Romance Community Roust
Over on the Dear Author blog, they run a weekly feature where authors can send in their first page for critique. Last Saturday, readers were treated to a doozy [Link text NSFW] labled as a contemporary romance novel where the opening scene consisted of a fifty-six-year-old washed-up boxer receiving a blowjob from an anonymous woman. Comments were mixed, but tended towards the negative. Things began to heat up when the author of the piece showed up in the comments to defend her literary masterpiece.

My beta readers are almost all men: a straight guy from Cheshire, England, a gay man from Manchester, England, and two 30-something hunks from Milan and Brescia in Italy. They’ve allowed me to ask them anything about a man’s sexuality and have given me their opinions. Therefore, I’ve gotten very honest feedback from the male point of view on this scene... But, a comment about Teddy. he represents to me what fascinates us about some men. It explains the popularity of TV characters such as Dexter and House: multi-layered, flawed males who repel even while they interest us.

More back and forth from the commentors, some of whom are published authors results in more butthurt and perceived personal attacks.

And then, at the end, things get really interesting when someone named "kete" shows up, slams the romance genre as a whole, while admitting to never having actually read one, and referring to the author as PM, even though no initials for said author have ever been given. Sock-puppet? Nanny? Concerned beta-reader from Cheshire, England? Who knows? Kete attempts to backpedal but fails miserably in the attempt.

Sadly, Jane has just closed comments, so you'll have to enjoy what's there.