What Should Be the Focus of IR Romance?

Greetings fans.

Today, I wanted to speak about a topic I love which is interracial romance. I write them all, M/F, M/M, and ménage but I’ll focus on m/m mostly.

A while back, I did two articles about interracial m/m romances. One appeared on IRM and another one on Sizzling Hot Books. The response on the IRM was greater with many writers chiming in talking about being intimidated to write a multi cultural romance because they’d get the characters wrong.

*blinks*

In the case of m/m and m/f and really any writing for that matter, I don’t believe you can necessarily get it wrong unless you’re doing a non-fiction or historical book where your facts should be correct.

Now by no means am I saying that you should just jump into it blindly. You can do a little research about the characters if you as the writer are of a different race than them but really, can you get it “wrong?”

When I think of people mentioning getting something wrong in this instance, I immediately think of the racial stereotypes. You know them because of the way the media portrays characters on sitcoms or even dramas. This media could also include books that might make their characters a certain way. However, in my estimation, this shouldn’t be the focus of any story, romance or not. It should be the characters and how their story develops throughout.

Since I wrote the blog posts I have found many more m/m IR romances and enjoyed quite a few. I fully intend to read more m/f in the future but for now, I’ll let you know what I’ve figured out while reading a few m/m stories.

In truth, most writers I’ve read didn’t bring any stereotypes into their tales at all unless it was part of the plot. What a welcome surprise too since the couple of books I’d read at first did exactly the opposite. I gathered that they did their stories and made the characters relatable to anyone who read them instead of focusing on the racial differences. This allowed me to enjoy the stories even further and not wince when I came across the style of dress or the way the character talked. All the characters in the books were presented as intelligent and weren’t drawn up from what the writer might have seen on TV or even on the street. Thank goodness! Nothing would be worse for me to read a story that made me cringe.

So in regards to m/m, m/f, or ménage interracial romance the focus should be on the love between them and not the differences in their nationalities. As far as the Triad is concerned, we do exactly that. BL of course has My Lieutenant where the black character is a retired officer in the Navy and talks less slang than his white counterpart. Michael’s first m/m IR romance is contracted through No Boundaries Press called Under the Gun. His character, Malik Day has been discharged under DADT but there is no mention of the differences between him or his potential lover, Camdyn Hardy.

Me? Well my first novella in the Something New on the Menu series, Time to Make the Donuts, my supporting character Andre was a smooth talker but doesn’t fit into the stereotypical black man. It’s true it might be easier for me to write from the “black” perspective since I am black but what of other ethnicities? I have a story on the docket with an Asian man as my main character. In this instance, I do intend to find stories about Asian or rather, Korean men just to learn something about the culture not any stereotypes. This won’t be easy but necessary so I can write the tale effectively and true we should do the same just so we give our readers reality but you can’t really get it wrong.

You’re writing about two living, breathing human beings and that, all of us can relate to.

Something New on the Menu Series

Sugar Daddy Book Four

Blurb: Matthew Davidson wants a MAN! The setting shifts away from the America’s to Britain where Matthew and his childhood friend, Devon Peartly attend a cooking school to obtain their cooking certificates. The young man wants a partner so badly, he decides he’ll try an online dating service in hopes of finding a black man that can take care of and satisfy him romantically.

He finds that man, Antwon Bantu on an online dating site and is instantly intrigued. Little does Matthew know that Antwon is involved in a “convenient” marriage and is seeking a younger partner so he can finally get on with his life. Instead of confessing the truth, he decides to hide it, fearing he’ll lose the chance with Matthew if he informs him. To complicate things, Antwon’s wife claims to be in love with him. Antwon must choose what’s more important; loving Matthew or saving his impeccable reputation as a top barrister in the London courts?

Which will he choose?

Amazon, Are, Smashwords

In this scene, we meet Matthew and his friend Devon

The morning sun came too damn soon for culinary student, Matthew Davidson. He’d been spending most of his evenings studying for exams, stressing himself out, and wondering what the future held for him. He couldn’t decide on the career path he wanted to take. Just something in the food and culinary business.

With a heavy book bag on his back and two more books in his hand, he drudged through the halls of Westminster Kingsway, fighting off the impending yawns coming over him. In reality, he wished he’d stayed in bed. Midterms were coming up fast, too quickly in fact, and he hadn’t been getting a lot of good rest. Not only that, he hadn’t been enjoying himself either, considering he was alone.

Boring and lonely!

Life had been rather uneventful as of late. No one at the school remotely interested him. Matthew didn’t want just anyone. He sought someone a little different than anything the place had to offer. Unless he wanted to date a teacher, which he felt wasn’t a great idea.

A definite conflict of interest I’d rather not have!

Already tired, he threw his knapsack on the floor and leaned against the wall. Taking a look at his phone screen, he blew raspberries as he discovered class was less than a half hour from beginning. “Damn, I should’ve faked a fever.” Even though that seemed like a great excuse, he knew once his grades started to drop, his mum and dad would ask him to come back to live at home. Not something he wanted to do. He loved the freedom away from the parental units.

Besides, he loved being roommates with his good friend. The young man who’d stuck by him through thick and thin and always showed him more support than not. Devon Peartley.

They’d been best pals for years; attending middle school together when Devon moved from Liverpool only a few years ago. The two were basically inseparable and they’d grown closer when they discovered they both were gay.

The young men convinced their folks they’d take care of one another while in college. All of them weren’t very happy that both their sons were benders but loved them nonetheless and thus, financed living arrangements for them once they graduated and went to Westminster, on the condition they’d keep up their grades.

In actuality, the fathers couldn’t bear to think of their sons coming home with other males as their dates. No question their dads didn’t take the news as well as the mums.

Matthew rolled his neck and gripped it tightly attempting to work out the kinks.

“Where are you, slut?” While straightening his crisp collar on his purple Polo Sport shirt, he searched for Devon to meet him across from their first class. Unlike Matthew, Devon was seeing someone regularly. He’d had a rendezvous with his man last night and Devon had informed Matthew he’d go straight to school from the man’s house and meet him there. Devon was dating an instructor.

Matthew grinned when he noticed him coming down the hall, dressed to the nines in a long sleeved white oxford and starched blue jeans. He raised an eyebrow, nodding his head in Devon’s direction.

“Got out of bed in time to iron, I see,” Matthew chided and gave him a wry smile.

“Yeah, hiya…” Devon waved halfheartedly and grinned, brushing a lose hair from Matthew’s shoulder.

“How was the date?”

 “Fantastic! The man is an excellent cook – in and out of bed. Did my parents call?”

Matthew grabbed a chocolate bar from the side of his bag. “For once,” he took a big bite of his favorite breakfast, “they didn’t, but I had an excuse all prepared just in case.”

 “Oh yeah, what was that?” Peartley slid to the floor, pulling on Matthew’s pants leg to come down with him.

Matthew rolled his eyes; Devon knew how much he hated to sit on the floor. Instead, he propped himself against the wall and squatted while he finished his makeshift meal. “I would’ve told them you were being tutored,” he laughed, “which, for the most part, would’ve been true.”

“Yeah, I definitely was. He showed me a lot of new tricks. I loved every minute of it.” Apparently thinking of his date, he stared straight ahead while licking his lips.

“Uh huh, well at least one of us is enjoying life.”

“Hey, I told you to lower your bar a little bit. You might not be able to find a man that wants to take care of you and be a good lover.”

“Yes I will. Obviously, I’m searching in the wrong places.” Matthew pouted and lightly slapped Devon’s arm. “He’s out there somewhere, Devon. He’s gotta be.”

“You’re dreamin’, babe. Lower your standards a little or look forward to a life of loneliness.” He looked at his phone. “Shit, time for Professor Vincent’s class.” He jumped up and dusted himself off.

Matthew sighed, “Lemme ask you. Has class ever been hard to concentrate on knowing that you’re banging the teacher?”

“Yep, but he’s a professional and you know me; I gotta great poker face.”

Matthew grinned at his response and shook his head. They took the slow stroll towards the classroom.

“And no one has ever noticed you getting out his car or making any gestures.”

“Nope, not at all.” Devon opened the door for his good friend.

Matthew went in as he nodded. He really didn’t think Devon was that cool about the relationship with their English instructor. “I seriously don’t believe that, Devon. I mean,” he sat at the desk in front of his roommate and turned to face him, “it’s the reason I’ve never done it. I’d be nervous about someone picking that up. Plus, I like to make kisses and wild gestures to my man.”

“Well that’s you, hun. I’m handling it.” Devon stopped talking a moment to blow a kiss at his boyfriend who acknowledged it with a wink.

Matthew chuckled and drew up his slim lips. “Oh yeah, you’re handlin’ it alright.”

Devon playfully shoved his shoulder and clicked his teeth.

Matthew giggled to himself. He knew Devon was downplaying the affection he’d been showing the professor.

When their teacher came around handing out papers, he quickly collected himself, cleared his throat, and glanced at the document on his desk.

Fuck. Did I study enough for this?

RAWIYA is the more sensual erotica writer in the BLRawiya duo. Rawiya's first sole author book, “Time to Make the Donuts” is now available in multiple digital formats through online vendors and her first MMF Living In The Now was released in April from Naughty Nights Press.
Rawiya loves multiracial characters who overcome obstacles other than race. Sweet, sassy, and spicy would be the best way to describe her work. Happily married mother of two, loves music, computers, and travel. She blogs regularly at Wicked Sexy Writers. For more please visit the Rawiya’s blog on Wordpress.