September 19, 2006 • Print This Post
Hey all! I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Brava Website! What a collection of diverse and talented authors!
I first sold in mystery, writing The Samantha Shaw Mystery Series. That series was so much fun to write and even better, my fabulous editors, first Amy Garvey then Kate Duffy let me break the rules.
I had sex in the mysteries.
Wow, did that shock some people. A lot of fans loved it, and some fans asked for more. But I really needed to be careful to make sure the mystery outweighed the romance and sex because the books were first and foremost a mystery. I enjoyed writing mystery, but I also thought…What if I could write a romantic mystery and put as much romance in there as I wanted to?
Then I got the opportunity to write romantic mysteries in Brava, thanks to the awesome Kate Duffy. I’m having a great time. I really enjoy the challenge of building a romance with a strong mystery plot. It’s a heck of a lot of work to weave the mystery and romance tightly enough that one can’t exist without the other. I get to write hot sex, and hopefully use those scenes to move the plot forward and draw the readers farther into the story.
Brava is such an innovative line that allows authors to take the characters wherever they need to go to tell the story.
In a broader sense, I think this is something that the romance genre has been yearning for, and now we’re seeing more and more powerful stories that take us to unexpected places. Hot sex is a hot topic these days, but it seems like some of the rhetoric is missing the point. Sex is just a component of the growth of romance. Romances are now weaving in military thrillers, high stakes suspense, paranormal and fantasy, puzzling mysteries…the genre has broadened significantly. The characters who fall in love are more deeply involved in the world around them.
And that makes me fall in love with them all the more!
What about you? Do you find the romance genre today fresh and exciting?
Posted by Jennifer Apodaca @ 9:23 am • Filed under: Jennifer Apodaca
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Hey Jennifer!
I think the romance genre is better than it has ever been since I started reading romance (murpfph) years ago!
There is something for all tastes..paranormal, action/adventure, suspense, humor, historical…..
I am constantly amazed at the new and different plots and stories. I am rarely disappointed by a new author, either.
yes it is great. love the new stories and ideas regarding the books.
Hi Angie, I’m so glad to hear that you are rarely disappointed by a new author! I agree with you, the variety keeps me coming back for more.
Hi Kim, the new ideas really keep the stories fresh, don’t they?
I love the direction the romance genre has gone into. I love that no matter what type of mood that I am in, I can go to my TBR pile or to the local bookstore and pick up something that will entertain me.
Patty, you’re so right! I sometimes go to my local bookstore just to destress. I can always find books to catch my interest and take my mind off everyday pressures.
I love the direction romance novels have taken.
I think that the way the romance genre is going is great. I love the mystery/romance books, and the way that they are all wrapped so nicely now. There are so many diverse books out there now……something for everyone, it has come a long way………
Up until about 3 years ago, I was strictly a mystery reader (well, except for those few Danielle Steel books I read in high school many years ago). I always thought that romances were all sex and no plot. Glad I was proven to be wrong.
Jennifer, I’ve read all your Samantha Shaw novels and loved them. I liked having sex mixed in with the mystery. I also prefer that my romances have a bit of suspence thrown in to enhance the love story.
Estella, glad to hear it!
Cryna, it really has come a long way. Mystery romance has found a home with among the diversity in romance
Jennifer, thank you! By the way, I was probably in high school when I read Danielle Steele too
I love it because you can find a story about absolutely anything. There aren’t limits on romance. It’s the best!
I have to agree!:grin: It is so wonderful that there are a lot of great romance/mystery/sex/adventure stories to choose from. I am happiest when I am in my favorite bookstore or the library in my town selecting a book to read. Heaven!…I’m in heaven!…(I am singing that Fred Astaire song, ha, ha!)
Absolutely looove it, the direction the romance genre has taken!:wink:
Amy, so true!
Michele, romance is somthing to sing about these days
The books are headed in the right direction..I’m still reading them!!
Kathleen, then they must be working if you (and all of us) are still reading them!