Woo! Welcome to Cigars, and congratulations on your new series! I'm completely stoked to read it. :)

I hear you loud and clear on the violence vs sex thing, and I never, ever get it. Why it's so much less offensive for people to think about serial killing than two people in love having sex. Demented, I think! LOL

I also think you are completely right that we're a conservative culture when it comes to sex, which is why so much of it is unhealthy and subversive.

But why are people so uncomfortable with romance novels? Maybe it's because they propose an expectation for love, something people should aspire to, but are afraid to believe in? But that belief is obviously strong if sales are any indication.

I also think the thriller gives people a different kind of hero...in contemp romance, there used to be a setup of two men and the heroine (common in the older, Presents romances, say, back in the 70s and 80s) -- one man was the "bad guy" whom she could end up with and then there was the hero, who saved the day, or it would be the evil mother-in-law or the "other woman" who was always a bitch. Now we often get rid of the "bad guy" in contemp romance, and there's not as much of a foil there, and less to root for... but the thriller not only gives us the romance, but the satisfaction of seeing evil overcome.

But... back to your book. I love your cover, and I frankly prefer sex to violence -- I am a complete weenie on the violence thing, and half to watch most TV shows with some violence with one hand over my face. Violent movies are OUT (unless they are the kind of comic book or fun action, like The Bourne Identity or Lethal Weapon, the Die Hard movies, etc).

Anyway, this is a fantastic blog, the book is amazing, and I'm very happy to have you around today...

Sam

Hey Les, just wanted to pop in show some love...I love this blog...I learned a couple of new things...I love thrillers too...but, romantic thrillers top them all...I have been so focused on the Black Cat series that I completely forgot about your alter...the side that cause me to fall in love with your work in the first place...sorry about that...I am so excited to have both your books soon...

I think that you are right...I can't understand why people are so touchy about nakedness on book covers, but can accept the violence and crime that occurs...talk to you more later...

Peace and love,
Paula

Leslie, you know how I feel about the Black CAT series. As much as I love your Blaze and "lighter" novels (your sense of humor cracks me up), the CAT books moved you into a whole new place. Dang but you can write these dark suspense! (P.S. I want to be you when I grow up! *wink*)

Like you, I'm not only a genre-slut, I'm a CROSS-genre slut. Almost every genre out there has some element of romance. Western standbys like Louis L'Amour? Yup. There's romance. Tony Hillerman? It's there between the MCs and the objects of their affections. Ludlum? Trust me, it's there, too. Even Ian Fleming wrote a "romance" novel, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, written from the POV of the heroine.

I don't understand why readers look down their collective noses at romance novels and their authors. I like to think that they're just jealous! As for the whole sex vs. violence thing? Don't even get me started on Puritanical social mores, subjugation/fear of women, and the whole socio-political backdrop to that. *blink* Wow. I sounded like a feminist there for a minute. LOL. I'm not, really, just a poly-sci major back in the day.

Good luck on the debut next week. I know FADE TO BLACK is going to rock the charts!

hey leslie
how are u, love your books
blaze s are great whoo
such great books andgreat reveiws. and hot covers. congrats

i just like both
sex and thirllers in books are great. in your books i would read them and if u enjoy them that is great, i want to read them too.

congrats o n your books and cant wait to read the sex and viloence. lol

Violence - public - it's on TV, in the news and is talked about around the water cooler
Sex - private - you do this in your home, or wherever, but mostly it's not something shared with others. Some people may give details, but I don't think the majority do.
So that's why I think violence is more acceptable than ((whispering)) sex.

Hi, Leslie!
I'm thrilled to "see" you here today, and am very excited for your new release! I have to say that I don't get why violence is more OK than hot sex--I'm not sure that they're comparable on any level and it isn't right for either to be plastered on the news. Maybe as Marcie mentioned, violence seems OK to be out there because we can all agree that it's a bad thing and can feel justified talking about how terrible it is and what a shame, etc. As for sexy, I do think that people are less comfortable perhaps because it does feel like looking into someone's bedroom and because no one wants others looking into their own. (Except for us closet exhibitionists ;)) And while we're clear we don't want our children anywhere near violence, we may be just uncomfortable exposing our kids to something too sexy for their ages, and it's such a personal topic that most of us don't necessarily want to talk about with our kids--how sad!

Anyway, I'm a big chicken, so I've always loved your LK books and am totally going to pick up your new one, but will read with caution and all the lights on and the hubby in town!

Can I take a quick fan-girl moment here and just tell you how much I've always loved your Blaze books?

I haven't read any of your Leslie Parrish books, but I intend to! I love reading romance, and admit that for the past year or so, thrillers have not been my first choice of genre, although I usually enjoy them when I do read them. But if I read something that explicitly details a murder or somebody being tortured, I have to skip over those parts...they'll bother me for days.

I never know how to react when people ask what I write, and then give me knowing looks, or ask when I'm going to write a book with "substance." Thankfully, I have enough people who seem genuinely thrilled by the fact that I write sexy contemporaries to outweigh those few others.

I was reading askmen.com the other day, and there was an article entitled: Top Ten Signs She's a Social Leper:

Sign No.5 - Shelves full of romance novels
If you see even one romance novel, this isn’t a good sign. The men in these books are never described as: “His $50k a year, soft belly and love of beer made me love him even more.” That means even if she’s hot enough to overlook the crazy, she doesn’t want you, she wants Fabio. More likely she isn’t gorgeous and reads trashy literature to escape her own life. It’s the equivalent of a guy with shelves of sci-fi books

This is the kind of stuff I really hate. Okay...that, and the fact that I scored 7 out of 10 for signs that I am a social leper, LOL!

Congratulations on your new thriller, and thanks for being here today, Leslie!

because they long to be as strong or smart or adventurous as the hero or heroine of their adventure. And no one can blame them.

But when you say you long to be a romance hero...well, it takes a lot of explaining. Do you mean you wish you were that good in bed, meaning you're not USUALLY good in bed? You wish you were that good looking? Meaning you're an ugly hog?

Wanting to be an adventure hero is cool because no one is the adventure hero.

Wanting to be a romance hero means admitting you're not already, cause there's a LOT of them out there.

At least, that's my thought, lol. I'm not eligible, but since I was having a clear thought today, I figured I'd share. :) Great to see you here, Leslie!!

Dee

I think it boils down to sex being a private thing to many.

congrats on the thrillers coming. I'm excited about them. Keep the books coming.

I have such horrible luck with posting - if my first post shows up *mysteriously* please ignore. In the meantime I've got to try to remember what I said originally. I agreed with you on covers, a lot of people don't want to be seen with them - you know who they are, you see them on the train with the cover bent backwards or the whole book bent in half so no one can see ... There's also the fact that a thriller/suspense book is more likely to attract male readers than a romance and there are millions out there who think that adds credibility to a book/author. Guys will read 'romance' as long as it's not a 'Romance Novel' (as a few of you have since pointed out) These are the same people you mentioned earlier, the ones who think romance is easy to write. *Male name* caresses *Female name's* *Body part* and she shuddered ... There is also the cliche of romance readers you're got to overcome. After all, who reads romance ? That's right: sad, sappy dames who hate their lives, sit around in fuzzy slippers, eating ice cream, watching their soaps and dreaming of Prince Charming - all while reading chick porn.

Hi Leslie,
Congrats on the upcoming release. I love romantic thrillers with a perfect balance of romance and action. I don't want the author to skimp on the violence or the sex. I also enjoy straight thrillers and romances, too.

I guess some people just have to think they have better literary tastes than others.
I read any and all genres, and I sometimes do it in public. I don't bother to hide the book cover. If they don't like it they don't have to look at it.

Leslie, I am glad you wrote this post because this is an issue that sticks in my craw.
Case in point, the whole Janet Jackson - Justin Timberlake episode at the super bowl.
There was such a trememdous outcry when Justin pulled off a piece of material to reveal one of Janet's breasts. From the reaction of the pundits, the media, and the politicos you would have have thought the apocalypse had arrived.
I mean really. Was it inappropriate? Yeah, but I don't think anyone was permanently scarred by the sight of her breast. It didn't turn anyone into a serial killer, nor did massive bloody riots ensue.
Yet CBS has no problem airing shows where people are murdered, in fact there are shows whose main premise revolves around gruesome murders.
Isn't murder and violence a little more disturbing than Janet's boob?
Worse, Janet got ALL the flak for the incident, and Justin got off scot free. It was no big deal for Justin, even though HE was the one that ripped off the fabric!
Janet was PILLORIED for what happened, even though it was Justin that instigated it!
Ok, that's my beef...your post reminded me of the whole incident.
It's interesting how Americans have an almost Puritanical attitude towards sex.

No matter the genre you write, your stories have always gotten a hold of me. I've read many of your books and it's all about a great story for me and I know that's what I'll always get when I pick up one of your books. Your writing style just fits my reader style I guess because once I start reading I can never put down one of your books. I get to the end way too quickly and find myself not wanting the story to be over. You consistently give us a great story.

Hi Leslie! It is amazing how books that are thrillers are accepted more than romance novels. I love your writing and can't wait to read your new books.

Congrats to Jane on winning copies of Fade to Black and Sun, Sand, Seduction! Please drop me a note at leslieakelly @ gmail.com (no spaces) with your snail mail addy so I can get your books out to you.

Thanks again everyone, had a great time yesterday!!

Leslie Kelly-Parrish
www.authorleslieparrish.com
www.authorleslieparrishblog.com

Thank you, Leslie.

Sure, please do count me in. Great prize.