Slightly Embarrassing reads... Candice Arkham

[essentialsaltes]

I was intrigued by the idea of a romance novelist using the nom de plume Candice Arkham. Surely, there would be some squamous love in there somewhere, so when I found a couple of her books on ebay for next to nothing I pounced. Sadly, no eldritch exchange of ichors in them. Even with a title like Forbidden Yearnings! Surely a reference to a Love That Dare Not Have Its Name Spoken!
[Having looked a little deeper, it looks like there's more hope for her other works, like Deadly Friendship, or Ancient Evil -- “The lure of love led her through a jungle of horror to a house of blood.” Why couldn't I have found that one on ebay?]
The identity of Ms. Arkham is not that great a mystery, since a tiptoe to the copyright page shows the works are attributed to Alice Ramirez, who posted an interesting Amazon Review of her first book, Geek.

Anyway, in Splendors of the Heart, a young sports reporteress flies to Spain to get an interview with the nation's most famous matador, who sexually harasses her until she falls in love with him. A complicated situation obstructs their union.
In Forbidden Yearnings, a young photographeress gets a job with a famous photographer, who sexually harasses her until she falls in love with him. A complicated situation obstructs their union.
I am out of my depth in judging Candlelight Romances, so my review boils down to: competent prose.

Comments

[ladyeuthanasia.livejournal.com]

What a fantastic idea! Lovecraftian romance!

Like, TWO people would read it, but still!

[andy giantsdance (from livejournal.com)]

I can almost see the text, "She would have been a great beauty had her large liquid eyes not been just slightly too far apart."

[jimkeller.livejournal.com]

who sexually harasses her until she falls in love with him

This is my problem with the genre in general. Behaviors that in real life would require law enforcement to be called are part of the fantasy. How do you explain to someone engaging in the problem behaviors that it's wrong when books targeted at his target contain exactly those same behaviors?

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Obviously I was indulging in some satiric license, but yes, you're right.

[jedifreac.livejournal.com]

I actually read some Eldritch Themed Lovecraft Romance Literature for a class.

There's also this:

http://www.writersnewsweekly.com/cthulhurotica.html

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Yep, in the age of Rule 34, nothing is new.
But I was hopeful of finding archaic Rule 34 material from the 1970s.