Empowerment

I have been asked (or accused) several times why a feminist (aka moi) would ever write in the Loving Wives category. After all, isn't it all a misogynistic fest? I understand the misgivings some of my female readers and friends have about the category.

As naive as it sounds, I was brought up surrounded by all the traditional ideas about who cheated (men), why they cheated (they're just dirty dogs) and how good women stood by their men and forgave them because women were of a higher caliber than men. The "romances" a friend got me hooked on and the drama I saw around me only reinforced the prejudices. Women who cheated almost never existed, certainly were never heroines. You only had to look at the owner of the fleur de lys brand in The Three Musketeers to understand that the sexually promiscuous women were seen as the ultimate threat to the male identity and even existence.

Of course, the good student that I was imbibed that plus a whole dose of classic feminist theory (second to fourth wave). Didn't burn my bra but certainly made me no fan of the male of the species.

So what changed? What made a feminist write in a category that was seen as the bastion of male rage against the female species? I was aghast at the earliest LW stories I read. I swore off the category for years but upon rethinking some of the storylines, I realised the main themes touched on some of the deepest triggers for me: betrayal, anger and vengeance. I've never bought into the twisted idea that cheating on the part of women is a kind of wrestling control over their sexuality back from the patriarchal structure.  

No, control has nothing to do with betrayal.  Power over one's body and sexuality has nothing to do with betrayal.  If you no longer love someone and have fallen for someone else,  the decent thing to do is end things as nicely as possible and walk away.  Whatever your gender. The power of choice and decency is true independence. My first efforts at writing in this genre were controversial to say the least and that was reflected in the ratings. There are so many stories I'm still reacting to and am forever grateful to many of the LW legends including Longhorn07, Harddaysknight, Papatoad, TheCelt etc, for the inspiration they have created with their stories.

I intend no offence when I write "sequels" to the stories of of other writers. It is a reflection of the impact of their creative efforts and I don't deny their creative efforts. In fact, I regard any sequels as my tribute to these writers who have inspired me and do not aim to benefit from these storylines. My only aim is mostly to entertain readers with a darker view of love and relationships that explores some unpalatable truths. My latest effort will be posted soon. For a preview, read my other blog: 

http://eroftasy.blogspot.com/2017/02/exclusive-preview-of-moving-on.html

Enjoy and have a good Valentine's.