Thank you for visiting Danica Winters' blog. I would like to present to you my friend and fellow author Sue Lyndon. Sue Lyndon writes steamy bdsm romance. She's currently published by Books to Go Now, Etopia Press, Blushing Books, and Discipline and Desire. She enjoys a good book in any genre, loves Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica, and runs on coffee and chocolate. Please feel free to visit her blog, see her other work on Amazon, or order her book Valentine Submission, or Mountian Devil and show your support! 
Surviving the Erotic Romance Stigma
by Sue Lyndon
Hi there. My name is Sue and I’m an erotic romance author. I’ve always been an avid reader too, and I enjoy a good story in pretty much any genre. I’ve participated in book clubs, chatted books with folks on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, and other places, and even before I became an erotic romance author I was aware of the stigma against erotic romance readers and authors. Before I began writing in this genre, I didn’t advertise the fact that I read these books either. I was afraid my bookish friends would think I was a pervert, especially since I preferred bdsm romances to any other subgenre of erotic romance. Talk about a double whammy.
I suppose whether or not I’m a pervert is a matter of opinion, but I can tell you I’m pretty darn normal. I’m a wife and mother. I have a real job and I pay taxes. I vote. I go to church on occasion. Oh, and I drive a minivan and live in the suburbs too. That paints a pretty normal, soccer mom-like picture, right?
Despite my love of reading erotic romance, I started my writing career by writing science fiction and fantasy. If my characters in these stories had to have sex, it was glossed over in a sentence or two. After all, my mother, relatives, and friends were reading these stories. I sure didn’t want them to think I was sick and needed counseling. I firmly believe that reading erotic romance is just as healthy as reading any other genre, but I understand not everyone shares this view. Some readers and authors look down their noses at erotic romance and don’t take it seriously. It’s seen as a lesser genre, and unfortunately it doesn’t get the respect it deserves. It’s been called names like trashy, smutty, and lowbrow, to name a few.
At first I was hesitant to tell anyone my pen name, but that’s all changed during this past year. If someone asks what I’ve been up to lately, I usually divulge my naughty writing activities. After all, it’s a big part of my life, so why should I walk around pretending it doesn’t exist? I’m aware of the stigma and I know there will always be those who blast the erotic romance genre, but I’ve developed a devil-may-care attitude and it feels great. If erotic romance is not your cup of tea, don’t read it and don’t ridicule it, because chances are you don’t understand it.
Criticism cuts deep, but I think life is too short to worry about other people’s opinions. If you enjoy reading erotic romance, then read it. It’s a perfectly healthy form of escapism no different than reading science fiction, fantasy, young adult, or any other genre out there. And if you enjoy writing it, then write it and hold your head high.