Blogger Spotlight: Musings of A Romance Junkie
June 5, 2017
Today, I present my first blogger feature!
Patrice, of Musings of A Romance Junkie, is up at bat. Patrice and I go back a few years. We initially bonded via our shared love of books, indie authors, and snarky commentary. When I first dipped my toe into writing, she cheered me on from the sidelines and offered her services as a beta reader for my debut novel The Sweetest Taboo: An Unconventional Romance.
In this business, you go through ups and downs. You make new friends; you lose old friends. Patrice has always been honest, and consistent with her support and enthusiasm and I’m glad to have her in my corner. Of course, it made sense to introduce her to you all.
Let’s get right to it and kick this interview off, shall we?
You’re my first blogger interview! Since I asked authors this question, I’m going to ask you the same thing. Most author interviews are pretty boring. We only get to see one side of an author, the polite side. I’m sure the same can be said for bloggers. Soooo, if you had an evil doppelganger, what detail would they enjoy revealing about you to the public that people would find surprising and possibly questionable?
Let me just say that the Leo in me approves of being the first blogger that you’ve interviewed. I own my narcissism completely ☺
I do have an evil doppelganger, and she can be a straight beeyotch. I don’t know if people would necessarily find this surprising or questionable (snickers), but Beyotche (as I’ve dubbed her) takes extreme pleasure in watch karma unleash itself on deserving people. I shed nary a tear when someone gets their just desserts.
Why did you decide to take up blogging?
I became a blogger because one, I love to read. I love to read romance, specifically. Beyotche and I are both diehard romantics (Now, that can be considered questionable!), and I needed an unrestricted, unfiltered outlet to talk about my love (and dislike) of what I read. But more importantly, I noticed there was an extreme lack of romance blogs that featured stories where women of color, more specifically, black women were the romantic lead. I’m not talking BFF or mentor or caretaker or whoever the hell she was in the story, but the actual object (Is that sexist?) of someone’s affection. Where she was deemed beautiful and valued and desired. I wanted to blog about female characters who looked like me. And three years later, I still blog to tell the tale…
What is a common misconception you think people have about romance bloggers?
Hmmm…I think overall, there is a misconception about the romance genre period. That it’s not “real” storytelling. That it’s all fluff and no substance. But what if it is? It’s fiction for FFS. I can’t stand a snooty-ass reader (Beyotche is trying to take over this interview. Next question…)
Would you ever pen your own romance novel?
Ha! I actually blogged about this some time ago. I have a three-chapter draft that I keep for posterity, and every now and then, I revisit it, thinking I may try to pick back up where I left off. Not.gonna.happen. At least not anytime soon. Those three chapters have humbled me, and I now have mad respect for published authors.
Sex sells, is there such as thing as too much sex in a book?
Well, that’s a “loaded” (Get it? LOL) question. While I do believe that sex sells, I also believe that there can be too much sex in a book when the main couple is fucking every other paragraph and there’s absolutely zero character or plot development. Now, that’s me speaking.
Beyotche says: Hell no, there’s no such thing as too much sex in a book. I wanna read about dicks and balls every chance I get!
If you could choose to have any superpower, what superpower would you select and why?
Whew! It would be a tie between mind control (That’s Beyotche, by the way) and teleportation. I, I mean Beyotche would rule the world, yet use her powers for good with the power of mind control, while I just wanna go somewhere other than here without having to spend time or money to do it. If I need a quick getaway or wanna visit my sister and her family on the west coast, two snaps of a finger, and I’m there! Ahhh…I’m getting pissed just knowing this is impossible…
Finish this sentence: The world would be a better place if _________.
People truly respected each others’ right to simply exist. I could write a dissertation on this, but I think this pretty much sums it up nicely.
Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they?
Gawd, do I…I’m too damn judgmental. Not close-minded because I truly expect everyone’s right to live their truth — even if it is fucked up. I just question why…
Beyotche is a self-sabotager. She can never be happy or content because she’s always waiting for the hammer to drop instead of just living in the moment.
What does diversity mean to you?
Can I just say that I loathe this word?! I mean, I get it, but I’m so over it. But to answer your question, diversity to me means: not white, not straight, not male, not Christian. (Cues butthurt, snowflake backlash in 5, 4, 3, 2…)
You’re having a dinner party. You can invite any three people. Who do you invite and what dish are they bringing?
I’ve never hosted a dinner party in my life, but if I ever did and could invite any three people, they would be Barack and Michelle Obama (That’s one unit, so I get to pick two more people :-P ), God (because I have sooo many questions), and my late mother (Because, again, I have sooo many questions.)
Barry and Chelly would bring the dessert, God would bring the wine ‘cause that’s how She rolls, and my mom would do the cooking (Fried chicken would be the main course. ‘Cause I miss it and nobody could fuck with her cooking.)
**Bonus Question**
Ever tried BDSM? If not, would you?
I’ve never tried BDSM in the traditional sense. You know, the Dom/sub dynamic, but I do like to be dominated — romantically (And romantically only! Don’t get it twisted…) I don’t think I could go public with it though, like wear a collar or call dude Sir or anything like that. My sexual b-i stays in the boudoir.
About:
Musings of A Romance Junkie is a blog dedicated to showcasing and reviewing romance novels written specifically about black women coupled with men of all races and ethnicities. Here you will find new releases in African American romance, interracial romance, and multicultural romance, along with reviews of new and old books. I also feature interviews and spotlights as well as random musings.
Blog:
http://www.musingsandromance.wordpress.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/romanticmusings
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/musingsirj
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