Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Genre Shopping

Those of us who write know what genres work best for us. I write stories set in Texas and they are almost always in a small-town venue. Whether they are erotic contemporaries or paranormal, I tend to stay where I am most comfy and where my voice seems to shine the most. I write shifters rather than vamps and I prefer writing menage to bdsm. In my early days of writing, I fell in love with historicals. They simply took me away to another time and place and satisfied my romantic heart in a way nothing else ever could. It was probably because of that early love that I wrote two erotic regencies.

But what about reading? What makes us choose one book over another? Personally, I love contemporaries these days and straight m/f books with lots of emotion and a good plot do it for me. And if a book can make me laugh, that's a huge plus. Gotta find my happy place, ya know? Menage? Yes, love them but I don't do 'brothers' (especially TWINS) and if there is m/m action, I don't buy. I'm also rather squeamish about more than two men in the bed with the heroine. Paranormals are another big buy for me but my love of vamps wore out several years ago. These days I not only write sexy shifters but read them too. Whether they are wolves, big cats, or bears...color me there. Bronwyn Green has some great bear shifters that were written so beautifully that it was easy to imagine it all and her storytelling carried me away. More, Bron, please? My least faves? BDSM doesn't ring my bells though I know it's a very popular genre and I'm not a fan of m/m or f/f. And maybe I'm simply too old fashioned in a way to enjoy lots and lots of kink. Just not my thing. Now this doesn't mean I don't appreciate the storytelling abilities of a writer. I do. Writing is hard work and it's easy to admire various writing styles without particularly loving the genre. What are some of your faves?

In Other News: Panther Moon, book one of my Savage Sanctuary series, will release at Ellora's Cave on March 4. This book is a shifter/menage and Texas-set. Yesterday I got my cover. What do you think?


Blurb:

Running for her life, Chantrea Morgan, unmated and approaching her time of change, stumbles through the night only to be rescued by a gorgeous yet dangerous male. Blinded by instant recognition of her mate, she clings to him, her only means of salvation. Her body burns for him. Her heart aches with the need to be claimed by this wild Texas panther.



Hudson Cates, warrior of the Turquoise Moon tribe of shifters, saves his grieving mate and brings her home to claim her in the only way he can…with orgasmic pleasure, savage possession and a raw sensuality that is inbred into their species. In a ritual as old as time, only he, aided by another male from their tribe, can help Trea embrace her panther beast.

10 comments:

Harlie Williams said...

I'm trying to read BDSM but most of it is too hardcore me. I stick with straight m/f and I do a like menage when there is a HEA in the end. I don't care for m/m or f/f. I loved paranormal for awhile but then it kinda silly for me. I'm getting back into and the books I've read have been great. Anything with a cop/FBI/firefighter/cowboy etc is always good, too. I'm pretty much all over the board but please no blood or incest. That's just nasty!

Delaney Diamond said...

Love the cover!

My preference is for contemporary and historical romance. I've recently developed a liking for Highlander or Viking historical romances. I read the occasional sweet romance, because sometimes I just want the romance without the sex.

I enjoy light BDSM, but the hard core stuff--not so much. No m/m, f/f, or menage for me either.

Rhino said...

I prefer paranormals, particularly vampires. That being said, I was a vampire fan WAY before the Twilight stuff hit the shelves. I don't like them sparkly. I also really love a good historical, preferably medieval. Right now I'm reading the Guenevere novels by Rosalind Miles...cause I love a good Arthurian legend lol...plus, there's the whole Lancelot/Guenevere/Arthur love triangle, there. I do read contemporaries, but they're few and far between for this gal. Take me to fantasyland!!!

Jen B. said...

I actually read a little bit of everything. What I like are stories with an emotional bang. With a reason the characters are together. That being said I find any sort of incest to be beyond my ability to read. I don't like anything where violence and sex and combined. That's not to say all BDSM is off limits. If it is light and done tastefully and makes sense with the characters, it can be very good. I have read some m/m stories that were very good. The first m/m couple I read was Jules and Robin in Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters Series. It's not graphic and the characters are so likeable that I found myself rooting for them. I love paranormal and sci-fi. I have recently discovered historicals. It just really depends on how good the author is.

Regina Carlysle said...

I'm with you on the bloody stuff! Ugh. Can't do it. No on hardcore bdsm. As to paranormals, yes I like them very much but I tend to like the more traditional supernaturals beings like vamps and shifters. (Although I think vamps are way overdone)

Regina Carlysle said...

Delaney...thanks. I love the cover too. I MISS historicals and I'm actually tempted to reread my Amanda Quick collection. ADORE Vikings. Maybe it's due to my love to Eric on True Blood???? LOL. Could be but actually I've always loved Vikings. Have you tried Sandra Hill's Viking time travels. Soooo funny if you like humor with your hunky Norsemen.

Regina Carlysle said...

Rhiannon, I have to agree about the sparkly vamps. LOL but I have to confess when watching the Twilight Movies I have to be Team Jacob. :-)

Regina Carlysle said...

Hey Jen, I'm with you on emotional stories. I want to laugh AND cry and root for the characters. Lately I've read quite a bit of stuff that seems more about the mechanics of sex rather than emotion. The emotion in a story is what, to me, makes it memorable. Can't read sci fi for some reason. I mean even the Star Trek type movies are rather dull to me. I've yet to read a sci fi all the way through. Hmmm. Maybe if I could force myself to finish one I might change my mind! LOL

Brindle Chase said...

I'm with you on the Historicals. My favorite romance author (other than you 3WW+2) Shannon Drake did some awesome historical/regency romances. Loved them!!! By the way, Panther Moon looks hot!!! That cover alone melts... ummm.. well, stuff... *lol*

For writing, I'm currently focused on erotic romance, and more specifically, contemporary and paranormal erotic romance. But I also write, ...kid you not, children's books, science fiction, paranormal suspense and fantasy.

As a reader, I find myself all over the place as well. Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Suspense, Action/Adventure, and Romance (particularly historical and paranormal)

On the flip side, what I don't read or write might be a shorter list. I don't do horror, or crime thrillers. And non-fiction bores me to tears most of the time. Unless its historical and even better if it deals with World War II.

(did get a few suck-up points?) *lol*

Natalie Dae said...

I love reading shifters, vampires and historicals at the moment. Yummy stuff!

:o)