Valentine Ideas for the Romance Writer

Since I don't write romances, this is a bit of a stretch for me, although I'll have you know that even in a Christian fiction or cozy mystery book there can be a bit of romance.

Photo by Adam Bell Photography, courtesy of Flickr

And, need I say it, I have had a bit of romance in the almost 33 years that I have been married.

So here goes:

The best books I've read that have had romance in them (even if they've only included one small kissing scene) do one of three things. They:

1. Keep you Guessing. The entire Valentine scene isn't spelled out. In my mind, the best romance isn't handed out on a silver platter, it takes some imagination to finish out the scene. That means that the reader is finishing out the kissing and what comes after it, not the writer.

2. Are Realistic. Most of the best romance happens on the spur of the moment, not on some long drawn out planned event. Sure, you may take your best girl to Hawaii for Valentine's Day, but it's not the flower petals that really get her, it's the flooding in the hotel that proves her man's devotion to her.

Photo by: Ryan Jarvis Photography, courtesy of Flickr

3. Keep You Wanting More. There is a lead up that first kiss. It isn't always easy and there are many obstacles to overcome before the romance happens. Heck, she may not even like him at first. Beginning the romance before it's time is kind of like taking the relationship to the next level before it's time. And yes, this does happen in real life, so if you decide to make this an issue in your book, be very sure to give your main character some time to heal or learn from the 'too soon' jump.

Valentine's Day, or at least those Valentine moments can be used in every book as long as the reader is kept guessing, feels like the romance is realistic, and the obstacles, including time, keep them wanting more.

Do I typically post reviews on my site?

Well, that depends. I have posted my own, but I have never posted a review that I have given to someone else.

But there comes a time for change and you just might be getting the first glimpse. I enjoyed reading Shelby's Plan and it was fun writing up the review.

If you're a romance reader I think you should read it. If you're not, I still think you should read it. I'm not a typical romance reader or writer so it was good for me to step out of the box a bit and read something I usually pass by on the bookshelves.

And now, the review:

Shelby, mother of two, has a plan. After the loss of her husband killed in the line of duty, she decides that she'll never marry a cop again. But after her move to Salt Lake City with her boys, hoping to start anew and begin her studies in nursing, Shelby meets Keith, an undercover cop whose sudden interest travels far beyond a mere friendship in a new city. With time, love blossoms, and Shelby is caught between the love she is beginning to feel for a cop and her own dreams of finishing school and marrying a doctor.

Cops die, and she never wants to go through that experience again.

Michelle Renea Anderson's crisp writing keeps you reading and begging for more.  Expect humor, some touching scenes, and a book filled with love and acceptance.

Find Shelby's Plan at: http://www.amazon.com/Shelbys-Plan-Michelle-Renea-Anderson/dp/0803492006.
 

To The Romance Writer

Since we're only a day away from Valentine's, I thought it would be nice to focus on romance writing. Let me say up front that I'm not a fan of most romance novels; those that really get me are the ones that shy away from the typical knight in shining armor routine, have characters that are as unique as the book and a setting that is natural and not over-used.  Let me explain what I mean:

Photo by: CarbonNYC, courtesy of Flickr

• If the good guy is always saving the day at the end, you haven't got me. If the woman is weak, you haven't got me. A better plot would be one where the woman is strong and can handle her life with or without the man. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for marriage and all that, I just think that the end of a story, especially the end of a romance, needs to take the reader off the beaten path, which brings me to my next concern.



Idaho Falls Campus, Idaho National Laboratory, courtesy of Flickr 

• Setting. Overused are those settings that we always think of when it comes to romance. Paris. Italy. The Hawaiian Islands. Cancun. What if the romance occurred in an out-of-the-way place like Idaho or West Virginia? 



Photo by Cwasteson, courtesy of Flickr

• Characters. When it comes to romance characters, quite honestly many of them are above human. Just substitute a different name and you have the same broad chested man that was in the last book. Please understand; I think romance characters need to be nice looking; we might not read a romance with a pot-bellied man as a main character, but consider this: many of us our dealing with men and women in real life that are not so perfect.

Okay, perhaps that's why you read romance, to escape. Maybe you write it to do the same, but it would just be refreshing if I could pick up a romance book and be pleasantly surprised. There is room in life for that, too.

I would love to read a romance like the movie, "You've Got Mail," except I'd have the main character keep her book store in the end, and I would expect the man in the story to want her to.

Take a look at the Jane Austen books. Sure, they have good looking men, but the main character doesn't always marry the best looking man, because, in the end, he isn't the best man for her. She may struggle with marriage, she may not even want to get married. In the end, she may find that she prefers the single life.

And can I say a bit about sex? Remember the movie, "Somewhere in Time?" Remember that tasteful bedroom scene? Remember how beautiful the scene was because of the lack of other things? Why can't a romance be more like that? Why do some romance books have to be so explicit?

Okay, I've said my peace.