Guest Post from Amara Royce:
Asian Protagonists in
Historical Romance
There’s been a lot of talk recently about the need for diverse books,
and I couldn’t agree more that diversity in fiction, in all genres, is a very
good thing! I think it’s a challenge to write some diverse characters into
Regency and Victorian historical romances in particular because they are, by
their nature, usually focused on Britain and Europe. A Japanese character like
Hanako, the heroine of ALWAYS A STRANGER, would be exceedingly rare in Regency
and Victorian Britain because Japan was closed to foreign trade (except with
the Dutch) until 1854, when the US basically intimidated the Asian country to
opening its ports. (But that’s a story for another time.) This challenge of placing diverse characters
in such a common historical romance setting is daunting, but important, I
think, for considering how much has changed in the world but also how much
hasn’t.
Generally, in today’s world, interracial romance is no big deal. It’s
common. It’s normal. It’s beautiful. Still, online commentary reacting to a 2013
Cheerios commercial featuring an interracial family made
clear that there’s still a long way to go in terms of diversity and acceptance.
So I’m encouraged by romances, historical and otherwise, that address
intercultural relationships. For example, I love how Meredith Duran handled her
half-Indian hero in DUKE OF SHADOWS, shedding light on his complex political
situation as well as his personal struggles and demons. I love Mary Jo Putney’s
THE CHINA BRIDE and the internal and external struggles of the primary couple.
These and other interracial historical romances demonstrate the potential
conflicts and equally potential growth of cross-cultural interaction, romantic
and otherwise. It’s precisely the encounters between cultures and how those
interactions deepen that keeps me turning pages long after my bedtime.
ALWAYS A STRANGER builds on this by taking aim at common depictions of
Asian women. In broad strokes, there are some common images of what Asian women
are like, and Skyler, the hero of ALWAYS A STRANGER, starts out the novel with
a vivid picture of exactly that. As the novel progresses and gets to know
Hanako, he struggles to figure out what’s real and what’s not. At the same
time, she has to figure out whether to trust him with who she really is.
Ultimately, their struggles for truth and for trust are, I think, at the core
of all relationships.
Always a Stranger
By: Amara Royce
Releasing May 15th, 2014
Blurb
When two worlds
collide, anything is possible. . .
An international
affair, London's Great Exhibition has taken the city by storm. As its newest
Royal Commissioner, Lord Skyler Ridgemont must ensure the performers are
properly contracted. Among them is the delicate and graceful Hanako Sumaki.
Draped in vivid silk robes, Hanako's exotic Japanese fan dance captivates
Skyler--and he longs to learn more about her. . .
But Hanako's enigmatic
employer keeps his exquisite charge very close. The consummate artist, she
shows the handsome nobleman many faces, but never her true heart, which holds a
desperate secret. When Skyler learns the real reason Hanako has been brought to
London, he will risk his entire world to win her trust--and save her from
losing both body and soul. It's a feat that will require the type of courage
only love can give. . .
Purchase Links:
Author Info
Amara Royce writes
historical romances that combine her passion for 19th-century literature and
history with her addiction to happily ever afters.
She earned a PhD in
English, specializing in 19th-century British literature, from Lehigh
University and a Master's degree in English from Villanova University, and she
now teaches English literature and composition at a community college in
Pennsylvania.
When she isn't
writing, she's either grading papers or reveling in her own happily ever after
with her remarkably patient family. You can find her at www.amararoyce.com.
Author Links:
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ALWAYS A STRANGER or $20.00 Amazon or B&N Gift Card)
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