File this under "you have got to be kidding me": someone who really should know better implied all non-shifter mpreg is omegaverse.
The Straights Can Pry Omegaverse from My Cold, Dead Hands
Recently, a social media site tried to entice me to buy a cishet OV romance novel. It was ... unhinged, to say the least.
Do Omegaverse Dynamics Promote Toxic Relationships?
“Oh, here we go again …” (Liza Summer / Pexels.com) Recently, I was reminded of a screencap of a conversation that supposedly happened. When I saw it, all I could think was ah, the straights got a hold of the omegaverse. In this screencap, the texter was discussing their partner’s admission that they liked and read omegaverse fiction. The texter was sending a lengthy rumination...
Why Are Readers Demanding Less Spicy Reads?
Or Are They? I recently saw a post that commented on trends in the publishing industry. One of them was that readers seem to be shifting away from so-called spicy reads. (Tom Swinnen / Pexels.com) The post gave some good reasons that this shift might be happening—but I think there’s likely more to the story than meets the eye. TikTok Ramped Up and Ruined “Spice” The major reason this post gave...
What Is With All These Book Retreats?
A book shop often fulfills similar functions, including author events (Iryna Varanovich / Pexels.com) A recent trend I’ve noticed is the sudden abundance of “author” or “reader retreats”—events designed to put authors and readers in close contact. Many of these are cropping up in the romance space, where readers might be fanatical about an author’s work. Authors, certainly, are always looking for...
Writing Unapologetically Smutty Romance in a Conservative Era
Or, Why Respectability Won’t Save You I think we can all agree we’ve entered a rather conservative era. It’s been a while coming, the first rumblings of it emerging fifteen years ago now. It gained momentum after the 2016 US election and snowballed from there. The pandemic threw fuel on the fire, and, well, here we are. Neo-fascists and alt-right parties are gaining support across the globe. We...
The “Other” in Romance
Scary … or sexy? (Lisa from Pexels / Pexels.com) Monsters—or otherworldly beings—have almost always been popular subjects for fiction. We can trace vampire romances back at least to the nineteenth century, when we see Carmilla and Dracula both emerge. Neither is truly a romance, but both of them feature some relatively seductive monsters. Horror and romance have always walked a fine line...
The Multiverse of the Omegaverse
Omegaverse fiction, also known as a/b/o dynamics or a/b/o fiction, is having a moment. The trope really got its start in fanfic circles over a decade ago now. It’s only been in recent years that it’s made waves in the realm of indie publishing. Now, it seems, omegaverse is everywhere you look. At first blush, omegaverse is confusing. I’ve written a primer on this worldbuilding trope and how it...
Rise of the Monsterf*ckers
(paul otero garcia / Pexels.com) All right, here’s a topic I’ve wanted to look at before: the self-styled monsterfuckers and the fiction they love. The terms have recently come to prominence, entering not-quite-mainstream parlance, and there is a host of media catering to them. What’s with the sudden popularity? What’s with the appeal? Let’s take a look at what’s driving this trend in romance...
Why Write Omegaverse Fiction?
I recently saw someone shorten “omegaverse” to “OV,” which I think means the trope has made it. Also known as alpha/beta/omega dynamics or a/b/o, omegaverse has become an incredibly popular and ever-more mainstream worldbuilding trope in romance. (Anne-Marie Gionet-Lavoie / Pexels.com) What is omegaverse fiction, and why bother writing it? I can’t give you insights for anyone else, but I can tell...
Coming January 28! Get set for more intergalactic hijinks when a monk inherits a HOST CLUB ON THE PLEASURE PLANET!