For about a good ten years I wrote primarily in the romance genre, having produced a number of books and a pretty strong following. In 2000, I had the change to "switch" and write mainstream fiction. For that the reviewers were brutal. They were just short of saying "how dare she?" LOL. Anyway, I pursued this new world of fiction and was able to tell a variety of stories in a way that I was unable to in romance. Then in 2004 I wrote my first comedic novel entitled Divas Inc. I loved it and found a totally new voice, which I think should be the goal of every writer--to stretch and do something different. The reception was well received on some fronts, while some readers took the word "diva" too literally and missed the spoof on the whole notion of what a diva is.
More recently I tried my hand at something that has always been close to my heart but I never had the courage to do--write a murder mystery! That book will be out in May and I'm terribly excited about it. I used several techniques in putting it together: the premise of "Strangers on a Train" (movie by Alfred Hitchcock, book by Cynthia Highsmith), and the movie Basic Instinct. I will leave it at that for you to ponder.
In the next few months until its release, I will post some snippets of the story to whet your appetites.
In the meantime, I must get back to plotting my next book. But I leave you with this question:
How do you feel about an author that you really like and like their work when they change genres? Do you follow that author or stick to what you like?
5 comments:
Hi, I have read almost all of your books and I can not wait to read this new one. If you will lead I will follow. Please keep up the good work. Thanks (R)
I actually enjoy when good writers branch out into different genres. I read alot of romance but it isn't my only read so I enjoy seeing what they can do in other areas. By the way Rhythms is one od my all time favorite books. I recommend it to everyone I know.
I don't mind authors that switch genres as long as they keep their signature traits. There are certain characteristics that an authors develops that separate them from others. Some authors believe that changing genres means trying to write something totally to the far right. If it is not something they can identify with no matter how far outside their comfort zone, it doesn't translate to the reader.
If I like the writer's style of writing, it doesn't matter what genre they are writing in. Most writers have a certain flair about them no matter what genre. The writer may be good with plot, characters or both. Normally this style isn't lost "just because" they switched genres.
Part of me honestly believes that many romance authors started going mainstream when they saw that there was more to be made in mainstream vs. the 5k for a typical romance novel. Problem is many of their "mainstream" novels tend to be beefed up romance novels. I could be wrong, but you may lose some as well as gain some readers especially since some people shy away from romance altogether and if that's what you're known for some reader like me will be iffy about paying $23 for a hard cover romance. To answer your question, I'd stick to what I like...sorry.
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