Saturday, January 23, 2010

Shifter, Shoe Salesman, Jock Sniffer


There's a review up at Dear Author that skewers a Noble Romance release -- hetero, by the way. I'm not a big fan of the "romfail" fad, which often finds its way onto Twitter and turns into a gang bang, but I did get a chuckle out of the favorite hobbies of this book's heroine: baking, magic, and masturbation. (Honest, she's a devotee of IM -- inventive masturbation -- and apparently likes to practice it as often as possible . . . between spell casting and cookie making, that is.)

I chuckled even harder when I imagined said heroine indulging in all three pastimes on any given day, then tried to imagine myself juggling these activities. (But, you know, I really hate to cook, so I'd get too distracted by the IM and hocus-pocus stuff.)

This in turn got me wondering how many weird combinations of vocation and/or avocation exist in m/m romance. (Of course, I immediately thought of Jackson Spey -- biker, furniture builder, wizard, and closet sub.)





Can you think of other odd combos that have appeared in m/m books?
And how might these characters present themselves in a chatroom or craigslist ad?

13 comments:

Chris said...

Um, you really expect me to leave an intelligent comment when I laughing hysterically at Barry there?!

Tam said...

Let me think on this but my first question is "What the hell is INVENTIVE masturbation and how the hell does this differ from the usual kind of masturbation?" Like if you use a spatula, duct tape and strawberry jam it's inventive?

wren boudreau said...

Sorry. Can't think. Head exploded after reading review of gingerbread sex book. O_o

Tam said...

Okay, I read the review and it didn't freak me out. I like twists on fairy tales. Now the main character sounded like a self-centered witch (literally) but hey, oral sex with a gingerbread man might be appealing. I love the taste of gingerbread. So I wasn't quite sure why the reviewer was squicked by the cookie reference. It's magic.

Thinking about it, I can't think of many m/m characters who HAVE a hobby. They all work, hang out in bars looking for their one true love or spend all their time with potential true loves with the legs in the air. Very rarely do they read, play baseball or fish although most of them do seem to have the masturbation hobby going for them in a big way (while imagining their true love). But maybe that's a guy thing in general, I have a feeling that's so.

K. Z. Snow said...

I thought it was a unique premise too, Tam, and couldn't see what all the fuss was about. But I was tickled by the combination of favorite activities. I just know there must be m/m heroes who have equally varied interests, one of which is some kind of fetish. (Masturbation, yeah, that's a given!)

Chris said...

Now I'm thinking about the lack of hobbies in m/m books. Huh. Why aren't there any knitting m/m heroes?! (I follow several gay knitters' blogs.)

K. Z. Snow said...

I like that, Chris! Arnie Amorous: welder, felcher, knitter. Maybe we can get Wren to write the story. ;-)

Chris said...

*wonders why KZ isn't going to write the story*

Jeanne said...

Cooking, yes. My guys have sung..., hey maybe we just read books like that. My mind is just skirting aroun heros with hobbies. Should I bring up this topic on an actual list? :~D
Should be interesting.

K. Z. Snow said...

Chris ~ 'Cause KZ isn't as crazy as she seems.

Jeanne ~ Ooo, do that! My curiosity has been piqued.

wren boudreau said...

KZ- Are you implying that I'm crazy?

I'd like to see a list - cause I really can't think of any guys that fit this...

K. Z. Snow said...

Of course not, Wren -- just that you have a fertile imagination! ;-)

wren boudreau said...

Uh-huh. Like yours is barren? I don't think so!