The was a big brouhaha on Twitter the other day over Nora Roberts. Apparently some moms in Florida were banning her books from high school libraries because someone thought she was writing porn.
My readers sometimes tell me my contemporary romance novels remind them of Nora Roberts, which I take as a compliment. She is, after all, a very accomplished romance author. Romance, however, can be problematic for some readers. This is why there are sub-genres within the romance genre, which I discussed in detail in my post Sweet Sensual or Erotic Romance.
I write sensual romance, and my novels include a few sex scenes, with the keyword being few. Most of the action takes place outside of the bedroom. These scenes are included for plot enhancement, and because today’s readers expect them. I write about what the characters are feeling, both physically and emotionally. However, I don’t describe body parts, nor do I include rape, bondage, threesomes, or incest in my romance novels. That’s way too hard core for me, although there is a scene in The Stalker where the villain attempts to rape someone. Spoiler alert! He is interrupted before he can do any real damage. His victim then fights back and manages to escape.
My romance novels typically end with a marriage proposal, or even a wedding. Sometimes the story continues for a little while longer after the wedding. If the couple isn’t quite ready for marriage when the story ends, I imply that they will marry at a later time.
Sometimes a lead character may get involved with the wrong person for the wrong reasons. This happens when a character is on the rebound, or when an opportunist takes advantage of someone’s vulnerability. These scenarios happen in real life as well, and I write my novels to be as close to real life as possible. Rest assured, however, that whenever it happens, there will be a price to pay.
My contemporary romance novels are written for adult readers. As in readers eighteen and over. If you were to use the motion picture rating system, my books would be rated R. My books are aimed at women, although I have male fans too. Based on the feedback I’m getting, it appears that many, if not most, of my readers are either middle-aged or seniors.
If a parent thinks one my novels is okay for their teenager to read that’s fine with me. But if they think don’t think it’s suitable for their teenager that’s okay too. I grew a family of readers, and there were a few times when I was a teenager when my mother didn’t think a particular book was suitable for me to read.
I’m not for book banning, but I am a big believer in parental rights. I know this may rile some, but I personally believe that when it comes to reading, parents have every right to determine which books may or may not suitable for their children. This would include teenage children. Therefore, if a student brings home a book from the school library that the parent doesn’t like, they most certainly have the right to not allow their child to read it. High school students are still considered minors under the law. They haven’t yet reached the age of consent.
My romance novels aren’t for everybody. They’re for adults who enjoy reading a good love story.
Marina Martindale
The Stalker is available on Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, and with other online booksellers.