Weekend post, multiple unrelated topics
First, I want to thank everyone who contributed to, or helped spread the word about, the Help Julia fund. You are the best sort of people who know the best sort of people, and I am proud to count you among my friends.
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My lament to romance authors this week:
I hereby forbid you all from comparing women to fruit. It's not inaccurate, but it is tacky and cliched. Double-extra smackdown and curses on you if the fruit of choice is peaches or strawberries. (Particularly saying that a woman smells like strawberries. That one was played to malicious perfection on BTVS by Rack to Willow, and no one will ever say it better so just stop trying.)
I might make an exception if the character making the comparison is either a poet reknowned for his trite poetry, or a sleazy bad guy you're playing a bit for laughs.
I will give exception for unusual fruits, e.g.: "She was like a kiwi: hairy on the outside, but brilliant on the inside."