Interracial Romance Novels
By worldwise1
@worldwise1 (14885)
United States
May 6, 2008 11:10am CST
I came across an interesting article on one of the blog sites to which I subscribe. I don't know if you've ever heard of it but it is called Smart B*thces, Trashy Books. The articles author raised the question of why romance novels featuring interracial couples are all but impossible to get published. Now, I am a huge fan of Romance Fiction(and have been for a very long time), and I have often wondered the same thing. I believe that interracial couples are a fact of life yet the publishers avoid this type of fiction like the plague. Do you think that people are still so hung up about this issue in the 21st century thsat they would rather not deal with it at all? I found one of the comments on her article to be quite telling. The commenter opined that in the case of interracial romance the relationship more often than not overshadows the story. The author also mentioned the recent death of Margaret Loving whose story was told in a movie I remembered seeing a long time ago because of a lawsuit filed by the state against her and her white husband.
4 people like this
13 responses
@mummymo (23706)
•
6 May 08
I have never came across this blog site sweets nor had I considered the lack of such relationships in books before - I don't read an awful lot of romance so maybe that is why I don't notice! I feel this is something that should be corrected as surely there have been many great romances between interracial couples and these stories should represent reality , should they not? Also if they do not publish such books they are in fact holding on to outdated and highly bigoted misconceptions that sadly some people still have! xxx
2 people like this
xxx@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
The Romance genre was my first love, mummymo, and though I've moved on to other things now I still find myself drawn to them from time to time. You would think that with all of the successful mixed relationships on record now that the bias would be a thing of the past.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
6 May 08
unfortunately it is true, I tried so hard to publish my book angels watching over me who has an interacial couple and I had to end up self publishing because nobody would touch it.
2 people like this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Sounds like a lovely book, winterose. Have you published other books?
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
10 Jun 08
I published two books, the first one is being presented here on this site right now, called my stories with a number attached to them. I am presently on story number 32. The book is called Picking up the Pieces: A Woman's Journey by Carol Roach
@cblackink (969)
• United States
17 May 08
I've known quite a few interracial couples, so that's not a real issue for me. I'm not certain about the romance novel part of it. Maybe it is really distracting somehow for a lot of people, but people are just people to me. I guess there are still a lot of white people who have a subconscious fear of it.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
How true, cblackink! You would think that after all this time these issues would have been laid to rest.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
9 May 08
Funny you should mention this. I'm thinking of the mandingo series of books by Kyle Onstott and Lance horner. The realationship between the boss and the slave girl was hidden but acceptable generally speaking yet the idea of a whitewoman with a negro slave was violently taboo.
I'm not saying these were romance novels per se...to me they were adventure/romance novels, I'm saying, I don't think there was any problemm publishing them.
About 12 months ago, a Canadian girl who is a resident of this town gave me a couple of dozen romance novels...I love the name, "Bodice Rippers", lol. The firsty one I read was about a red Indian amd a white woman. All the stories are set in the Wild West and several have the hero as an Indian and the heroine as a white woman.
So from where I'm standing this doesn't seem to agree with what you are saying.
However I will say that my experience of these novels is obviously not the norm. I wouldn't have thought that women reading romance novels were hung up on this issue at all.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
18 Jun 08
Just as I read your response I was reminded of the book "A Patch Of Blue" I forget the author. It was also a movie starring Sidney Poitier. While it was not a romance story per se it is a story of a forbidden connection between a blind white girl and a black man (is it ok to say that, I'm unfamiliar with the proper and acceptable terminology here?).
This book was a best seller and published by the renowned Penguin Books and yet in general, as you say, it's not the done thing normally.
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I am very familiar with those books with the Indian/white woman connect, Ms Tickle. I think they only serve to show that this type of romance has become acceptable while a black/white romance is still objectionable to so many. I think I've read most kinds of romantic fiction down through the years but have yet to see a black/white relationship depicted in a positive light. From what the blogger stated and comments from the readers this type of romance would not be objectionable at all.
1 person likes this
@Aurone (4755)
• United States
6 May 08
You know, I hadn't really thought about it. I actually don't read that many romance novels. I know some people are still hung up on the idea because I grew up in the Mid-South and people still had a problem with it. I can remember my parents commenting that they didn't know why a white friend of mine was dating a black boy because then no self-respecting white boy would want her after that. I didn't think anything of the comment at the time, but now that I am older I am appalled at such at attitude. Plus my parents would probably have disowened me if I have dated a black boy myself. The culture there still has a long way to go. One of the many reasons I moved to California.
2 people like this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Things have changed to a great extent where I grew up in Tennessee, Aurone. The last time I was there in the early '90s I was surprised to see so many interracial couples. I agree that it has never been easy for mixed couples and I don't know if we'll ever be free from such discrimination in our lifetimes.
@ReoTwo (194)
•
7 May 08
I am so glad that you brought up this subject. I have wondered about this for a long time. I didn't expect it in my day, but I just read that there are 4.5 million interracial couples in America. It was in an obituary about the black woman who along with her white sued all the was to the Supreme Court to have the ban against interracial marriages outlawed or overrturned. I am not a stumped down romance novel reader, but I do indulge in this guilty please now and then. I would think that novels based on this content would be just as interesting, or even more interesting than you average romance book. Think to the different or creative ways they may had to use to be or go somewhere to be romantic. I kinda of like the you and me against the world type of love. Hope to start seeing these type of stories fictional or non-fictional on the shelves one day soon.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
I am thinking of taking up the challenge myself, ReoTwo, in hopes of discovering how difficult such a project might prove to be.
I saw the movie about the interracial couple, the Lovings a long time ago and it was wonderful. I would think that such fiction would have a wide appeal seeing as to how many mixed couples there are out there.
I saw the movie about the interracial couple, the Lovings a long time ago and it was wonderful. I would think that such fiction would have a wide appeal seeing as to how many mixed couples there are out there. @Angelwriter (1954)
• United States
6 May 08
I've never read the article and I rarely read romance, so I had no idea there was any difficulty in getting interracial romances published - or even that people were trying. Did the author of the blog mention any comments the publishers gave that talked about the racial angle of the book(s) they turned down?
I have seen the movie about the Lovings. It was on TNT awhile back, I think. Very good movie.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
The movie about the Lovings was outstanding in my opinion, Angelwriter, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author of the blog did not point out any specific instances where the slights have occurred, just discussed the fact that the prejudice does exist.
@whittby (3072)
• United States
6 May 08
I don't read the heavy duty romance paperbacks. I do spend a lot of time at the library though and I don't think I've seen many books period about interracial relationships. I see a lot of interracial couples around - why not books? I don't think I'd want to read a book full of angst about the relationship - just a book with a storyline that just happened to included such a couple.
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
Those are my feelings also, whittby. It would be nice to see such a romance portrayed in a tasteful manner. The race factor could be a highlight rather than the meat of the story.
@Bluepatch (2476)
• Trinidad And Tobago
14 Jul 08
The fact is this does step on some hefty toes.
I live in Trinidad which once had a much more serious social discrimination problem than it has now and the ( immature ) politicians here use race constantly for everything.
Race is now a problem in countries that have legislated against discrimination because people are still thinking like their parents.
It will probably take a few more generations for this to go away.
I once read a series of slave plantation fiction novels that were extremely popular that involved relations between races. I'm sorry I cannot remember the author's name right now or I'd mention it. He passed away some years ago.
Also, here in Trinidad, we have a huge section of the population that are the result of interracial unions.
I can certainly see your point.
@Bookmite (51)
• United States
4 Aug 13
You want to go to this web site: They have a lot of IR romance novels:
I am not into the IR romances, but I've read a few of their other books. PhotoJENic is the best! I am a fan of this publisher's books in general!
@Gargoyle0134 (1257)
• United States
7 May 08
Well.. I read mandingo in the 70's and I hear it was considered "trashy" back then? Whatever turns you on?!
NOpe..I think some are open-minded and some will just never adapt. They have that right, also, I suppose. Keeping a closed mind is their own problem. Locks out alot of the world and..their business to stay ignorant and all "Hung up" if they want?
1 person likes this
@worldwise1 (14885)
• United States
10 Jun 08
As someone who also read Mandingo back in the '70s, Gargoyle, I have to say that it was filled with stereotypes and also pretty trashy. That still did not take away some of the truths depicted in the story, however. Romantic fiction has evolved since that time and I see infinite possibilities using an interracial couple as the vehicle.
@b_lane21 (1)
• United States
19 Jul 08
I've read quite a few interracial novels and I totally agree with you on the fact that people don't want to deal with the real issues. I found a great book because of Smart B*tches called Ivy's Twisted Vine. This book hit a nerve, because it did take interracial romance to a new level. I even got the opportunity to speak with the author. Her name is Latrivia Nelson. In talking to her, I found that the book was based closely to some of her own experiences, which made it more fun to read. All I can say is that we have to have more authors that want to delve into those things that are hard to articulate on paper and stop making everything so much about race. As an interracial product of life (mother white/father black), I hate to read things that are so superficial. I hope to read more books in the future that take a more realistic spin on life and all the relationships that we encounter as HUMAN BEINGS....
@tmw215 (2)
• United States
26 Mar 09
I agree that it can be difficult finding good interracial romance novels (black woman/white man). I have run across a few:
A Special Relationship- Yvonne Thomas
When We Get Married- Katherine Cachitorie
If You Wanted the Moon- Mallory Monroe
Back to Honor: A Reggie Reynolds Mystery- J.T. Watson
Some Came Desperate (Two-book set)- Katherine Cachitorie
They all tell the wonderful story of true love between the races, where the story is more character-driven and sweet. These books are all at intteracialbookclub.com and Amazon and I really enjoyed them. But I agree, a good I/R book is hard to find.
@tmw215 (2)
• United States
26 Mar 09
I read a lot of interracial romance novels (black woman/white man), but I agree you can't find too many good ones that tell a true romance story between the races. I have found a few:
A Special Relationship- Yvonne Thomas
If You Wanted the Moon- Mallory Monroe
When We Get Married- Katherine Cachitorie
Back to Honor: A Reggie Reynolds Mystery- J. T. Watson
Some Came Desperate (Two-Book set) - Katherine Cachitorie
The website interracialbookclub.com even gives sample readings of the books. But I agree, other the new ones I just mentioned, there aren't that many out there.
