I suppose you've seen the uproar over Facebook removing that sweet photo of two men kissing. Facebook says it wants to avoid obscenity lawsuits. I'm sorry, but what kind of sick world do we live in where a photograph of two fully-clothed men giving each other a sweet kiss is considered obscene? Have you seen the straight, outright pornographic photos that get posted on Facebook every day yet Facebook doesn't remove them or cancel accounts out of fear of obscenity lawsuits? Boys and girls, can you say "homophobia"?
Over the past couple of weeks, I've seen erotic romance writers on Facebook lose their account based on photos they've posted that were considered indecent. I and my colleagues suspect people who don't like what we write are reporting us to Facebook out of a sense of misplaced moral outrage - or in some cases, there are people with grudges against specific erotic romance writers who attempt to nuke their accounts, give them one-star book reviews on Amazon, and worse. I've had questionable friend requests from men who are only interested in cybersex based on my profile picture and what I write. Other erotic romance writers have experienced the same thing. There have also been allegations of sexual harassment.
So, in honor of put-upon erotic romance authors, I'm dedicating this Man Candy Tuesday to them. I'm also including that photo of two men kissing that was banned from Facebook. It's the first one, below. Scroll to the end to read a blurb from my novel "An Unexpected Guest". That book has been getting a lot of attention lately so I wanted to show it off even more.
You may find a blurb, buy links, and an excerpt of this paranormal erotic romance novel at my link at the top of this page.
My book "An Unexpected Guest" is published by Brown Paper Bag Books/Fanny Press . This book is a very hot paranormal erotic romance. If you liked "The Haunting Of The Sandpiper Inn", you will love "An Unexpected Guest". I happen to love ghost stories, and both books are full of scares, thrills, excitement, lust, and ghosts.
AN UNEXPECTED GUEST
By Elizabeth Black
Release Date: November 23, 2009
Format: Paperback
Length: 202 pages
Publisher: Fanny Press
Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance
Heat Level: Scorching
ISBN-10: 1603814272
ISBN-13 978-1603814270
Price: $14.95 (Paperback)
Price: $9.95 (Kindle)
Buy Links:
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT "AN UNEXPECTED GUEST"
An Unexpected Guest by Elizabeth Black is an interesting romance with a paranormal twist that will have you guessing at the outcome all the way through. Annie is a young woman who has reached a point in her life in which she is tired of doing what others expect her to do. She is ready to start living and playing by her own rules. She is the type of character that many women can relate to for this reason. [...] I really enjoyed An Unexpected Guest and definitely look forward to reading it again. It is an entertaining book for people who enjoy the paranormal romance genre. I love books that keep the reader guessing and unable to figure the plot out too early. This book falls in that category. Just when you think you have everything figured out and know how the story is going to end, something happens that leads you in another direction.
BLURB
Annie's life is in crisis, and it's time for her to change things. She is determined to be controlled no longer by her arrogant boyfriend and overbearing mother: for the first time in her life, she is going to follow her dreams and do something she truly wants for herself. Her dreams lead her to a picturesque Bed and Breakfast by the ocean that is rumored to be haunted. As she throws fear to the wind and opens up to life's new possibilities she meets Jason, whose long blonde hair and cheeky attitude she cannot resist.
Awesome post, Elizabeth. Fight censorship in all its forms.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. Fight censorship. Great photos.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics, and continue the fight. Too many people's accounts are being frozen.
ReplyDeleteI'm male, neither homoerotic or homophobic, but I did have one friend who I loved so much in a non sexual way. I had no problems kissing him. Love is love and between people it can't be wrong in my book.
ReplyDeleteIt is not that this country is homophobic, it is just that this country has a severe overload of religious nuts who are against everything.
As for the the facebook attacks and YouTube attacks, I think that is a problem with these so called social media -- they also easily become anti social.
Lastly, that you have been propositioned by people seeing your picture. All I can say is you are a hot looking babe. But I won't proposition you. I am way too old for you.
Hugs
I'm with you Elizabeth about saying no to censorship. It's not like they were naked. That was a very tastefully picture.
ReplyDeleteI see nothing wrong with other than it's two guys kissing. Would they do that to a picture of two women kissing or a man and woman? Bet you no.
It goes back to the holy roller syndrome. Thou think can judge and be the Creator.
I say bite me.! Don't get me started on that. Anyway I like the comment bobjinpa had to say.
Love is love. Take care Elizabeth.
Teresa K.
tcwgrlup41@yahoo.com
Susan, it just strikes me as a double standard. Pix of nearly or totally naked women make Facebook all the time yet a rather tame photo of two fully clothed men kissing gets removed. It's obvious someone(s) complained and Facebook is making excuses about avoid obscenity lawsuits.
ReplyDeletePirate Princess, I agree. Censorship has no place anywhere, including Facebook.
ReplyDeleteE. B., I've run into three erotic romance writers who have seen their Facebook accounts deleted recently. People are targeting us. I figure, if you don't like what we write, don't read it. Don't friend us. Just don't go on a cowardly attack in your stuffy Victorian vapors mode and report our accounts for deletion. The sexual harassment incidents are related but different. For some reason, some men think that women who write about sex and romance want to have sex - with them. No, we don't. Don't retaliate by tagging our accounts as offensive.
ReplyDeletebobjinpa, you're dead on right when you wrote this: "it is just that this country has a severe overload of religious nuts who are against everything." The religious nuts are making everyone's lives miserable, but they don't care. They have Jeezus behind them. :/
ReplyDeleteAlso, it looks like Facebook is becoming the meat market MySpace has turned into. Lots of creepy men trying to friend women. I've even run into a Nigerian e-mail scammer. And I thought they went the way of the dodo bird. LOL Jerk has the audacity to ask me for my bank information. I reported him.
LOL on my profile picture, and thank you for the compliment. I'm thinking of changing my profile pic anyway. I'm long overdue. Just have to find something suitably snarky as a replacement. ;)
Teresa, you're very right. Don't the Holy Rollers have anything better to do than to get all passive-aggressive on people they don't like? Remember the Bible passage "judge not, lest you be judged".
ReplyDeleteCensorship has no place on the Internet.
I don't get why there should be a problem with that photo? They aren't doing anything other than kissing. At this point it shouldn't be a problem. FB has no right to censor this, considering what other things have been posted to FB.
ReplyDeleteLily, it's because it's two men kissing. Homophobia is alive and well on Facebook. I doubt a photo of two women kissing would have been greeted the same way. I've seen straight erotic romance novel covers that were much racier than that photo, and they don't get yanked. From what I understand, the photo originated on a Facebook event page about a protest over a Brit bar that kicked out two men who were kissing in a corner. More on the story here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.zdnet.com/blog/facebook/facebook-removes-photo-of-two-men-kissing/1228
Couple of comments and observations, one the Jesus nuts are driving me nuts. I agree they ought to remember "judge not.." and I'm proactive when I find one being judgmental, few have clean closets and didn't Jesus also have something to say about "ye who are without sin..." sometimes it's not hard to find and remind those apparently sinless ones of their particular sins.
ReplyDeleteTwo, I see the word homophobia misused often in this thread to mostly apply by implication and structure to male homosexuality, but two women kissing is an homosexual act too, so those who object to two men kissing but not to two women can't really be called homophobic, my choice - and more accurate I think - instead is as*****s.