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Ana welcomes Kristy Tate, today's Friday Friend!
Sweet Romance
I
had an uncomfortable experience a number of years ago when I attended a
workshop where a writer brought in pages and pages of sex scenes to be
critiqued. She read one steamy passage and then said, now, skip 70 pages and
then she’d read another libido boosting scene. After the workshop, after I
stopped blushing, I asked her why she’d saved and clustered her sex scenes just
for us. Her answer, my agent said the reason my novels aren’t selling
is because they need the sex scenes so I’m adding them. Since then, this
writer is self-publishing her novels, sweet romances, sans sex scenes, and
she’s sold thousands of her books. I think she’s financially doing much better
than she would have had she published within the traditional romance industry AND
she’s able to look her grandmother in the eye.
This
reaffirms my belief that there’s a giant gaping hole in the publishing
industry. I believe in the power of words. I believe in the power of stories
and I also believe not every story has to be powerful. Entertainment is as
valuable as enlightenment. Sometimes we just need to get away. Go somewhere
else--take our mind off of the nitty-gritty of everyday. And even if we can’t
afford an African safari or romp in the Amazon, those experiences are available
to us, FOR FREE, at the public library. We can have romance, mystery and
intrigue if we possess a library card.
I’ll
admit I cried when the Border’s Bookstore closed. Whenever I felt sad I’d go to
Borders and buy a book and a chocolate. It didn’t happen often, I’m usually
upbeat, but when I’d feel trampled upon and world weary, I knew that I could be
lifted up just by going to the closest bookstore. Chocolates and books were
there, waiting. My son couldn’t understand my loss. You made your
choice when you bought your I-pad, he said. I want libraries, bookstores AND
books in the clouds,
I replied.
I
want books with romance, mystery and intrigue, but I don’t want books with
titillation,excessive violence or gore. And that’s the genius of
Autumn's Kiss: Ten Contemporary & Historical Sweet Romances. Ten sweet
romances by ten authors. Now available for pre-order on Amazon! http://amzn.to/1whXZj5
Long
live sweet romance. The books in the clouds have set us free. Good books are
there—we just need to know how to find them.
BIO
Kristy
is the mom of six incredibly brilliant and beautiful children, and the author
of several novels. Although many of her novels have won awards and have ranked
on Amazon's top 100 list, Kristy has yet to realize her lifelong dream of
owning a Schnauzer farm. Kristy studied English literature at Brigham Young
University and at BYU's International Center in London.
For
updates on Kristy's upcoming novels, please visit her blog at kristystories.blogspot.com
Welcome, Kristy! I feel you are absolutely correct when you note that emotion makes a good story. Love scenes can't read like assembly instructions.
ReplyDeleteHi Kristy, welcome to Heroines with Hearts. I, too, miss the bookstores, although I miss the independent little ones, the ones that had almost as much character as the books they carried. The good thing about the rise of small publishers, indie publishers and self publishing is that now there are so many more options for people who want to read and write different kinds of books.
ReplyDeleteHi Kirsty. I agree with you about the pages of sex scenes that are graphic and/or crude, or the ones that describe in detail who put what where! However, I don't object as much to 'bedroom scenes' where the emphasis is more on the characters' emotional fulfilment than on their physical satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I miss Borders too!
Hi Kristy,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to HwH.
I too lament the loss of Borders. I do own a tablet and a Kindle, but I still do most of my reading the 'old fashioned' way...there's just something about holding a paperback or hardcover book in your hands. And, I make do with Amazon and B & N but it's not the same as walking into that Borders.