Saturday, March 28, 2015

Romancing the Book Snob

By Deanna Wadsworth

The other day someone made a disgusted face at me I told them what I was reading. Naturally, I’m in the middle of another awesome gay romance—per my usual— and they said, “I wouldn’t get caught dead reading that.”
Feeling my hackles rising, I was like, “What? A gay book?”
They said back with a laugh, “No, a trashy romance novel.”
 Mind you this book snob joined the other lemmings and read 50 Shades, but that is another rant for another day, LOL
So, while I was somewhat relieved their snobbery wasn’t a gay vs. straight thing, but rather an overall self-inflated opinion of their literary prowess, it got me thinking: why do so many people turn their noses up when they see a paperback with a Highland warrior on the cover and a be-gowned heroine? Or a book with two gorgeous, muscled hunks? Or hey, even a combo of all three?
We all know a book snob only reading something that makes them look smart, think deeply or that a certain daytime talk show host recommended. Personally with the wide variety of storylines in the romance genre I ask, why read anything else?
In a romance genre you will find everything you could want in any type if book. Thrillers, spy novels, vampires, murderer mystery, science fiction, political thrillers, inspirational, westerns and fantasy that would make a Tolkien fan look twice. You can have any combo of protagonists too from M/F, M/M, F/F. The possibilities and combinations are only as endless as your imagination and the space on your Kindle.
The one thing you won’t find after devoting a week to 90k words, is your MC dying in the last ten pages. Unless the heroine has some magic power to resurrect him, that is.
Why, I ask, is the content of a book with a guaranteed happy ending somehow inferior reading? Why is a book tossed aside because of some tawdry cover art? Weren’t we always told not to judge a book by its cover? So why does that not actually apply to a romance novel?
One of the first things we often ask when being introduced to a new couple is, “How did you two meet?” Why do we ask this? Because we are hoping that it may be an interesting story. A romance novel always delivers on an interesting story.
In today’s stressful world we all need an escape. We go to the movies and we want to laugh and we want to walk away feeling happy. We should demand the same things from our reading material. Today’s romance novel is not what most people think. There is a subgenre for everyone. The publishing world is tough to break into and the competition is fierce, so the quality of the writing is better than you would ever imagine. So next time someone asks you if you have a good book to recommend try telling them to read a romance. They will find a well-crafted page turner that will leave you walking away with a smile on your face.
Nothing feels better than Happily Ever After!

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. When she isn’t writing books or brainstorming with friends, you can find her making people gorgeous in a beauty salon. She loves music and dancing, and can often be seen hanging out on the sandbar in the muddy Maumee River or chilling with her hubby and a cocktail in their basement bar. In between all that fun, Deanna cherishes the quiet times when she can let her wildly active imagination have the full run of her mind. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.


No comments: