How have our romances changed in the last ten years? Because tastes rarely stay exactly the same in our reading, television, music and art, and romance fiction is really no different. The basics are still there but what changes? I wrote
about the war affecting our characters in this week’s Kirkus Reviews. Check it out! I love to talk about it.
I had an interesting and very thought-provoking book club this week–after the tragic sniper shooting in Texas of best-selling writer Chris Kyle, the conversation turned to the heroines in our books. The realization as a nation that we’ve spent over 10 years at war is unsettling. Most of us know at least one family who has been directly affected by one of the wars, and it became apparent that even our reading has changed. Perhaps subtly, but if you look back 10 years you can see patterns. First, our heroines’ occupations are no longer the secretary or assistant, but they are the doctor, the pilot, the police officer or in the case of most urban fantasy or paranormal romances, the woman is the primary protagonist and kicks ass. Our heroes aren’t just covert organization mystery men, but Special Forces members who risk life and limb. And the women they desire are stronger too. Not just the primary school teacher but perhaps the principal or dean. Nurses are great but they usually have a specialization over and above floor nurse, as they did in Betty Neels’ romances.
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