tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post170447988922441054..comments2024-03-18T08:33:25.907-04:00Comments on Inkwell Inspirations: Romance or Love Story???Lisa Karon Richardsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02175430876079208723noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-5247432955688463762011-09-30T23:19:13.955-04:002011-09-30T23:19:13.955-04:00Yeah, I love that romantic element too. Got to hav...Yeah, I love that romantic element too. Got to have it in there somewhere. Thanks for stopping by Laurie. It's always nice to have you visit.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-2685375498058680922011-09-30T20:20:36.216-04:002011-09-30T20:20:36.216-04:00I think I've had that conversation with Gina, ...I think I've had that conversation with Gina, too. If one took the romance out of my stories, one would still have stories, as I write romantic suspense. Historical romantic suspense, and yet I don't think they'd be as much fun. My heroes do not always rescue my heroines, mind you. That is annoying. <br /><br />Frankly, I read few books without some romantic element, and if it doesn&#Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-6300032894825533272011-09-28T22:52:35.587-04:002011-09-28T22:52:35.587-04:00I wonder if too many category romance writers are ...I wonder if too many category romance writers are rushing to meet contracts. I know I'd have a hard time writing several good books a year.<br /><br />Sounds like the point we all agree on is that story should come before category rules. And a compelling and believable hero and heroine are a must.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-50905383470431293942011-09-28T22:32:01.685-04:002011-09-28T22:32:01.685-04:00Oops. That was a rather long diatribe. I didn'...Oops. That was a rather long diatribe. I didn't mean to get so carried away. ;)Suzie Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06296203324088418271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-8074649093867817832011-09-28T22:30:48.986-04:002011-09-28T22:30:48.986-04:00Dina, as usual, this is a great post. Lot's to...Dina, as usual, this is a great post. Lot's to think about and discuss. But first, let me congratulate you on the fabulous author endorsements! <br /><br />Second, let me say that both yours and Anne Mateer's books are wonderful with excellent heroines. Whether you categorize them as historical fiction with romance elements, or historical romance, they're wonderful. <br /><br />I loveSuzie Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06296203324088418271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-4281595593294460052011-09-28T22:23:11.961-04:002011-09-28T22:23:11.961-04:00I'd love to see more in first person. What abo...I'd love to see more in first person. What about chick lit? I know it's out of style already. Those were usually in first person and they included a lot of romance. Siri Mitchell's Kissing Adrien one of my favorite books, and I would call that both Chick Lit and Romance.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-1435683324535425992011-09-28T22:03:03.186-04:002011-09-28T22:03:03.186-04:00Dina, yes, 3rd person is a category requirement. B...Dina, yes, 3rd person is a category requirement. But as I mentioned in the comment that disappeared into the ether , category is just a more restrictive subset of romance. Category is really about branding -- a reader knows what's in the category book without having to pick it up. <br /><br />Now I don't know if the CBA non-category romance market is more restrictive than the ABA C.J. Chasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02026386802434435296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-76259868014957098082011-09-28T21:24:44.427-04:002011-09-28T21:24:44.427-04:00You know, Niki, it would be nice if those with rom...You know, Niki, it would be nice if those with romantic elements books came with a disclaimer as to whether or not the ending was happy.<br /><br />I happen to love Siri Mitchell's Love's Pursuit, which has a tragic moment 3/4 through and then a bittersweet ending. However, I usually try to warn people about that. Once I forgot, and boy did I regret it. Thankfully, Carrie Pagels forgave Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-21944580174969201042011-09-28T21:21:39.527-04:002011-09-28T21:21:39.527-04:00Well, Lisa, do I have the book for you :)Well, Lisa, do I have the book for you :)Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-54310812401763564832011-09-28T21:21:13.348-04:002011-09-28T21:21:13.348-04:00CJ, you know I love first person books. Mine is fi...CJ, you know I love first person books. Mine is first person. But evidently this is an expectation of category romance readers. I wonder if the ones you mentioned are long, single title ABA romance novels?Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-68406245862680069302011-09-28T20:56:43.788-04:002011-09-28T20:56:43.788-04:00Very thought-provoking, especially for those of us...Very thought-provoking, especially for those of us who write things that never seem to be an exact "fit" anywhere!<br />For myself, I MUST have a happy ending. No happy ending, not a happy reader, IMHO. As for the romance, if a story just has "romantic elements" I may love the story but it leaves me wanting at the end. <br />I guess that makes me a romance junkie.<br />BTW, Niki Turnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10419436634375255412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-17171945774351439752011-09-28T20:53:37.743-04:002011-09-28T20:53:37.743-04:00Love story, without a doubt. And I have an affini...Love story, without a doubt. And I have an affinity for dandelions!dandelionfleurhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09857030670523739785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-48264176028989827982011-09-28T20:26:49.970-04:002011-09-28T20:26:49.970-04:00Ack! I wrote a looong comment. And it seems to be ...Ack! I wrote a looong comment. And it seems to be MIA. Not sure this one will be as long.<br /><br />Dina, thanks for the plug :)<br /><br />DeeAnna, I think the heroine-centric focus is more common in the CBA market. In the general/ABA market, there are a lot more romance novels with more emphasis on the hero's journey than the heroine's. Check out the difference in the covers. CBA tendsC.J. Chasehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02026386802434435296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-89082179240484227672011-09-28T19:34:31.668-04:002011-09-28T19:34:31.668-04:00Okay, be cautious about assigning category/genre r...Okay, be cautious about assigning category/genre romance formulas onto all romances because trade paperback/single-titles are going to have some variances.<br /><br />Such as . . . <br /><br />_a hero protagonist<br />_leads not meeting in first chapter<br />_subplots<br />_hero and hero not spending long time apart<br /><br />Naomi made an excellent point. So did Susie. So I'll combine: If Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18306070937646453722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-36452915034553536202011-09-28T19:32:56.322-04:002011-09-28T19:32:56.322-04:00Had to come back and mention that all of our White...Had to come back and mention that all of our WhiteFire novels are beautiful love stories with happy endings. And all of them are under $4 on kindle. So if you like mine, check out these as well.<br /><br />A Stray Drop of Blood - Roseanna White<br /><br />Jewel of Persia - Roseanna White<br /><br />Shadowed in Silk - Christine LindsayDina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-88648092613167247132011-09-28T19:21:37.195-04:002011-09-28T19:21:37.195-04:00Oh, that's so cool, Amber. You made my day. Wh...Oh, that's so cool, Amber. You made my day. When you're with a small press, every sale counts.<br /><br />Now about the romance, we've actually been continuing this conversation in our secret inky cave. The truth is, I don't like category romance as much as a broader sort of romance. <br /><br />But, some people do it really well like Ruth Axtell Morren, Louise M. Gouge, and also Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-55535232088840880142011-09-28T18:53:44.839-04:002011-09-28T18:53:44.839-04:00What an intriguing post! Definitely an interesting...What an intriguing post! Definitely an interesting distinction to consider. :) Even though I suppose traditional "romances" could feel a bit too predictable or "boxed-in" for some, I feel like there's still plenty of room to weave a good story in through the elements of boy meets girl, they experience conflict, and they live happily-ever-after... I think each story is Amber Holcombhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15100265646497152198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-86504636845887223042011-09-28T18:14:32.493-04:002011-09-28T18:14:32.493-04:00Well, let me just say that before the extensive Gi...Well, let me just say that before the extensive Gina tutorial, I would have said that yours, Julie Klassen's, Laura Frantz's, and Julie Lessman's were all romance, just not category romance. In fact, I think those ladies would probably all say that they write romance. But either way, it's been a fun conversation.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-53513512872747583242011-09-28T18:13:45.194-04:002011-09-28T18:13:45.194-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-89782108298180492722011-09-28T17:37:14.819-04:002011-09-28T17:37:14.819-04:00Awww, shucks, Dina. Thanks so much. That means a...Awww, shucks, Dina. Thanks so much. That means a lot to me.<br /><br />And, yeah, I have to agree. It's his story more than anyone's, as important as his heroine is to him and to the overall story. It's funny, because the first time I talked to a book group about the book, I was chatting along, "I guess the book is mostly about such and such, and when my main character does DeAnna Julie Dodsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006564626571868446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-6561568696461610172011-09-28T17:33:36.908-04:002011-09-28T17:33:36.908-04:00Fun post, and what a conversation!
I love both ki...Fun post, and what a conversation!<br /><br />I love both kinds of stories. And even stories with no HEA at all that leave me thinking.<br /><br />But like Gina said, tell me what I'm getting. When I'm in the mood for romance and the book doesn't deliver, I get a bit frustrated (I do not want the hero to die at the end. UGH!).Susanne Dietzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09710634601407161821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-49581822079518347702011-09-28T17:17:25.986-04:002011-09-28T17:17:25.986-04:00I'm a big fan of yours now, DeAnna. We'll ...I'm a big fan of yours now, DeAnna. We'll have to get Gina's final verdict sometime on whether or not yours is a "romance." It's certainly more so than some of the others that she's nixed here in the comments. But I would say the one that I read might have ended up being slightly more about the inner journey of the hero than the romance itself. Hmm... Either way it Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-43859142988696047482011-09-28T17:14:41.570-04:002011-09-28T17:14:41.570-04:00Faye, I like a happy ending too, although I can ha...Faye, I like a happy ending too, although I can handle a bittersweet ending if it's still hopeful. As far as the books I write, they will probably always have happy endings.Dina Sleimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05214446103057806111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-81590065595037568432011-09-28T17:01:24.466-04:002011-09-28T17:01:24.466-04:00Faye, I like how you put it. You just want the cha...Faye, I like how you put it. You just want the characters to be happy. Me too!!!<br /><br />I suppose there's a lot to marketing decisions that we will never understand.<br /><br />And let me say I don't mind reading a book that's ____ with romantic elements. Just don't list it as a romance when it really is not.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18306070937646453722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7502152359497137754.post-34632599402634272512011-09-28T16:42:04.676-04:002011-09-28T16:42:04.676-04:00I love the idea of exploring different aspects of ...I love the idea of exploring different aspects of love and what people need from love. As soon as my life isn't quite so crazy, I'm going to dive into your book, Dina. <br /><br />We need more medieval stories out there, too!!<br /><br />I don't guess I ever write just pure romance either. I think story rules, so whatever makes that story work is right. <br /><br />But I do want a DeAnna Julie Dodsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006564626571868446noreply@blogger.com