Romance Novelists Fight for Justice!
At the latest Romantic Times convention, author Lauren Baumbach's posters and fliers that promoted her stories were removed by the staff of the Hyatt. When she asked why, she was told they made people uncomfortable. The RT staff did not back her up, although several authors did. Why was her promo material removed when other, far more explicit posters were left up? Her's were for m/m romance.

She blogs about it here (the blog is lurid pink and orange and has a nekkid man chest at the top--not entirely SFW). Most of the comments are supportive, but about halfway down the page Carol Stacey, "Publisher of Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine," responds. She says that m/m romance isn't reviewed by Romantic Times because it wouldn't reach the "target audience." Posters call her on this--RT held a poll and in fact, the majority of respondants would like m/m romance reviewed in Romantic Times.

This wank is complete with "some of my best friends are gay", "Everyone I interacted with from RT was polite and smiling, but so were those girls in school who stabbed you in the back," f/f romance is hot but m/m romance is disgusting (male poster), and a yaoi writer who understands Lauren B's predicament because she has a "writer soul."

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	Links to tangents threegoldfish 2007-05-03 02:53 pm UTC (link)
	I've been following this a bit but it gets super confusing when you add in a rant supposedly from the CEO of Romantic Times that may or may not be a troll (Signs apparently point to yes.) Comments here are interesting. Me, I just wonder which fandoms Jules Jones used to write in and if they're any good. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: Links to tangents octavia 2007-05-03 04:28 pm UTC (link)
	My general reaction to the whole kerfluffle has been an unintelligible sound along the lines of, “Ghurk?” Uhurr. Makes you wonder just what was in the water at that RT convention thingy. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Links to tangents acaciah 2007-05-06 04:01 pm UTC (link)
	RT has a wank fallout EVERY YEAR. Last year it was drunk and disorderly CEOs who had to be carried up to their rooms, molesting Ellora's Cave models, blah blah. (Reply to this)(Parent)

Re: Links to tangents

octavia
2007-05-03 04:57 pm UTC (link)

I've only just now read the full rant. And I fully admit it: I was tearing up.

I am certainly aware of the function of blogs, but Romance Books are not a Political forum. We are a fantasy business that reflects Everywoman. She doesn't want sadness, discontent, fighting and negativity in her life, for that she watches the news or reads the newspapers. Our writers and editors are sometimes fragile, as the line of our work is pure emotion.

*sniffs*

You don't have to feel confused and resentful about a romance writing career if you are truly of good heart. Occupying your mind with ill thoughts or wallowng in attracting negative people and forming negative perceptions just continues to perpetuate the cycle of feeling unsuccessful.

*hides face in hanky and makes snorting noises*

Someone should stand up and say: I'm not taking this anymore."

Me! Me! Me!

(Seriously. The whole thing is comedy. gold. This woman is the CEO?! And is there a jurisimprudence law she doesn't break?)

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	Re: Links to tangents willywanka 2007-05-03 05:52 pm UTC (link)
	but Romance Books are not a Political forum. I'm wishing it was, and the truth came out that G W Bush was behind the most catty reviews. Or the most gushing ones. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Links to tangents mmanurere 2007-05-03 06:28 pm UTC (link)
	(The CEO bit just makes the whole "We're all in it together! As a community! Working towards common goals! And all successful (read: rich) people are good people!" bit even more hilarious in an Orwellian sort of way. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Links to tangents sunhawk 2007-05-03 06:34 pm UTC (link)
	The rant blog has the BEST first comment: Laura said... But are you going to the prom with her? AWESOME. (Reply to this)(Parent)

Re: Links to tangents

jat_sapphire
2007-05-03 07:22 pm UTC (link)

Amy at Smart Bitches called Falk and...huh, nobody seems to know if the ranter was Kathryn Falk, including Kathryn Falk. She certainly seems batshit insane enough, even (presumably) without margueritas.

My actual guess that it was somebody at RT, but not Falk, who does not appear to know her ass from a blog and her NewAgeySecret shit from a flame about murder by bad review.

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	Re: Links to tangents threegoldfish 2007-05-03 08:07 pm UTC (link)
	falls over giggling Oh man, thanks for that link. That's quality. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Links to tangents puipui 2007-05-03 08:17 pm UTC (link)
	Well, judging by what Amy quotes her as saying, the rant certainly sounds like the kind of thing Kathyrn Falk would say. Only considerably more coherent. Maybe somebody listened to her ramble for a bit and then wrote the rant based on that? (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Links to tangents octavia 2007-05-03 09:09 pm UTC (link)
	Carol said it sounded like me, and it probably is me, but I’m retired.... I'm so lost. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Links to tangents jat_sapphire 2007-05-04 12:58 am UTC (link)
	Wasn't that wierd? And the bit about how someone hacked into her computer but she has no Internet connection, or something, so it couldn't have been her except that those were her words? And she agrees with them, because she never says anything negative? Jeez, no wonder she's retired. She has sustained some kind of brain damage. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Hold me, it's that damn deja vu again monsley 2007-05-04 03:51 pm UTC (link)
	Reading that made me feel like I was stuck in the middle of the That's between you and your sushi wank. What pairings does Kathryn hate, I wonder? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Hold me, it's that damn deja vu again jat_sapphire 2007-05-04 10:41 pm UTC (link)
	Lauren Baumbach/anyone, I would think. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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