If you haven’t read Jan Butler’s letter in last month’s RWR, there is a paraphrased version posted on Kate Rothwell’s blog. There’s been a plethora of responses but they are worth reading through. Several folks have chimed in, including our own Nora Roberts.
After last year’s debaucle of an awards ceremony, I had a new found respect for Nora. She took a stand and refused to emcee if the ceremony went on as planned. Of course, it did, and I sat through every painful hour of it. (can I just tell you how bad I needed to pee?) And now, she speaks her opinion without being accusatory or inflammatory, which is more than I can say for some others. It’s worth taking a look, no matter what side you’re on.
kate rothwell: what I’m talking about above–the letter in RWR
Just for the record, Romance has been defined by the dictionary. Why can’t we just go with that? It doesn’t define it between man/woman, it doesn’t exclude aliens or menage or supernatural beings.
My favorite of these definitions is #3: an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity… when you break it all down to the basics, isn’t that what we’re all striving to write…whether it be inspirational or erotica?
Main Entry: 1ro·mance
Pronunciation: rO-'man(t)s, r&-; 'rO-"
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English romauns, from Anglo-French romanz French, narrative in French, from Medieval Latin Romanice in a vernacular (as opposed to Latin), from Late Latin Romanus Gallo-Romance speaker (as opposed to a Frank), from Latin, Roman
1 a (1) : a medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural (2) : a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usually heroic, adventurous, or mysterious (3) : a love story especially in the form of a novel b : a class of such literature
2 : something (as an extravagant story or account) that lacks basis in fact
3 : an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity
Bitchin' Fiction: Musings by author Melissa McKenzie / Melissa Francis 
WOW. Thanks for the link, Mel.I tried to understand Jan Butler’s POV–and I do respect her right to have it–but clearly, she thinks she’s morally superior over those of us who practice acceptance of others’ lifestyles. It always amazes me that the people who claim to soley represent “What Would Jesus Do” are the very people who judge and condemn others who are different–a very anti-Jesus thing to do, IMO. One more thing–Nora rocks!
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