Texas Candidate Wrote Racy Romance Novel

[Judi Lynn]

Oct 24, 7:36 PM EDT

Texas Candidate Wrote Racy Romance Novel

By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON
Associated Press Writer



AP Photo/HARRY CABLUCK

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- The willowy brunette laughed heartily, lustily, as she dismissed the notion that her romance novel full of steamy sex scenes crossed the line into pornography.

"Everybody thinks it's fun," said Susan Combs, who happens to be Texas agriculture commissioner and is now running for state comptroller, the top financial post. "It's lighthearted and entertaining."

Combs, a 61-year-old Republican who champions abstinence education and is a darling of Texas conservatives, is being portrayed by her Democratic opponent as a smutmonger and a hypocrite for writing a 1990 bodice-ripper titled "A Perfect Match."

The dispute has spiced up an otherwise little-noticed contest, and led other romance writers of various political stripes to rush to Combs' defense. (And to think, this is NOT the race that includes a guy named "Kinky," as in Kinky Friedman, independent candidate for governor.)

The now-out-of-print novel pairs government code-breaker Emily Brown with Ross Harding, a spy assigned to protect her after she intercepts a message that endangers her life. Our heroine is "a freckle-faced brunette" who is drawn to "the gray-eyed bodyguard" and his "powerful, strong arms," and desires him to "fill the aching void at her center," where a "deep heaviness throbbed in her belly." Much moaning, panting and stroking ensues.
(snip/...)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CANDIDATES_ROMANCE_NOVEL?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-10-24-19-36-03



Another great Republican author.

[joemurphy]

1. Don't forget Scooter Libby and his bestiality book.

Family values guys these Repubbies.

[Little Star]

2. I thought Lynn Cheney wrote some smut stuff to??

[Judi Lynn]

5. Absolutely! Here's an Amazon review of her out-of-print book:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0451112040/qid=1081196312/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-4680912-8628932?v=glance

[Straight Shooter]

3. Well, as long as she's only writing about it and not -- OMG!! -- doing it.

:sarcasm:

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. I write romance too. I don't consider what I write to be porn. *shrug*

[Anakin Skywalker]

12. Only If You Add Pictures.

Heh heh. :)

[Judi Lynn]

6. Looks as if the reporter tried to make the point for anyone who would notice,

that the author is yet another ABSTINENCE advocate, and leads the reader to reflect on the phenomenon of Republican hypocrisy.

If she truly advocates abstinence, why not write books bearing out her beliefs, or is that simply too hard to manage?

[Tansy_Gold]

7. Meteor/Kismet was hardly "bodice ripper"

This was a short-lived line of short, contemporary romance novels published by a hosiery-by-mail company (Hosiery Corporation of America). The books were sold by mail subscription only. The authors were -- to be perfectly honest -- the ones who couldn't get published by Harlequin/Silhouette or the other outfits then in business. Eventually, Harlequin bought HCA's mailing list, which effectively put Meteor/Kismet out of business.

The books weren't (for the most part) very well written, and most weren't outrageously "steamy" either. A few of the authors "discovered" via Meteor went on to be published by other companies (including Harlequin), but most didn't.

Although I haven't read Ms. Combs book, I've read a number of titles from this early-1990s line. They weren't particularly "hot," and certainly not by today's standards.

Repuke or Dem, she wrote a book and got it published. If she's a hypocrite, that's one thing, but let's not condemn her just for the content/quality of the book itself.


Tansy Gold, former romance novelist who really did write "bodice-rippers"

[Anakin Skywalker]

8. Her Only Sin Was This:

She didn't demand her publisher use FABIO on all her book covers! Every woman knows Fabio is oh so damn HOT!

[Buzz Clik]

10. Whatever floats yer boat....

[Anakin Skywalker]

11. What? Fabio is Jesus?

What is up with the wreath, man?

[Buzz Clik]

9. A Repuke that can read AND write?

Fascinating.

[UTUSN]

13. Scooter coined the sex sound, "Arragghrrorwr!1" which doubles as pirate-talk n/t

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

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[PDittie]

15. BS

Fred Head has been cleaning up corruption in Texas government since 1971. Google "Dirty Thirty" and "Sharpstown Scandal".

The Deceptive Trade Practices Act, the Open Records Act, and the Open Meetings Act all exist because of the efforts of Fred Head and others in the Texas Lege who refused to be browbeaten by a powerful Speaker. Imagine if we had representatives like him now.

It's the hypocrisy of a conservative Republican like Susan Combs that is the issue.

And comments like this about our candidates have no place here.

[redqueen]

16. Thanks for pointing that out about the Dirty Thirty!

Beyond disappointing to see comments like that about our candidates... especially now.

*sigh*

[jobycom]

17. Frankly, I think that's so cool! I want to read it. In fact,

I want to give her plenty of time to write many, many more in the next few years.