Today we give a big RU welcome to literary agent Jill Marsal and author Roxanne St. Claire. As many of you know, RU is highlighting a different romance sub-genre each month, and this month we are focusing on Romantic Suspense.
Take it away, Jill and Roxanne!
Adrienne: How would you define this subgenre? What are the plot elements that make a book a romantic suspense?
Jill: A romantic suspense novel generally has a pretty even split between the romance story and the suspense story. Usually, the heroine and hero face dangers ranging from kidnappings to stalkers to murderers, and while they are confronting these dangerous and suspenseful moments, their passions are igniting and building over the course of the story. Often, each character has some internal issue that he or she is wrestling with which prevents the two characters from being together as a couple, but as the “suspense” story progresses, they work through this issue and find that the issue keeping them apart is often the one that ultimately leads them to be able to overcome or solve the suspense plot and ultimately unites the couple, making the two stronger as a couple.
Roxanne: In my opinion, a romantic suspense is a story that is driven equally and simultaneously by the threat of danger and the promise of love. There are as many variations on this theme as there are types of writers — from hot, erotic love stories with a hint of danger to a cozy mystery with a mere allusion to a possible romance. And even within the tightly defined subgenre, romantic suspense can vary with the types of plots or settings, or it may be even more subgenre-specific, such as military romantic suspense, or police procedurals, or classified by the type of hero/heroine, such as FBI, bodyguard or Navy SEAL stories.
For our purposes at Romance University, I’ll define a “classic” romantic suspense as a story where one (or both) of the protagonists is in danger (or someone she or he loves, like a sibling or child, is in danger) and the love story builds at the same time that the hero and heroine confront escalating jeopardy, until the suspense and romance reach a crescendo that leaves the mystery solved, the villain defeated, and the main characters ending happily ever after.
Adrienne: What is your opinion of the state of romantic suspense today?
Jill: I think within the subgenre of “romantic suspense” there are even more subgenres: “traditional” romantic suspense and paranormal. Over and over, I have heard editors say that they are looking for more paranormal romance. This is a trend that people thought wouldn’t last, but it seems to be going as strong as ever, and in the romantic suspense world, it is definitely hot. The traditional romantic suspense is still selling but not quite as much. Just walk into any bookstore and as a test look at the number of books that are paranormal romantic suspense versus regular romantic suspense. It is very surprising but certainly confirms these trends. So for the new author looking to break into “traditional” romantic suspense, you just have to make sure your story, voice, and characters are really new or doing something different than what’s already out there.
Roxanne: As I write this, I’m in my local Barnes and Noble, and it looks to me like romantic suspense is alive and well. The romance shelves are stocked with some of my favorite authors, row upon row of blended suspense and sensuality. I’ll defer to Jill Marsal to be more specific about the market.
Adrienne: What sub-genres do you feel are hot right now? What’s not?
Jill: Paranormal is very hot and continues to sell well. Historical romance is also doing well, if it is based in Regency England or Scotland — the traditional periods (we have had several editors and houses not interested in looking at manuscripts where the novel is set in America or other “foreign” locations.) I have also heard that some publishers are starting to see contemporary romance pick up again, as is romantic comedy. And for romantic suspense, it seems editors are looking for dark, steamy, and edgy. They do not want “women in jeopardy” as much but are more interested in the strong, take charge woman.
Roxanne: Again, I can only answer this question as a reader and bookstore browser. Military heroes are hot, series that feature a group of heroes and heroines that work together are hot, international settings are hot, and the books in general are smokin’ hot: Sexy suspense is really in style. For the future trends question, I’ll let Jill tackle this with what I’m sure is a trusty crystal ball and a few tarot cards, a horoscope and her finger on the pulse of the publishing industry.
Adrienne: Do you see any trends writers should avoid? Move toward?
Jill: I always think it is very dangerous to try and “move toward” a trend. What is popular and a “trend” today is generally a book that was bought 12 months ago (and probably written long before that). The publishing process is a slow one so if you write a book for today’s trends, they will likely be gone tomorrow. Having said that, over and over, I heard people predict that the paranormal trend would be ending. But to the contrary, it still seems to be going very strong and editors continue to look for paranormal. In general, however, I would avoid letting trends dictate what you write – write what you love!
Roxanne: You’re killing me with these questions! I don’t know about trends to avoid or pursue, but I do think it is absolutely critical to read a wide range within and outside of any genre to understand what appeals to readers and why. When I see an author getting a lot of internet buzz, I pick up one of her books to find out what it is that excites the readers. There’s no way to “copy” that; I think voices are too distinctive. But I believe it’s smart to look for patterns, themes, and tropes as they emerge.
In romantic suspense, I see a definite uptick in overall sexiness, even bordering on erotica. The success of very hot writers, such as Lora Leigh, moving into the suspense genre has really elevated the sizzle level in the genre overall. My guess (again, I’m going to defer to the agent who has the view from thirty thousand feet) is that spicier, steamier romantic suspense is doing very well, and even the covers reflect that trend. I know I was thrilled to finally get a “hawt half-naked guy” cover for my last two books with Pocket, as I really felt that reflected the sensual nature of my stories and the emphasis on a sexy hero.
As a writer, I think nothing should be avoided except those major “taboos” – but in the hands a deft writer, there really is no taboo. Except, you know, harm no dogs!
Adrienne: What do you like best about this sub-genre? The least?
Jill: I guess I like the “happily-ever-after” aspect — I love that in the subgenre, the couple always ends up happy and together and in love, despite the innumerable hurdles they face, and the bad guys are always caught and the crime solved in the end. We live in a world where we hear horrible things in the news every day. So much is happening that challenges people (the economy, politics, global warming), it’s wonderful to escape to a world where everything can end up ok and be happily resolved. What I don’t like about the subgenre is that because there are a number of expected elements, it can make it more challenging for new writers to be able to demonstrate their creativity. But I enjoy helping writers figure out how to do that.
Roxanne: I like so many elements about the subgenre of romantic suspense, I think it would be hard to pick just one. The stories appeal to me, I love the constant interplay of danger and sexual tension, and I think the alpha hero – my favorite kind – is right at home in these books. I love the range of stories that can be written, and the fact that they can be set anywhere in the world. I love the potential for series and world-building, the pace, the plot twisting, and the constant pressure of life and death situations that brings out the best, and the worst, in characters.
As a writer, romantic suspense is enormously challenging. I think one of the most difficult aspects is “the big reveal” of a villain. In romantic suspense, the writer has a choice to make: whether to hide the villain’s identity and allow the ‘who dunnit’ aspect to be a big part of story, or to let the reader in on the villain’s identity from the beginning so that the chess game between heroes and villains drives the suspense. Most of the time, I choose to hide the villain and let the reader figure it out along with the hero and heroine. This is an extremely difficult maneuver to get right. If the bad guy is obvious, the reader is bored and the h/h look stupid; if the bad guy comes out of left field, the reader feels duped. The villain has to make perfect sense within the context of the story, the clues have to be judiciously dropped in, and the big reveal has to come at exactly the right point in the book. Very tough to do well, but if it is handled right, readers love it.
I think the other aspect that is extremely difficult is building a realistic HEA in the often short timespan that the stories take place. By nature of the genre, things are happening fast. Months don’t generally pass when lives are hanging in the balance. So if the hero and heroine meet for the first time in the beginning of the book, their HEA, sometimes three or four DAYS later isn’t always believable. One of the ways I handle that is with the “three months later” prologue. This aspect of romantic suspense is another reason reunion stories are popular.
Adrienne: How do you think romantic suspense has changed in the last five years?
Jill: There have been several changes. Most notably, there is a huge interest in paranormal. And it is an expanded type. Within paranormal, the subgenres that include angels, demons and other less-common creatures are becoming popular, not just the standard vampires and werewolves. The paranormal trend we keep hearing will be coming to an end soon, and yet, when you look on the shelves at the bookstores and when I speak with editors, over and over, this is what we see still going strong. The other trend I have noticed in romantic suspense is that editors are looking for stronger and stronger heroines. They no longer want the victimized woman who has to be rescued plot.
Roxanne: As I said above, I think the heat and sexiness levels have increased significantly. Of course there are plenty of writers who have limited or “light” love scenes (if any) in romantic suspense and they are quite successful. But overall, I see a trend toward more sensual and erotic stories wrapped up in a suspenseful, dangerous premise.
I also think the single title romantic suspense novels are getting a tad shorter, moving to the 90,000 – 95,000 range and that means we have to write tighter than ever, packing more punch into shorter, faster scenes. I don’t know if that’s a function of cost-cutting or shortened attention spans, but I do see the change, even in my own contracts.
The pace is ever quickening, too. Readers demand an action-packed story, with little patience for setting up the scene or a leisurely trip through description land. Like everything in our culture, these books are fast and furious, so writers need to really watch the pacing, backstory dumping, and “slower” scenes.
Adrienne: What advice do you have for writers trying to break into romantic suspense?
Jill: Study the genre. I would read as much as you can and read different types of authors – get a feel for the traditional elements and what works and what doesn’t. Look at how authors blend the suspense story line with the romantic story line. Also, focus on the openings. What makes for a powerful opening? Really break down and analyze how the successful books are doing this. I have read some fabulous openers. Some start with an opening line that raises a mystery or “hook” and grabs the reader immediately. Others, especially in romantic suspense, have the heroine facing immediate danger within those first few pages and the plot raises questions for the reader that will be answered as the story moves: why is the heroine in this perilous situation? What was the trouble that led to this situation? What is the back story? The successful beginnings work because they dramatically leave the reader having to know what happens next as oppose to slowly building up character, setting, plot.
Roxanne: Read! The reason I say this is not to sell books. I say this because if you read a lot of romantic suspense, you’ll start to organically absorb the pacing, the plotting, the villains, the red herrings, the characterization, the mood, the crimes, the procedures, the clues, the resolutions and the sensuality. In fact, all that you need to know is so embedded in the work of the great romantic suspense writers, that I find it nearly impossible to pluck out the elements, discuss and describe them and suggest ways for any writer to incorporate them in her work. It’s a little like sitting down to a gourmet meal and trying to explain to someone that the chopped fresh rosemary made one dish, but it would be all wrong in another, similar dish, but it might be okay if you deglazed with brandy instead of port and threw in a dash of…you get the idea. Read the greats, read the mid-list, and by all means, read debut authors.
My strongest advice to the budding romantic suspense writer is this: DON’T OVERANALYZE YOUR WORK. Don’t try to emulate someone else, or count scenes/chapters/plot points to balance suspense and romance, or twist yourself and your work into knots trying to get a turning point at the end of a certain chapter. If it works, you’ll know it. If it doesn’t, you should sense that, too.
I ask myself one question every single day when I sit down at the computer: what FEELS like it should happen next? That may or may not be obvious to the reader, but it’s obvious to me. Especially when I write a scene and it feels flat and dry and WRONG. Go with your gut and don’t look for a formula. There isn’t one.
Adrienne: What is the best publishing/writing advice anyone has ever given you?
Jill: Every time I am at a writer’s conference, I hear a new story about someone who has sent out tons and tons of letters to agents or editors and received tons of rejections and then just when they were about to give up, that one agent or editor came through. I think it is really important to try and learn from the rejections and consider all feedback you receive, but not get discouraged and take it personally. So many great writers have broken through after going through a tough period. It’s unfortunate that it has to be that way sometimes, but don’t give up! Keep working, and rewriting and revising and surround yourself with a group of people who can support you in your writing efforts (or at the very least a good box of chocolate).
Roxanne: The best publishing/writing advice I’ve ever received was given to me by Debbie Macomber, a writer I’m honored to count as a dear friend and mentor. But the advice was delivered long before I ever met her, very early in my path to publication, when I just couldn’t find the time to start a second manuscript. My first never sold, but I was able to get representation for it, and my agent’s advice (which was also REALLY good) was: write another book, fast. At that time I had given up my day job (and the child care that came with it) to be a full-time mom. If anyone out there is trying to write with a 3 year-old, you know that the day is full of hard, physical labor and the evening is for rest and recovery and a much-needed glass of wine. I crashed every night when my children did, unable to muster the creative energy to write.
On an RWA workshop tape, I listened to Debbie talk about goals, and she addressed this very topic. “You have two hours in a day,” Debbie said. “Find it.” I started to argue with the tape player, but then I stopped and thought about that. Sure, I had two hours. They were between 5 and 7 AM, but there they were. The next day, I set my alarm to 4:45 and stumbled to the coffee and the computer. The first week was hell, but within days, the pre-dawn writing became my schedule, and I could write a rough draft of one scene in two hours. (I learned I was remarkable creative and fertile at that hour, and the house was blissfully quiet.) Every day, I edited the scene later in the afternoon while my daughter watched The Wizard of Oz. Every day…for six months. (To this day, when I hear “I’m melting!” all I think is: work faster!!) I finished that book and sold it to Pocket and haven’t looked back, 25 books in seven years later. But if Debbie hadn’t forced me to find those two hours, I’m not sure I would have. Best advice ever.
Adrienne: Do you have any additional thoughts you would like to share?
Jill: I hear a lot of talk about the state of the economy and the publishing industry and know writers are very worried about this. While things have certainly tightened up, I do want to let authors know that publishers ARE continuing to buy. It’s tough to know when things will fully turn around, but publishers and editors are looking to fill their lists one year out, two years out etc., and they need to make sure that they will not have holes on their list and will have books to fill the shelves. While the advances may not be what they were five years ago, there are still opportunities. Publishers are looking for new authors, and every month we continue to sell both established and debut authors. Book buying is always done with an eye to the future, and I think editors want to keep their titles out there – their jobs are dependent on this. Also, the romance genre is one of the few that seems to be weathering the economic storm better than others. Readers continue to buy in this area and come back for more. So don’t be discouraged – write what you love, let the passion shine through, that is the strongest way to fight the tough publishing times.
Roxanne: Only to thank you so much for inviting me to be here today. I’ll be checking in all day and will be happy to answer anything that pertains to writing romantic suspense in particular, and romance in general.
***
RU Crew, do you have any opinions on the romantic suspense market? We’d love to hear from you.
Thank you to Jill and Roxanne for being with us today.
Join us on Wednesday when Author Cat Lindler delves into the life of a Revolutionary War Hero. One lucky commenter will receive a copy of her newest release Kiss of a Traitor.
Jill’s Bio: Jill Marsal is a partner at the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. She has been in the publishing industry for over 10 years, previously working as a Literary Agent with the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency for eight years and at Dorchester Publications and Tudor Publishing, editing women’s fiction, romance, and suspense/thrillers.
On the fiction front, Jill looks for women’s fiction, family sagas, cozy and other mysteries, suspense, romantic suspense, paranormal, and thrillers that keep the pages turning and have an original hook. She is also looking for general commercial fiction and welcomes a dramatic storyline and compelling characters in interesting situations or relationships. If you have a novel that has a highly original concept or voice, Jill would love to see it.
On the non-fiction side, Jill’s areas of interest include business, current events, health, self-help, relationships, psychology, parenting, history, and narrative non-fiction.
Jill enjoys working with both new and experienced authors. A few of the authors and projects Jill has represented include former Assistant Secretary of State Susan Shirk’s China, Fragile Superpower (Oxford), which made the L.A. Times bestseller list, world-renowned health and beauty expert Dr. Howard Murad’s The Water Principle: Saving Your Looks and Your Health Through the Science of Cellular Water (Wiley), “The Love Doctor” Terri Orbuch’s 5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage From Good to Great (Bantam), San Francisco Chronicle bestselling Pat Montandon’s Oh, The Hell of It All! (Harper Collins), Dr. Edith Gelles Abigail and John: Portrait of a Marriage (Morrow), Victoria Zackheim’s The Other Woman (Warner), Dakota Banks Dark Time: The Mortal Path (Harper Collins), Angi Morgan’s See Jane Run (Harlequin Intrigue) and Martin Limon’s The Wandering Ghost (Soho).
Roxanne’s Bio: Roxanne St. Claire is a bestselling, RITA-award winning author of twenty-four novels of suspense and romance. For the past few years, she’s been writing a popular romantic suspense series called “The Bullet Catchers” published by Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books. In addition to being a four-time RITA nominee, her books have won the National Reader’s Choice Award for best romantic suspense for two consecutive years, as well as the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, the Maggie, Booksellers Best, Book Buyers Best, several Awards of Excellence, the Aspen Gold and multiple Gayle Wilson Awards of Excellence, and her last release was nominated for an RT Reviewers Choice Award. In 2010, she will launch a new romantic suspense series, featuring an extended family of street smart crime fighters known as the Guardian Angelinos, published by Grand Central.
Prior to launching a full time career as a novelist with her first romantic suspense release in 2003, Roxanne spent nearly two decades as a marketing executive and public relations consultant. She is a graduate of UCLA, an active member of several national writing organizations, and a lecturer on a wide range of writing-related topics. She lives in Satellite Beach, Florida with her husband two children, and if you know her, you call her Rocki.
Carrie Spencer, writing romantic comedy and goofy middle-grade, personifies her alter-ego - 
Jill & Roxanne -
Thank you both for taking the time to do this interview for Romance University and our readers!
I’m aware that Allison Brennan has begun a paranormal RS series (I can’t better define because I haven’t read anything in the new series yet) after writing RS for several years. Do you think we’ll see more of that–established RS authors incorporating paranormal aspects into their books?
And Jill, I’m sure our readers would love to know if you’re looking to rep new talent in particular genres/sub-genres.
Thanks again for sharing your time and knowledge!
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | March 22, 2010, 12:23 amHi Kelsey! Thanks again for the invitation, I’m a huge fan of this site. I just emailed Allison to suggest she pop over to reply to this. I’m pretty sure she’ll be the first to tell you that although she loves the new supernatural series just launced with ORIGINAL SIN, she has no intention of leaving the more traditional romantic suspense. She’s a major player in the genre and for good reason – her books are fantastic.
I think, like Allison, lots of writers love the possibilities of paranormal and are looking at ways to incorporate it into new books. In my mind, I separate the two genres, although in reading Jill’s posts, it’s clear she sees a blend between the two.
I personally have no plans to slide to the paranormal side, but I’ve been in this business long enough to know you should never say never.
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 9:42 amI am absolutely looking for new writers and especially love a good romantic suspense.
Posted by Jill Marsal | March 22, 2010, 3:45 pmHi Jill & Rocki,
Do you think the genre needs more heroes named Patrick?
How much additional sales do you think a book would get if I was the cover model?
Posted by Patrick Alan | March 22, 2010, 8:05 amI think there’s always a place for a hero named Patrick! And since I know you well, and see you at my local RWA chapter meetings, I’m here to tell you…photo shop can be your friend.
Thanks for stopping by, Patrick!
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 9:45 ammorning all!
great post! tons of brilliant information there…I agree with the read read read theory…love your books Roxanne!
carrie
Posted by carrie | March 22, 2010, 8:59 amThank you, Carrie!
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 9:46 amThanks Jill and Roxanne! Great post. (Especially the part about contemporary romance/romantic comedy starting to pick back up again…because that’s what I write.)
Roxanne,
I love those Bullet Catchers! How do you research your stories? To my uneducated eye, they seem so realistic.
Patrick,
I would have put in my two cents about your ability to increase book sales if I could have found your picture on your website! No matter. These days they can do wonders with make up and a Fabio chest plate!!!
Posted by Wendy Marcus | March 22, 2010, 9:15 amWendy, it’s under the About tab – “Patrick Alan” page.
http://patrick-alan.com/?page_id=828
Did I mention that I am a Pokemon trainer?
Posted by Patrick Alan | March 22, 2010, 10:16 amHi Jill (waving),
As you know I write romantic suspense.
Could you clarify the difference between what is classified as a suspense novel and a thriller?
Also, does a romantic suspense novel need the ‘happily-ever-after” aspect to be sellable?
**
Hi Roxanne,
Love your books! I agree with the read read read theory too.
Thank you both for all the great information.
Posted by Kim Cresswell | March 22, 2010, 9:47 amYes, the romantic suspense novel generally does ahve a happily-ever-after ending where the couple gets together.
Posted by Jill Marsal | March 22, 2010, 3:44 pmHi Wendy, I agree that it’s good news to hear an agent say that contemp romance/romantic comedy is on the rise. That is definitely one of my very favorite genres.
So glad you love the Bullet Catchers! Research varies from in person interviews, travel to cities, to digging around the internet. Over the years, I’ve made some amazing contacts in law enforcement and security, and they’ve been so helpful to me. Every book requires hours of research, whether it’s setting, character, or crime-related. I usually spend a few weeks on research before I start writing and invariably, a major plot element emerges from the research. I can’t think of a single book where the plot didn’t change as I learned more about the place, the subject matter, or the character’s careers. Research also continues right to the very last page, and does account for a lot of my “writing” time, even if I’m not putting words on the page. Glad it’s working for you!
Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 9:51 amRocki, I hope you are right on the romantic comedy market increasing. I recently finished one and have received a partial request on it. I had a blast writing it.
Jill, how do you see the future of the romantic comedy market?
Posted by Johnny (Sir John) Ray | March 22, 2010, 4:20 pmThank you for the thorough and informative interview. Jill, as an agent, I’m wondering if you look for particular genres, knowing, for example that publishers are looking for A. Or do you look more for the story, voice, etc. and then think about whether this book is saleable at this point in time?
Posted by Carly Carson | March 22, 2010, 10:02 amI look for good writing, strong characters, and a good story. If you have those, then I believe you’ll be able to find a home for the manuscript,even if the genre isn’t “hot” at the moment.
Posted by Jill Marsal | March 22, 2010, 3:47 pmHi, Roxanne! I absolutely ate up every word of this. What wonderful advice from both of you! I love reading romantic suspense, and I love putting a little into my romances whenever it feels right. Your comment about the difficulties of pulling off the HEA in such a short time frame rang so true. The idea of the “3 months later” epilogue is great. Do you have any other suggestions? It’s a problem everyone using a suspense element grapples with!
Thanks so much for all the analysis. Loved it.
Posted by Kathleen O'Brien | March 22, 2010, 10:25 amHi Kathleen – glad you liked the post. Yes, that HEA after five days of running from baddies is always a huge challenge. I think that’s why SO many romantic suspense novels feature former lovers in a reunion story. I used to swear I’d never do a reunion story because the first meet was my very, very favorite part of a book to write, and then I wrote one and became a believer. Such a believer that I have to force myself NOT to write reunion romances.
Another trick, I think, is to craft the right conflict. They can’t spend too much time at odds, so the aspect of the story that keeps them apart might resolve with the suspense. I love to set up situations where two people MUST rely on each other to get the job done, no matter how much they DON’T want that particular person as a partner. Instant external conflict. The depth of the internal conflict also makes an HEA more believable if, way under the surface, two very different people really want the same thing out of life.
And, yes, I’m big on the epilogue from the future in order to give my reader the ultimate satisfaction of the “will ya marry me” moment. This is not absolutely necessary – there can be an implied HEA. It’s all how you want to handle it as a writer.
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 11:02 amThank you, Jill and Roxanne, for the informative interview!
Roxanne, I love love love your books, and I’m glad the new series is on the horizon. If it weren’t, I’d be re-reading all the Bullet Catchers again (which is a good idea, now that I think of it!)
I’m thrilled whenever I hear about contemp romance and romantic comedy getting stronger, because that’s what I love to write. When I am writing these books, I like to READ romantic suspense — I think it’s a great learning tool for pacing, and suspense, and plot twists.
Posted by Donna Cummings | March 22, 2010, 10:39 amThanks, Donna! I think a re-read is *always* is order, LOL.
Romantic suspense is not for everyone, I admit. You might love to read it, but hate to write it. I love to read paranormal (am huge Kresley Cole fan!) and I can really appreciate the “out of this world” elements that drive the plot, but I doubt I’d could do them justice if I tried to write that kind of a book. But, every single thing we read, I think, makes us a better writer.
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 11:04 amHello Rocki, thank you for this and waving at Jill, thank you as well. When it comes to romantic thrillers the question often asked is concerning the target; is it written for men or women? I know how important placement of the book is but when you split the romance and thriller fifty fifty which side would you emphasized in marketing the novel. It appears fifty fifty is landing me in no man land.
Posted by Johnny (Sir John) Ray | March 22, 2010, 11:05 amHello, Sir John! I would love to hear Jill’s take on this, but I think most of the time that the book says “romance” or “romantic suspense” on the spine, it is generally understood that the target audience is female. That is NOT to say that some romantic thriller writers (like Allison and Karen Rose) don’t have a sizeable male readership, it’s just that the fact is that the more romance in a book, the more female the readership.
I always get a little itchy when writers talk about the “divide” of romance and suspense in percentages. I just don’t know how you measure something like that. Page count? Scene numbers? I do “weigh” my scenes more toward the suspense element or the sensuality side of things, but in a strong romantic suspense, the two are so intertwined that if you pulled one, the other would fall apart.
I wouldn’t worry too much about your target audience, yet. Right now, your target is the editor or agent who will fall in love with your voice and story. Then, if they decide to buy it, bright and beautiful marketing minds who really do know the market will “package” that book to appeal to the right audience.
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 12:24 pmHi John:
With romantic thrillers, I think the general audience is more often women. Men and women will both read thrillers, but you don’t find as many men reading romance or romantic thrillers. Also, women make up the majority of book buyers.
Posted by Jill Marsal | March 22, 2010, 4:02 pmHi, I just got Rocki’s email about Kelsey’s comment. Rocki is right–I’m still writing romantic suspense as I always have. Lucy Kincaid’s series will launch at the end of the year. I have two paranormal romantic suspense novels out first–ORIGINAL SIN (that just came out) and CARNAL SIN which comes out at the end of June. I love romantic suspense–it’s my favorite genre. I also like supernatural thrillers–I’ve been reading them since Stephen King and Peter Straub and Dean Koontz were writing them in the seventies and eighties. I had the Seven Deadly Sins series idea long before paranormal was hot–in fact, I started writing the first book before I even sold my first RS!
I love Kay Hooper (psychic FBI Agents) and Wendy Roberts (mysteries where the heroine talks to ghosts–and runs a crime scene clean-up company) and I think paranormal elements can work in crime fiction. But “paranormal” as it is thought of today is more fantasy paranormal and that is also very popular.
I don’t know if a lot of RS authors will be turning to paranormal INSTEAD of RS–I think they may add it in to their stories or write a separate series parallel to their RS books.
Posted by Allison Brennan | March 22, 2010, 11:11 amHi, Allison -
Thanks for taking the time to stop by! I’m a big Kay Hooper fan as well, and now I’ll have to check out Wendy Roberts.
Thanks for the insight on your RS/paranormal writing. Honestly, I’m not surprised with your answer as I can’t imagine you never writing a “non-para” RS again. (Not sure if that made a bit of sense – LOL). As a reader, I love them both. Can’t wait to start the Original Sins series!
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | March 22, 2010, 1:00 pmThanks Kelsey! (I’m writing Lucy’s book now, and I’m loving it. I really love writing paranormal romantic suspense, but I would never abandon my straight romantic suspense, either. I don’t see why I can’t do both as long as readers like them!)
Posted by Allison Brennan | March 22, 2010, 7:41 pmWelcome to RU, Rocki and Jill! Thank you for offering such candid answers.
Rocki, I love Debbie Macomber’s advice – “You have two hours in a day. Find it.” Like you, I have found so many wonderful tips through RWA’s conference CDs. There’s a gem in every one.
I write historical and try to incorporate a suspense element in each story. I’ve often struggled with the balance between the history, HEA and suspense. Do either of you have any thoughts on this?
My last question is about series. Do you think it’s possible to successfully carry off a series where the mystery of the villain’s identity isn’t revealed until the final book?
Thanks!
Tracey
Posted by Tracey Devlyn | March 22, 2010, 12:09 pmHi Tracey! I think the balance of all elements of the story is a huge struggle for all of us, and I would just suggest you trust your natural “story teller instinct” when writing. In other words, listen to your gut. You’ll know if you’ve slowed the pace too much or lost the balance in the story.
I definitely think that a series can be carried off without revealing the villain’s identity until a later book – I did it. I wrote a “trilogy within the series” of my Bullet Catcher books, the titles are: FIRST YOU RUN, THEN YOU HIDE and NOW YOU DIE. All three are stand alone Bullet Catcher romantic suspense novels, but in the first book, a story thread is introduced that is continued and escalated in the second book, then finally becomes the focus of the whole book in #3. A villain is introduced in book one and included in book two but the final reveal doesn’t happen until the end of book three. There are other villains in books one and two, but they are just the villains for those stories, not the “big” villain. If that makes sense, LOL.
The trick to making it work, for me, was to be sure all three books told a “complete” story with their own hero and heroine and happy ending. The murder mystery helped put the plots into action (finding missing daughters of a woman wrongly accused of murder to help exonerate her) but the stories of book one and two stood completely on their own. Then, with book three, I made the focus of story clearing the woman who was unjustly in prison. I worked hard so that each book, if read all alone, made complete sense, but the “big story arc” does go over three books.
Hope that helps!
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 12:32 pmAwesome – thank you so much! I now have three books to read for research
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Posted by Tracey Devlyn | March 22, 2010, 12:36 pmThanks Jill and Roxanne for such informative interviews. It’s great to hear that there are editors looking for dark, steamy, and edgy. Do you think sexy, flawed hero-driven RS sells as well as kick-ass heroine-driven RS? What would you do if you thought your agent was submitting your dark, steamy, edgy RS to the wrong editors (i.e. ones buying mostly soft RS or paranormal or too junior to have buying decision power)? Jill, do you ever submit an RS ms that has been significantly revised to an editor at a house where another editor has previously rejected the original ms?
Posted by Jane Smith | March 22, 2010, 12:17 pmI’ll let Jill handle that question…except I have to say if anyone thinks her agent isn’t submitting to the wrong editors, you need to TALK. Communication is the most important aspect of the author-agent relationship.
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 12:33 pmBoy, I’m sure hoping that dark, edgy, flawed-hero driven books are selling, because I’m just about ready to start submitting one in April.
I absolutely loved writing the book, so I’m hoping I can find an agent/editor that will love it too! 
Posted by Cynthia Justlin | March 22, 2010, 1:48 pmHi Jane:
I think the most important thing here is to be up front. If you go to a new editor with a revised manuscript, I would let the new editor know that someone else in the house had looked at a previous version. You don’t want the editor to think she has a new manuscript, take it to ed board, only to find out someone saw a preivous version of this and she had no idea. Or you want to see if the first editor is interested in looking at a revised.
Posted by Jill Marsal | March 22, 2010, 4:07 pmJill, thanks for the great advice. I was really afraid that if I signed with a new agent, the shotgun approach to submissions by my previous agent might permanently kill the possibilities for that ms even though some of those submissions were over a year ago. Now I can hope for a second life. Thanks so much
Do you think sexy, flawed hero-driven RS sells as well as kick-ass heroine-driven RS?
Thanks for taking the time to answer so many questions.
Posted by Jane Smith | March 22, 2010, 6:46 pmRoxanne, you are soooo right. And I’ve tried. Despite subscribing to Publishers Marketplace, belonging to RWA and KOD, and reading everything about the publishing industry I can get my hands on, I’m treated like I don’t know enough to question her actions. Sorry, I’ll stop whining now.
Posted by Jane Smith | March 22, 2010, 12:52 pmHi Jill and Rocki!
And thanks RU for having them both. The information is wonderful.
Rocki – thank you for sharing about your ‘two hours’. It really hit home with me. Since the day job has been killer for the past several months, finding time to write when I get home has been hard to say the least. But two hours in the morning…I can do that.
Jill – Are you seeing very many paranormal romantic suspense books? Since both seem to be doing so well and in light of the so many books adding a paranormal twist to them, I was wondering what you felt about the mixing the two.
Posted by Vicki Lane | March 22, 2010, 3:24 pmHi Vicki:
Yes, we are seeing a lot of paranormal romantic suspense, and I have had a number of editors tell me that they are looking for it. Both are hot, and together even better!
Posted by Jill Marsal | March 22, 2010, 4:08 pmHi Roxanne! I have most of your books, but I am missing some.
I am so happy that contemps are back on an upswing. I wreally love them, and for a minute there I thought they were going away. I love Romantic suspense as well, and I did notice that they have become a bit more erotic and dangerous. The authors out there are really doing a tremendous job in that genre.
Thank you, to both you and Jill for your responses. It is interesting to see the differences in both your answers for all the questions. It is always good to hear both sides…LOL! I hope you are both having a wonderful day.
Peace and love,
Paula R.
Posted by Paula R. | March 22, 2010, 4:10 pmGreat interview. Roxanne, I’m addicted to your Bullet Catchers books!
Many agent blogs and writing books advise against using a prologue, yet most of the RS books I read have them. Is a prologue more acceptable in RS than other genres?
I have one in my first RS manuscript, and I think it works, but now I’m worried about submitting the MS that way.
Thanks, ladies!
Posted by Gwen Hernandez | March 22, 2010, 5:33 pmDang, I love me some prologue. I’m the wrong person to ask. I also love the epilogue, so again, my opinion is biased. There’s a place for any structure in your storytelling, as long as it works for your book and your characters. I don’t like sweeping rules. However, if your prologue is NOT a good reflection of the voice, tone, pace, or kind of book the reader can expect, then I would be very careful starting there. It may lose you an agent or editor who doesn’t have the time to get past the first few pages unless they’ve fallen in love with the writing. So, yes, be judicious with your prologues and epilogues, but they are not limited to or verboten in any particular genre. (Except I heard YA readers tend to ignore them, so I’d skip the prologue if you’re writing for teens.)
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 22, 2010, 5:45 pmGreat advice. Thanks!
Posted by Gwen Hernandez | March 22, 2010, 6:03 pmFYI, I asked my daughter, a major YA reader and reviewer, and she always reads the prologue. She says some are really good and some don’t need to be there. I think it’s just the reader–some readers don’t like them, some do. Some editors like them, some don’t. If it works for the story, write one. If it doesn’t, keep it out. My editor always asks me for a prologue. I didn’t put one in one of my books, and she asked me to add one at the copy edit stage and even suggested a scene of backstory only eluded to in the book that she thought would make a good prologue.
Posted by Allison Brennan | March 22, 2010, 7:44 pmThanks for chiming in Allison! I just finished “Killing Fear”–couldn’t put it down–and the prologue definitely worked in that one. I’ll just have to trust my instincts. I can always take it out if someone actually wants to publish my MS and doesn’t like it. That’s a problem I won’t mind having.
Posted by Gwen Hernandez | March 22, 2010, 8:34 pmTHANKS Gwen! I haven’t heard of an editor rejecting a book because they didn’t want a prologue. As long as the prologue is in your voice, that’s what they’re going to fall in love with! (voice and characters.) Good luck
Posted by Allison Brennan | March 22, 2010, 8:54 pmDelightful read – I thank you ladies for the education. Gives me something to chew on for a while.
Posted by Glenn Greysten | March 22, 2010, 6:38 pmExcellent info & advice, ladies. Thanks for sharing. And Roxanne, the dog thing? One can never repeat that enough!
Seriously, there’s so much great stuff here, I might have to enlarge a few phrases and frame a printed copy above my laptop. Like “DON’T OVERANALYZE YOUR WORK.”
Jill, as a reader, I would throw a RS across the room if it didn’t give me the HEA that I expected for exactly the reasons you described.
(But never the dog!)
Now if I’m prepared for it, that’s another story…
Posted by Jessi Bacon | March 22, 2010, 8:33 pmJessi – print an extra “Don’t overanalyze your work” for me. That is my biggest downfall – so, do as I say not as I do!
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 23, 2010, 5:33 amHi all -
Adrienne is “unplugged” this week, taking a little R&R with her family. So I just wanted to say thanks to Jill and Roxanne for visiting with RU and our readers. And it was wonderful to see such an great group of comments/commenters today! We hoped you enjoyed the RS sub-genre lecture.
In April, Angela Knight and Eden Bradley will talk with about erotic romance so stop by if you want to learn more about that market!
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | March 22, 2010, 11:04 pmThanks for having us, Kelsey! I really enjoyed the day!
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 23, 2010, 5:34 amJill, Roxanne, and Adrienne: Thank you for the interview, and thanks to everyone else for the comments.
One of Roxanne’s lines really caught my attention: “I love the potential for series and world-building, the pace, the plot twisting, and the constant pressure of life and death situations that brings out the best, and the worst, in characters.” That last part, about situations that bring out the best and the worst in characters, got me to thinking: in a sense, that’s true about every type of fiction.
The situations aren’t necessarily life-and-death ones, but they bring out the whole spectrum of moods, emotions, and actions a well-realized character is capable of manifesting. That’s a large part of what creates character and moves plots.
I also appreciate Roxanne’s statement of Debbie Macomber’s advice, and especially sharing with us her own experience of following it. Now I must find those two hours in my own days!
A question for Roxanne, Jill, Adrienne, or anyone else: Is there a place for romantic heroes who AREN’T alpha males? Who have different personality components? Who aren’t cynical about women, or anything else? Who act out of ideals and altruism rather than greed, ambition, or revenge? Whose relationship with the heroine revolves around some unanswered question other than who will control whom?
I understand why so many readers and writers go for alpha males. But what about those of us with a different take on what makes a man desirable?
Keep up the good work!
Posted by Mary Anne Landers | March 22, 2010, 11:07 pmI think you’re so right that those elements apply to all books. Even situations that *aren’t* life or death are crucial when universal emotions are involved.
I hope Jill answers the question about non-Alpha heroes, because I’d love to hear an agent’s take on that. I have to believe there is most certainly a market for a “gentler” kind of guy. But I do want to say that not all alphas are cynical, greedy, ambitious or revengeful. To me an alpha male is a natural leader, aggressive and assertive, courageous and smart. But every one of them has a soft spot inside, and the heroine finds it. So, I’d be careful not to confuse alpha with jerk. You might not realize you’re writing an “alpha” male after all.
Thanks for the comment – hope you find your two hours!
Posted by Roxanne St. Claire | March 23, 2010, 5:39 amRocki and Jill,
Thank you for hanging out with us and for providing such enjoyable conversation.
Have a great week!
Tracey
Posted by Tracey Devlyn | March 23, 2010, 5:48 am