Coming Out of the Romance Closet
Working Title: Why my academic career never launched and now I happily edit smut
Romance and fantasy writers, would you like to work with me? Head over to Book Bound Coaching. Folks that subscribe to this Substack get 10% off their first service. Spots in my calendar are limited, as I’m also writing book two of my romantasy series.
At the expense of opening my self up to ridicule, I’m here to announce I’m reinventing myself once again. Am I too old for a fresh start? A lot of my peers would say “yes” as they shake their head. But for the first time in my life, I’m excited at my prospects and in charge of what comes next. With all these gray hairs sprouting from my head, I finally have the wisdom to realize its okay to be me.
I’m a little ADHD, too nice for my own good, and my over-the-top optimism is often genuine. Academic dissertations bore me to death, overinflated egos make me gag, and I'd honestly rather talk about fairy porn over a bottle of wine than the stock market every.single.time. Raise your glass if you love Rhysand!
For many years, I thought the traits that made me Ivy were to my detriment. I did what a lot of modern women do in this situation—everything “the man” suggested. I put my tarot cards in the drawer and pursued a career in academia. I’d be lying though if I said I hated it. When I taught topics that were of interest to me—how Henry VIII picked his fourth wife from a Holbein portrait, or the fact Titian’s Venus of Urbino was painted as a bedroom aide—I was happy. My students and I weren’t discussing dead objects in a museum, but paintings with heart. It was my sincere desire to get them to love art and the ancient world.
Unfortunately, that is not how higher education works. I had to pursue—ugh—serious subjects. The study of beauty and love was shunned ca. 2006.
(Omniscient narrator: Past Ivy didn’t have the courage to speak her mind or pursue what she truly loved. She proceeded to shove chocolate and Ollie’s custard in her mouth as a coping mechanism.)
So I endured lectures on Michael Foucault’s theories of communication while doodling daisies. With a smile on my face I agreed that Jeff Koons was a fantastic sculptor, even though inside I rolled my eyes. (Giant dog balloons? Gag.) Let’s not forget the importance of brick stamps in medieval Germany as a means of following the local economy in that town whose name I’ve since forgot. I nodded along and smiled, knowing that I had the latest Sookie Stackhouse paperback in my purse. Eric Northman—hot Viking vampire—kept me going when my career was utterly devoid of any meaning.
I can now say with certainty that Eric Northman was a key aspect of launching my romantasy writing career. The actor who portrayed him on HBO’s True Blood, Alexander Skarsgård, is head cannon for Hengest, my main character’s father. (Insert daddy issue jokes here—it’s funny cuz it’s true).
This was a really long way of saying I’m here on Substack to promote all things romantasy. While readers of this genre are always welcome and I will post monthly book reviews, I will focus on writing craft since I’m a book coach. I will also write about my journey as a writer and coach in a manner that is raw, and might a bit of a surprise to my family members who think really nice folks don’t like raunch reads.
Another thing I want to say is fuck you to is the idea that female sexuality is sinful. I’m not that nice.
Give me all the romance, all the fairies, all the bad boys, all the hot nerds, and especially the Viking vampires. The only thing you won’t see here is romance with iffy consent. As a #metoo survivor, reading that is hurtful to me personally. Consent is sexy AF folks.
Love this and can’t wait to read your reviews!