Just Gay Enough? by Kate Pearce
I like to write Regency heroes who aren’t quite what you’d expect, in fact, I like to write heroes who appeal to the type of reader who is slightly intrigued by the tantalizing thought of gay men making out, but still likes a good romance along the way. My heroes will give you that. Not quite gay, but willing to experiment with anyone or anything if the opportunity arises, (and somehow it always does in my books and also just Alpha enough to keep you interested and hot and, well, you know…
How did I end up writing them? I don’t know. I just got fed up with the whole Alpha, Beta, Metro thing. I mean, sexuality is much more complicated than that isn’t it? Aren’t there a hell of a lot of grays in between? I love the grays, the men and women who can appreciate that sex is far more interesting if you can be open and up for anything.
What does amuse me is seeing my books in the romance section. Yay, I’m a subversive! ‘Georgette Heyer on crack’ as one of my fellow Black Lace authors called me. I’m expecting my readers to want to know whether a sexually ambiguous pair of Regency gentleman like Lord Valentin Sokorvsky and Peter Howard who star in Simply Sexual and Simply Sinful, can find their happy ever after’s. And I want my readers to be happy for them and care about what happens to them. I want them to care even though these men aren’t remotely conventional and never will be.
I don’t have an agenda. I truly believe love is where you find it and that we all have a right to be happy and sexually satisfied. Is that going to become the norm? Will my kids wonder what all the fuss was about back in the day? I sure hope so 
So tell me, does ‘just gay enough’ turn you on or off and how do you feel about it being in the romance aisle?
February 8th, 2008 at 3:11 am
I think it’s hot.
Seriously hot.
February 8th, 2008 at 5:35 am
I gotta say it - I think it’s sexy as hell.
A favorite show of mine was always “Queer As Folk” on Showtime, because it was, I thought, just a big ol’ gay soap opera. But the characters made me care, even when it slipped into a bit of melodrama from time to time.
Besides, men always go on about women together - men together is just as delightful. Love is love, and to use a rather trite phrase: “It’s all good!”
Ciao!
February 8th, 2008 at 7:01 am
That depends.
Guy on guy is a bit of a squick with me. Doesn’t turn my crank at all. Which isn’t surprising. I don’t generally like my gender and find them about as attractive as a Shih Tzu with bad mange.
On the other hand I do like my girl on girl stuff, as rare as it is in the romance/romantic erotica field.
Now there’s an interesting idea for a blog entry. Why do people find gayness in the opposite sex so exciting?
February 8th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Rob interesting question!!!! Maybe I’ll tackle it next week, though I have no idea how. BTW there’s a FFM scene in one of the Hands On novellas
I truly believe love is where you find it and that we all have a right to be happy and sexually satisfied.
Okay while almost gay men don’t really appeal to me *ducks rotten tomatoes*, I TOTALLY agree w/this…I’m not sure I could rule out um bi men (for lack of a better word) but if someone said, “OMG You so have to read this book,” I’d consider it. That said, FF is more my style
February 8th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
I’m basically on the same level of what Amie says. I almost prefer it to be the f/f side. Although in general…I’m kind of vanilla in my reading (and sometimes in my writing!)
I rarely let my characters explore outside the relationship with each other. God, they must be so bored. 
February 8th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
God, they must be so bored.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
This is really interesting. In my last book for EC I had a villain who is bi, and I show him having sex with a younger man. I had to take it out because apparently no one wants a gay villain. I also had some f/f action, and I had to take that out too b/c readers don’t like to read that sort of thing. My editor had some really interesting points as to why this is, and they were valid.
Anyway, I love good characters and I don’t care about their sexuality. I think everyone is a little bit gay, anyway. At the moment I want to have hot lesbian sex with Shane from the L Word.
February 8th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Feisty I do wonder why that is. There’s some F/F action in Kink too and my editor never said a word. And I never got any hate mail about it
I do have to say I feel very “been there/done that” but I wont rule out having another bisexual heroine if I find a good story for one
February 8th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Sorry that was me…meant to add that I’ve written bisexual/bicurious heroines not because it’s in or out or whatever but because I like writing heroines who are comfortable with their sexuality
February 8th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Me too, Amie.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
For you Feist
because apparently no one wants a gay villain
This made me laugh so hard but I’m afraid to touch it.
February 8th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I love gay villains. I love straight villains too. Villains are just fun in general. :D
February 8th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
As long as I don’t have to read about condoms, I’m ok with just about anything.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
God, they must be so bored.
That’s why I’m pushing my limits. I’m working on a FFM menage romance at the moment. With an HEA.
In my last book for EC I had a villain who is bi, and I show him having sex with a younger man. I had to take it out because apparently no one wants a gay villain.
The villainess in one of my vampire stories was gay. Luckily my publisher was open minded about it.
That fact did squick one of my reviewers out, though.
February 8th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
It’s interesting how interested we all are in same-sex sex isn’t it? (bad sentence alert)
Personally I’m just not interested enough in f/f to write it much, although I’ve had a couple of kisses going on in my books.
What has surprised me most is how I get reviews saying how romantic Simply Sexual is when there is very edgy dark sex and m/m encounters. But I like that, because love is what it’s all about really isn’t it?
Thanks so much for having me (ooh) on the blog!
February 8th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Peggy, no condoms? Like in a any book??
February 8th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Shelli check this out….
http://bernitaharris.blogspot.com/2008/02/were-all-going-to-hell-anyway.html
February 8th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Hmm interesting post, but I still need to throw condoms on my characters. LOL. Or they need to be on the pill. I go for an ‘aaah’ romance that still has reality in it, and most of the time that is reality.
At least in a contemporary romance. But that’s just me. If I DON’T see a condom or an explanation of why not,I get weirded out now.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
well I guess to me it’s just that we get beat to death with the safe sex thing and all that, I like to not have to think and worry about that when I’m escaping with a book. that’s all.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
That’s true, Peggy. You know… if we had a warning like at the beginning of the book ‘in real life use protection and get tested’
or something I’d love to write condom free sex. And I do in my paranormals and futuristics. It’s much more fun 
February 8th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Shelli I believe that Black Lace books do
February 8th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
OH NOOOOO!!! Don’t give anyone any ideas about warning labels on books!!
I am sick to death of warning labels trying to protect me from myself!!! I am a grown up!! I know better than to use Windex to clean my contacts while I am wearing them!! I know to remove the sun shade from my the window of my car before driving it and I don’t give plastic bags to children to play with (except the ones who skate at break-neck speeds through my bookstore).I was basically just making one of my signature sarcastic off-the-cuff smart-ass remarks, I have yet to learn to control them…. 
February 8th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
LOL Peggy we all do it–and the internet is such a funny place. You can’t always detect sarcasm
Sadly Peggy the whole safe sex thing is pretty ingrained–though like Shelli said the nice thing about historicals/futuristics is no safe sex! SWEET
OTOH I have gotten taken to task by reviewers for um heroines who didn’t act safe. (and that’s fine–to each his own and all that)
It’s interesting how interested we all are in same-sex sex isn’t it?
Kate yes it is!!!
February 8th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I bet those reviewers also write warning labels in their spare time.
Well speaking of the old bookstore, I am off to spend the evening there and struggle to control my lusty urges to trip the aforementioned little angels on skate/shoes. Whoever invented them should be tarred and feathered, in my humble opinion.
Have a good evening, ladies.
February 8th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
I love man-on-man. Woman-on-woman works for me too, though not on the same level.
There’s just something about two hot males touching each other and getting all sweaty…mmmmmmmmmm
February 8th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I write for Black Lace ‘Cheek’ as well as Kensington and EC and yes, they do have this on the inside of every book:
‘In real life, always practice safe sex’
It always makes me laugh.
I think in historicals you can get away with so much more because they didn’t really understand the whole protection/safe sex message then so you can use your imagination a bit more.
Kate
February 8th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Oh Kate, I didn’t know that about the warnings in some books. That’s great! I love reading historicals, they’re actually my favorite genre to read. Loooove’m.
February 8th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Hey Kate!
I am really LOVING the workshop your teaching at RWAOnline.
The opening scene of ROP has a f/f scene. S2TM also has a f/f scene and even though technically it’s not supposed to be hot (because the heroine isn’t exactly willing) I’ve been told it was anyway.
I’ve read m/m scenes that were hot but regularly I don’t care for m/m. Shrugs. I’m with Amie and Shell on the f/f thing. (Get your minds out of the gutter
February 9th, 2008 at 1:39 am
wow. Kate I appreciate the heads-up on those publishers and their warning labels. I won’t buy any book with that inscription because it just flat out ticks me off that they think their readers are not smart enough to make personal decisions.
I won’t go on a rant and veer this topic off course, but I did have to comment on that. Such a warning insults my intelligence. 
February 9th, 2008 at 2:43 am
I get turned on by some flamers in RL (Tim Curry mmmmmm) but the actual act itself, not really interested. I love your article though, and the books sound intriguing.
I certainly agree with your sentiments about love.
February 9th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Me? I like the boytouching. Quite a bit. Always have, even before m/m became popular.
Love Queer as Folk, too!
M
February 9th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Hey Peggy! you’re not going to let a teensy weensy label stop you from buying my fabulous ‘Cheek’ books are you???
February 10th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Well, if the people who place the labels there can tell me why only this genre has them, then perhaps I wouldn’t be so irritated by it. OK, so yes I would. I hate being babysat. Hideous and violent and ugly things go on in other books, even “classics” so my question is, do these publishers think the readers of this particular genre are less intelligent and less capable of managing their own lives, therefore we require guidance? Sorry. I was going to let it drop, but you asked!!
It’s usually the teensy weensy that grows into something bigger. There ARE people out there who would want to ban this genre altogether because they think people would be ill-influenced by it. 
I mean, REALLY! “In real life….” wtf? 
February 11th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Peggy I think it’s more that if they don’t put a label on it somewhere, then someone ‘will’ take offence and sue the pants off them for exposing them or one of their kids to such immorality-not that I agree with that at all of course, but there are people who will do that kind of stuff…
February 11th, 2008 at 10:50 am
I think Kate’s got the right of it. And FWIW I think it’s a shame we live in such a litigious society. I can’t believe I spelled that right! LOL
February 11th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Oh don’t get me started on lawsuit abuse!!
…. I’m thinking we’ll just have to agree to disagree on it, because I think the way I think on it, which is that they think readers of this genre are dumbasses. It doesn’t mean I don’t understand your side of it, I do, but my position remains unchanged. 
I don’t disagree with any fear of a lawsuit, every person breathing is a potential victim of it. But I take offense to being ‘advised’ on how to conduct my sex life. Hey, wait, it ‘offends’ me, maybe I should sue them….
February 11th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
I know this is late, and people probably won’t see it, but here’s the thing Peggy. Unfortunately in real life there are people who are not as intelligent as you are. That’s why there is still the spread of AIDS and teenage pregnancies. That’s why there are warnings on TV commercials with cars doing crazy stunts because they KNOW that there are idiots out there who will try this. Jackass anyone? I think it’s funny about the warnings on cigarette packages - like I don’t know that it’s bad for me? But every time you see one of these labels on something, it’s because someone, somewhere has done it. I don’t take the warnings personally, I know they aren’t talking to me; I just remember that there are idiots in this world and publishers can’t in any way decide which eroticas the intelligent people will read and which ones the stupid people will pick up.