Today I have Brenda Novak here as part of the White Heat Blog Tour. I am very excited to have Brenda stop by today for a guest post. Please welcome Brenda Novak!
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Do you write from experience?
Boy, do I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked this! LOL It almost always comes from men (as a matter of fact, I can’t remember one woman ever asking me this), and it’s almost always said with a wink and a smile so that I understand they’re talking about the sex scenes.
My response? Usually something along the lines of…“Since I write about murder, I hope not!” To me it’s only logical that if I can use my imagination to stalk and kill someone, I can use the same approach when it comes to a bedroom scene.
Maybe the basis for this question is really more about the romance genre and some of the myths or out-dated stereotypes attached to it, such as:
1. Romance novels are all about sex. This couldn’t be more wrong. Romance novels are no more about sex than mystery novels are about murder. In a mystery, it’s solving the puzzle that readers like. In a romance novel, it’s watching two people figure out a way to forge a lasting relationship despite all the obstacles keeping them apart. It’s about the HAPPILY EVER AFTER--not the sex.
2. Romance novels are all the same. Romance novels are no more “the same” or “written according to a formula” than mystery novels or thriller novels. There are certain conventions readers expect writers to comply with in each genre, but it’s the journey to that happy ending that readers enjoy in romance, and every journey is different. Now that the romance genre has grown and developed to the point that authors are mixing genres, there is more variety than ever (i.e. paranormal romance, romantic suspense, comedy and thriller, erotica, inspirational, and—the most recent addition—urban fantasy).
3. Reading romance novels is something to be ashamed of, a guilty pleasure. Why feel guilty about jumping into a good story when you need to relax or have to wait for hours at a doctor’s office? Some of the most touching fan mail I ever receive goes something like this: “I want to thank you for writing (whichever book they’ve been reading). Your characters enveloped me in their world when I needed it most. I’ve never been through a worst time than the past year. I’ve been (fill in the blank with--going through a divorce, watching my mother die, getting chemotherapy treatments, learning to walk again after a terrible accident), and it brought me joy when I needed it most. Please keep writing.” These people make me proud of what I do. Romance novels promote happiness and hope and act as a testament to the age-old theme that love conquers all.
4. Anyone can write a romance. Writing romance isn’t any easier than writing any other kind of book, especially in this tight market. It is, however, the genre that sells the best by FAR (1.4 billion compared to $800,000 million for the next best-selling category, which is inspirational).
5. The people who read romance lack healthy sex lives and thus must live vicariously through fictional characters. An Info Trends study commissioned by Romance Writers of America revealed the heart of the genre’s readership is women aged 31 – 49 who are currently in a romantic relationship.
6. Romance novels are all fluff. Only if you consider stories about survival and endurance and championing over all odds (no matter how daunting or terrifying) fluff. In real life, bad people do bad things and good people have to figure out how to survive and overcome them. I believe in this "overcoming." I like the determination I feel when good and evil go to battle. I trust that good will eventually conquer and love to see it played out on the page.
Emotion is the heart of any good novel, and that's especially true in romance, but these books are not limited to romantic love and/or desire. In WHITE HEAT, the heroine was raised by an overly strict father who forced her to adhere to his own suffocating brand of religion. She eventually rebelled, which put a rift between them--one she hasn't yet come to terms with--so when she accepts the assignment to infiltrate a dangerous cult, the echoes of her own upbringing make this an especially difficult job for her. As the writer of this story, I enjoyed exploring how one would come to terms with this type of conflict, how one would rise above it and eventually overcome the resentment and hurt in order to find peace--and I think Rachel's journey is a memorable and satisfying one.
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About Brenda Novak
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak has three novels coming out this summer – WHITE HEAT, BODY HEAT & KILLER HEAT. She also runs an annual on-line auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com. To date, she’s raised over $1,072,000. Brenda considers herself lucky to be a mother of five and marries to the love of her life.
About White Heat - In Stores NOW
White Heat is the first book in Brenda Novak’s new Department 6 Hired Guns trilogy.
Nate Ferrentino and Rachel Jessop are operatives for Department 6, a private security company, and they’re going undercover to expose a new and dangerous cult.
This group has taken up residence in the Arizona desert, in a ghost town called Paradise. Members worship at the feet—and in the bed--of its charismatic leader, Ethan Wycliff. On his orders, they tried to stone a woman to death. And they’re implicated in the disappearance of a teenage girl.
To expose the Church of the Covenant, with its arcane rituals and debauched practices, Nate and Rachel must pretend to be married. That’s the only way they can get in—but being Nate’s “wife” is the last thing Rachel wants. She and Nate have a one-night history that’s just an embarrassment to her now. But they don’t have a choice. Wycliff has to be stopped.
Buy the book
The Book Depository | Kindle
Where to find Brenda Novak online
website | twitter | facebook
Swing by Seeryus Mama on Tuesday, August 10 for Brenda’s next stop!
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