The Boomer Surfaces

Remember the feeling of invisible in high school?  I do. This time around it’s not because I’m a skinny geek with crooked teeth, it’s became I’m a Baby Boomer.  And it’s not the school ‘in crowd’ of my so called peers, but the powers-that-be in the marketing world.  For the most part they ignore the financial clout of the generation born between 1946 and 1964.

 

Those born during this period don’t exist for a lot in marketing unless it’s to push drugs for aches and pains, or sexual vigor.  But that’s okay with me.  They don’t exist in my world.  When a pop-up for ad on something I’ve googled clutters my space, I just ignore it.  Chances are good that I googled an item just to mess with them.  Let them spend their money by trying to sell me something I’m totally not interested in.  Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling.

Though I confess there is an aged biased area that annoys me.  Publishing.  Especially the gods of New York that determine what readers want to read.  Could it be they are missing the readers asking for Boomer Lit?  Books across genres that have a hero, heroine or protagonist that fall into the 50+ territory?  Maybe they haven’t been to conferences where readers asked ‘why’ they don’t have books with older characters?  Or is it because they didn’t get around to opening the emails from readers asking the same thing?

Several years ago an editor scrawled a rejection across the cover letter I’d enclosed in a submission.  “No one wants to read about love connections between people over 40.”  Yep, you guessed it. My characters were 40.

Well, I have news for her.  In addition to being an author, I’m a reader.  Yes, I read across genres…from YA to non-fiction and all in between.  And yes, I also like to read books about people more seasoned in life and using what they learned from prior experiences, or those who are in the midst of life altering experiences at the ripe old age of 50+.

Future works of mine will also include stories of Baby Boomer struggles and successes.  Being an early boomer, I’ve reached the point of ME.  Focusing on the writing I enjoy and sharing with any readers who want to come along for the ride.  There are a variety of books on my planning schedule ranging from angst driven Young Adult, to Hot Erotic and stories that will fall into Boomer Lit because they will be stories I enjoy or feel.  Some will be romance driven, some will be life driven, but they will all be ME driven.

Do you enjoy reading characters who have lived, or have decided they need to live now that they have reached their Golden Years?

And if you want to read romances of older women and younger men, check out my Cougar books.  Just heard Florence Henderson, who may be past the boomer generation at 80, comment she stays young thanks to good genes and dating younger men.
 http://passioninprint.com/ShowBook.php?CR=LTL_BRLYLGL