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XENIA’S RANT: Thoughts on Gifts

book gift - pixabay

Hello, it’s me again. Originally, I had planned to write about romance writers this time and how they’re ‘real’ writers, and not just mass producers of cheap stories. (Yes, there’s people out there who accuse us of that). I was so ready to do a long rant about it and then send us all off into the final weeks of the holiday season with a friendly pat on the shoulder and a cookie in hand. Maybe two. But then something happened. Something that has me writing about an entirely different topic and I would very much love to hear your thoughts about it. I know a midwife who looks after … Read more

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Women and Gay Fiction

Note: the views in this post are those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of the QRI site or its owners. We strive to provide a safe place where various opinions can be expressed, and ask that all posts and comments be kept civil and on-point. As of late the discussion about heterosexual women writing gay fiction has gathered some heat – again – and even though I tried to avoid the topic until now, I feel like I should throw in my two pennies… One of the main – if not THE main – objection some people have is that a heterosexual woman is not … Read more

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Defending Romance

Romance Locks - Pixabay

Okay, I should have been ranting about three weeks ago. Sorry, the madness of a new schoolyear sucked me in and has only now spit me out again. A little damp, but still mostly myself. Now that our daily routines are in order again, I have time to think about – well, everything. And mostly, I don’t like it. Recently, I stopped watching the news – it’s too depressing. It’s like the whole world has gone mad and we’ve run out of pills. There’s so much I could rant about, so much that makes my insides twist with anger and sadness and general disbelief. Luckily, I’m a romance/fantasy author. I … Read more

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Xenia’s Rant – Holiday Rant

Hello you all! Before I’m off to a much needed holiday, I thought I’d do another rant… And, boy, is there a lot to rant about! As you may know, I’m German, so I have kind of an outsider’s insider view on Charlottesville. The sad truth is, White Supremacists, Nazis, the KKK, Alt-Right, they are everywhere. They come in different disguises and different flavors, but ultimately, they’re always the same and we see them, because they scream the loudest and do the unthinkable – hurting other people. I also want to clarify that, in my opinion, the ultra-left is not one bit better (as evidenced in Hamburg, G20). Actually, I … Read more

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Xenia’s Rant: Bumblebees and Fairies

Hi folks, I just realized it’s time for my rant again… When I thought what I could write about this time, it struck me that most of those things were pretty serious: marriage equality in Germany (finally) and the hateful reactions from some people; the G20 in Hamburg and how some people confused it with an invitation to destroy other people’s property; how the media focused on those few rioters and barely mentioned the huge majority that demonstrated peacefully and how the real problems – refugees, climate change, growing aggression in the world,… – were practically ignored; a post from a woman who gave ten reasons why homosexual couples should … Read more

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Xenia’s Rant

Exercise in Utopian What ifs   So Germany has finally legalized same-sex marriage. Many of us didn’t dare hope it would happen so fast (‘so fast’ definitely meant sarcastically, because it’s been postponed no less than thirty times in the last four years). And of course, there’s been heated debates about it, though most of my friends are very firmly in the pro-camp. During one of these discussions, somebody brought up an interesting theory, one that led to this blog. She said she thinks that most people are probably born bi-sexual, or at least without a preference for a certain gender, and that it’s society that forces us into heterosexual … Read more

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Xenia’s Rant

                                         How we view the world Hello everybody, I’m Xenia and I’m starting my first real blog here on QRI. I can’t promise regular entries, since living with two small children can make your life take funny turns, but I’m going to try to write on a monthly basis. My first topic is one that kind of leaped into my face a few weeks ago, when summer finally decided to show up. Suddenly FB was swamped with statements that everybody should be allowed to wear what they want and need to feel comfortable during the hot season. To be honest, I was shocked that many people with bodies that don’t … Read more