Daily Archives: August 26, 2015

Why Read Romance? By Jacqueline Seewald

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dmr-js-full (2)Why do romance novels continue to attract so many readers? There are a number of good reasons. I’ll offer my own opinion and let’s see if we agree.

Why do I read romances? I enjoy reading books I can feel passionate about which equates to main characters who are passionate people. I want to read a novel in which I truly care about those main characters. For me, that means romantic fiction.

Don’t get me wrong, I like many different kinds of fiction but enjoy most a novel with a happy ending. I hope that doesn’t make me sound shallow. I suppose part of the reason I read is to escape the hum-drum of everyday existence. I want to read a great love story with characters I can care about. For instance, I love Regency because the novels are often humorous as well as romantic.

I want to solve an exciting mystery along with the fictional detectives. I also want to read a book with an interesting, clever plot. I appreciate an intelligently written novel. However, without a good romance, for me a mystery novel falls flat. Sleuths in a mystery need to be well-rounded characters just like people in real life. Emotions are part of human existence. The 4th novel in my Kim Reynolds series: THE BAD WIFE is part of my tribute to romantic mystery fiction. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J6PCKVW

The series consists of romantic mysteries with a paranormal edge, the kind of fiction I enjoy reading. Did I mention I like to read romances that have a paranormal element? No? Pardon my oversight.

My latest published novel, DARK MOON RISING, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z7824A4/

combines romance, mystery, and paranormal elements. It’s my tribute to the Gothic tradition. I love reading a fast-paced romance that has the elements of a supernatural suspense thriller. So I had to write my own version.

TheDevilAndDannaWebster_1600x2400My YA romance novel THE DEVIL AND DANNA WEBSTER came out with a digital first publisher. http://www.amazon.com/Devil-Danna-Webster-Jacqueline-Seewald/dp/1512340081/

It received such good reviews and was so popular with readers that the publisher has now brought it out in print as well.

Reading novels and short stories gives me added perspective on life while providing me with inspiration to write fiction. I wrote a book of short stories entitled BEYOND THE BO TREE which is offered Kindle book. It contains ten romantic stories of varied heat levels. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DTV0750

Some of the stories are realistic while others are fanciful. There’s a good mix which include a vampire romance, a Druid priestess at odds with an archeologist, and a young woman who meets a Greek god in the garden of an art gallery.

I believe a good book is one the reader will enjoy. It should be one you just have to finish reading and it should leave you feeling good, satisfied, emotionally and mentally enriched.

Here is an excerpt from DARK MOON RISING, my latest adult romance:

“Life and death are just different sides of the same coin.” He pressed her fingertips against his lips.

“I think you’re paying lip service to a viewpoint you feel requires your loyalty.” Her voice sounded unsteady.

His fingertips lifted her chin and gently turned her face toward his. “I think maybe you’re right. You’re very perceptive about people, aren’t you? It’s okay. You don’t have to be shy with me.”

She felt her cheeks flame. “Tell me about yourself,” she said quickly.

BadWife-DHis piercing midnight-blue eyes met hers squarely. “You really don’t want to know.”

She sensed his inner conflict and turmoil. “Yes, I would really like to know you.”

“You’re so sweet and lovely.”

The next thing she knew, he was leaning over and taking her into his arms. She wanted to give in to the need she felt for him, but her sensitivity warned her it would be a serious mistake. She reacted by pulling away from him, but he pressed closer. The pads of his thumbs rubbed erotically across her lips. Then he held her head with his hand and bent his face over hers. His fingers caught in her hair as his lips, warm and firm, pressed against her own.

Her heart was beating wildly as she withdrew from him. Surely, this was not right. Awareness of her vulnerability was more than a little frightening. He sensed her resistance and allowed her to move away.

“You were going to tell me about yourself,” she reminded him in a breathless voice.

“There isn’t much to tell—unless you want to know about the people I’ve killed in the name of patriotism.” His look was unreadable.

She felt the hum of sexual tension between them. She had always liked blue eyes in a man and his were such a deep, dark blue she felt as if she were drowning in them.

He pulled her against him, his mouth coming down on hers. This kiss was not as gentle as the previous one. He did not merely press his lips against hers but kissed her deeply, hungrily, possessively. His mouth was warm and moist and tasted of beer, tobacco and virility. She sought to break free, but this was the man of her dreams. Even if she hadn’t told him, even if he didn’t know that she had dreamt of him just as he had dreamt of her, somehow it was there between them. The connection, the need, the passion was very real. They were linked together in some primeval way that she could not hope to understand.

*****

What sort of novels do you prefer to read? What constitutes a good book in your opinion? Who are some of your favorite authors? Are there any novels you would recommend to other readers?

IMG_1727BIO

Multiple award-winning author, Jacqueline Seewald, has taught creative, expository and technical writing at Rutgers University as well as high school English. She also worked as both an academic librarian and an educational media specialist. Fifteen of her books of fiction have been published to critical praise including books for adults, teens and children. Her short stories, poems, essays, reviews and articles have appeared in hundreds of diverse publications and numerous anthologies such as: THE WRITER, L.A. TIMES, READER’S DIGEST, PEDESTAL, SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE, OVER MY DEAD BODY!, GUMSHOE REVIEW, LIBRARY JOURNAL, and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY. She’s also an amateur landscape artist and loves blue grass music.

Her writer’s blog can be found at: http://jacquelineseewald.blogspot.com

An Interview with Heidi Vanlandingham

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Riding the Storm Cover redo copyWhat genre(s) do you write in and why?  I have two genre loves:  Historical (all eras) and paranormal. I read and write in both.

What is your favorite part of writing? When I’m done with the story and find out I’ve woven subplots throughout without meaning too—and they actually make the story better!

What is your least favorite part of writing?  Editing. I love editing other author’s work and have been called a Grammar Nazi. However, I hate repeating myself when I talk, and editing my stories is sort of like that for me. Rereading the story over and over. Ugghhh!

What is your favorite dessert/food?  Cherry cheesecake, Italian, Mexican, and Chinese.  Basically, I love all food—and especially desserts!

What is most difficult for you to write?  Characters, conflict or emotions?  Why?  I guess it’s the deep emotion each character needs. My oldest son is in the autism spectrum and has introduced me and the rest of my family to the darker world of theft, alcohol, and drugs. The last ten years have been so difficult for me, my husband, and my youngest son—almost destroying our family. We are still working our way back to one another. Having such an overload of emotions for so long, it’s been difficult to allow my characters to have those same ‘angsts’.

Was your road to publication fraught with peril or a walk in the park?  Definitely peril. My goal is to be both indie and traditionally published. I’m still trying to submit my stories to several big publishers, but I write out of the box. In other words, I don’t write to their ideal structure. My stories aren’t solely about the love interests, and I always have several subplots running alongside the main plot. I also write cross genre, YA to NA, historical paranormal, and all have a bit of mystery.

Tell us about your hero.  Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.  Bryan MacConnell was introduced in the first book in my Oklahoma series, Trail of Hope. He was a very young soldier and  aided them as they traveled the Trail of Tears. Suffering his own tragedy as a child, he grew up wanting to help others.  This is both a strength and a weakness for him. He always helps others, even when it interferes with his own life and ambitions.

Tell us about your heroine.  Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.  Sophia Floyd was rescued after the death of her parents by a kind family moving west. Once she was old enough, she and her stepbrother joined a wagon train heading back East (those people who couldn’t make a life out West) so she could search for information about her brother who wasn’t with her parents when they were killed. Sophia is loyal to a fault and incredibly brave. She’s also stubborn and expects others to just go along with her plans no matter the danger.

Do you prefer to read in the same genres you write in or do you avoid reading that genre? I definitely read the genre I write in.  Why? Well, for my historical westerns, I never lived in the 1800s, so putting myself into the story, i.e., dialogue and descriptions, is easier when I’m drowning my brain cells in Louis L’Amour. Lol!

Has your muse always known what genre you would write and be published in?  Oh my, no. I never set out to write historical westerns. I grew up in northwestern Oklahoma, loved horses, but lived in town. I really thought I’d like to write ancient history—medieval, Reformation—anything to do with knights and chivalry. I have a minor in history and LOVE it! I’ve also always loved anything that couldn’t be explained—the ‘what-ifs’ of life and how we’ve evolved throughout time, so writing Paranormal was like breathing. However, even my paranormals have historical elements in them.

Tell us a little about yourself and your latest book.  I’m getting ready to release a paranormal trilogy, which could be considered a New Adult, just in an alternate world. There’s a little bit of everything in these stories: love, adventure, sexy men, girls with attitude, mystery, and, of course, history. I’m also submitting a Celtic paranormal (shapeshifter) to several publishers, so wish me luck with that.

BIO:
I was born and raised in Oklahoma and married my high school sweetheart (who just thought he could get away). We have two sons–the oldest is in the Autism Spectrum and lives in a group home, the youngest still lives at home and fills my days with great conversations (seriously, he’s so stinkin’  smart) and lots and lots of baseball. 
 
Along with historical fiction, I also write paranormal with, of course, a bit of history woven in.

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