Breaking the Rules
Y'all know I love me some subplot romance. (Frankie and Jess, anyone?) The secondary romance provides an amazing opportunity to bend and break those unwritten rules that govern our beloved genre. For my new trilogy, for example, I chose to push the envelope in two directions with Claire and Kane. Claire is an older (over 40) heroine (who is also French!) and Kane is younger (in his 20s) and (gasp!) a rock star. Yes! Cougar romance with a rock star twist. And maybe that doesn't sound great to you, right off the bat--the same way some readers have confessed to me that the abstract idea of two guys falling in love didn't appeal to them...but once they met Frankie and Jess, the subplot heroes from my Market trilogy, they were hooked.
Give Claire and Kane a chance to hook you! And think about what other romance rules you've noticed, and that you would maybe like to take a sledgehammer to. Plus-size heroines, for instance! Virgin heroes, interracial couples...what else?
I have complete trust in you with Claire & Kane even though a big age difference is not one of my fave premises (no matter who is older). How about step-siblings?
Ones that didn't grow up in the same house and are older when they meet. I've read a few that were good.
Mary G said... July 14, 2011 at 7:43 PM
Oooh, good one, Mary! That's definitely risky. I like it!
Louisa Edwards said... July 15, 2011 at 10:01 AM
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