Last night, after rejection #....well, who's counting?....a friend and CP asked where my heart was in terms of what I wanted to write.
My answer is the same as always....Romantic Suspense.
Sure, I like straight romance. But, for me, the suspense ramps up the ante. There's something about a love story with an edge of danger that works for me. It doesn't matter if it's a full-blown mystery or just a little fear on the part of the heroine, either way, I love it.
I will never write a weak, simpering heroine who can't get by on her own. That's just not me. My heroines can drive a truck or rope a steer or string a fence. They can shoot straight. Good enough to hit a bad guy anyway.
But add a strong, sexy hero to the mix and everything changes.
Even a strong woman sometimes needs someone. And there comes the romance! Put a woman who doesn't think she needs a protector with a man who is determined she does and watch the spraks fly!
So, for me, even after a painful rejection, it's got to be romantic suspense.
What's your pleasure, and why?
My answer is the same as always....Romantic Suspense.
Sure, I like straight romance. But, for me, the suspense ramps up the ante. There's something about a love story with an edge of danger that works for me. It doesn't matter if it's a full-blown mystery or just a little fear on the part of the heroine, either way, I love it.
I will never write a weak, simpering heroine who can't get by on her own. That's just not me. My heroines can drive a truck or rope a steer or string a fence. They can shoot straight. Good enough to hit a bad guy anyway.
But add a strong, sexy hero to the mix and everything changes.
Even a strong woman sometimes needs someone. And there comes the romance! Put a woman who doesn't think she needs a protector with a man who is determined she does and watch the spraks fly!
So, for me, even after a painful rejection, it's got to be romantic suspense.
What's your pleasure, and why?
I love a great whodunnit! But couldn't write one to save my life..so it's mainly contemporary romance. I've started and gotten stuck on too many suspenses to count, but when I stick with contemporary romance, with a kick of sass and sex, it works.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the low-down-yukky-R, D'Ann... but keep pushing, okay?
My heart's with women's fiction. I want the romance there--and even the sex--but the story has to be about the people and what happens in their lives, or I truly don't care.
ReplyDeleteThe cool thing is that there's plenty of room for all of us and our preferences, though unfortunately I don't think most marketing departments feel that way.
And hugs from me, too, about the crummy R.
ReplyDeleteHmmm - definitely contemporary romance. Even though my laziness begs me to leave it at that, some elements of suspense keep slipping in, and I know next year I'll be diving into a paranormal/suspense plot. I don't want to, I swear - it just keeps happening!
ReplyDeleteD'Ann I so agree I can't read just boy meets girl and they live happy ever after. I need meaty stories. I tend to gravitate to write what I read. I write romantic suspense with emphaisis on suspense. I tend to layer it in later I want to get the plot first and add the romance later.
ReplyDeleteGive me paranormal or medieval romance with a kick-ass heroine and you've pretty much got me at page one. I can't stand a simpering, always a lady heroine. BTW, so sorry about the "R". Your time is coming.
ReplyDeleteI like a heroine who is human, strong but has a blind spot or weakness so that she has something to overcome. Same with a hero. I don't like idiots or simpering people. I like them to have sharp wits. I hate it when the world's well-being rests on the main characters' shoulders. I love paranormal and twisty, unexpected events happen.
ReplyDeleteEveryone,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by and letting me know what you like. I really appreciate comments.
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ReplyDeleteI love a book with a touch of mystical to it. I'd love to do that, especially the lyrical prose. But, for some reason, I gravitate toward teen speak. Don't get me wrong, I love my YA, but the mystical stuff is like getting lost in a fantasy. I also like books that make me feel or think. I'd love to do that for my readers one day and hopefully they'll pay to read it :)
ReplyDeleteD'Ann -
ReplyDeleteGod knows, I don't read nearly as much as I used to, but I love a good ST contemp from SEP, Rachel Gibson, Christie Ridgway. I'm also a fan of many paranormals. I guess most of us write what we read!
I'm sorry abt the R. As much as we try, it's hard not to take them personally!
Kels
"Madam, Will You Talk" by Mary Stewart was the first romantic suspense I ever read. I have loved this type of book ever since. But, I also like a little humor mixed in. A suspense with two much angst can get tiring.
ReplyDeleteWriting and reading are two different things. If we're talking reading in strictly romance categories--I love western contemporary stories. Love them cowboys!
ReplyDeleteGeneral reads--mainstream, especially Nicholas Sparks. But I enjoy cozy mysteries too. And once in a while throw in a good ol' western.
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ReplyDeleteI like a good book. I tend to write in a little mystery into everything I write whether it's historical western, contemporary western, or historical paranormal. I think a hint of mystery besides are the hero and heroine going to get together, keeps the reader turning the pages.
ReplyDeleteHang in there everyone faces a file folder of rejections before they get published. Keep honing your art and conjuring up unique unforgettable characters and you'll get "the call".