Historical Fiction Meets Contemporary RomCom #iwsg
I'm tacking onto to yesterday's post for this month's contribution to Insecure Writer's Support Group (brainchild of Alex J. Cavannaugh. Visit Alex and the IWSG website to learn more about the group, join it & find the full list of participants). This month I'm wondering about sub-genre mixing. What I'm wondering is---can readers handle it?
It seems like guidelines for genres and sub-genres have become more like rules, and when they're broken, readers act like something is wrong rather than simply different. Since my first novel was published over four years ago, I've become aware that many readers believe certan things shouldn't coexist in a book. Sex and religion, for example. This sincerely confuses me because sex and religion coexist in many, many, many people's lives, so why shouldn't those real-life aspects be merged in a book? But if readers don't like them together, should I refrain from mashing them in future stories I intend to publish?
Have you ever found that there are elements in your own writing that readers balk at combining? How do you respond to that?
By now you might be wondering why I'm tacking onto yesterday's post. It's because yesterday I revealed the cover of a book that does an excellent job of combining two sub-genres that you don't often see together: Historical Fiction and Contemporary RomCom. Seven for a Secret by Rumer Haven breaks molds in a way that I think readers are going to love, and I hope it gets lots of people rethinking the "rules".
Today I'm taking part in a cover reveal for a story that I'm particularly excited about. Before I tell you anything more than what's in this post title, zee cover...
Simple and elegant, yes? What does this cover say to you without knowing anything else about the story?
It seems like guidelines for genres and sub-genres have become more like rules, and when they're broken, readers act like something is wrong rather than simply different. Since my first novel was published over four years ago, I've become aware that many readers believe certan things shouldn't coexist in a book. Sex and religion, for example. This sincerely confuses me because sex and religion coexist in many, many, many people's lives, so why shouldn't those real-life aspects be merged in a book? But if readers don't like them together, should I refrain from mashing them in future stories I intend to publish?
Have you ever found that there are elements in your own writing that readers balk at combining? How do you respond to that?
By now you might be wondering why I'm tacking onto yesterday's post. It's because yesterday I revealed the cover of a book that does an excellent job of combining two sub-genres that you don't often see together: Historical Fiction and Contemporary RomCom. Seven for a Secret by Rumer Haven breaks molds in a way that I think readers are going to love, and I hope it gets lots of people rethinking the "rules".
COVER REVEAL
Today I'm taking part in a cover reveal for a story that I'm particularly excited about. Before I tell you anything more than what's in this post title, zee cover...
Coming August 12, 2014
from Omnific Publishing
Simple and elegant, yes? What does this cover say to you without knowing anything else about the story?
To see how close you are to the actual plot, read the blurb at Goodreads. You can also add it to your to-read list while you're there AND enter to win one of 5 paperback copies.
Now get to know a little something about the author:
Rumer Haven is probably the most social recluse you could ever meet. When she’s not babbling her fool head off among friends and family, she’s pacified with a good story that she’s reading, writing, or revising—or binge-watching something on Netflix. A former teacher hailing from Chicago, she presently lives in London with her husband and probably a ghost or two. Rumer has always had a penchant for the past and paranormal, which inspires her writing to explore dimensions of time, love, and the soul. Seven for a Secret is her debut novel.
Comments
Congrats Rumer!!!!!
The cover tells me of a time gone by the pearls signifies wealth, but the black background reveals a a very DARK secret... One can never go wrong with basic black and pearls.... LOL.
ALL THE BEST!!!!!!!! See you soon!
Best of luck, Rumer!
I love this cover. :-)
I don't know if readers have as much trouble with genre-mixing as publishers and agents do.
My Atlantic City books are a blend of historical, satire, and spoof. I'm always up-front about how they're not meant to be taken as straight historical, since there are things in there which are so over the top they're meant to be funny and not taken seriously. I'm well aware of how some of their content probably wouldn't have happened in the 1940s, at least not outside of this strange fictional neighborhood.
My series is now a blend of YA and NA - starts in one and finishes in the other.
Juneta at Writer's Gambit
The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon has a lot of sex in it. It has religion in it too (not to the same extreme as the sex though). And it's a very popular series, one I enjoy.
Anyway, congrats, Rumer!!!
As for sex and religion in a story, I think it's quite possible for the right audience. You might lose some readers but gain others.
great post - here's my take...
newer authors are trying to be different, so we mash some genre's together, take chances, try new things - then publishers, booksellers, etc try to label what we've done and pigeon hole us (yes to make it easier to sell and define our story for readers) but then come the rules. we cant be NA if there's no sex, you cant be YA if there's no drama, you cant use too many genre's or an agent's head will explode...
fun, isn't it?
thanks again for all your awesome support. i am serious about finding or putting together a book signing in Chicago with you (and Elizabeth Arroyo & Michael di Gesu and any other Chi town authors you know! i'll email you!)