Romance Readers and Writers

Does a cover really influence you to buy (or not buy) a book?  There is a lot of discussion of book covers in the romance novels.  Some publishers are known for great covers (Loose ID and Liquid Silver both come to mind), while others are much maligned for their cover art. What makes a great romance cover?  I like covers that fit with the theme of the book.  If its an erotic, sexy book, cartoonish characters don’t make sense, although I did see one like that. I like dark covers for dark books and sexy covers for sexy books.  I hate couples that are wrapped around each other, no matter what type of book it is. Here are a few of my favorite covers:

And now for a “What were they thinking?” cover:

There is no denying that we are living in an increasingly visual world. Music is marketed on TV and now writers and publishing houses have taken the concept of the trailer from Hollywood and adapted it to sell books. Book trailers vary in length and quality based on the size of the publisher and the budget for the clip. Trailers can pique interest in certain titles, but do they really make a difference in sales? If you are a writer who has used a trailer, has it made a difference in your sales? If you are a reader, would a slick trailer influence your decision to buy (or not buy) a title? Here is a book trailer for “The Healer’s Garden,” by Nina Pierce. Would this make you buy the book in a way that a blurb wouldn’t, or do you think it’s just a way for writers to reach new potential readers?

For all of the misconception about the sameness of some romance novels, the writing process varies a great deal from writer to writer. Some writers or readers like absolute silence, while some can read or write in the middle of a hurricane.  I fall somewhere in the middle.  I particularly like to write to music.  Sometimes I like to listen to classical music, sometimes to old R & B like Marvin Gaye. One writer friend likes to write to James Blunt.  What type of music do you like to listen to when you read or write?  If you are a writer, does the type of music you listen to impact the development of the scene?  Are they more romantic if you are listening to Michael Buble instead of Metallica?

Lots of great new releases this week:

From Ellora’s Cave:

All Worked Up, by Eve Vaughn: Landon should be happy. He has looks, money and co-owns the hottest gym in town. But he’s missing someone to share his success with. Tired of the dating scene and shallow women, Landon has all but given up his search for love, that is until Gloria Sanders, a voluptuous beauty from his past, walks into his gym. When they knew each other before, too many obstacles stood in their way. Now circumstances have changed and nothing will stop him from claiming her as his. Karil’s Comments: This looks like a standard take on the romance template, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  At least you know what you’re getting.

From Loose ID

Dare, by Marilyn Lee: Kassidy has sworn off dares—especially sexual ones—until her friend and coworker, hunky Nick Hart teams up with her cyber lover to issue a double sexual dare she just can’t refuse. Karil’s Comments: I can’t wait to read this.  I love menage stories.

From Liquid Silver

Wanted, By Amber Scott: Overachiever Samantha shouldn’t be surprised that her sole inheritance from her estranged father is the paraphernalia of his lifelong obsession with famed outlaw Jesse Kincaid. The only use she can see for the treasure map, old whiskey and wanted poster is salable product to cover her coming law school bill. But one taste of the whiskey tumbles her into a place and time, in arms so wonderfully real and strong, that she can only assume she’s gone crazy. Karil’s Comments:  I think the LSB has the best, most original story lines in the epublishing romance market  This is another one that I’m looking forward to.

The romance genre has been a round for a long time, and it seems as long as it has been around, there have been people that delight in tearing down its readers and writers.  Most fans of romance novels tend to ignore the critics and enjoy the books, but many still long for mainstream acceptance. Covers have changed, heroines have morphed from 19 year old nannies to career women with their businesses  All of these developments have been wonderful, but according to some romance fans, all of the hard work legitimizing the romantic genre is being undone by the rise of the erotic romance.

For the uninitiated,  erotic romance is a traditional romance that takes readers into bed with the couple.  Where once lovers were given privacy after the bedroom door closed, erotic romance writers go into explicit detail about who does what to whom.  Erotica has always existed, but in the last several year small epublishers have been posting sales numbers large enough to get NY publishing’s attention. You would think that anyone that is interested in the genre and its writers would welcome anything that raised the profile of the genre, but there are some that believe that erotica is further stereotyping romance novels and their fans.  What do you think?  Is the rise of erotica a good or a bad thing?  Do you read erotic romances, and if so, do you buy ebooks?

Like a lot of romance readers, I browse Amazon looking for new books to read.  I stumble on a lot of new writers that way.  One of the main ways to separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, is to read the reviews.  If a book has a lot of five star ratings and glowing reviews, it must be pretty good- right?  Not so fast.  Amazon makes it easy for writers to have negative reviews deleted, thus artificially inflating the star rating.  Apparently this practice is fairly common.  Some (but by no means most) writers have a “posse” that posts wonderful reviews and downrates any reviewer that gives anything less than a four star review.  Deborah Anne MacGillivray, who wrote “In Her Bed” exhibited truly scary behavior after one reviewer gave the book three stars.  Three stars isn’t a terrible review, folks.  It means that the book is average.  As a writer, I know I would like to think that my stories are above average, but I know that there are a lot of people that don’t agree with me.  That’s fine.  We all have different tastes.  I love Clay Aiken for crying out loud- but I know I’m in the minority.  It doesn’t mean that I’m going to trash people that don’t agree with me.

If you want more info on the Amazon review controversy, try Googling Deborah Anne MacGillivray.  And check out Clay Aiken’s new CD “On My Way Here.”  It’s available on May 6.  Just don’t buy it from Amazon.

If you’ve never been to the Liquid Silver Books website, you are missing out on a lot of fun and some great writing.  LSB authors frequently post in the SiN Forums, allowing readers to interact with their favorite writers, and writers also take turns posting in the LSB Blog .  Each Sunday is Flash Fiction Sunday, where one writer posts a writing prompt and writers spend the day posting 100 word stories.  There are some great flashes and a lot of fun conversations that happen in the comments.  In honor of Cinco de Mayo, author Nina Pierce has picked the theme of parties and celebrations.  Drop by and check it out!

As you can see, this is a brand new blog.  I love romance of all types, from inspirational romances up to the steamiest erotic romance.  Some of my favorite writers are Jude Deveraux (why I became a writer in the first place), Nora Roberts, Shayla Kersten (she writes great erotica), Anya Bast, Mima and Mercedes Lackey.

Mima just released the fourth book in the Bonded Fantasy series from Liquid Silver Books.  “Within Reach” features an unusual hero and heroine and looks like the latest in a series that has been great so far.  I’ve bought and downloaded it, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet.  I’ll review it when I do.

I’m re-reading Jude Deveraux’s “Forever and Always” series.  If you haven’t read it, it’s a great series with witches, clairvoyants, and strong family ties.

With my reading schedule and my writing schedule, writing reviews will be tight, but I promise to get it done.