Usually before I release a book I put out a blog in my “Fiction Infatuation” thread extolling the virtues of the book’s hero. And while Darius Fleck from my upcoming release “Alice’s Wish” is certainly worthy of infatuation, there is something else about this book that is special.
I write about the world I live in, the people I am surrounded by. It is a colorful, diverse world. And thank God for that. That’s why most of my books feature couples that come from different racial or ethnic backgrounds. It’s why the side characters are from all walks of life. They look like my friends, colleagues, and acquaintances.
So that leads me to Alice. I know Alice, intimately. Alice isn’t based on one person in particular, but there are many people like her. But women like Alice don’t show up in MF Contemporary Romance novels very often. In fact, if you know of one besides “Alice’s Wish” please drop the name and author in the comments below. I will immediately go read it.
Alice is bisexual. Around 2% of the population identifies as bisexual, including one recently elected congresswoman. That’s one of out every fifty people. Yet it is my personal belief that bisexuality tends to be dismissed. It is often seen as a transitional state. People who identify as bisexual are often characterized by others as either “confused and experimenting” or gay and haven’t yet fully embraced that. And maybe there are people out there who fit the above description who identify as bisexual. But bisexuality is a lifelong identity for many people—people who often feel dismissed by both the straight and the gay communities.
In romance, bisexuality most often shows up in one of two forms: 1) in LGBTQ novels where one of the characters is bisexual and enters into a gay relationship over the course of the novel or 2) in ménage novels as a way to connect all the players of different genders/orientations.
Alice isn’t a plot vehicle for a gay romance, and she isn’t into kink. She’s a bisexual woman, equally attracted to men and women, willing to enter into a monogamous relationship with a person of either sex, able to fall in love with a person—period. And in the course of this novel she falls in love with a person named Darius, who happens to be a man.
So, I hope Alice and her story are well received. But I’m not naïve. I know not everyone will understand or appreciate her and her relationship. Nevertheless, I wrote her. I champion her. And to everyone who can relate to her—this is for you.
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