Yes, my panties are in a twist! What's it to you?

WTF! As usual, a major publishing company and a best-selling author have taken the easy way out. Book 13 of the BDB by a certain author, "The Shadows", which is about two clearly BLACK men has a cover with a tattooed, muscular guy posing against DARK BLUE light. Making his color ambiguous. This galls me because this series has netted the author and the company TONS of money by appropriating another culture that they have a problem with depicting, mentioning. Why? What are they afraid of? What is with the continued disrespect for Black folks by not acknowledging that they are the culture being BORROWED from constantly to create these books? Especially this one? I give up. A BLACK model can't even get a job that calls for a BLACK model! This definitely sends the message that if any author puts BLACK people on their romance book covers, no matter how successful the writer is, "mainstream" readers won't buy the book. The writer in question has a faithful base. And that base does buy all her books no matter how disappointed they say they are with her series. Is a BLACK figure on a romance book cover so shocking? So off-limits? So scary?  Where does this leave non-White romance authors who have non-White models on their book covers telegraphing the book's content when a best-selling author, whose work is steeped in hip-hop culture, won't put the truth of her book contents on her covers? Very sad. Very regressive. It's ERASURE at its finest. DISGUSTING!

ps. There are no surprises with my books. They feature an interracial couple with a multicultural cast. My book covers reflect that. No, there will be no sterile, safe, neutral beach scenes or trees or obscure lighting to lure a skittish reader. I don't write books about landscaping or home decor. Besides, my publisher doesn't roll that way. So, nervous, high-strung mainstream reader be forewarned, "Here be people of color, written by a person of color!" If that is unsettling, please do as my dear, departed grand father used to suggest concerning unpleasant matters, "KEEP STEPPIN'!"