Believe it or not, I’ve been asked-- and contracted-- to write four paranormal romances. (One- one thousand, two- one thousand….okay, time’s up. You can stop laughing now. :()
Writing about the paranormal comes easily to me, of course, as all of my stand-alones contain the supernatural and/or paranormal in one way or another. But the romance part of this writing gig . . . well, for those of you who know me, no further explanation is needed. For those of you who don’t, think GI Jane cast as Juliet in Shakespeare’s infamous play. If you can’t quite wrap your brain around that scenario, let me give you a hint. The dialogue would go something like….
“Hey, Romeo! Yo, Romeo . . . where the hell you at?”
Unfortunately, I rarely, if ever, get swept away by the type of romance most women seem to enjoy. I mean if a guy sends me flowers and candy, I’m appropriately impressed and appreciative, but to tell you the truth, it makes me a little antsy. Stupid and irrational I know, but it’s like an automatic reflex. Flowers and candy might mean the guy now expects me to start acting like…a real girl. You know, the whole painted fingernails and fancy dress thing? Now don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against women who paint their fingernails and wear fancy dresses. I just ain’t one of them. I’m more of a jeans, t-shirt, and boots kind of girl. Sure, I enjoy candlelit dinners and late night strolls on a beach, but I consider those things lagniappe where romance is concerned. What’s romantic to me is being with a guy whose interests are similar to mine. A man with a fast wit, keen intellect, and one who’s just as comfortable skipping rocks across a lake with me as he is strolling along its shore, talking about the secrets of the universe.
Anyway, as I’m sure you’ve probably surmised by now, tuning into a ‘normal’ romance is a bit of a challenge for me. Although I’m sure not all women define romance in the same way, I wanted the romantic elements of my stories to ring true to the reader, so I asked my daughters and sister for advice on the matter. All four looked at me like I’d grown an extra nose, then started laughing so hard they doubled over. Geez!
Despite the teasing of my beloved sibling and offspring, I’m truly having a fabulous time writing these books. The first one, The Wolven, is scheduled to be released November 28, 2010. (Hop on over to my website if you have a moment and check out the book trailer—www.deborahleblanc.com) Of course I have my fingers crossed and will be holding my breath until the reviews start coming in, hoping I don’t get laughed out of the genre!
Either way, there is some comfort in knowing I can always fall back on my Shakespearian tour de force. . .
“Yo, Romeo, get your butt over here so we can regroup!”
Take care, y’all J
deb
Maybe more kids would enjoy Shakespeare if it had lines like, "Hey, Romeo! Yo, Romeo . . . where the hell you at?” :)
ReplyDeleteI think you're on to something there....
Yo! Best of luck with your upcoming release!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, going out of your comfort zone. I, too, feel a little awkward when writing the romance part of a book, especially the mushy parts.
ReplyDeleteI love romance! I think a romantic subplot makes any story richer. Best of luck with the new series!
ReplyDeleteI think people who don't have a pre-conceived notion of what romance should be actually make really great romance writers. I still remember in Beauty and the Beast, when the Beast gave Beauty his library. I thought that was the most romantic gesture ever. My then-boyfriend, now-husband, gave me and orange t-shirt with my initial etc printed on the front ... for Valentine's Day. I knew right then that this was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. In my opin that's Real Romance.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the hubs and I have actually strolled on the beach and talked about both physics and politics while the sun set. I'm so in agreement with you about what's romantic. And I have a feeling that a lot of other women are, too. Don't ignore your instincts in favor of "normal" I say.
Thanks for the well-wishes on the release, everyone. :) You know, it's a mixed bag of nuts--no pun intended!--I have no issues writing the sex scenes, except maybe an occasional dance around a questionable word--( I REFUSE to use heaving bossom or throbbing manhood, okay? lol)but the mushy, cuddling stuff--geez!
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