Though I have to admit that one failing of realism in my not-quite-a-WIP anymore is that Jack doesn't smoke. Very unrealistic for him not to. But my father just died of lung cancer, dammit. I just can't put a pipe in my hero's hand.

No sports guys, for one.

That way lie groupies, is the thinking I bet. Which, yeah, fair cop. I suspect published romance is not a fan of groupies.

Romance heroines can never *ever* smoke a cigarette

In the annals of people who have never seen Now, Voyager (1942). Helloooo, nurse! Sexiest cigarette evar, and I haven't smoked a cigarette in my life.

Romance has all kinds of "rules". No sports guys, for one. Yet Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote a couple of bestsellers with football players.

Musicians and actors are another no-no.

That's whack. My fantasy guy would be a tattooed musician (and, in fact, my husband is one, though he also has a boring corporate job.)

This is probably why I don't read romance novels.

My ex-husband is a public artist [link]

This means he gets to be all artist-y with drawing and making models and stuff, then all professional with appearing before city boards, then all buildy with climbing on structures and welding shit up with jeans and a t-shirt on. It was lots of fun hanging out in that world plus he was brilliant and fun (also fucked up, hence the no longer being married). It might give you more scope than the average architect or artist you would be stuck with.

Roamnce has all kinds of "rules". No sports guys, for one. Yet Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote a couple of bestsellers with football players.

I remember Betsy lending me one in which the hero was a professional hockey goalie with a horseshoe tattooed right above his pubic hair. I don't remember much else about the book, but the tat and the hockey descriptions made me happy as hell.

Musicians and actors are another no-no.

What the FUCKING fuck....?!??!?!?

Roamnce has all kinds of "rules". No sports guys, for one. Yet Susan Elizabeth Phillips wrote a couple of bestsellers with football players.

Musicians and actors are another no-no.

Talk about your untapped markets.

Dude, I don't know one artsy woman that doesn't want at least one of those...to be in an artistic couple(cough) VictorNThessaly (cough) (except they are both poets, but, otherwise, you feel me on this, right?) And Victor is going to think I've abandoned writing to embarrass him full-time or something, but they are a good example, in this instance, because, to my knowledge they are not all TedNSyllviaforevah!1!

I find the prohibition on tatoos in romance novels intriguing. We've seen a gradual change in attitude about them on TV and in movies, from actors getting visible tatoos to an entire show about the lives of tatoo artists. So while the visual media is embracing this "counter culture" where the tatoos are actually seen, the non-graphic print media is still holding out despite the fact that no one would even see the tatoo! Even the military hasn't gone so far as banning all tatoos, you just can't have them visible on certain areas of the body.

I think visual media is still treating it as "counter," and as long as it does, a genre as conservative as romance seems to be -- well, I'm not surprised they'll have no part of it.

Tattoos might be more common, but I don't think they're properly acceptable yet.

with a horseshoe tattooed right above his pubic hair.

Yes, but was it pointed up, so the luck wouldn't spill?

Even the military hasn't gone so far as banning all tatoos, you just can't have them visible on certain areas of the body.

Which I guess is part of the whole "Military: we're trying to be professionals, here" image they like to project these days. My stepmother's father, who was a Navy man in WWII, had tattoos all over his forearms, which I believe would be disallowed these days.

(There's a rumor that the Yankees have similar rules, no tattoos that a short-sleeved shirt and trousers can't hide, but I don't know exactly what they would do if they traded for some hot young thing who already has an eagle crest on his wrist tendons, which is why it's just as well Tim Hudson is pitching in Atlanta.)