April 6, 2007 • Print This Post
When my first book came out, I did a round of signings and appearances. It was all very exciting and I had a lot of fun. Meeting and talking to readers, I soon learned, is easy. I love to read so we automatically have something in common.
One evening I went to a library for a book club meeting. I was surprised that about 30 people showed up. The tables were in a horseshoe and I sat in the middle. First the librarian did a little introduction, and then asked some questions to get everyone warmed up. Then she said to me, “I noticed that your main character has two men interested in her. And I saw from your bio that you’ve been married for a long time. Is that your fantasy to have two men fighting over you?”
I blinked, opened my mouth and nothing came out. I was stunned.
Finally, it sunk in and I laughed. “No! Please, I have a husband and three sons! I can’t deal with any more men in my life!”
Romantic rivals are fun in romances, or murderous in mysteries. In real life, they are just a complication I don’t want. In real life, I would think two men fighting over a woman were silly and immature.
Most authors get questions like that—questions that assume the author is very much like their characters.
So yesterday I wasn’t feeling well (which is why I’m so late with this blog) and I was resting and reading. It’s a really good suspense book by a well known author. One of the characters had been raped, and after that, she’d taken to reading romance novels while hiding in the library so no one could see her reading the romances. I was annoyed, getting myself really peeved about this. I couldn’t imagine why the author had this attitude about romances until it dawned me—it was the CHARACTER hiding her romance reading, not the author. The character was exactly the type who would do this. She’d never have read a romance, or really any book, before the rape. She refused any emotional help, and she was embarrassed that she’d found solace in romance novels.
But for a few minutes there, I was mixing up the author and the character. Even though the same thing happens to me as an author all the time.
But you know, I think that’s a good thing. When readers are so drawn into the characters world that they forget the author MADE UP the characters, then the author has done their job.
On another subject, I finally saw the movie STRANGER THAN FICTION—talk about fantasy and reality colliding! If you haven’t seen it, give it a try!
So now we’ve established that I like romantic rivals in fiction, but not in real life. What about you all? What do you like in books that don’t like in reality?
Posted by Jennifer Apodaca @ 1:01 pm • Filed under: General, Jennifer Apodaca
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Oh I always fall for the bad boy in romances but truly you don’t want one in real life lol.
I’m not sure my comment went through so forgive me if it repeats.
I always fall for bad boys in romances but I’ve found out that you really don’t want them in real life lol.
I agree with catslady I love the bad boy in a romance, but in real life I want the stable man. I also don’t mind with the couple get together so quickly your head spins, but in real life I took my sweet time getting to know my husband before I said I love you.
Alpha males. They sound great until you never have the ability to make a decision again, because they are all made for you! I don’t have one (an Alpha male), and wouldn’t want one.
Catlady, Bad Boys are so much fun in romances! Not so much in real life
PattyL, good point about fast relationships. I wrote a novella titled Fast Boys about a NASCAR Driver who teamed up with the heroine pretty darn quick. It works in fantasy, but probably not in real life!
Brandy, I with you on Alpha Males!
I like reading about bad boys who are possessive about their women. But if it’s in real life, I may get pissed off easily about the “ownership” thing
I’m with everyone else on the whole bad boy/alpha male hero. In real life, if a guy acted like that, he’d be swallowing his gonads… backwards!:twisted:
I agree - the bad boy. And yeah, having a couple of guys fighting over you sounds way more exciting than it is, I’m sure (don’t know, never had that problem LOL) Or dating a rock star or actor. What a huge headache that would be in RL.
I have to agree with the bad boy theme here. But in real life, I would take a stable guy who is protective, but not possessive. That could be a real headache. But I love a romance where you can get into it and forget the rest of the world.