So far I have written three novels but I'm struggling to fit them into the right genre, so that readers know what to expect. Can you help?
Each of my novels has a 'happy-ever-after' ending, so all three qualify as romances. But what kind?
I like to read historical romances but my own stories don't qualify as historic, technically, because they cover periods within my own lifetime.
Nor are they contemporary because they don't incorporate current lifestyle issues, the latest technology or modern slang words.
They are 'sweet' because they don't include explicit sex, but they are not cloying.
They are set in different places with different, unconnected characters, so they don't fit a series.
The cover style for the books is the only linking factor. I worked hard at those covers, wanting to convey a non-sexually explicit relationship and to link each couple to the setting of the book.
I like to read historical romances but my own stories don't qualify as historic, technically, because they cover periods within my own lifetime.
Nor are they contemporary because they don't incorporate current lifestyle issues, the latest technology or modern slang words.
They are 'sweet' because they don't include explicit sex, but they are not cloying.
They are set in different places with different, unconnected characters, so they don't fit a series.
The cover style for the books is the only linking factor. I worked hard at those covers, wanting to convey a non-sexually explicit relationship and to link each couple to the setting of the book.
Romance is a genre many readers sneer at but my stories are simply stories that I, my babyboomer friends, and our children, like to read. About kind people. Unconventional people. About the notion of love. About the meaning of life. Where families matter!
In a word (two words) - 'Women's Fiction', in itself such a broad topic that when I gave a talk at a library about my first book I was challenged as to what that term actually meant. Books appealing to women? About relationships? About families?
I'm doing my best to reach high standards with my own writing. Readers tell me that my latest book, Still Waters Run Deep, triggered by a photo in an old album of mine and available at your favourite online bookstore via this link https://books2read.com/Still-Waters-Run-Deep, hits the spot. As one reviewer said: 'This book is highly recommended for anyone looking for a well written story that doesn't shy away from big issues like infertility and infidelity. It will leave you thinking about life, love and longing, well after you turn the last page'.
But, from a marketing perspective, I'm still not sure of 'my' genre. Hmm!
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