Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 15, 1992 TAG: 9202150164
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By ALMENA HUGHES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
OVERDUE BOOKS
WANTED: Fictional heroines who are "vulnerable and caring, but also independent, capable and strong-willed with a strong sense of self worth . . . women who, when faced with problems, solve them."They must also be black.
That's the formula for a new breed of novels that are being published by some gutsy pioneers who sound a lot like their fictional creations.
"Black Americans were overdue for lighthearted literature," says Leticia Peoples, one of those new publishers. "We like to dream and fantasize, too. Romance novels are just another form of escapism, but healthier than alcohol or drugs."
Peoples, of Odyssey Books Inc. in Maryland, had no publishing experience when she retired from 30-plus years as a federal government employee. But she liked to read and write, and she was tired of neither being able to find positive portrayals of blacks in mass market fiction nor to sell such portrayals to existing publishers.
So she started her own company and in a little under two years has grown a cottage industry from two titles to six with five more scheduled for release by year end.
Marquita Guerra and Sharon Ortiz of Marron Publishers in Queens, New York, saw the same need. They rejected existing publishers' excuses that there were no qualified writers of black romances and that black people do not read. Guerra and Ortiz knew that they not only were accomplished writers and editors but also were reading, paying customers in the $500 million per year romance industry.
Combining their talents with those of friends and other family members, they turned Guerra's home into a headquarters. Since their corporation's start-up a little over two years ago, they have produced and published two Romance In Black novels as well as a newsletter to showcase new authors and artists. They anticipate publishing three more novels this year.
The idea of black romances isn't new. Dell put out a line as early as 1979, but discontinued it after a few years because it said sales were low. Harlequin Books, the leading romance publisher, never had an ethnic series but periodically interspersed ethnic heroes and heroines in its 60-plus releases per month.
Several other publishers, including Doubleday, also let an occasional ethnic title slip through. Still, until a couple of years ago there were only a dozen or so titles. After all, how different could black romance be?
"There is a definite formula to romance writing," Guerra says. "Boy meets girl and there is instant attraction between them; conflict intervenes; love wins out; boy and girl live happily ever after."
"But, Peoples says, "there are differences in the expressions and environments that would be familiar to African-American couples."
In Marron's "Island Magic," written by Guerra under her pen name Loraine Barnett, the main characters partake of traditional West Indian fare including callaloo and mauby. An author's note and glossary help familiarize the uninitiated with West Indian sights, sounds and tastes.
In Odyssey's "Midnight Waltz," the heroine slips into a strapless gown to attend an Anita Baker concert, and in its "Rooms of the Heart," an estranged husband and wife attempt a reconciliation over dinner at Jezebel's, a gourmet soul food restaurant in New York.
The couples in these black romances additionally grapple in a positive way with issues that affect their communities - single parenting, illegitimate children, slavery and apartheid.
Peoples divides Odyssey's books into four categories: contemporary romance, where older more experienced heros and heroines strive for love and success; historical, which intertwine black history and romance; young adult, about teens and young adults facing awakening love and the bittersweet loss of innocence; and glamour, revolving around believable black characters of the monied jet set.
Odyssey's upcoming releases include contemporary titles: "A Sheik's Spell" by Eboni Snoe, set in Egypt; "Love Everlasting" by Sandra Kitt, who was one of Harlequin's two black staff writers; and "Fallen Angel" by Frances Ray; a young-adult title "The Game" by Rochelle Alers, who also authored "Careless Whispers" for Dell; and a second historical romance, "Akayna Sachem's Daughter" about a Wampanoag Indian rescued by two African adventurers, by Mildred E. Riley, who also authored Odyssey's historical "Yamilla (Proud Truth)."
Ultimately, Peoples says, she'd like to be releasing one title per month. "The market can definitely bear it," she says.
Marron is neither as divisional nor as traditional as Odyssey. In a departure from the pocket-sized, illustrated-jacket norm that may have slowed distribution, Marron's trade-sized books with stark black and white covers feature suggestive photographs of bare-chested men and scantily clothed women. The photos were taken by Guerra's brother, Charles A. Barnett.
Marron's upcoming releases include "Breeze," by Robin Lynette Hampton and "Once Again My Love," by J.J.R. Ramey. The company also has lines for young adults and Hispanics on its agenda.
Both publishers continue to seek good manuscripts about blacks by authors of any color.
"We'd like to appeal to everyone," Peoples says. "We want whites to read these stories as readily as blacks read standard romances."
Next, comes the hurdle of getting adequate distribution. Both companies' books are available in selected stores nationwide as well as through mail order. However, a spot check of Roanoke Valley stores found no outlets, although the sellers were willing to order specific titles and one even asked for a complete list.
These novels aren't just token. They have well-developed plots and characters and love scenes that range from cerebral to soft porn. They give a fresh perspective to a timeless topic and take readers where they haven't been before in a romance novel.
To order or for more information, contact Odyssey Books Inc. at P.O. Box 13210, Silver Spring, Md. 20911; (301) 589-0680; Marron Publishers, P.O. Box 756, Yonkers, N.Y. 10703; (800) 766-0499.