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Saturday, June 22, 2019

They don't quite fit-- or something?

by Rain Trueax 


Why books find acceptance-- or not-- is a mystery to writers-- most of us. I mean we love everything we put out-- most of us. That is not always the case with readers-- most of them. So, this is about my failed contemporary romances, the ones without the paranormal elements, the ones that are all full-length novels-- all with suspense in the plot. 

Only one of these contemporaries was submitted to a publishing house. In the '90s, when I had sent a query on Moon Dust, one editor liked it enough to request the manuscript. This is a big deal as most queries don't end up going that far. Back then, it required printing it off, double-spaced, putting it in a box and mailing it with hope... It was rejected, but I did get a handwritten note with it (again not all do this). The editor said good things about the writing and suggested if I softened the plot, I could resubmit it. I understood the editor's concerns, as the book, while a romance, is also about divorce, consequences of abuse, and the militia movement. How do you soften any of that? 

After my extensive research, I especially saw no way to soften the emotional consequences of childhood abuse.  Some think molestation is only about women, but statistics say 10% of men have been abused. It's underestimated for its impact, given men are supposed to enjoy sex. Abuse is not about sex but control. It is as bad for males as females. I didn't resubmit the book and waited to bring it out-- un-softened-- when indie publishing became an option. 

It turned out to get very few readers; so that editor was probably right that romance readers want their books softer. You know most romance readers have complicated lives and often demanding careers. It's easy to see why they don't want to face difficult issues in their reading for pleasure.

I get that, but writers have to stay true to their muse, to their vision. Each of my books always has elements that interest me about the cycles of life-- not always enjoyable ones. I think this is because those are the books I prefer to read. 

So below are my contemporaries and why they were written-- what interested me in their themes as well as the characters. 

All but one of these books was written in the '90s. They were written during a time I had a desire to write but not so much concern about getting published. I found characters and developing their stories to be fascinating and enjoyed finding the right settings. At that time, there wasn't much about writing that I didn't enjoy-- the years before I learned about marketing *s*. 

To start, here is Moon Dust, the rejected one. Susan has no idea why Dane is emotionally distant from her. She finally cannot take it any longer. When she tells her husband she wants a divorce, he has no clue how discontented she has been. Dane's problems go beyond losing the woman he loves. His school is dealing with a militia movement, which is impacting students, who don't realize that brainwashing techniques are taking away not only their ability to say no but their sense of right and wrong. The book delves into our education system since its hero is a high school principal. Certainly not easy subjects-- any of them. 

A few years after I wrote it, I had this idea for Second Chance, that is centered in a wildlife rehab center. The hero and heroine are an unlikely pair. Barrett is a psychologist, single mom, and best friend in the earlier book. Judd was a teen, who after early mistakes has, with help, pulled himself out of what could have been his fate. Barrett knows enough about caretaker personalities to see that Judd is one of them-- the last thing she wants in her life. He's too young for her, but something keeps drawing her back. 

All of my romances, whether contemporary or historical, have conflicts in the relationships that interest me. Most get into the way we, as adults, need to put our past behind us to make our present into all it can be. During the years I wrote them, I was also reading a lot of non-fiction self-help books. I am sure that I integrated those ideas, ones I was incorporating into my own life, into my stories of romantic suspense. Why can't a book be more than one thing? 

Besides emotional issues in my stories, another thing I like is the homes the people  created for themselves. I enjoy making a house into a home and finding out how others put together theirs. My heroine in Moon Dust has her own business as a home decorator, which led to showing her work as well as the home she created for herself. You know, with nature, I have to take what is and try to share it. When a character has a home, I can make it whatever I want to suit their personality. 

Evening Star's heroine has her career and life in order. As an assistant DA in Portland, with a no-complications boyfriend, she has all she wants. Then along comes a man who causes her to challenge her choices and face the reason she's made them. Unwillingly, she grows through the experiences. This book does not have the hero's point of view (my only full-length novel where that was the case). The reader only sees him through her eyes and that of the villain. I had a reason for that. It's not easy as my natural inclination is to have hero and heroine's point of view (sometimes the villain's when it adds to the story). 

The only book in the series, Romance with an Edge, that is not based in Portland is Desert Inferno. Landscape painter, Rachel O'Brian, isn't looking for romance. She lives on the family ranch in the desert wilderness of the border country. Her father's mentally deranged partner is more of a problem to her than the desert, but then she meets a border patrolman, who will change it all. This passionate romance has the additions of plein air painting, the desert, and some antiquity smuggling thrown in. 
 
Bannister's Way begins with its hero, David (secondary character in Desert Inferno), arriving in Portland to begin his undercover assignment to find a murderer with the personal hope of winning back his ex-wife. Raven is teaching at a small university while she longs to make her living as a sculptor. With a big commission, she has a chance. When her ex shows up at her life drawing class as the model, she is less than pleased. He's about to ruin her life again. 

The home I used in this book was based on one I was in as a teen when my uncle rented a home on the Tualatin River. I loved being on that river, swimming out from the deck. It made the perfect home for the sculptor heroine. 

In Hidden Pearl Christine is a photojournalist who comes to Oregon to do a series on up and coming men in different fields. One of these men threatens her life, while the other her heart. She's a successful career woman with little interest in romance and a lot of interest in revealing people's character through her photos. Once she gets to Oregon she also is eager to uncover a mystery involving a man who is about to change her mind on a lot of things.

My own interest in the book went beyond the mystery and romance to the question of what draws people to cults. Some give up everything to find that 'one' thing. A few find only death or poverty. Maybe a few find the hidden pearl of great value. 
 
Her Dark Angel took a secondary character from Hidden Pearl to  her own love story. As a widow in the first book, Katy has had a few years of grieving and is not looking for love as she has two little girls to raise. She is my only contemporary heroine who doesn't have a career. She doesn't need one as the child of wealth. The problem is that leaves her not feeling of personal value. Then, she comes across the one man she should resist. There is a bit of Beauty and the Beast to it but more importantly-- can someone change when their life has been torn apart through no fault of their own-- hers and his. 

I had intended to write about what I think went wrong, but this has already gone too long. My possible mistakes or maybe what's not quite satisfying to romance readers will come next Saturday. In the meantime, below are links to the books so you can see the blurbs and sample chapter.
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Her Dark Angel -- https://www.amazon.com/Her-Dark-Angel-Portland-Book-ebook/dp/B007TRSGU8

 All of my contemporaries on one poster

11 comments:

Caroline Clemmons said...

I have the same questions about some of my books. Some I thought would be popular are not. I don't know why. Marketing is one reason, though. I am just not good enough at marketing.

Rain Trueax said...

Marketing sure is important-- half of the whole process. I am also not good at it. Frustrating but also challenging.

Larry said...

Hi, Betty. Interesting essay! I haven't read any of your contemporary romances, but I have read a couple of your Arizona historical novels. I liked them, but I do live in Arizona! Of course, who can say what will catch the fancy of readers! One thing to consider is the age of your potential readers. "Contemporary" writing will resonate with "contemporary" readers, i.e., young folks. As we age it is inevitable that we will begin to lose touch with the issues which young people want to read about. I think that the historical novels might have a broader appeal. Most people, young or old, are curious about the people who once inhabited their stomping grounds!

But who am I to put forth opinions about your writing? I'm just some guy out in the desert who likes to tell stories!

Rain Trueax said...

Well, Larry, you are someone who tells good stories and I've said should put together your own book of them, a memoir type since yours are all true and about your experiences.

I don't know if it's age for those who read contemporary or mine just don't fit the mold. I looked the other day and on BookBub most of the covers for contemporaries were shirtless, hot looking men or cartoon like images. The plots didn't sound like mine either lol.

For anyone interested in new formats for sharing creativity, Larry has found one called SubStack. He is there at Layers.Substack. I don't know anything about it beyond what I've read from him. I know more about YouTube, which has places to also share writing through words, recordings, images, videos, or combinations of them all (for the techie literate). It could be SubStack is like that. I have a book I am supposed to be writing; so no playing long enough to find out for now... and that book is kicking my proverbial something lol. I have run into serious obstacles, which my intuition has been telling me for a year. Yes, I am laughing.

Tabor said...

When younger both contemporary and historical romances were my thing. Yes, it was "escape literature" for me and I like the romance and sex as well. Then as I raised my children and entered my career I no longer had interest in that genre. It was just not my thing.

Gil Stewart said...

Rain, I will admit to many of the “failure” concerns you mention in your post. My Tanner Chronicles series of Oregon-based relational stories have never got off the ground. I suppose it’s the stories I tell and the way I tell them. Truth to tell, I’ve always enjoyed the writing more than the marketing.

As you say, we like the stories we tell, and want to stay true to our muse. In my case that muse belongs to an 82 years old guy, writing about what I call the October Years……dealing with the realities of late-life. Long ago I set aside a “Romance” label for my efforts and settled on a “Relational” qualifier. (I read somewhere that ‘guys’ don’t write romance.)

Though they may not be most people’s notion of ‘Contemporary Romance,’ at my age there is nothing more contemporary than an October relationship. In the course of eleven books I have explored a great many of those late-life realities in self-published, Create Space books. It’s been an interesting journey

Rain Trueax said...

Gil, feel free to leave a link or two or more here since it relates to the topic and maybe somebody will find your books. Really, networking is the only way most of get them seen.

Gil Stewart said...

Rain -

Thanks for the invitation. I appreciate that. My Amazon Author's Page is listed under Gil Stewart Author's Page, and displays all 21 of my books. My Tanner Chronicles Home Page explains where that Muse you speak of leads me in my October Years relational stories. On an email level I answer to thetannerchronicles@gmail.com. I would provide the links all those, but fact is I don't know how to use the HTML tags.

Thanks again. I have bookmarked your blog with an eye to following perhaps the only Oregonian storytelling blogger I have come across. I posted my Octoberears.com blog for six years, but recently set that aside. I have some idea of the commitment you two have taken on to offer your Rainy Day Thoughts.

Rain Trueax said...

I will have more on marketing for my next two blogs on Saturdays-- the what went wrong end comes first. Advertising has proven to be the only thing that moved books for me. I think joining the right groups, having the right friends, can be a big part but I am not a natural joiner; so it didn't suit me and my friends were none of them romance readers-- even though a few of mine gave a a try because they were my books.

Brig said...

I enjoy reading a wide variety of genres, but gravitate toward Kaylea Cross!

Rain Trueax said...

I had never heard of her but looked her up after you said that. Sounds like kick-ass heroines :). I like some action and suspense in what I read but also homey touches. I'll keep her in mind for someday when I have time to read for pleasure.