Where is the romance genre going???

I recently went to a conference in Spokane, Washington (great job, IECRWA!!!!) and one of the topics that kept coming up was trying to define the "romance" genre. Of course, we all know the traditional romance stereotypes... I still love reading very traditional romances, and I'll always have a soft place in my heart for those super-alpha heroes.

But every time I talk to romance readers, they're talking about authors who aren't writing entirely typical romances. So many big authors -- Linda Howard, Suzanne Brockmann, etc -- have gone toward romantic suspense that isn't true romance, and it seems like a lot of new stars popular with romance readers are doing urban fantasy. In my own writing career, I've seen great sales of urban fantasy, romantic suspense and now a WESTERN, which I thought were all but dead.

So -- What do you think? What's the next big step for romance, and do you think the "genre" should be stretching to call these new authors romance writers? Are they something else? As readers, what do you want to read, and what makes a book a keeper for you? Does a "romance" still need to follow the formula to appeal to romance readers? I know that many writers groups are struggling with this idea, but I'm not seeing a lot of people actually asking READERS.

What's your opinion?

Joanna Wylde

One last contest!!!!

Congratulations to Tetewa, who won yesterday's contest :) Just drop me a line at joannawylde (AT) gmail.com to claim your prize! You can pick any one of my books in electronic form, or you can get "The Price of Pleasure" or "The Price of Freedom" in trade paperback :)

So today is my last day as your guest blogger, and I want to give away one more book. Just go ahead and reply to this post to enter the contest...

Happy playing!

Joanna Wylde

www.joannawylde.net

What are your hottest authors this year???

Yesterday I posted my "formative" authors, and it was fun to see how many of us share the same favorites! Today I want to hear about who you're loving in the past six months or so. Not just what you're reading right at this minute, but who your "automatic buys" are these days... Just a warning, a lot of mine are urban fantasy. Romantic, but not necessarily romance.

Joanna Wylde's List:

"Any Given Doomsday" by Lori Handeland (I can't wait for the sequel!!!!)
Keri Arthur -- an amazing writer, and the coolest thing about her is she writes her heroine like she's a man. Not too often you get to see a woman who isn't defined by her sexuality... It's not as romantic as some authors, but very fun to read!
Karen Chance -- I have yet to pick up a stinker by her ;)
Ann Aguirre -- Got one of her books from the library and then I had to go and buy up her whole backlist...
Jes Battis -- CSI for the supernatural set! This guy's writing is really a step above, although not traditional romance at all.
Charlaine Harris
Jennifer Armintrout
Karen Marie Moning (LOVING her Fae series!)
Jeaniene Frost (loved her first, by the third not so much)
Kelley Armstrong (both her women of the otherword series and her hit-woman series)
Lisa Kleypas (Kinda tired of her Regency stuff, but loving the contemporary books)

That's just a small sample, of course. I'm a junkie, I have a serious book problem... They know me all too well a Borders, LOL.

So, what are you reading? What author will you buy without thinking twice? Does your list look like mine at all???

A new contest, and thanks to those who played yesterday!

Hi everyone,

I had fun playing yesterday -- what a great group of readers! I'm pleased to announce that my two contest winners are Rachael (who won a copy of "Catherine's Awakening") and Sarah, who won a copy of "The Price of Pleasure" in trade paperback. If either of you want a different book, just let me know ;)

Today I'd like to give away another book, because what's the fun of being a guest if you can't offer good swag? To enter, just reply to this post and I'll put you in the drawing!

Joanna Wylde
www.joannawylde.net

Romances/romantic books that knocked me on my ass...

I started reading romance under the covers with a flashlight when I was about twelve years old... My parents were not exactly liberal, and considered all romance trashy, even pornographic, so I got very, very sneaky about it. But you simply can't keep a true romance genre addict away from the books, and I've been reading them for more than 20 years now!

I thought I'd start the day off by telling you about some of those books that I truly loved, books that shaped how I write and think about the genre. The funny thing I've found is that some of them don't really "hold up" to my memories. They aren't necessarily what I'd read now, and when I go back to look at them again some just don't hit me the same way. Others are as great now as they were the first time I saw them ;)

So, I'll show you mine if you show me yours! What books have you loved over the years? What books really caught you and brought you into the genre???

Joanna Wylde's list:

"Flowers from the Storm" by Laura Kinsale
"Shield's Lady" by Jayne Ann Krentz
"After the Night" by Linda Howard (hell, just pick ANY Linda Howard, especially her earlier stuff before she went more mainstream romantic suspense!)
"Dreaming of You" by Lisa Kleypas
"One Summer" by Karen Robards
"Wild Swan" by Celeste de Blasis
"The Duke" by Gaelen Foley
"Dark Prince" by Christine Feehan

Oh, and can any "formative" romance list be complete without "Sweet Savage Love" by Rosemary Rogers??? It's a scary old book on soooooo many levels, but it was the first book I ever read with explicit sex scenes! I babysat for a woman who had a copy on her bookshelf. Damn, I couldn't WAIT for those kids to go to sleep ;)

So, what books touched you as an early reader, for better or worse? I want to hear about them!

Thanks so much for a great welcome!

Hi everyone,

I'm really thrilled to be a guest blogger here at Desert Island Keepers, and I hope to make the time fun for all of us. First thing first... Free books!!!

In the interests of blatant self promotion, I've got a little challenge for people interested in entering a drawing for a free copy of my newest novella, "Catherine's Awakening." Here's the blurb:

Wade Masters has always wanted Catherine. The sight of her sends slow fire burning through him. At night his dreams twist his body with need, stoking his desire beyond control or rational thought. In Wade’s eyes, Catherine has always been his woman. But she was too young when he left for war, and when he returned he found her married to his brother.

Wade did the right thing. He honored her marriage, and when his brother died he gave Cat protection and a place to live. But now she’s leaving. It’s too much. It’s time for Catherine to wake up and see Wade for who he is—the man who will complete her. She just needs to give him a chance.


So, if you want to enter yourself in the contest, go to my website and read the "Catherine's Awakening" excerpt. Then email me at joannawylde AT gmail.com with the answer to this question: "What kind of job is Catherine trying to get?"

I'll pick a winner at the end of the day, and send off a free copy!

Interview with Joanna Wylde

Please help me give a warm DIK welcome to Joanna Wylde. She'll be with us until Saturday and there'll be gifties so keep you eyes peeled!

Joanna Wylde is a freelance writer who worked as both a journalist and a fundraiser before finding her niche in erotic romance. In April 2002, "The Price of Pleasure" was released as an e-book and quickly found a receptive audience. Jo is married and lives in north Idaho with her husband, David.

So your first published book was the Price of Pleasure. Was this the first book you wrote or just the first one published?

"The Price of Pleasure" was my first book, although I've always been interested in writing -- I just hadn't finished anything before. When I started talking to the folks at Ellora's Cave I got really excited about the story and finished it in a very short time. I did have a great deal of writing experience in journalism and tech writing before I got serious about fiction.

What led you to write erotic romances in general?

In all honesty, I had never considered writing erotic romances before I learned about Ellora's Cave. One of my friends from the Linda Howard bulletin board posted about this new publisher, which was doing books unlike anything I'd ever read before. I decided to try writing one, just as a challenge, and things just took off from there.

You seem to write a lot of Urban Fantasy, Futuristic and mythological erotic romances. Which of these is your favorite to write? And what led you to these sub-genre's originally?

I have always loved fantasy and science fiction, but I really started writing futuristics because that seemed to be what Ellora's Cave was looking for. I had such a positive response from readers that I kept writing them, although I like to experiment with other genres every chance I get. I love so many different kinds of romance that it's hard to imagine being stuck writing just one -- I just finished my first western, and that was tons of fun to write. Each type of romance carries so many challenges and opportunities, and the readers have been great about not trying to box me into just one kind of writing!

What is your favorite genre to read?

Right now I really enjoy reading urban fantasy the most, although I have a weakness for Regencies and romantic suspense. I love alpha heroes, and the darker the plots, the better.

Do you have a favorite book that you've written? If so, which one and why?

I don't know that I have a favorite book, but I do have a favorite project. Recently, one of the editors at Elloras Cave lost her teenage daughter to smoke inhalation under horrific circumstances. A large group of EC authors has banded together to write a series of stories as a fundraiser for the family, with the proceeds going to pay off her final expenses. To say I'm honored to be a part of this project is an understatement, and it is my hope that people will buy as many of these stories as possible -- not only will you be getting great reads, but you'll be helping a truly wonderful family in a time of need. When I have more information I'll pass it along to you (publication dates, titles, etc.)

In her honor, I ask all your readers to check and make sure that their smoke alarms are functional, and that they have dual sensors. Here's a link to Consumer Reports that gives more information on smoke alarm safety and what kind of alarms you should have installed in your home: Fire Safety For Your Home.

You worked as a journalist prior to penning erotic romance, correct? Although they are both writing they are worlds apart. Was making that transition hard...trying to write a story instead of an article?

Well, I think that writing is writing. A novel is very different from articles in terms of preparation, plotting, etc., but both kinds of writing are ultimately about sitting your butt down in a chair and typing. Otherwise, they're far more similar than you'd think. It's about getting words onto a page, and then cleaning them up enough that people can understand them. It all requires commitment, creativity and research.

Of course, there's nothing like a writing deadline to get me serious about cleaning my bathroom... I'm a terrible procrastinator!

Who is your favorite author and why?

I don't have one favorite author, but there are a few whose books I buy automatically. They include Jim Butcher, Patricia Briggs, Charlaine Harris, Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison (can you tell I'm reading urban fantasy these days???). Some of my all-time favorite romance authors are Lisa Kleypas and Linda Howard. I also love non-fiction, and read lots of history. That's what my degree is in -- specifically, the education of upper-class Tudor women, which has got to be the least-practical thing on earth to study!

What's up next (release-wise) for you?

I recently signed a contract for a novella called "Gladiator's Price," which is the latest in my futuristic series. There will be more details about that one on my website (http://www.joannawylde.net/) as soon as I've got the all-clear to start sharing them. I'd love to tell you about the most recent historical I've written, but the contract is still pending on that one. I'm looking to write another western in the near future, and am also working on a Regency. There are just so many stories I want to write, but it seems like I will never have time to do even half of them. It's a good problem to have!

Leave a comment on this post to be in the running for one of Joanna's books!

Joanna thank you again for joining us here one DIK .

What's Going On and A Look Back

Happy Monday!

Little Alys was to be our DIK lady on board for the next few days but unfortunately she's under the weather and is being taken care of in her hut by her many wonderful men. We all hope you feel better soon Alys. Although, with all that TLC from your menz you might want to drag it out a few more days if you know what I mean.

Anyway since she couldn't be with us today I thought we could take a look back on her DIK books to see what it is she's reading while recuperating (from sickness or her men, whichever).
Check out her books here.

Tomorrow we'll have Brie as a guest blogger and then Renee on Wednesday! Woohoo!

And don't forget to join us Thursday through Saturday of this week when we'll welcome author Joanna Wylde to our little slice of heaven. Just FYI - she'll be giving away books!