I was really surprised that I was allowed to do this story. The creepy aspects aside, it was understood from the beginning that the heroine wasn't 'cured'. Her body could reject the new heart at any time, she was prone to infections, had to take tons of medications daily, and there was a good chance she would need another transplant down the road. It was definitely not a happily ever after scenario. After I'd written the book, I kind of wondered if I'd bitten off more than I could chew in an Intrigue.
Which brings me to my questions. Do you think the majority of Intrigue readers like it when we 'push the envelope', or do they prefer a more traditional mystery? How far is too far?
Amanda Stevens
Friday, June 24, 2005
HOW FAR IS TOO FAR--Amanda Stevens
I think the farthest I've ever pushed the envelope in an Intrigue was in CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART. My heroine, a heart transplant recipient, finds out her doner was a female serial killer who manipulated her lesbian lover into removing the hearts of her victims, and the hero is an ex-cop who was once tortured, then seduced by the killer. He even married her (obviously, the serial killer was bisexual). One reviewer said 'the whole thing was just creepy and bizarre'. Not sure she meant it as a compliment, but it's one of my favorite reviews.
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Speaking as a reader, I love edgy books. As long as I get my satisfying/happy ending, I'm fine with lots of "creepy and bizarre" as long as it doesn't kill the romance and it's well-motivated and plausible.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking as a writer, I like pushing the envelope. I like books that reflect big struggles as well as the small ones. You don't have to look far in this world for real depravity--or real heroism. Novels give us the vicarious opportunity to face those evils and triumph through the characters.
Paula
Paula--I think you hit upon something when you wrote "I'm fine with creepy and bizarre as long as it doesn't kill the romance..." That's really the key, isn't it, along with motivation. But I like creepy and bizarre so much that I'm afraid I sometimes forget about the romance. Not a good thing in a romance novel.
ReplyDeleteGreat question, Amanda. As a reader I lean to the envelope-pushing books. But I know a lot of readers who really want to enjoy a more traditional read. Maybe the trick is, as Rebecca said, to meld the two. Or maybe some authors are just going to appeal to one group more than the other.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the answer, I agree with Paula that the romance has to shine through. However, like you, I'm afraid I forget about the romance sometimes, I get so carried away with the other elements.
Luckily my critique group consists of two Silhouette Special Edition authors--my mother, Carol Voss, and Judith Lyons. They do a good job of reminding me my hero and heroine need to fall in love, too!
-Ann Voss Peterson
Ann, my critique group helps keep me in line, too, when it comes to the romance. One of them is a former Harlequin Temptation and Romance author so when she asks, "So who's the hero?" I know I'm in trouble.
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