Romance Novels Target Black Readers

His dark fingers tilted her chin upward and he submerged himself in the sable pools of her eyes.

With one look, they rewrote the story in their hearts and together moved onto the covers, a long-awaited journey that is expected to end happily ever after.

In the world of mainstream romance novels, minority couples are now taking the lead and increasingly gracing the books’ covers as the publishing industry works to expand readership.

Last year, 25 books with ethnic lead couples were released, up from just eight in 1994.

This year, the books are being published with passion.

The $1 billion-a-year romance novel industry expects about 5 percent of its books published in 1996 to have ethnic heroes and heroines carry the story and the cover. Last year, there were about 1,800 romances published.

Having read thousands of romance books during the decade she’s been a fan, Adrianne Byrd of Memphis, Tenn., says it’s about time she will have a choice of black heroines.

“It’s been distracting a little bit because I couldn’t have the blue eyes,” she said with a laugh. “Now, if we could only get the movies to do it … “

Despite the absence of lead ethnic characters in the past, minority characters have always been a part of the books, and minority women always have been readers. Romance industry insiders say within the pages, love is color-blind.

“The nice thing about our books is they translate so well, despite what’s on the covers. The characters can basically be black, white, whatever,” said Stacy Widdrington, a spokeswoman for Harlequin, one of the largest publishers of romance fiction.

Harlequin is creating two new lines this year, including Spanish-language books.

“We’ve had readers of color for a long, long time,” said Betina Krahn, whose 14th novel, “The Perfect Mistress,” was a New York Times best seller and had white lead characters.

“I think readers give their own twist to our characters. They use their mind’s eye. But that doesn’t replace the concerns, the issues that their lives have that may be different,” she said.

Krahn said ethnic background is far less important than accessible heroines and heroes.

“If you want big sales you have to appeal to a broad audience,” she said.

Layle Giusto of St. Albans, N.Y., said her plots, like those of other minority writers, still include the necessary ingredients for a successful romance novel - a strong woman, a strong man and a happy ending.

“The only difference is I write about a different cultural group,” she said.

The ethnic books will appeal to all romance-novel enthusiasts, said Beverly Jacobs, who began New Visions Literary Review to highlight black writers’ work.

All you need is love.

“For years black women have read books written by white women and enjoyed them,” she said “The books can cross racial lines. They’re American books.”