteract the thinning of his hair. Green eyes mixed with a hint of brown, not unlike Alan’s own. Alan knew his face, but couldn’t recall his name. “No.”

“I was just heading out to the deck for a smoke.” He reached into the chest pocket of his burgundy dress shirt and whipped out a lighter. He flicked it once, unleashing a brief flash of flame. “Care to join me?” 

“I don’t smoke,” Alan said. “And I just came from out there.”

“Your choice. Have fun, man.” He took a step backwards, turned and started to walk away. Alan glanced at his backside. His pants, even though they were slightly loose, did nothing to hide the firm ass underneath.

       “Wait!” Alan shouted a little louder than he had originally meant to. “I could use some fresh air.”

The guy turned around. “I thought you said you just came in from outside?” 

“Well, I didn’t…get enough last time. I think I could go for a little more.” Alan smiled. 

“Sounds good to me, man.”

Alan followed him through the gyrating crowd and out onto the veranda.

“Wonderful night.” He lit up a cigarette and took a long drag.

“It really is.”

He exhaled slowly, his tongue twirling in his slightly open mouth. “I’m Josh, by the way. Josh Withers.”

“Alan.” He cleared his throat. “Alan Deckard.”

They shook hands. Alan was careful to squeeze Josh’s hand tightly in a strong shake. He then let his eyes explore Josh’s body. Josh was broad and muscular, while he was slim and the only muscles on his body were the result of lugging boxes of files up and down three flights of stairs twice a day.

Alan thought for a moment about what it would be like to unbutton his shirt, reveal his muscular chest, bite his nipples, kiss his stomach, maybe even move down a little further… God, what it would be like to look up into his smiling face while tasting him deeply? The feel of skin on skin, fumbling together in the dark… It would be fantastic. You’ve been alone for too long. You’re fantasizing about straight guys, again.

   Check out all the male/male erotic romance at Aspen Mountain Press including the best from JM Snyder, L Picaro, Emily Veinglory and Thom Jaymes. 

Claire Thompson, male/male erotic romance author, chats with readers about her personal spin on the genre.

Stacia Helpman: How does a writer - especially a female writer - get into writing in this genre? I enjoy reading it but have a difficult time writing it.

Claire: My editor at Ellora’s Cave first put the idea into my head. She said it was the latest craze among female readers of erotic romance. I was ready to try something new. I had no idea it would be love at first sight! I think creating the characters as people, rather than gay or straight, but using the male/male spark as a backdrop, has given me a new way to explore the vulnerability and sensuality of strong, loving men. As Nicole Harvey observed: I am new to gay books, but damn do I love them with a passion. The ones that draw me in are the ones where they trust each other enough to give over control, but in a loving way.

Catherine Stang: What I like about your stories are your characters.  I fall in love with them.  I love the element of experiencing new things with them.  Also, getting a window into world that I know very little about. Have your readers followed you into this genre? 

Claire: To my delight, my readers seem to be as fascinated with my male/male stories as with any genre I’ve attempted to date. I am inundated with positive emails each time I have a new male/male release. The response is so encouraging! In fact, it was the readers who demanded I do a sequel to Golden Boy so they could find out what happened next between Johnny and Eric.

Sandra: Many times I’ve wondered how some women discover M/M or like myself, Yaoi.  Are they like me, having grown unsatisfied with most mainstream romances and want something completely different?  Has it become impossible to lose themselves in a story where the heroine, although having problems, is perfect in face and form, leaving the reader with ugly duckling syndrome?

Claire: You make some excellent observations. Two sexy, hunky guys making love is, be definition, completely outside our personal realm of experience as women. By the same token, while we can relate to the protagonists, we needn’t compare ourselves directly, and possibly come up short. Even if the male lovers face similar issues that hetero couples face, the stories have a new, sexy spin for those of us raised on mainstream fare.

Catherine Stang: Do you have someone you talk to in order to understand the gay community?  How do the men feel about you writing this?  Have you picked up male readers? 

Claire: I do have one faithful gay reader who has graciously agreed to critique all my male/male erotic romance novels while they are in process. He keeps me on the gay and narrow (sorry!) regarding the sex scenes. I know I’m doing something right when he demands, “Hurry! Send the next chapter!” As to how men feel and if I’ve picked up gay readers, I don’t think I have many gay readers (my critique partner notwithstanding). I would love to have more gay readers, and have joined a site called manloveromance.com in an effort to reach the gay market. It’s a group of male/male erotic and romance writers pooling our resources to advertise in gay markets. As I’m fairly new to the genre, I hope to get more gay readers as time goes by. I’m told they don’t write as many emails as women do, so I may have some out there I don’t know about!

LindseyAnn: What makes the dynamics between two masculine, alpha men who find themselves attracted different than the attraction between a man and a woman? The male posturing has to come in somewhere.

Claire: I think men tend to be more careful about showing their feelings and vulnerability, especially at first. As you suggest, they’re less likely to tip their emotional hand than women. I’ve used this idea in several of my novels to create dramatic tension (one of the men is hopelessly, secretly in love with the other, but too proud to admit it because he thinks he has no chance). The intensity of their emotional involvement when they do finally find the courage to admit their vulnerability and desires burns bright and hot as a result. To put it more simply, as Veronica says: I love your male/male erotic stories. I like them because it is nice to see big strong men fall in love with each other and the sex is hot. 

LindseyAnn: What makes male/male erotic romance easier or harder to write realistically than traditional erotic romance?

Claire: While at the moment male/male erotic romance is my consuming passion, I don’t find it easier or harder to write than any other genre. What compels me in a story are the characters and how they handle situations. I want to create real people, whether straight or gay or somewhere in the middle! Sexual orientation colors and shapes the plot and the characters, of course, but in the end it’s about writing something that rings true and, hopefully, resonates with the reader.

Terez: In most of the m/m books I’ve read, it seemed like the sex scenes were repetitive and there was something missing (not sure what).Also, as soon as the guys had sex that is what seemed to dominate the whole book.

Claire: It’s tricky writing erotic romance, because sometimes the sex can take over the story (publishers are selling a particular product and we as authors must conform to a degree). I strive to keep the story balanced, with the plot paramount, and sex scenes there for a reason. While hopefully hot, they should also show the development of the relationship between the characters. It is a real challenge to keep sex scenes fresh and not the “same old same old”. With gay sex, since I haven’t experienced it firsthand, obviously, I have to use a lot of imagination (as well as research) to make the scenes ring true.

Tanya Neal: I love Male/Male erotic romances. It’s the sense of voyeurism that I get when I read one. It turns me on because of the forbidden thrill.

Claire: I think you hit the nail on the head. Think back to traditional romance novel—sex scenes were broadly painted, with the real action only hinted at. More modern romance novels get a lot hotter, and with the move to erotic romance the sex has become explicit. The move to male/male erotic romance is a new frontier for most women readers. We get to watch as strong, sensual men tumble together in combustible passion. As Meryl observed, “We as women may like to read male/male books possibly because it is still considered taboo in some cultures. I love the idea that two men can be as sensual as two heterosexual people. For instance I fell in love with the sensitivity of Johnny and Eric’s relationship (Golden Boy) and never really saw it as two men but two lovers who loved one another as two heterosexual people would.”

Kat Wood: In a room/area full of supposed heteros, how do two like-minded males make a private connection?

Claire: A look, a touch, an innocent remark laced with innuendo… I think when people are attracted to one another, they show it in any number of ways. If the other person feels the same, they are receptive to the cues and will respond. It’s not easy though, especially in environments where everyone is assumed to be straight. This can be used as an effective plot device, as the gay man still in the closet doesn’t dare to show his secret love for a guy he thinks is straight. Crossed wires and misunderstandings can lead to exciting reading filled with dramatic tension. And since, in the end, it’s romance, we know the sexy alpha guys will eventually find their way into each other’s arms… 

CJ Black: As a writer and reader who recently started delving into erotic fiction, one of the things I’m having difficulties with is writing the characters so they don’t fall into sometimes stereotypical roles. What ideas and/or research have you done to portray each character so one does not totally dominate the other (unless the situation calls for it) and how do you make it so each character has both dominate and submissive personality traits no matter what role they’re cast in? 

Claire: I think this strikes at the heart of good storytelling. If we start writing “types”—the submissive, passive, effeminate sub boy and his burly, aggressive, controlling Dom, for example—we create cardboard characters with no life breathed into them. I don’t do research, except in so far as living life and having read voraciously all my life is research. With my BDSM writing, including my male/male BDSM works, each man is a real person. No Dom is all tough guy, and no sub is all obedient and submissive. They are real people with real issues. The core of their relationship is about being in love. The D/s interplay between them is just the backdrop for discovering and nurturing that love.

Claire would love to hear from you! You can contact her at claire at* clairethompson dot* net. All emails answered.

Claire will be chatting in the monthly ManLove Writer Chats at Realms of Love, Monday, May 7 at 9 PM EDT.

Just need to keep spreading the word. A whole lot has been said surrounding this but the facts speak for themselves.

Laura Baumbach says:

This last week I attended the yearly Romantic Times convention at the Houston Hyatt. I love the ability to meet face to face all the readers, authors, publishers, bookstore owners and all the other fascinating and intriguing people that come to this event each year. I even participated in the lovely and fun Faery Ball Ball this year with a whole host of fabulous authors. I go to RT to met people and to promote my work just like every other author there. It’s a wonderful networking event. I sent 6 boxes of promo items for myself and my ad group of M/M erotic romance and fiction group MANLOVEROMANCE.COM there this year.

The RT promo items I sent didn’t arrive until Thursday. I immediate put them up in the appropriate containers RT insisted we use while noting that hundreds of other promo was loose on the tables in violation of this rule. There was no table space left at this point and I refused to move other authors’ items to make room for my own so I utilized several very large boxes sitting at the end of one table. All my items were placed in six rough, manly, woven baskets. Items were disappearing before I got them all out. It was great. However…

By Thursday afternoon my promo was gone. I write gay erotic romance and fiction. I write in a RWA accepted genre. I’m at a romance conference. My writing wins awards. My books are on best selling lists on both Amazon and B&N. My work is good! I own a small press that print publishes only gay erotic romance and fiction, MLR Press. But I couldn’t find my promo and that of the other gay work I represent anywhere.

In its place were now EPIC promo items sitting on the same boxes. I hunted for mine and eventually Luisa Prieto found a small basket with some of the items I brought on another table. Nothing in it was mine but two DETAILS OF THE HUNT bookmarks with the cover on it and a few excerpt cds. Everything with Manloveromance on it was missing. My posters were missing. I couldn’t find the rest until Jade Buchanan saw it in a basket on the table in CLUB RT, shoved into a corner sitting by the people manning the doorway. Sandy Hicks, AMP, and I rescued it and asked why it was there. The very kind but very flustered woman immediately dragged me outside into the hall and stuttered she would call someone to explain things to me. Not a good sign.

Sharon Murphy, RT staff arrived and told me Hyatt personal had removed my things because businessmen (who should not have been in the conference areas to begin with) had complained about them. I found that hard to believe and said so.

Sandy went off to gather other promo that was far more risque than anything we had. While she was gone I began to object and Sharon asked me to come into a closed room. Sandy saw this occur and followed, not allowing anything to be said without a witness on my behalf to be present.

I wanted a better explanation. Sharon denied RT involvement but they certainly didn’t do anything to support an author attending their conference. Instead they willingly, immediately consented. I paid almost $500 registration to attend this conference and promo my work, $1325 to be part of a special promo event, and hundreds of dollars on flights and hotel expenses but my tame, tasteful promo was removed!

First Sharon tried to blame in on the promo being on boxes and not the table but I pointed out that EPIC promo replaced my promo and was currently still on the boxes, so the placement was NOT a legitimate issue.

Then she said it was thought that it was more risque that anyone else’s. Sandy produced other promo items that included a naked woman on her knees in front of a naked man, a woman with her naked buttocks pressed to a man’s naked groin and other items that had bared male chests, bared male thighs and such just like ours. None of our promo had male couples on it except a few bookmarks and since they are yaoi it hard to tell what the sex of the characters. The same bookmarks were not removed from further down the tables. So appearance wasn’t a legitimate issue.

Apparently at a loss for an explanation that would satisfy me she expressed an opinion it was gay related, but that didn’t explain all promo with my name on it being removed, even the postcards for my single mainstream thriller.

She then called Jo Carol, RT event coordinator and had her call the Hyatt customer service manager that made the decision to remove the items, Lance Barnes.

He arrived, briefly introduced himself while standing sideways to me, didn’t offer his hand in introduction, and never made eye contact with me. I made all the same arguments with him, showing examples of the other promo vs ours. He never mentioned the businessmen (that shouldn’t have been allowed in the conference area anyway) objection that Sharon had, but only stated it was ‘his decision and that of his peers and boss’ to remove it and if I replaced them they would be removed and taken.

His biggest objection was the poster of a single man sleeping in bed with a book and a sheet covering him. I’ve added it to this blog. Do you find it objectionable? I stated that single poster could have been removed, not all of the promo, so the M/M content must have been what he had issue with. He abruptly ended the brief chat with “I’m not discussing this with you.” Then left the room. This is Hyatt Customer Service.

I was vocal about the event. I told authors, I told publishers. If they will do this to me, they’ll do it to other authors. Word spread and by morning everyone knew about it. Support poured out of the woodwork. Authors of all genres took my promo and put it on their tables during the book signing on Saturday, especially the very supportive Kate Douglas, Lucynda Storey and Stephanie Burke.

At breakfast I ended up meeting two marketing experts who had witnessed the removal of my promo. They stopped the Hyatt employee and questioned it. The Hyatt employee stated he was just doing what his boss told him to do. The women described the event as a “targeted attack”. I have written letters of complaint, as have others.

I’m an unhappy author.

May I suggest that, if these facts make you feel uneasy, do not buy Romantic Times, do not attend their conference and do not book a room at a Hyatt hotel.