Boundaries

I don't like for my books to make political or religious statements. While I may mention a character's political leanings or infer they practice a certain religion, I don't think romance readers want any soap-boxing from an author. In the past, I've stopped reading an author when her books became a hammer to drive in points about her personal beliefs regarding those oh-so-polarizing topics.

In my current work in progress, my characters are undercover as religious figures and as I'm writing, I'm starting to worry it will offend some readers. Religion in any context is a difficult topic to broach. I've tried thinking of another way for them to be undercover ---- the situation they are investigating has nothing to do with any church --- but religious figure makes the most sense.

Risk it or edit to a cover story that's safer... but maybe less interesting?

Comments

  1. Trickytricky. I have no answer, only the suggestion that my editor has had me curb my natural sauciness when it nears Offensive-ville. Even if it's tongue-in-cheek. Making sure that the book had a global voice was one of my last rounds of revisions with book1.

    Could your religious figure be more of a cult leader than like say... Baptist?

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  2. Global voice, yes! That's a great way to put it. Because Harlequin publishes internationally, it's good to stay away from items that could offend. I was thinking of making my character's cover be super generic ministers or maybe even missionaries and skip over any details about missionaries of what sector. The religious angle only plays into how they are getting into an area so the details aren't plot critical. Thanks Amalie!

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