Fractured Fairy Tales and a Turning Point of a Genre

Between preparing for a number of romance-related presentations, various Twitter conversations, and the continued realization that I'm old, I've found myself musing on the state of the romance genre of late.  As usually happens when I start musing on something, it takes me a while to put together my thoughts.  What typically ends up spurring me to some sort of epiphany?  A brouhaha.  A kerfuffle.  Drama llamas.

Sinner's Creed by Kim Jones is the first in a new MC series and published by Berkley.  MCs are really a romance genre "thing" right now, there are endorsement quotes by Joanna Wylde (this book) and Katy Evans (upcoming second book) and, you know, just look at that cover.  If it looks, acts and walks like a duck, you'd think - hey, a duck romance.    Well....no.  For gory (literally) details - Mandi from Smexy Books has a spoiler tagged review over at GoodReads. (ETA: Mandi has now posted a longer review over at her blog.)

I'll wait.

OK, now you're back.  Here, have a cookie, a blankie and a puppy dog.  Feel better?

The spin (because, of course, there's always spin) is that it's a "non-traditional HEA."  Now I've been guilty of using this phrase more than once in my life.  Back in the Stone Ages I would use this term to describe some Black Lace novels (which were marketed as erotica) that featured "happy endings."  Just not in the traditional Let's Get Married And Now The Heroine Is Pregnant With Quadruplets happy endings.  It was my way of calling out "Happy For Now" books back in the day when we really didn't know what that term was yet.

This book though?  I'm sorry, it's not a "non-traditional HEA," it's just not happy.  "Non-traditional HEA" still implies that YOU'LL GET SOME DARN HAPPY!  So not only does it not have a HEA, it's completely hijacked the concept of a "non-traditional HEA." Naturally some romance readers are displeased.  And by "some" I mean anyone who identifies the genre strongly with the HEA.

I can here you thinking, "WHA?!?!?!  Are you INSANE Wendy?!?!?!?  ROMANCE = HEA!!!!!  ALL READERS SHOULD KNOW THIS?!?!??!  IT'S LIKE THE ONLY RULE OF THE GENRE!!!!"

And I'm hear to tell you - all readers don't.  At least, I don't think they do.  And this is the theory I've been musing about for the last several months.

Unless you've been living under a rock you'll have noticed that self-publishing has changed the publishing industry - but nowhere so much as within the romance genre.  As far back as the early days of this blog (2003), I would state quite emphatically that the number of romance readers online is actually quite small.  GoodReads has changed that somewhat, but the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of "shadow readers" out there.  Folks who buy their books at WalMart, check them out from the library, read said books, and then don't talk to anyone about them.  They read in a vacuum.

Ebooks and self-publishing have just exacerbated this phenomenon.  These Vacuum Readers now troll around Amazon, snap up 99 cent or free books because they look interesting or they're cheap, but not necessarily because they are romance.  Or else they hopped on the Fifty Shades bandwagon, having never read a romance, or having not read one since Sweet Savage Love, and discovered they liked it.  But here's the corker - they don't necessarily identify themselves as "romance readers."  They aren't waving a Romance Freak Flag high in the air.  Self-publishing has led to more fluidity in the genre which has led to more fluidity among readers.  What was verboten ten years ago is now fair game and for some readers this isn't a big deal because they aren't lugging around the Genre Baggage.  They aren't lugging around The History.  In fact, if they've stumbled across this blog post they're now Googling "Sweet Savage Love."  In short, they're not weighed down by the trappings of the genre (the HEA) that other readers expect and demand.

These readers may read romance (sometimes occasionally, sometimes more often) but don't necessarily "identify" themselves as romance readers.  They're reading the book because it sounded good or was cheap or was free or they were bored or it's a Wednesday or whatever - but not necessarily because it's a romance novel.

The knock against self-publishing has always been that it lacks "gatekeepers."  Without editors and publishers telling readers what they deem is worthy it will be anarchy!  And to a certain extent?  It kind of is.  Because the simple truth is that anything goes in self-publishing.  There's nobody telling you that you can't write something.  That readers won't accept it.  Readers might not accept it - but you'll find that out from the readers, directly - not from an agent or editor acting as gatekeeper.  So to a certain extent?  Readers are the new gatekeepers.

Which is why, I think, we're now here.  Readers who don't necessarily define themselves as "romance readers" who wade on the fringes of the genre are open to more to this sort of fluidity.  Don't believe me?  There are plenty of early four and five star reviews for Sinner's Creed over on GoodReads to suggest otherwise.  This is exciting or terrifying depending on what school of thought you belong to.  Which is how we've arrived, I think, to this moment in time where a major romance player like Berkley would publish a book like Sinner's Creed and wrap it in all the trappings and signal cues of romance.  Because for the all the readers who will want to drive a stake into the center of this book?  There will be just as many readers who want to sleep with a copy of it under their pillow.

I have my own baggage when it comes to self-publishing (remember, I'm a librarian), and over the years my opinion on the subject has changed dramatically.  Yes, I now think self-publishing is a great thing and I would not want to turn back that clock.  The benefits, for me, outweigh, any of the negatives.  And right now I think the biggest negative is that the genre is starting to splinter into various factions.  It wasn't that long ago that the HFN (Happy For Now) was given the major side-eye by some readers.  I don't think we'll ever get away from the genre defining itself by the HEA, but I do think we're going to see more authors and publishers playing around in the minefield that borders Happy Ever After Territory and cloaking those stories in romance cues to snag more and more romance dollars.  And for readers who demand the happy ending?  Who want the happy ending?  It's interesting times ahead.

I've never been an end-reader, but I'm wondering if I need to rethink that policy.

Retro Review: Ashes of Dreams

This review of Ashes of Dreams by Ruth Ryan Langan was first published at The Romance Reader in 2005.  I rated it 4-Hearts (B grade) with a sensuality rating of PG-13.

+++++

When one reads genre fiction, one has to expect that there’s going to be a formula. Also, plots have a way of getting recycled. I’ve read Ashes Of Dreams before. Just with different titles and different authors writing the story. But it doesn’t make this version any less entertaining. When I settled into the first chapter I knew this story was being told by a pro. Ashes Of Dreams is a pleasure to read.

Amanda Jeffrey is hanging on by a thread. When her husband died the previous year, he left her with a Kentucky horse farm in debt to the bank, a crotchety father-in-law and three young boys to raise. When her father-in-law takes a tumble while repairing the barn roof, it’s up to Amanda and her overwhelmed children to pick up the slack.

Like manna from heaven, Colin “Cole” Donnelly and his young son, Devin, come riding to the rescue. In exchange for meals and a place to sleep, they’ll take over the farm chores and do repairs on her barn and fences. Having left Ireland several years previously, the Donnellys came to America and immediately started working their way west.

Toss in the disapproving father-in-law, the immediate attraction between Amanda and Colin, Colin’s past in Ireland, a neighboring farmer who wants Amanda’s land and you have a tried and true story. However, Langan keeps it fresh and lively, throwing in a couple of twists. It’s also very evident that Langan has spent many years writing for Harlequin Historicals. Don’t let the short page count (278 pages) turn you off. This story is lean and mean, with no fat mucking up the flow of the tale.

Amanda is a strong woman trying to make the best of an unenviable situation. The horse farm was Shane’s dream. When he died, that dream went up in smoke. Still, it’s in honor of his memory that she doesn’t sell and move on. She wants to try and make a go of it, not only for Shane’s memory, but also as a legacy for her sons. Frankly, it’s nice to read about a widowed heroine who loved her husband, worked beside him, misses him, and actually misses sex. Colin’s arrival awakens a lot of buried feelings.

While raised in privilege, Colin’s memories of Ireland are not happy ones. He drags his son halfway around the world in order for a fresh start, but is unable to work through his past. He’s attracted to Amanda’s spunk, work ethic, beauty and just the fact that she’s a good woman. These are nice people who deserve their happily ever after.

Original cover

The secondary characters help move the story along and add most of the conflict. Most notable are the children, who actually behave like children. Amanda’s sons want to help their mother, but given their young ages they’re a bit overwhelmed. The real standout though is Colin’s son, who adds another dimension to the story and takes on a more prominent role in the second half.

Langan has a tendency to wax poetic during the love scenes, most notably with Colin’s dialogue – but he’s a romantic Irishman, so that’s probably to be expected. And she merely wades in Purple Prose Lake instead of jumping in the deep end. The late 19th century Kentucky setting is drawn well, and should be just the ticket for readers who want an American historical, as opposed to a flat-out western or English setting. For sheer entertainment value, Ashes Of Dreams is a treat. The fact that Langan is a skilled writer certainly doesn’t hurt either.

Wendy News Round-Up: Home, On the Road and Finally!

It's that time again: Update Time!  So what's going on in the world of Wendy?  Well, first off - I died a few thousand deaths Saturday night while taking a break from Downton Abbey binge watching to check Facebook - only to discover that my hometown had made the national news.

Most blog readers know I'm from Michigan, but may not necessarily know I'm from the Kalamazoo area.  My parents still live there.  My older sister lives there with her family.  Not to mention the friends I still have in the area.  Oh, and there's an active shooter driving around randomly shooting people on a Saturday night.  

I was a little freaked.

I was more freaked when I found out after the fact that my entire family (Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother-in-Law, the Two Kids) were all out that night taking in a show at Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium.  On the same side of town where I used to live.  On the same side of town as two of the crime scenes.  While the active shooter was driving around and randomly shooting people.  So....yeah.

My nearest and dearest are all safe and sound, but there's something very disconcerting about having your hometown make the national news.  To see people politicizing your hometown on Twitter and Facebook.  Kalamazoo is a city, but it's a small city.  Almost cozy.  Certainly Kalamazoo has crime, it's not perfect, bad things happen there just like anyplace else, but a guy driving around just randomly shooting people?!  Prior to this we were known for our funny name, a song (I got a gal in Kalamazoo...) and a tornado that ripped through downtown in 1980.

Now, like so many towns in this country, we're known for a mass shooting. And that's messed up.

+++++

I've had several blog posts and reviews go live over the last couple of months, and since I'm terrible about doing monthly recaps these days I thought I'd post them all now.

I've had two semi-recent reviews post over at The Good, The Bad and The Unread - both Harlequins.  Snowy Mountain Nights by Lindsay Evans (Kimani) and Holiday with the Millionaire by Scarlet Wilson (Harlequin Romance).

I've had two First Looks go live over at Heroes & Heartbreakers.  Countdown to Zero Hour by Nico Rosso (romantic suspense) and One More Night With You by Lisa Marie Perry (Kimani).

Also at H&H?  February's Unusual Historicals column.  Go forth!

+++++

So guess what?  I finally saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Meh.

Look, it was OK.  The cast was good, but the storytelling was a lazy rehash.  Take two parts A New Hope, one part The Empire Strikes Back and add a dash of Return of the Jedi.  I spent the whole time watching it thinking, "Oh, so there's a cute droid wandering around the desert looking for someone - that's not familiar AT ALL ::cough cough:: and that's the new Luke and that's the new Han and that's the new Yoda..."  Then they completely skip the new villain's backstory entirely because OF COURSE!  They must have fodder for more movies which means we'll likely have to relive the whole prequel debacle again.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

It's a solid popcorn movie but y'all who thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread?  I mean, why not just stay home and watch the original first three movies over again?

Oh yeah, money.  Disney wants to make money.

But cranky Wendy is being cranky.  I'd probably feel differently if I had kids and took them to see the movie on the big screen - to let them have their very own Star Wars experience like I did back in the day. But yeah, for me?

Meh.  It felt like a remake masquerading as a sequel.

And tomorrow I take away candy from babies and rain on more parades.  Probably a C+ for me (the casting WAS good and I liked how they utilized Han in the story).

Treat Yo Self: A Review of the Ever After Box

Subscription Box services seem to have their own cult-like following.  You subscribe to a plan and every month, depending on the theme of the service, you can revel in your Geekdom, try new snack foods, or get cool pet or cosmetic products.  There seems to be a little something for everybody out there.

The Ever After Box is the brain-child of three romance authors, Jeannie Lin, Shawntelle Madison and Amanda Berry.  I took part in a "focus group" for this concept back at RWA 2015 where Jeannie admitted to loving the various boxes she subscribed to.  Plus, being a bit of a Swag Queen (Jeannie always has great swag at conferences....), the fact that she thought a romance genre theme box would go over well isn't exactly a shock.  They offered to send reviewers a sample box once they got the service up and running and I, of course, jumped at the chance.  My review box happens to be the second box they've ever done, the themed Sweet Tooth box that went out to subscribers in February.

 

I got an e-mail notification that my box had shipped and it literally arrived in two days.  So delivery was very quick.  The box itself is the size of a small shoebox.  It's well packaged and everything arrived in great condition with no shifting around during shipment.

 

The box itself came with this cool card that gives details on everything inside the box. 

A print copy of Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner w/ bookmark
A free download of All for You by Laura Florand
A cookie cutter and cookie recipe from Elisabeth @ Cooking Up Romance
Cupcake themed tarot cards from author Mindy Klasky promoting her Fright Court series
Necco Sweethearts conversation candy hearts
A strudel and spice scented candle
A bath bomb shaped like a cupcake

Cost for a one month subscription is $29.99 (this includes shipping), and there are slightly cheaper 3-month and 6-month plans.  Currently the service is only shipping within the US, although they're investigating international shipping options.



Is it worth it?  It depends on how much you like swag.  Some readers LOVE it, and some could care less.  Retail price on the books (without discounts) is currently $20.99.  What I personally like about this is the idea that you can "treat yo self" and give yourself a little bit of Christmas morning all year around.  I had no idea what was actually going to be in this box before I opened it.  I just knew the theme was "Sweet Tooth."  I really liked how they tied this theme in to cover cotemporary, historical and paranormal romance - and that subscribers got both print and downloadable titles.  My opinion on swag varies depending on what it is.  The better the swag, the more I like it.  And I thought this was a really well-thought out box.

Would I order a plan for myself?  Possibly.  I've been pretty consistently attending RWA conferences for many years, so I usually get my swag fix there.  Also, things like this always boil down to disposable income for me and if I can beat my Frugal Midwestern Tendencies into the nearest corner.  So the answer is - it depends.  If I wanted to give myself a pick-me-up and get surprised by mystery books?  In a hot minute - especially if the monthly theme intrigues (and Sweet Tooth is a great monthly theme).

So yes, mileage is going to vary here.  It honestly boils down to what type of reader you are.  I think it's a cute idea and there are even gift card options if you want to treat friends or have a blog contest you're cooking up.  Nothing is ever universally loved by everybody, but I think this is a fun idea for romance readers and it's nice to see a book-themed subscription box that caters to the genre, designed by people who truly know, "get" and understand the genre.

Final Grade = B+

#TBRChallenge 2016: A Man Worth Keeping

The Book: A Man Worth Keeping by Molly O'Keefe

The Particulars: Contemporary romance, Harlequin SuperRomance #1486, 2008, Out of print - available digitally, The Mitchells of Riverview Inn #2.

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  After discovering her through her SuperRomances, I glommed O'Keefe's entire backlist.

The Review:  My original plan for this month's TBR Challenge was to read a historical romance.  But after it failed to grab me within the first 50 pages - I decided to pull out the big guns.  O'Keefe rarely lets me down and I read the first book in this series as part of the 2014 TBR Challenge.  So it certainly qualifies for this month's Series Catch-Up theme.

Delia Dupuis and her eight-year-old daughter, Josie, are on the run.  Delia's ex-husband, a cop, is a Very Bad Man.  Delia finds out just how bad and he almost kills her.  As if this weren't complicated enough?  Josie doesn't know the whole story.  All she knows is that her mother "abandoned" her for months to go to France (in reality, Delia's mother was dying of cancer) and that Daddy Dearest dotes on her like she's a princess.  So this "vacation" her Mom keeps trying to sell her on is a little hard to swallow.  Their latest landing spot?  Riverview Inn, where Delia gets a job running the newly completed spa facilities.  The plan is to lay low, make a little money, and then take off again.  Standing in her way?  Max Mitchell.  The owner's brother, resident handyman, and a guy with enough scars (physical and emotional) to clue her in that he's Trouble with a Capital T.

Max is a former cop and he can smell a lie like a fart in a car.  He knows there is more to Delia than meets the eye.  The trick is finding out what that is before she scurries off like a jack-rabbit and/or he totally loses his carefully guarded heart to her.

As emotionally hefty and draining as the first book in this series was, this story suffers from a classic case of the Middle Book Blahs.  I get it.  Delia has to lie.  But because she's lying, because she's so skittish around Max, this doesn't exactly translate into 1) trust and 2) them spending a lot of time on page together.  When they are on page together?  She's too busy being freaked out that he'll discover her secrets.  It's hard to build a romance on that, even in a "longer" category book like a SuperRomance.

The other problem?  I think this book was published right around the time that Harlequin lost it's mind and shortened the word count on the Supers.  This story clocks in at 240 pages.  Supers, generally speaking, land around 280 pages.  40 pages might not seem like a lot - but trust me - it is.  Especially when you're cooking up a family drama plot like O'Keefe has with this series.  Besides Delia and her kid, Max has a long lost mother who comes back into the picture and a father who hasn't been totally honest with his two boys.  It's a lot to cram into a 240 page book (Secretive heroine, ticked off eight-year-old, hero's Mommy Issues, hero's baggage from being a cop, Psycho Cop Ex Husband and....oh yeah!  A romance!).

The romance just never comes together and I kept thinking of ways this story could have been rewritten to make it work better (for example: no Josie - but then you don't get the juxtaposition of ticked off eight-year-old and Max's own childhood baggage so....what does Wendy know?).  I mostly kept reading because, having already read the first book in the series, I wanted more of the Mitchell Family Drama to spin out...which it does.

So what am I left with here?  A classic case of Meh, It Was OK.  If you're new to O'Keefe's work, this is not a book I'd recommend starting with.  In fact, I think I'd only recommend it if you've already read the first book in this particular trilogy as it sorta, kinda stands alone but...not really.  A diversion that kept me flipping the pages, but nothing I'm going to crow about.

Final Grade = C+

#TBRChallenge Reminder for February

For those of you participating in the 2016 TBR Challenge, this is a reminder that your commentary is "due" on Wednesday, February 17.  This month's theme is Series Catch-Up (Read a book from a series you're currently behind on)!  Because you cannot throw a stone in Romancelandia without hitting a series and because Wendy's TBR Mountain Range is where all third books in trilogies go to die (true story!).  But what if you're an over-achiever and are caught up on all your current series reads (in which case, I think I might hate you)?  Hey, no problem!  Remember - the themes are totally optional and are not required.  It's not about the themes but reading something (anything!) out of your TBR.

Also, it's not too late to sign-up for the 2016 TBR Challenge!  You can find more information about the challenge (and see the list of participants) on the Information Page.  If you'd like to sign-up, please leave a comment on this post and let me know where you will be posting your commentary.

Back In The Saddle?

OK, so now it's been over a week since I last blogged.  Did Wendy fall off the face of the Earth?  Did her TBR Mountain finally collapse on top of her and she remained trapped under the crushing weight of paperback novels until a hunky Greek Tycoon arrived (don't I wish) to pull me free, sweep me in a passionate embrace and bruise my lips with punishing kisses?

Yeah, no.  Mores the pity.  No, I fell down the work-sleep-work-sleep-maybe-I-should-eat-something rabbit hole.  So to fill the blog void, I thought I'd provide updates.  I promise to keep the whining to a minimum (hey, first time for everything, right?).

+++++

Reading.  What's that again?  I haven't really been reading.  At all.  And this is probably not a good thing since I promised two (count 'em two!) First Looks for Heroes and Heartbreakers for end of February releases.  You know, the shortest month on the calendar.  I foresee some power reading in my very near future.

What has been keeping my interest is audio books.  I discovered that work has three Barbara Michaels books on audio and I've been a swooning nostalgic mess ever since.  I pretty much read all the Barbara Michaels I could get my hands on during my teens, avoiding the books with blurbs that were more overtly woo-woo-ish.  I started with the audio book of Be Buried in the Rain, only remembering from my teen years that it was one that "I really liked."  I really liked it as an adult too, and was struck much more by the romance this second time around.  As a teen I read Michaels for the Gothic mystery "stuff" - the romances were incidental to me.

I'm now listening to Black Rainbow, which is a historical and well....not nearly as good as Be Buried in the Rain.  But it's amazing how nostalgia colors the reading experience.  I think if I was entirely new to Michaels and Black Rainbow (although I read it SO LONG ago, this is almost like I'm reading it for the first time) I'd be entering Minor Rant Mode, but here I am.  Swooning Nostalgic Mess.  After I wrap this one up, I need to take a break (my hold for the Burt Reynolds' memoir on audio came in - don't judge) and then I'll dive into Someone in the House.

+++++

 

So I still haven't seen the new Star Wars.  And now I've just started watching Downton Abbey.

Yes, Wendy is JUST NOW starting Downton Abbey.  This is what hype does to me folks!  I bury my head in the sand until it dies down, y'all get ticked off that the show/movie/whatever "jumped the shark" and THEN, I figure it's safe to start watching.

I've got one episode left in Season One.  I figure by the time I'm through all five seasons on Amazon Prime, the final season will be available for me to stream or download or buy or whatever.

+++++

Yoga.  Yeah, I was doing so well with yoga for a while.  I am a librarian, but these days my job is mostly administrative work which means Wendy sits at a desk.  A lot.  Yoga is a nice counter-balance to desk work.  Loosens up the hips, opens up the shoulders, and by the end of a nice one hour session I'm relaxed, loose and sleep like a baby.  A baby that had bourbon and Xanax slipped in with her formula.

But then work got busy, I got lazy, and fell off the wagon.  With a thud.  And not that I'm a svelte young thing anymore, but honestly it is possible, even for me, to let myself go even more.  So....

Back on the yoga wagon.

+++++

Here in the States it's Super Bowl Sunday.  I have no pony in this race but will watch the game anyway while consuming completely regrettable junk food and hoping for some decent commercials.  It's also the signal that the most magical time of year is almost upon us.  That's right Bat Cave followers....

BASEBALL SEASON!

Depending on the team, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training starting February 17.

Huzzah!