REAL Books

Since the big move a few weeks ago, I haven't yet been able to manage getting an internet connection at my new home. I won't lie...this really sucks. It's inconvenient, especially when I've come to rely on having internet for so many things. Unfortunately, until I get my finances squared away, it's a luxury I'll have to go without. The plus side to this is that I've rediscovered the library...er, the real 'physical' library, not the virtual one I check Kindle books out from. I go, set up my laptop and get my work done, and when I leave, I have a stack of books I can't possibly have enough time to read. It's a beautiful thing.

Interview Time: Weighing in on Paranormal Romance

You may not have noticed this about me, but I enjoy a good supernatural story every now and then. I know—hard to believe, right? From vampires to zombies to ghosts to demons, it seems there’s no shortage of books and movies out there. I’ll admit, I like the scary stuff most. The twisted stories that screw with your head or the creepy ones that make you want to leave on the lights. That said, it doesn’t have to be scary for me to like it. I like anything that stretches the imagination, and there are plenty of other types of stories out there that I’ve found interesting.

So this got me thinking about paranormal romance as a story genre. I’m not a huge romance reader by any stretch—I generally like stories that are less formulaic—still, I’ve read a few titles and enjoyed them. It’s popular enough to have its own spot in the romance section at the bookstore, and I think after Twilight’s popularity, it really exploded. There’s just something about love with a supernatural being that keeps readers coming back. So what is it? What is it about these stories that is so enticing?

I dragged in—er—invited a couple of the Coffee Talk authors to give their insight. Valerie? Renea? 

Why do you think paranormal romance has gained such a huge following?

Valerie: We all love the bad boys. Men who are strong and not afraid of anything. They are also loyal and when they love, they love hard. These guys will do anything to get their woman. And of course the sex is always steamy.

Renea: It’s the modern fairy tale.  Only now the Princess is the ordinary woman.  She’s not going to the ball; she’s having hot, and passionate encounters with men that make human princes look ordinary. 

So, what are the elements of a good paranormal romance?

Valerie: I think the same as any romance. Strong characters are a must, you can’t have a vampire or shape shifter be a sissy. Simply will not work.

Renea: For me it’s hot chemistry between the characters, an interesting mythos and brilliant dialogue. And if the author can make me laugh then that’s a big plus.

With those things in mind, which authors do you think really nailed it with this genre?

Valerie: Lara Adrian, Laura Wright, Jeaniene Frost, Gena Showalter, Sherrilyn Kenyon,  Kresley Cole to name a few.

Renea: Jeaniene Frost, J.R. Ward, Nalini Singh, Kerrelyn Sparks, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Karen Marie Moning just to name a few. 

What are some of the most memorable characters you’ve read and why?

Valerie: Bones, from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. While he is a strong character, he had no problems telling the heroin that he loved her. It’s hard to explain, there is just something about him that makes women swoon.

Renea: Bones and Cat from the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost.  The chemistry is scorching and the characters drive the story.

Damn, two hits for Bones! Now, if I remember correctly, Bones is vampire, which brings me to my next topic…vampires and wolves. There are so many stories based on these ‘creatures’ that they’ve earned a collective eye-roll. Is there really any more material left?

Valerie: Absolutely! Not every vampire is created equal. In the romance they can be anything, not your typical walking dead that can’t be in the sunlight. There are also many other creatures that live in the paranormal world. Demons, witches, fey, and shape shifters of all sorts. The list goes on forever.

Renea: I think so. It’s fiction. Anything is possible.

Okay, with that in mind—as a writer in the genre, how do you keep it fresh?

Valerie: I have created a world that I think is different from any I’ve read. My vampires are also different, I have put a twist in my story that you simply have to read. I’ve also mixed two of my favorite creatures, vampires and dragons. Rather than the typical wolf, I’ve created the Draki, a shape shifting dragon.

Renea: I strayed away from vampires and werewolves and created a unique mythos.  Vampire lovers will enjoy my story even though it’s anything but traditional vampire or werewolf lore.

What types of paranormal elements are you drawn to write about in your stories?

Valerie: That’s a hard one. I have this thing about fangs, seems most of my character have them in some form or another. I also like to have a mix of characters, I don’t stick to just one species per say.

Renea: I love writing alpha males and paranormal lets you take this to the extreme and still come back from the edge.  You can easily explain away a bad boy’s naughty behavior and make him the hero in the end.

Good points! I do think the key to a good story is a certain amount of believability, no matter how far-fetched the idea is. How do you make a creature that doesn’t exist fit into the real world in a believable way?

Valerie: I think it’s easy really. People are so used to the paranormal genre that we can pretty much do anything without question. The thing is, you have to do it well.

Renea: Suspension of disbelief and compassion.  You have to feel some level of compassion or they must act compassionate in some way. So, careful personification.

So it’s all about the execution. Now, it’s not always the case, but it seems like more often than not the male lead is some kind of supernatural being, while the female is just a regular human girl. Do you think this plays into a fantasy for readers? Do you think we’ll ever see more supernatural heroines?

Valerie: Of course women want to dream about being with these sexy men and I think that is why the female is usually a human, we can relate. However, there are some that have successful female characters that are not human. Jeaniene Frost and Kresley Cole have females that are not human in their books. In book two of my series my heroin is not human, but a demon.

Renea: There are some but they tend to be more urban fantasy based and a lot of those stories explore the heroine’s discovery of her abilities.  So over the course of the story she discovers what she is.  I think it makes for a very entertaining story but since supernatural usually equates to strength, I think it’s difficult to portray the romance women want to read when the balance of power is weighted toward the female.  I’ve read stories like this and enjoyed them but then again, I’m not always one for formula.

And there you have it—some insight from a couple paranormal romance writers/readers. Thanks so much, ladies! Ladies? Oh, right—sorry! Let me remove that duct tape. Now don’t look at me like that, it wasn’t all bad, right? (*winks*) Hey, wait! Come back! (*slamming door*) Sigh. Well, I had fun anyway…

Looking for a hot new paranormalicious (is that even a word?) read? Check out Valerie Twombly and Renea Mason!

I'm not Dead to the World. Really.

Lots of big things going on, so I've been on the internet sparingly, but I haven't forgotten about this lovely blog. I've got some big plans coming up... please stay tuned ^.^

I WANT YOUR SKULL!!!

I have a Misfits song stuck in my head. I just drank lemonade that's only 3% juice (mmm...high fructose corn syrup...). And I'm currently sitting at my laptop, trying to edit my novel. I'm at a crucial point in the narrative where the normal world and the supernatural have finally crossed paths. This was an area I struggled--that transition, the identity of the novel, the place where it turns from contemporary romance to my MC's twisted path towards the afterlife. I think I finally have things in place. I've shaved the excess, laid the foundation and we're slowly plodding along. The pieces seem to fit together better, now that I've figured out which ones needed to go. I guess this is where I have a moment of reflection, because this is so different from the piece I originally showed to my critique group a year ago. In a good way.

New Adult Books: Part One

When I first heard about New Adult as a book category I was excited. I'd been having a tough time classifying my own work--which has a young, casual voice similar to YA, but clearly isn't meant for younger readers--and to me, this felt like a perfect fit. So what is NA? Basically it covers that transitional time right after high school. Characters are facing 'new' firsts--new job, living away from home, going to college, serious relationships, maybe even getting married. (Rather than regurgitate an entire definition of what New Adult is, I'll refer you to http://www.naalley.com/p/about.html -- they've got a great collection of resources and info on the subject.)

So needless to say, I've been keeping tabs on the whole movement. It's funny the amount of resistance I've noticed from skeptics, particularly with regards to whether or not this should be a legit category. I've seen it referred to as a fad, or a niche group that will only appeal to a really small audience. I've seen the excuse thrown around that twenty-somethings don't read, therefore this is a pointless endeavor. Or that it's just YA with sex added to it so that it'll appeal to an older audience.

It seems to me (and maybe I'm just more attuned to it now) that NA continues to grow steadily. There are book clubs, groups, and blogs cropping up that cater to NA readers and writers. I mean, look at some of the top selling NA authors--take Jamie McGuire for example-- it's pretty clear there is an audience for these types of books.

I see so many possibilities, and think we're really just hitting the tip of the iceberg as far as what NA can be. So is it a fad? I don't think so. NA is finding an audience, so it must be resonating with readers on some level...obviously these books wouldn't be selling if it didn't. I think it is still evolving and growing, particularly as authors in different genres jump into the mix, and I will be interested to see which direction it takes.

Reading it all, ranting at some

I talk a lot about writing, but I'm also a voracious reader. Sometimes I'll down 2-3 books per week. To me, the ebook was the BEST INVENTION EVER. Seriously. You can carry a whole library on one little device. You can find virtually any book online, purchase it, and have it in seconds. And if you read a lot, that's convenient. 

As a soon to be author with a small press, I understand a little about the challenges a new writer faces in getting their work out there. I try to support new, small press and indie authors by buying their books, and I've discovered some great stories that way. That being said, I've also read a fair amount that was just plain awful. This is where the rant comes in. I have read so many stories lately that were littered with grammatical errors, riddled with cliches, tense and POV shifts, underdeveloped characters and just plain shoddy storytelling. These were books that were aggressively marketed by other writers that I've seen. People with thousands of Facebook likes and Twitter followers who have really impressive media platforms that make me say WOW--this person has their shit together. Then I read their work and I'm like...um, what?  

I don't want to come across as a snarky bitch. I'm not a snob. I don't claim to know everything there is about writing. I'll read most any genre, I'll try anything new, I'll give anything a chance...and as long as it's a reasonably well-written book with good characters and an interesting story, I'm entertained.

Authors, please please PLEASE do yourselves a favor and:

a) Learn your craft. Seriously. Grammar, sentence structure, plot...all of it. KEEP learning it. Even if you've published, you should be constantly finding ways to improve. Good writing has a certain flow to it. Good storytelling is an art form. I know that feeling you get when you complete a novel length work--it's like a writer's high. It is a huge accomplishment you should be proud of. BUT...it's not finished, not even close. 

 2) Hire a competent editor...or at least some critiquers & beta readers who are both sharp and honest. This kind of goes with the above. After reading your own story over and over again, you're not likely to catch errors. And you are not going to recognize areas that a potential reader might find confusing or unclear because you already know what happens and why. You need honest feedback and to keep an open mind when receiving it. Join a critique group, take some courses, workshop the fuck out of your story--and I'm not talking friends and family who will tell you house awesome it is, I'm talking about people who are willing to rip your work to shreds--point out any possible plot whole, flat character, cliche, error that they can find. 

c) Find a cover artist with graphic design knowledge. Even if you go with a pre-made cover because that's all your budget allows. It's all about being a professional and presenting a professional looking product. Speaking as someone who has an artistic background, I will say I'm very turned off by poorly done covers, and unless I know the person, I will not buy it.  

 This is YOUR product. Indie should not equal amateur. Don't be so blinded by your desire to see your name in print (or ebook) that you rush to get it out there when it's not ready.  /rant.

 

Checking in...

I'm attempting to post from my Kindle Fire (my laptop has been hijacked...) so if you hear any swearing, I apologize. ^·^

So I posted last month how my first novel has been accepted for publication. I've spent the past few weeks working on some revisions. It has been scary and exciting at the same time. This piece was workshopped to death with my critique group before i submitted it anywhere, but I knew going in that no matter where it found a home, changes would still need to be made. Overall I have a good feeling with the initial revisions I've turned in and think we're headed in the right direction. More to come soon...