If you're an aspiring author or a Shelia Goss fan, pop over to http://chew-the-fat-with-bettye.blogspot.com/ and read her interview. I reviewed Shelia's novel, DOUBLE PLATINUM, right here a while back. Click on 'Contemporary Romance' in the directory to find it.
Heather at Galaxy Express is having a Supernova event this week to celebrate the release of Susan Grant's umpteenth novel, MOONSTRUCK. Susan's a pilot and I'm a pilot's spouse and pilots and their spouses are insanely busy during the summer. We were unable to find a date for the Cyber-Launch Book Party I wanted to throw y'all. Not to worry, she'll have another one out next March. In the meantime, pop over to http://thegalaxyexpress.blogspot.com/ and enjoy the fun there, including a prize giveaway.
Patricia Wood's phenomenal debut novel, LOTTERY, was released in paperback on June 3rd. If the hardback price or size was too much for you, now's a good time to grab a copy. Pop over to Pat's blog to read all about her adventure in London when LOTTERY was nominated for the prestigious Orange Prize. http://pkwood.blogspot.com.
I found a new-to-me author this week - Lynn Kurland. What makes her so special is she's achieved bestseller status as a romance novelist without writing explicit love scenes. One of the frustating things about enjoying romance novels, but being grossed out by explicit sex is always having to skip that part or having an extremely limited number of books from which to choose. Well, here's a new author you can count on for a PG-rated book and her new release is in the stores now. I WANT it. Since I'm booked for 2008, I'll let Kimber Chin have first dibs though.
I thought I'd close Tuesday News posts with reasons why I pass on most novels. Reason Number One - Weak Plot. Hot sex does not constitute a plot, unless you're into porn which I am not. I imagine there are a lot of great novels out there I pass over simply because they're blurbed or recommended as Hawt and I'm like, "So the heck what?" Almost all romance novels have sex in them and most of those, today, are explicit. Big whoopty-doo. I've been happily married for a long time and I know what it takes to have Hawt. I've also read enough romance novels to know what it takes to write one which is truly Hawt. It requires a Strong Plot, which includes two well-developed characters with a well-developed and developing relationship. The sexual gymnastics are boring and/or ridiculous without it. To illustrate how I feel when I'm presented with a book which has a weak plot, please click on this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug75diEyiA0 I'm the little old lady on the right.h.
Happy week, Blog Buds.
6 comments:
You don't like PWOP? (Porn WithOut Plot) You're weird.
Actually, that's why I've loved Ms. Kurland forever. Stardust of Yesterday was breathtaking.
And how sad that the first thing I thought when I saw Shelia's cover was, "Hey! That's Brandy from America's Next Top Model!"
Not Brandy. Bianca.
Still sad.
Kimber An, thanks for your *hawt* mention of my feature and giveaway for Susan Grant!
Yep, I'm one of those weirdoes who thinks Romance novels ought to have...um...romance. (rolling eyes)
Robyn, you should review STARDUST OF YESTERDAY! I know you're probably getting a lot of ARCs these days, but I think a lot of our guests are searching for novels like hers. I always try to keep in mind what the readers who come here are looking for. I'm make time to review it if I were you and, yanno, you can always review it on a day someone else isn't schedule to review here.
Oh, dear, I don't watch America's Next Top Model. The only reality shows I watch are Nanny 911 (of course) and HGTV's Design Star.
Heather, you're welcome! Now, yasee, Susan can write *hawt* novels because she knows what a plot is.
I'm a plot girl, too, so I salute the point you made. I understand that for plenty of romances, the relationship arc *is* the plot, but when I see other types of plots dwindling to dust, I'm baffled.
Hi, Heather!
I understand the relationship arc as plot, even though I think most Romance novels are weak at it. But, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a novel in which the author has failed to convince me the Hero and Heroine are capable of a relationship, particularly a long-term, monogamous one. In such a case, the couple are just having a lot of sex. It happens all the time in real life. Foster homes and graveyards are full of children who resulted from a lot of thrilling sex. But, it never leads to Happily Ever After. I've lived and loved long enough to know lovemaking is the expression of a successfully developing relationship and not the cause. That's how you get HEA. According to the RWA, an HEA is required for all Romance novels.
Post a Comment