Do you like to read romance novels? Wouldn’t you like to know more about your favorite authors? Well you came to the right place! Join the writers of Romance Weekly as we go behind the scenes of our books and tell all….. About our writing of course! Every week we’ll answer questions and after you’ve enjoyed the blog on this site we’ll direct you to another. So come back often for a thrilling ride! Tell your friends and feel free to ask us questions in the comment box. This week’s questions come from Victoria Barbour. If you’re arriving here from Jami Denise, thank you for stopping by. If this is your first stop on the hop, please take a minute to go back and visit Jami.
Have you always written romance?
No, I haven’t. Most of my stories are paranormal/fantasy involving some type of time travel. Those are what I love to read and where my interest lies. But I had this contemporary romance story in my head about a wild underground club called Felony and a bartender named Jack that was begging to be told. And so Intoxicated (the first book of the Felony Romance Series) was born and I have at least two more novels before I finish the series. I fully intend to return to the line of paranormal/fantasies as soon as I’ve finished with the Felony series.
How do you deal with critics about the romance genre?
I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Romance isn’t for everyone just as sci-fi or horror isn’t for everyone either. I’ve had people ask me when I’m going to write “something serious” and I’ve heard authors of other genres criticize the writing skills of bestselling authors like Nora Roberts and E.L. James. Romance fans are voracious readers and extremely loyal to their favorite authors. I guess the proof is in the number of sales that romance generates. As for me, I write what I like to read. I simply want to entertain myself and others. If I can give someone else a few hours of escape from his/her daily life, then I’m happy.
What’s the one thing about our genre that you’d like people to know?
The romance genre has grown and evolved over the years and has so much more to offer than ever before. Romance novels used to be sappy, melodramatic, and angst-ridden stories about helpless females. Today’s heroines are smart, sassy, and successful, able to charge of their lives and their men. And romance doesn’t have to be sweet. There are dark, edgy stories out there as well that break all the so-called “rules” of what a romance should be.
That’s it for this week! I hope you enjoyed these fun and interesting questions. Be sure to continue the tour with Brenda Margriet.
Collette Cameron
You’re so right. Romance isn’t for everyone, yet it amazes me how many people who don’t read the genre feel they have the write to voice an opinion about it. A best selling author once said, those people don’t get a vote because their not your intended audience anyway.
S. C. Mitchell
There is a certain thrill being part of such a rapidly evolving industry. Though I doubt there will ever be 100% acceptance of Romance as ‘legitimate literature’ I do feel the resistance weakening.
Kim Handysides
Great post Jeana-I love how The Felony Series came to you. More in the series- yay!
J.J. Devine
It is wonderful how much this industry has changed over the years. Especially how much heroines have changed. I truly believe in some ways heroines of romance do shape young women’s way of thinking about themselves. Great blog!!!
Rhenna Morgan
It’s funny…every time I say, “I write romance,” someone inevitably says, “Oh…are you writing the next 50 Shades?”
Seriously. Lumping all romance into one series (which I happened to like) is like saying all songs sound the same.
Mishka Jenkins
You’re right, there is so much romance out there now, there is bound to be something to suit everyone 😀
jeana
I get that a lot, too. It makes me shake my head.