I don’t think this idea is new, but it suits me, my aura, and my books.
I’m not a spicy romance writer. Even as a reader I prefer warmth and fuzzy stories that make my heart swell.
I have no issue with spicy stories and I’m glad that people are enjoying all types of romance stories without shame.
But if I were to put my books on a spicy scale, it would be pumpkin – warm instead of hot. That’s the best way to describe it.
There’s been conversation online about using “sweet” or “clean” and there are good and bad reasons for both. So much of how we talk about sex is wrapped up in taboo and suppressive tradition that we’re still working out a new vocabulary for a healthy expression of intimacy. Let’s keep talking.
I sometimes have issues with “spicy,” too, and it’s possible colonial connotations. But if I put “pumpkin” before spicy, perhaps all those bad connotation are focused on white women–of which I am–and I can handle that.
So, hello! I hope we can become friends. This is my spice-level definition page and an introduction to me, Hartlee Finn. I write pumpkin spice stories of men clumsily falling in love. Enjoy!
Feel free to post your mm romance recommendations in the comments. I’m always looking for more to read.