My characters display 'toxic masculinity' for some readers (and I don't care)

I first heard the term 'toxic masculinity' years ago and thought it was interesting. I read a book on the topic. I considered that maybe there were some legitimate points.

All this was while I also considered how so many men were not very manly anymore. That's not to say that men, in my opinion, should be crass cavemen either. However, I had left a city where many of the men I encountered were kind of soft and sensitive in an awkward way. Was there too much estrogen in the water? I had to wonder.

Fast forward a few years, and I discovered that all the books I was writing, the movies and television shows I was watching, and the men I generally was intrigued by would fall under the category of 'toxic masculinity'. I now see it as a woke term meant to shame men for...well, being men. 

I'll never forget the time that a woman ripped into me on Facebook, saying I was a misogynist. She felt that I hated other women. I missed the memo where I was supposed to hate men. You see if I said anything against another woman, I was a terrible person, but if I said something against a man, I was probably stating a fact. At least, that's the impression she gave me in her comments.

But let's get back to my books. If you've read any of the books in my Hernandez series, you already know that a lot of testosterone is flowing through the chapters. You'll find aggression, bullying, violence, and all the things that tend to ruffle the feathers of those who'd prefer to see men being weak.

So, if you like male characters who are more likely to punch someone in the face than to shed a tear, you might want to check out my series. You might find some alpha dogs there.

And if you prefer gentle and sensitive men, go watch a Hallmark movie.

Do we need an author's POV in biographies? 😕

For the second time in recent months, I've discovered a biography that gave me more than I wanted. By that, I mean the author's opinion.

Biographies are essentially an author (usually well-known) telling someone else's story. For example, if I were to tell YOUR story in a book, I'd be your biographer. I would do my best to tell your story from your point of view, attempting to make potential readers understand you and your life experiences. I'm not here to judge, and I'm not here to slide my personal opinions into the book. 

I've recently discovered that authors of biographies feel entitled to wedge their opinions on what their subjects have done or said, especially on their political beliefs. Not that this is too surprising. We increasingly see this in journalism, where it's obvious if the network and specific media talking head is on the right, left, or somewhere in between. (and they're never in between) Why would books be any different?

If one was a conspiracy theorist, one might wonder if this is another form of propaganda. For example, subject Mr. Whoeverthefuck is right-leaning; and this is why he's wrong. (I did see this in one book) Another example would be knocking the subject because they aren't woke enough, letting the reader know, 'This person may be someone you admire since you're reading this book, but here's why they're wrong'. 

It's distasteful. I could care less what the author of a biography thinks about anything. I don't care if you're writing about a psychopath murderer or the nun at the local convent. I want to hear their story. The author letting me know their opinion not only screams their self-importance, but makes me suspicious if I'm even getting an unbiased account. How much can I trust an author who attempts to ram their own opinion down my throat? 

It's not a good look for authors. In fact, for me, it's right up there with famous authors who use ghostwriters and take the credit. It's despicable. 

"Sorry, I only read non-fiction" 🤦🏼‍♀️

Shortly after publishing my first book in 2010, I had a friend who agreed to write a review, provided I gave her a free copy. To this, I was happy to oblige. At the time, I was just excited that anyone was interested in reading my book!

She later got back to me, stating she would write a review. When I asked her what she thought, she said, "I liked what I read." 

Say what? 

As it turns out, she didn't normally read fiction. As a favor to me, she kindly read, like, half the book. 

If you're a fiction author, this is the part where you roll your eyes. I know. I did the same. I asked her why she didn't bother to read the whole book since I gifted it to her. I found it a little offensive. 

As it turned out, she was offended because she had gone out of her way to read half the book. After all, she was a non-fiction girl and didn't lower herself to the silly, fiction world. 

The funny part is that this book snob didn't understand that she enters a fictitious world whenever she turns on a movie or watches a television show. A story is a story. I'm sure it has more prestige if it's under the shiny lights of Hollywood, but it all started with a writer's creative side. It came from someone's imagination, with characters formed out of nothing.