False Colors: An M/M Romance or Erastes' Transgressions: An M/M Romance
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For anyone who might be thinking, "What, M&M's have romance?" and trying to picture the green girl M&M in something slinky.... no.
M/M is short for male/male - as in leave-out-the-annoying-heroine-and-just-give-us-two-hot-men - romance. This genre is extremely popular, especially in ebooks.
I like the historical ones. Now, you might think there wouldn't be much scope for realism in such romances. And there you would be wrong.
I have been reading Male-Male Intimacy in Early America: Beyond Romantic Friendships
and it is fascinating how fluid love could be in early America. Not only was there no word yet for homosexuality, there was no real concept of it as a permanent existence. As this was also before companionate marriage, both men and women got married because it was expected - not only for social but for business and economic reasons. So whom you married often did not coincide with whom you loved. And once in a while someone left us evidence that the person they loved shared their gender. How they then handled this can be very emotional and touching.
and it is fascinating how fluid love could be in early America. Not only was there no word yet for homosexuality, there was no real concept of it as a permanent existence. As this was also before companionate marriage, both men and women got married because it was expected - not only for social but for business and economic reasons. So whom you married often did not coincide with whom you loved. And once in a while someone left us evidence that the person they loved shared their gender. How they then handled this can be very emotional and touching.
We tend to think of maritime settings as being the best venue for historically accurate m/m romance, and indeed, next I am going to be reading the non-fiction An American Seafarer in the Age of Sail: The Erotic Diaries of Philip C. Van Buskirk, 1851-1870. However, there were Virginia planters, mountain men, trappers, farmers, and even urban citizens who experienced the love that dared not speak its name. (BTW, apparently Philadelphia rocked when it came to wild sex during the Federal period.)
Quite a diverse field for authors to mine for story-lines! I encourage anyone who writes or reads m/m fiction to check out the non-fiction.
And speaking of inspiring tales of m/m non-fiction, I must of course mention I Am What I Am
, John Barrowman's new autobiography.
, John Barrowman's new autobiography.
Yes, I'm a fan-girl. I dare you not to be. :)
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