The Racy Romance Questionnaire Extraordinaire: It’s a Fourpeat!

Apr 17 2009 Published by under Blogs and blogging, RRR Questionnaire Extraordinaire

Please join me in welcoming Nicola O. of Alpha Heroes.  One of the things I like best about Nicola’s blog is that her voice is very clear, to the point, and intelligent without being superficial or bitchy. Here’s an example, from her latest review, of a Samantha James:

I’ve been kind of cranky lately. I’ve been reading a lot of things that just feel all meh. I think it’s probably mostly me, but I’m going to take a little of it out on Samantha James anyway.

Now, how could you not finish a review post that begins that way?

Here are Nicola’s answers to the Racy Romance Questionnaire:

1. What motivated you to start your blog?

I couldn’t find enough RL people willing to talk about romance novels. Much less blather on about them at great length.

2. Are those still the reasons you blog?

Pretty much.

3. How has your blog changed since you started it?

Mostly technically. I try to include more graphic elements; I am more conscious of how frequently I’m posting, and I try to post less epic novellas. Self-editing, what a trip.

4. If you had to describe your blog to someone with an incredibly short attention span, how would you do it? (One word or fewer, please).

One word: Alphaheroes.

Two words: Romance Reviews

5. If you could only read one romance blog (other than your own, chica — I am one step ahead of your ego!) for a week on a desert island (knowing you would get all your faves back after that one week) which would it be?

Probably Literary Escapism. Jackie posts almost every day and has really good content. Not precisely romance, but there’s a lot of overlap.

6. Do you sometimes feel like blogging has taken over your life? And if not, what is the matter with you and why aren’t you more committed?

Jessica’s note: The fact that Nicola did not answer this one tells us everything we needed to know, doesn’t it? She’s clearly got another window open on her browser and is looking at her stats or drafting posts while trying to answer these questions.

7. What are your long term goals for your blog?

For best-selling authors to come to ME first and beg me to read their galleys.

8. What unique contribution to Romanceland does your blog make (can be a negative contribution if you’re feeling self-esteem challenged today)?

Huh. I like to think that I take a literate if not literary view of romance novels and give them a fair (and kind) review, along with opportunities for discussions, especially around character development.

9. What’s one thing another blogger does that you admire?

Hmm. Of course there are lots, but I really like JenB’s utter shamelessness and willingness to discuss ANYthing about romance books, especially things that a lot of us are privately wondering “does anyone else think this is WEIRD/GROSS/EXTREMELY HOTT ?”

10. Name a blog you enjoy that deserves way more readers.

I don’t know if she’s hurting for readers, but lately I’ve really been enjoying Ms. Moonlight.

Jessica’s note: Nicola is the first respondent who did not name check Triple R. I may have to rethink my loyalties.

11. How hot is your blog’s look? Choose one scale and rate yourself:

Vegetarian Rating scale: Scorching, Smoking, Glowing, Tingling, hot coffee, cup of tea (caffeinated), cup of tea (herbal), milk (tepid), O’Doul’s, ice water.

Heh. If we’re talking about overall attractiveness, I might go so far as Glowing. If we’re saying out and out sexiness, I’m more down by herbal tea. But my blog is SFW!

Carnivore Rating Scale: Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Nathan Fillion, Simon Baker, Zac Efron, Jonas Bros (all three), Jonas Bros (any one), Paul Giametti

I’m afraid I cannot acknowledge a scale of male pulchritude that doesn’t include Daniel Craig or David Beckham at least somewhere near the top, if not AT the top.

You mean this slovenly specimen? Shudder.

danielcraige2

Omnivore Rating scale: Christian Bale, Halle Berry, Hellboy, Charlize Theron, Doctor Manhattan, Daniel Radcliffe, Lady GaGa, Alf, iCarly, E.T.

iCarly is below Alf? Hahahaha. *wheeze*.

Jessica: YES! look:

imagesimages-1

12. Kindly enter the Blog Stat Slut Box (you can’t see it, but you now have a truth telling digital lasso around your computer and cannot lie. Also a purple sequined thong.) (FYI: there is a loophole for exaggeration, hyperbole, and false modesty)

a. Number of times a day you check your stats (readers, multiply by 3 to get a more accurate number):

2-3. If it’s a slow work day.

b. Give it up. How many subscribers do you have? Hits per day?

It’s all right there. I have 23 followers per the blogger widget. On a new-post day, I usually break 40 hits. My average is somewhere in the 30s. Of course, my all-time record-breaking day, infamously known as The Day of the Penis Post, I got something like 2000 hits.

c. Are you happy with those numbers? And if so, why don’t you have any ambition?

Well, they’re growing. And I don’t do naked men posts or erotica reviews, so there’s only so much I can hope for. *wink*

13. What’s one bit of advice you could offer to anyone thinking about buying a piece of real estate in Romanceland?

Link and comment, comment and link!

Thank you, Nicola!!


7 responses so far

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Alpha Heroes as Nietzschean Supermen

Nov 10 2008 Published by under Uncategorized

Nietzsche3-Young Manperfect

A lot of people know that the lyric from Kanye West’s “Stronger”, “N-n-now that that don’t kill me, can only make me stronger” is sort of a Nietzsche quote. Well, I happened to be reading Nietzsche today, then heard “Stronger” on the way home, then the idea for a post came to me. (Plus, a Texas lit prof was banned, temporarily, it turns out, from putting the German version of Nietzsche’s most quoted sentence, “God is Dead” on his office door, so I felt like I needed to spread the Nietzsche as much as possible in retaliation.)

Nietzsche was very critical of everyday morality — the “we are all equal”, “go along to get along”, “subordinate your will to the will of the group” morality —   which he felt kept the “higher types”, the truly excellent, flourishing human beings, down, ashamed of the very things they should be most proud of. Judeo-Christian morality, Nietzsche felt, was a complicated and ingrained rationalization for a lot of base human emotions, like envy, resentment, and fear. He hoped that, among other things, his critique and exposure of morality as a disease could help in releasing/creating these higher men.

So, what characteristics did these higher men (and they were always men) possess (you can read more here)?

They were solitary, pursued a unifying life project, healthy, life-affirming, and self-reverent.

Solitary — not congenial, not nice, not eager to curry the favor of strangers. Unconcerned with what “they” think.

Unifying life project – he is driven, he seeks out burdens and responsibilities, rather than shying away from them. But it’s not random boldness: he has a life purpose that animates everything he does.

Healthy — resilient, strong (the Kanye West lyric above). Even when the higher man is down, is tortured, is physically ill, he uses it as a challenge to overcome.

Life-affirming — No regrets. The higher man turns everything somehow to his advantage, makes it a part of the narrative of his life. Would he do it all over again, exactly the same way? Yes.  (Nietzsche writes: “I myself have never suffered from all this; what is necessary does not hurt me; amor fati [love of fate] is my inmost nature” (Ecce Homo H III:CW-4).

Self-reverential – not plagued by self-doubt, self-loathing, he has a “fundamental certainty” about himself. He is powerful, and has power over himself. He is severe with himself and others. He is noble, he is of a different rank than other men, has a different bearing.

“Our weak, unmanly social concepts of good and evil and their tremendous ascendancy over body and soul have finally weakened all bodies and souls and snapped the self-reliant, independent, unprejudiced men, the pillars of a strong civilization” (Daybreak 163).

Not all romance heroes have all of these qualities (the Chase cover works better for the pose mirroring Nietzsche’s than for the hero possessing these traits), but it struck me that there’s some interesting overlap, especially when alpha heroes transgress everyday morality to exact revenge, seduce a virgin, steal, etc. in the name of a life-organizing project.

It would be interesting to try to think of a hero who fits all of the above. I’m all out of ideas at the moment.

22 responses so far