Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women: Romance Writers on the Appeal of the Romance (New Cultural Studies)

Essays By Sandra Brown, Jayne Ann Krentz, Mary Jo Putney, And Other Romance Writers Refute The Myths And Biases Related To The Romance Genre And Its Readers. Introduction / Jayne Ann Krentz -- Setting The Stage : Facts And Figures / Cathie Linz -- Beneath The Surface : The Hidden Codes Of Romance / Linda Barlow And Jayne Ann Krentz -- The Androgynous Reader : Point Of View In The Romance / Laura Kinsale -- The Androgynous Writer : Another View Of Point Of View / Linda Barlow -- The Romance And The Empowerment Of Women / Susan Elizabeth Phillips -- Sweet Subversions / Daphne Clair -- Mad, Bad, And Dangerous To Know : The Hero As Challenge / Doreen Owens Malek -- Mean, Moody, And Magnificent : The Hero In Romance Literature / Robyn Donald -- Legends Of Seductive Elegance / Anne Stuart -- Love Conquers All : The Warrior Hero And The Affirmation Of Love / Elizabeth Lowell -- Welcome To The Dark Side / Mary Jo Putney -- Trying To Tame The Romance : Critics And Correctness / Jayne Ann Krentz -- Loved I Not Honor More : The Virginal Heroine In Romance / Doreen Owens Malek. Making A Choice : Virginity In The Romance / Brittany Young -- By Honor Bound : The Heroine As Hero / Penelope Williamson -- Women Do / Judith Arnold -- Moments Of Power / Stella Cameron -- The Risk Of Seduction And The Seduction Of Risk / Sandra Brown -- Happily Ever After : The Ending As Beginning / Suzanne Simmons Guntrum -- Let Me Tell You About My Readers / Diana Palmer -- Judge Me By The Joy I Bring / Kathleen Gilles Seidel. Edited By Jayne Ann Krentz. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 181) And Index. This is what the paperback version on Amazon says about the book: In Dangerous Men and Adventurous Women, Jayne Ann Krentz and the contributors to this volume—all best-selling romance writers—explode myths and biases that haunt both the writers and readers of romances. In this seamless, ultimately fascinating, and controversial book, the authors dispute some of the notions that plague their profession, including the time-worn theory that the romance genre contains only one single, monolithic story, which is cranked out over and over again. The authors discuss positive life-affirming values inherent in all romances: the celebration of female power, courage, intelligence, and gentleness; the inversion of the power structure of a patriarchal society; and the integration of male and female. Several of the essays also discuss the issue of reader identification with the characters, a relationship that is far more complex than most critics realize. According to a variety of sources, romances account for a straggering 35 to 40 percent of all mass market paperback sales.