Romance is a big seller, as are thrillers full of tension. Romantic suspense authors like Nora Roberts have the best of both genres. Readers have two themes to intrigue them - the interaction between hero and heroine and the fear that a villain will get one of them. With a very skillful writer, there's the fear that the villain will be one of them.
This is a new segment in the mass-produced romances that used to be called 'bodice rippers'. The main theme, which shows up practically on page one, is the strong attraction between a beautiful young girl and a generic male character. The recent twist is to have the inevitable misunderstanding complicated by a mystery. It does make things more interesting than the old boy-meets-girl, girl-runs-away plot.
Novelists of great stature such as the prolific Nora Roberts, with hundreds of books to her credit, offer more than an involved plot and rote interaction between generic characters. Roberts never includes scenes merely to fulfill the requirements of a plot outline. She does not create characters that are mere sketches. Her dialogue is believable and her heroes and heroines memorable.
Roberts wrote strictly romances for years, but now she has a best-selling series written under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb. Her heroine here is not a librarian or a schoolteacher but a New York policewoman. The romantic interest is the detective's husband, and this skilled writer has made their on-going relationship the central theme of the series.
Combining romance and mystery is nothing new for popular novelists. Dorothy L. Sayers set her immortal hero, Peter Whimsey, a difficult path to domestic bliss when she had him fall for a woman charged with murdering her lover. Peter's Helen is full of remorse for bad life choices and also fiercely independent, so Peter can't just ride in on his white horse and sweep her away. First of all he has to find the real murderer, just to get her out of goal where he can pursue her properly.
Police are favorite characters, but this doesn't eliminate the romantic angle. Martha Grimes writes the saga of Richard Jury, a melancholy detective whose desire for love is frustrated over and over. Devoted readers enjoy Jury's cleverness and his relationships with co-workers, friends, acquaintances, lovers, and a mysterious Londoner who may or may not have committed the crime Jury suspects him of.
Not all the good authors are women, either. Dick Francis wrote action books based on the world of thoroughbred racing. They are all mysteries, with a central character investigating dark plots among the aristocracy as well as the lower classes. Both worlds are expertly depicted, and the heroes narrowly escape death but never the mayhem that goes before it. However, some of his best books involve romance: Matt Shore falling for his Nancy or Sid Halley losing his first wife to his ambition to be leading steeplechase rider.
There's no need for readers to sacrifice their love of good writing when they look for mystery and romance. Many fine writers create memorable characters. It is not unusual to have a bestseller show up in the cinema and on television, . Millions of readers carry these men and women around in their heads and their hearts, little wisps of fantasy that liven up everyday doldrums.
This is a new segment in the mass-produced romances that used to be called 'bodice rippers'. The main theme, which shows up practically on page one, is the strong attraction between a beautiful young girl and a generic male character. The recent twist is to have the inevitable misunderstanding complicated by a mystery. It does make things more interesting than the old boy-meets-girl, girl-runs-away plot.
Novelists of great stature such as the prolific Nora Roberts, with hundreds of books to her credit, offer more than an involved plot and rote interaction between generic characters. Roberts never includes scenes merely to fulfill the requirements of a plot outline. She does not create characters that are mere sketches. Her dialogue is believable and her heroes and heroines memorable.
Roberts wrote strictly romances for years, but now she has a best-selling series written under the pseudonym of J. D. Robb. Her heroine here is not a librarian or a schoolteacher but a New York policewoman. The romantic interest is the detective's husband, and this skilled writer has made their on-going relationship the central theme of the series.
Combining romance and mystery is nothing new for popular novelists. Dorothy L. Sayers set her immortal hero, Peter Whimsey, a difficult path to domestic bliss when she had him fall for a woman charged with murdering her lover. Peter's Helen is full of remorse for bad life choices and also fiercely independent, so Peter can't just ride in on his white horse and sweep her away. First of all he has to find the real murderer, just to get her out of goal where he can pursue her properly.
Police are favorite characters, but this doesn't eliminate the romantic angle. Martha Grimes writes the saga of Richard Jury, a melancholy detective whose desire for love is frustrated over and over. Devoted readers enjoy Jury's cleverness and his relationships with co-workers, friends, acquaintances, lovers, and a mysterious Londoner who may or may not have committed the crime Jury suspects him of.
Not all the good authors are women, either. Dick Francis wrote action books based on the world of thoroughbred racing. They are all mysteries, with a central character investigating dark plots among the aristocracy as well as the lower classes. Both worlds are expertly depicted, and the heroes narrowly escape death but never the mayhem that goes before it. However, some of his best books involve romance: Matt Shore falling for his Nancy or Sid Halley losing his first wife to his ambition to be leading steeplechase rider.
There's no need for readers to sacrifice their love of good writing when they look for mystery and romance. Many fine writers create memorable characters. It is not unusual to have a bestseller show up in the cinema and on television, . Millions of readers carry these men and women around in their heads and their hearts, little wisps of fantasy that liven up everyday doldrums.
About the Author:
You can visit mjflournoy.com for more helpful information about Romantic Suspense Authors Like Nora Roberts.
No comments:
Post a Comment