Genre Schmenre

Okay, so I guess I'm just not able to join my sacred sisterhood of romance writers in the apparently inborn understanding they all seem to possess of what the gosh darn difference is between a romantic suspense and a suspense with romantic elements. A ________ with __ elements. (You fill in the blanks.) Apparently there are entire publishers who specialize just in "with elements of..." Books. What is that? I mean just from a marketing standpoint where the heck does the bookstore shelve something like that? In the with elements section?

And the difference is more subtle than you'd think. Like a five or ten percent difference in the level of romance as opposed to the level suspense and suddenly you've spent ten months writing something that isn't what you thought it was at all. There's a lovely lady named Robin Perini in my RWA group who has written a book that, to be perfectly honest, I know nothing about. Except that apparently people love it. They think it's great. Sharon Sala read it for her and had nothing but good things to say but she can't publish the blasted thing and it's probably because it's like mine. 50/50 right down the middle. Half romance half suspense. But apparently those sorts of books are all at sea. They're not romantic suspense but they're not really anything else either. Gggrrr.

What happened to the good old days when everything was just what it was? There were mysteries, romances, westerns and sci fi and fantasies. None of this mamby pamby sub genre crap. And the men were men and the women wore hose with seams down the back and children were seen and not heard and everyone made a great casserole. Although I'm sure that the writers at the time would probably beg to differ with me on that one. There's nothing new under the sun after all.

Song of the Day-- Taylor the Latte Boy, Kristin Chenoweth. A wonderful song about inspiration for all my fellow writers out there. Who'd have thought that love could be so caffeinated?

Quote of the Day--

Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards. - Robert Heinlein

Amber