I never wanted to be a “romance novelist”

When I first started writing "for real," I wanted to write something with depth. While I grew up reading romance novels, they weren't the category romances. They were mysteries, or gothic romance. Stories with romance, yes, but more depth. Back then, Harlequin category romances were pretty silly. No substance. So I set to writing a story, and discovered my romantic soul wouldn't be happy if I didn't also include a romance.

I popped into a writing forum and found some Harlequin authors. Instead of being supportive and encouraging, they wanted me to write -- how do I put this nicely? -- "down" to their level. Heaps of adverbs. Over the top responses. Sighs and gasps and beautiful people. And they were mean about it. Clearly, I was in the wrong place. 

Fast forward. Romance novels have come a long way. Harlequin is no longer the imprint with all the typos and the "bodice ripping" and the silliness. They've developed several subgenres and are more "serious" (I don't know how else to describe the step up into better editing and better writing) books. They are still different from the other houses, but this highlights another trend I've noticed in the past several years. The other publishing houses have tried to distance themselves from romance novels once again by calling them "women's fiction." 

Women's fiction used to be stories about a woman's journey of self-discovery. Becoming who she was meant to be. In this denigration of romance novels, two of my favorite romance novelists have been forced to write women's fiction, which became "romances with more depth." (Isn't that what I wanted to write from the get-go?) One of those authors has gone from writing fun, quirky stories to "stories that make you cry." WHY?? If I wanted to cry, I'd read Nicholas Sparks (no offense to Mr. Sparks, but I DON'T like to cry when I read a book). As a result, I'm afraid to read one of her books anymore because the woman's journey is too tear-inducing. "This book made me ugly cry all through it. I loved it." NO. I don't want to cry. I want books to entertain me. To make me feel better. 

I found my groove writing romantic suspense, or “romances with depth.” I also read them to "feel good." When I finished writing my Epitaph series, I was inspired to write a different kind of novel based on a place I'd visited, and the Hillendale novels were born. I still missed my romances (the Hillendales are about a reluctant witch), so I took a break during the course of writing those to return to my romance series (Hoffman Grove). 

And then, it hit (shades of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for dramatic effect). During the pandemic, I didn't get as much exposure to the outside world as I had before, and while I was reading (and in some cases re-reading) gothic romance, I got the idea to write about haunted houses. Many mansions in the area were still open for tours (a chance to get out and about!), so off I went, and the Elspeth Barclay Novels were born. I always love a good ghost story, after all.

Coming back full circle, while I was "out and about" this past weekend, I was working on a plot point for the fourth Elspeth Barclay novel. My mind kept wandering to something my husband said last night. My husband, who never talks about what's in his head (he's a very logical, Sheldon Cooper, kind of thinker) opened up and said, "this election cycle is really getting to me." Me, too, pal. Instead of head-writing, the way I'd planned, I started spinning out of control over the nasty news reports, from the "murder reports" every night that I refuse to watch, to the election coverage, which is so out of control. I stopped. Told myself, "This is why I like to read. To escape all this nastiness." And this is why I like romance novels. You're guaranteed a happy ending, even after all the conflict that gets in the way.

I'm about halfway through Elspeth Barclay #4 (tentatively titled DARK SHADOWS). There are days my neurotic heroine activates my own neuroses and the two get intertwined (thank heaven for the delete key). In this book, however, she is less neurotic after incidents that occurred in the third book, THE JANE DOE GHOST. That helps, but these are not romance novels first and foremost. The romances in these books are VERY understated. Subplots that are more "by the way." 

I do get tired of reading romances sometimes, and I still look for more depth when reading a romance novel. If they want to call that women's fiction, all right, but let's not forget why I'm here. I want that happily ever after, and I want all the feels (without the trail of tears). Is my next book going to be a romance again? If my recent walk out and about is any indication, I'd say it's a good bet. I REALLY enjoyed revisiting my EPITAPH series while my narrator was doing the audiobooks, and if I could recreate that magic, I wouldn't hesitate. Can I?