The World Sucks so Lets Escape

Let’s face it, right now the world sucks, at least more so than normal. With everything that’s going on, it’s hard not to feel down some days.

What I miss the most is going to the cinema. I LOVE going to the movies. I don’t know why, I just do. I much prefer to see a movie on the big-screen instead of on my TV. But that’s just me. I heard on the news the other day that theaters may reopen soon. But I’m still not going till we at least get some better control over this virus. Which might not be till next year. Sigh.

When I decided to be a producer to smut, it was way before all of this Covid crap started. But even then I sat down and asked myself why I wanted to do this. After all, if I was going to self-publish I might not make much money at this. That is the reality in the self-publish world. So money aside, why did I want to write these sexy stories? Escape.

Not just escape for me, but for readers. I am first and foremost a reader. If I wasn’t a reader, there is no way on earth I would be a writer. Writing is a lot of hard ass work! But I’m not hear to talk writing. I don’t limit my reading to one particular genre either. In the past month I’ve read two chick-lit novels, a YA novel, a self-help book and now I’m on an urban fantasy. My favorite author is Ray Bradbury.

I also love to read what they consider serious works of literature. But let’s face it, some of that, while well written and great to read, can get downright depressing. I mean, have you read 1984 recently? If you do and then take a good hard look at the world today, it will depress the hell out of you.

So that is when I pick up a sexy book.

When you realize that Big Brother is really watching us, there is nothing like a light-hearted romance or a steamy story to pull you out of the funk. While a more serious books help you to think not only about the world around us, but also about ourselves, a steamy novel is pure escapism. It pulls you out of all the terrible things going on around us, at least long enough to help you feel maybe a little better.

I remember several years ago, a dear friend of mine was telling me about all the health problems her mother was going through. Her mom was up in years and had landed in the hospital for some time. It was depressing to hear. But then after she got done telling me about everything her mom was going through she said to me, “Have you read Fifty Shade of Grey?” She got this gleam in her eye and a smile on her face when she asked me. She raved about the book and told me how I needed to read it. Then she said, “I’ve been reading those books while sitting in the hospital with my mother. They have really helped me to get through all of this.” That right there is the point that critics of those books are missing. That story was pure escapism. They helped people get through the rough patches in their lives.

I’d been procrastinating about putting my work out there. When this virus crap hit and they put us in lock-down, I decided it was past time to stop procrastinating. Because I wanted to help people escape the same way other authors have helped me escape with their stories when I needed to. And that is the primary reason I write sexy stories. I love to read them. They have lifted me up when I needed it. They got me out of my head and out of this world long enough to help me feel better. That is one of the many powers stories have over us.

So whether we're exploring Mars, which the inhabitants call Barsoom (Yes, I love reading Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter stories), or we’re called to fight intergalactic wars, or solving murders, or trying to save the world from evil doers, or making love with a sexy Greek tycoon on the beach, or slaying trolls and dragons, what we’re all doing is escaping for a little while. Escaping to worlds that are either better or worse than the one we live in. And sometimes, that’s enough to keep us going through this thing called life.