The top ten bestsellers at a popular romance e-book site include barely legal 18 year old bare-breasted girls gettin’ it on every which way with their step-daddies and their daddy’s best friend…I know, I’ll call it Daddy-rotica.
Can I take some words back? You know, those words I uttered once upon a time when I lived in a far away idyllic kingdom beneath the sea - “There’s a difference between erotic romance and pornography.”
I just threw up in my mouth a little.
From the movie, Bedazzled:
Inmate: “What are you in for, brother?”
Elliot: “Eternity.”
Inmate: “Ooh, you must’ve done some really bad shit.”
Elliot: The worst, I sold my soul.”
Inmate: “Well, I hope you got somethin’ good for it.”
Elliot: “Actually, I got nothing for it.”
Inmate: “Sounds like a really bad deal if you ask me.”
(Course, nobody’s asking me.)
If you’ve read my books, you know I’m no prude, but man oh man. I’m sticking with plain old romance, erotic romance (containing sensuous sex scenes between consenting adults), paranormal, and maybe some SFR despite the fact that it’s a hard sell.
And I’m bringing out all the old works of literary fiction and poetry. Now is the time - the perfectly ripe time - with the ease and acceptability of self-publishing - to get them revised and on the market.
Daddy-rotica? Oh, YUCK!
You’re rockin’ with all this self-publishing! Go Julia.
I am going to quote my own self from a recent email I sent to an amazing, award-winning author….”There is a fine line between porn and erotica, and I think that line has been crossed. And it’s still going downhill. All the way to the fiery gates of hell.”
Word.
Yes! You should do this, Julia. You have so many unique aspects to your personality, angles to your writing and art to share.
I’m with you, I’m going to let someone else write the Daddy-rotica. I can’t do it.
I’m far past it now, but I clearly remember being an 18 year old and being throughly disgusted by older men hitting on me in the workplace. My fantasies/desires couldn’t have been farther away from “daddy”.
Here’s a terrible ageist/sexist joke: An older man is working out at the gym with his personal trainer on the weight lifting machines, when a very young woman enters the gym. The man drools over the woman and asks the trainer what machine he could use next to impress the pretty young thing. The trainer said “Use an ATM Machine”.
XXOO Kat
I’m not a fan of erotica, Julia (Not passing judgment, just a preference, not a fan of political thrillers or glitz either). So I can’t say anything useful about the state of the genre. That said, I have noticed whenever there is a line to cross, some yahoo is going to cross it. Daddy-rotica? Really. I shudder to imagine what is going through the writer’s mind.
I am so with you on this - when I see these on the “best-seller” list I cringe. But if they sell you can bet more of them will be popping up. Oh well, doesn’t mean we have to read them or write them! Keep writing what you love.
Can I just say “ICK” about the thought of what people are gravitating to in this genre? You just keep doing what you’re doing. It’s better to sleep well at night.
Ack. I have no problem with whatever two consenting adults do in private (or in fiction) but that’s just icky. And Kat, LOL.
As to the self publishing? You go, Julia!
It is so tempting to sell one’s soul to the highest paying genre. But in the end, I’d like quality of plot and depth of character to be my writing legacy.
We need to hang tough and stay strong! Good luck with dusting off the old manuscripts. They’ll find an audience.
I find the whole daddy-rotica trend deeply disturbing. For every one who has been raped by a person they should have been able to trust there are many more who have been molested to the point their lives were adversely affected. I realize some of our reactions are due to society’s current codes, but that is how I was raised and how I continue to live. Erotica is or should be fun, a bit of a walk on the wild side. But children should be protected in life and IMO in art. A child, even the “barely legal” should be allowed to progress at their own speed. Then again we have had the waif like nearly children for fashion models for how long?
Okay, rant over. For now. Thanks for this blog, Julia
Mona, having been sexually abused as a child for an entire year by our clergyman, beaten and raped as a 19 year old college student…I have no fondness for this sub-genre. Yes, I’m left wondering who is reading this? Women? Are we really?
Erotica should be fun, yeah, we all know it’s a fantasy, but sometimes you cross a bridge too far.
Nina, maybe if I had three children to take care of, no education and no means of support, I’d consider prostitution. Maybe there’s some of that going on, but I kinda doubt it.
Hi Cindy. Consenting adults - and I like to read about adults, not teenagers, go for it! There’s a huge difference between a 21 year old and an 18 year old. Big ick factor for me. Thanks!
Thanks Brinda and double ‘ICK’.
Hi Debora - I can’t imagine how much farther this can go without turning into kiddie porn. And you’re right, we don’t have to read them, but I do think this trend bodes ill for the entire genre.
Jaye - you don’t have to be a fan.
You’re right, except that the line in the sand keeps getting erased and pushed farther back.
Kat - Ugh! Just Ugh! I love that joke!
Penelope - Word indeed. I’m worried we may all end up cast into the same pit, when there is a backlash, and believe me, there will be, probably sooner than we think.
Thanks, Amber!
You and me, Jacqueline…you and me! Yuck!
I guess there’s a market for everything, but I’m with everyone else here on the Daddy-rotica topic: No, thanks. This ranks right up there with the enema novel I saw the other day on a romance web site, but I think daddy porn is worse. No offense to those who enjoy a little enema with their sex, but again, not for me. *BLEH*
Good luck with your self-publishing ventures, Julia! I’m right there with ya.
Um Kendall…huh? That’s a turn-on? Yes, I do know that men and women with nervous system disorders and injuries must do certain things before sex…or maybe if you’re doing m/m sex and you want to keep it real - but I don’t need to read about it. I give enough enemas to my patients. Don’t want that in my fantasy life.
Sorry, I somehow missed this post yesterday. Julia - I will continue to read what you write, because while it is hot and steamy, they are great stories about consenting adults. Daddy -rotica - that is just downright disturbing. We have a very real murder, home invasion trial happening here in CT. And I almost puked my oatmeal reading The Hartford Courant’s very graphic reporting of what happened to two innocent teenagers by older men. God awful reality and I certainly don’t want to read that stuff for so called pleasure.
Yep. A friend sent me a link to an erotic novel all about enemas (because I have the mentality of a 12-year-old boy, and she knew it would make me laugh for days). I thought it was a joke, but…nope. Real book with a real fan base, apparently.
*Shiver*
Well, Kendall, I guess there’s a fan base for just about everything. I doubt my impacted patients would agree.
Oh Casey, how awful! Really sounds terrible. I do know what you mean.
And everything you’ve said about the whole “daddy-rotica” thing is exactly what someone else has said about your work (and mine, as I do write erotic stories.)
And I (very respectfully, please don’t take it wrong) say to you what I would say to them. “The story grosses you out? That’s absolutely your right to feel that way and I respect your stance on the issue. So please just pass it over when you see it displayed. Thank heavens the First Amendment exists so that we all can find books we enjoy and have the freedom to NOT read the books we know we won’t.”
Okay, I was starting to feel better from my stomach virus, but not so much now. That is just wrong on so many levels.
I’m am considering self-publishing as an option in my future also.
I’m sorry, Ciara. Didn’t mean to make you nauseated! Self-publishing is a very interesting way to go, I have to admit.
Icky. Some authors take it too far and I can’t help thinking that writing this stuff must turn them on. What does that say about them as people? *shivers*
I do enjoy a hot sexy read and I’ve read some lovely erotica that’s as poetic as it is titillating, and not one bit disgusting. I also must say this daddy-rotica trend harkens to vampire erotica IF the vamp is centuries old, IMO. My mind conjures up dirty old men sucking blood from nubile young ladies and that creeps me out. However, I do enjoy a good vampire novel, just not a “sexy” one. *more shivers*
I agree, Danielle, we have the freedom not to read books we don’t want to read or books that contain subject matter we don’t like and/or don’t agree with. Most of the time, I keep my mouth shut because I have the utmost respect for authors. I doubt the subject will come up again. In the meantime, yes, thank the Founding Fathers for the constitution. Thus I am free to express my opinion, as are you.
Karen, you make a very interesting point about centuries old vampires and nubile young women. I suspect, in the case with the original evil old vampires, a young woman was most attractive (or a young man) because of the strong life force the vampire could drink in - plus there were always unstated sexual connotations - sort of a hidden theme.
Oh, I wrote a comment but it didn’t post, so I’ll rewrite it. I came across a few of those daddy/girl porn books on a well known bookseller site and had to read the blurbs twice to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. And they even had positive reader comments…now that’s pure filth.
Evie - I can see you have strong feelings about this! Love it! I do too.
Yeah. I’m pretty much shocked at how far this trend is going also. I just didn’t see that coming and I’m still scratching my head. Keep on with your self publishing Julia. You’re ahead of the crowd!
Delilah - I don’t think any of us mainstream writers did - and we do quite a bit of pushing the envelope ourselves. Thanks, but I feel like I’m playing a whole lotta catch up!