Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Suspense + Romance?

Author Susanna Kearsley answered a question from me on her website! Go see! It's very interesting. I asked how she incorporates romance into her suspense novels, and how she balances the two while writing. Because I would classify her books as romantic suspense, but as she says in her answer, they do not really fit what most readers today think of when they hear "romantic suspense." I guess that's the problem that we get from labeling books and boxing them into these little subgenres. But then "classic suspense with a touch of romance, in a style reminiscent of Mary Stewart and Daphne duMaurier, but also uniquely fresh and different" doesn't really fit on a spine. :)

2 comments:

Rosario said...

Hey, that was really interesting! I think she's right, the meaning of "romantic suspense" has shifted a bit, not just on steaminess but on the level of violence, too. I'm not sure whether I'd call her books "suspense" though. IIRC, when I enter them into my database I just go with fiction, or Paranormal fiction.

And excellent news about The Winter Sea having a stronger romance than usual. I really can't wait for that one!

Jennie said...

I can't wait for The Winter Sea either. Though I've really enjoyed all her books I've read, the ones that are heavier on the romance are definitely my favorites. But then, I just like a good love story. ;)