Please welcome the talented Margie Church to my blog this weekend.
Tangled Up Genres?
My ninth romance came out last week and I sat back and smiled, because I'd also finished writing my tenth the same day. Every author needs to get that pipeline filled – to create a backlist so when you finally build a fan base, reader have more of your books to go back and nab…cuz you're so damn good. LOL What's this got to do with tangled up genres?
I write all kinds of romances. I have a pair of romantic suspense, two paranormals (vampires), two hot het, one sizzling man love, a scorching BDSM romance, and one utterly romantic ghost story. All of them are erotic except the ghost story. That one is sensual.
Humm…am I a psycho author?
Maybe. A couple years ago, I worried that leaving a sub-genre (suspense at the time) might make it difficult for readers to get to know me. Like it or not, many readers read predominantly one subgenre and if you're not in that one, you might never meet. But I couldn't squelch the stories in my head or stop the ones flying off my fingertips. So I wrote the books I dreamed about with all the passion and care I could muster. With each new book, I became a stronger writer and got faster at it.
The thing I was afraid of most, never happened. People found me anyway. While they may have started with the vampire books, they liked them so well they went to read others that weren't vampire books. And now reviewers are saying, "I'll read anything she writes."
How gratifying is that? How humbling is that?
As an author, sometimes we are afraid to branch out because the market may not like us in a new subgenre. Maybe the subgenre isn't very hot right now and we won't have good sales. Should that stop you from writing that book? Realistically, I worried about that with my new ghost story, Nopeming Shores. Everything else I've written is erotic and very plot driven. My new gay and BDSM romances are extremely different than this book. Should I write it and risk a dud? Hell yes! The story is so emotionally gripping I couldn't take it some days. Laced with poetry, it's so romantic you have to have a heart of stone not to sigh. But will it sell? I don't know, but I couldn't ignore the story because it "might not." It could turn into a Lifetime Movie. It could be a dust collector. But isn't that the risk we take on every book we write?
Do you really want to tape your muse's mouth shut? Is creative frustration good for your career? Put your fears and the tape in the drawer and dive into the story you've been afraid to write. Take your time finding subject matter experts and building bulletproof characters I'll never forget. I think you'll find the challenge invigorating to your muse and your backlist.
I have two fantastic new books out. Please take a look at them and all my backlist. Everything is conveniently located on my Amazon page. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Margie%20Church#/ref=sr_st?qid=1314149830&rh=n%3A133140011%2Cp_27%3AMargie+Church&sort=daterank
Blurb: The 18th Floor by Margie Church
Alexa Robbins is so consumed by her career, the only sex she has is listening to her nymphomaniac neighbors go at it. When Sebastian Law discovers her in the eighteenth floor conference room early one morning, the table becomes a pallet for making one of her fantasies come true. Will he enjoy her extensive repertoire?
On the outside, Sebastian appears a buttoned-up, well-dressed, techno geek. Inside, he's a Dom with a hearty appetite for all types of carnal pleasures. He risks alienating Alexa by revealing his true nature, but he won't keep the secret for long.
Together, they explore all the things that turn them on. And discover whether they're a perfect match for life beyond the 18th Floor.
Content advisories: bi-racial m/f, m/m, BDSM, spanking, flogging, oral sex, anal sex, voyeurism, exhibitionism, sex in public places, phone sex.
Hard as Teak by Margie Church
Kevin Marks escapes to the north woods to reignite his passion for photography and women. But the only flame he seems able to spark is for his latest photography subject, Teak Hildalgo. Kevin's never been in a man's arms before.
Teak, the raven-haired, photographer's dream come true, is hell bent on capturing Kevin's heart. He takes Kevin, body and soul, on a romantic, sexual journey previously lived only in Kevin's fantasies. And no dream was ever this good, no truth this undeniable.
Will Kevin ever be the same? When the camera's put away, will Teak live up to his name?
Content advisory: m/m erotic
CONTEST: Do you read a specific subgenre or do you follow the author and why? I'm giving away a copy of BOTH books to two lucky readers. Don't forget your email address!
Keep up with Margie:
Margie's website: Romance with SASS
Margie's blog: http://blog.RomanceWithSASS.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MargieChurch
