Anne Allen's Blog, page 6
July 3, 2014
Shared Post on Romance Novels
…an intriguing Guest Blog from Romance Author, Catherine La Roche…this LUV business it ain’t so easy, Lads and Lassies… #TBSU…
…the wealth and depth of superb Guest Bloggers to this ol’ Jurassic’s blog continues with Author, Margaret La Roche… here’s a scribe-ess who not only writes excellent romance material, but delves into the‘Hows’, ‘Whys’ and ‘Wherefores’ of the genre… fascinating post…
…but first, where are yer manners, Master Gallacher?… a wee introduction to the lady is called for…
CATHERINE La ROCHE
…Catherine LaRoche is the romance pen name of Catherine Roach, who is a professor of cultural studies and gender studies at the University of Alabama. Catherine won the Romance Writers of America Academic Research Grant in 2009 and is writing a book on how the story of romance—“find your one true love and live happily ever after”—is the most powerful narrative in popular culture. A lifelong reader of romance novels, she combines fiction writing of historical romance with academic writing about the romance genre for the best of both worlds. When not writing, reading, or teaching about romance, she enjoys hiking, cooking for friends, and spending family summers at a lake in her native Canada, where her loon call is known to sometimes fool the local loons. Her latest Victorian romance ebook KNIGHT OF LOVE was released in June 2014 by Simon & Schuster.
See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Catherine-LaRoche/407531852.
Click here for a video interview of Catherine by the Popular Romance Project:
http://popularromanceproject.org/power-of-romance/
…listen, emb’dy who even admits to having a special loon call, is up a notch or five in my estimation already… and she even has the intrepidity to visit my home town, Glasgow, this week… have a wee dram on me, Lassie…slainte math!…
…now, read on to understand how this LUVLY lady is also equipped with more than her fair share of brains…
NINE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF ROMANCE FICTION
Catherine LaRoche
I spend a lot of time thinking about romance fiction. My mom reads the books, and I picked up the love of the genre from her when I was a teenager. She always had a tottering pile of novels beside her bed that I’d rummage through for something to borrow. Now I write historical romances and, in my day job, I’m a college professor of gender studies and cultural studies. For the past several years, I’ve included romance fiction in my teaching while I’ve been writing an academic book entitled Happily Ever After: The Romance Story in Popular Culture (forthcoming in mid-2015 from Indiana University Press).
My students choose romances from a big box that I bring into class and write responses on them. We do cut-up exercises with the novels to create alternative storylines. We write a collaborative online romance with scenes ranging from suspense to spicy erotica. I’ve set up a romance lending library in my office; my eight-year old son decorated a poster for borrowers to write down comments about the novels they check out. As I draft my academic book, I workshop chapters with the students in order to get feedback.
I’d like to invite similar feedback from readers here, on some of the book’s conclusions. I propose that romance novels have nine essential elements. (I’m playing off Dr. Pamela Regis’s work in her wonderful 2003 text A Natural History of the Romance Novel.) What do you make of my list so far? Do you agree or disagree? Am I missing anything? All comments welcome!
The nine central claims made by the romance narrative:
It is hard to be alone. We are social animals. Most people need and want love, of some kind. Amid all the possibilities for love as philia (friendship) and agape (spiritual or selfless love), the culture often holds up eros or romantic partner love as an apex of all that love can be and do.
It is a man’s world. Women generally have less power, fewer choices, and suffer from vulnerability and double standards. They often get stuck looking after men or being overlooked by men.
Romance is a religion of love. Romance entails belief in the power of love as a positive orienting force. Love functions as religion, as that which has ultimate meaning in people’s lives.
Romance involves risk. Love doesn’t always work out. Desire can be a source of personal knowledge and power but also of deception and danger. Romance fiction is the safe, imaginative play space to explore the meaning and shape of this landscape.
Romance requires hard work. Baring the true self, making oneself vulnerable to another is hard. Giving up individuality for coupledom requires sacrifice.
Romance facilitates healing. Partner love leads to maturity. Love heals all wounds. Love conquers all.
Romance leads to great sex, especially for women. Women in romance novels are always sexually satisfied. Romance reading can connect women to their sexuality in positive way.
Romance makes you happy. The problematic version of this claim is that you need to be in a romantic relationship for full happiness. Here, romance fiction can be oppressive if it mandates coupledom for everyone.
Romance levels the playing field for women. The heroine always wins. By the end, she is happy, secure, well loved, sexually satisfied, and set up for a fulfilling life. The romance story is a woman-centred fantasy about how to make this man’s world work for her.
…there yeez are now… plenty of food for thought, romantic or otherwise… give the Lady some feedback, thanks a ton, Catherine… see yeez later… LUV YEEZ!…
ALL MY BLOG POSTS ARE FREE TO SHARE/RE-BLOG SHOULD YOU SO WISH—BE MY GUEST!
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June 26, 2014
Cupid’s Way – A New Book From Joanne Phillips
I would like to introduce you to my lovely friend, Joanne Phillips, who releases her latest book today. Do take a look!
Cupid’s Way – the new romantic comedy from Joanne Phillips
Buy link: http://smarturl.it/ifgi1x
“When Evie Stone’s grandparents enlist her help to save their home in Cupid’s Way, Evie is happy to oblige. On the cusp of her thirties, and still disappointingly single, Evie’s so-called dream job with a firm of architects has been driving her crazy for months. What she needs, even more than a new man, is a challenge.
But saving Cupid’s Way won’t be easy. A perfectly preserved Victorian terrace, surrounded by modern estates and retail parks, the street is a proud oasis of quirky characters, cobbled pathways and communal gardens. Unfortunately, it also sits on prime development land worth millions.
Dynamite Construction have the deal in the bag, and soon the residents of Cupid’s Way will be forced to sell up and ship out – CEO Michael Andrews, charismatic and super-successful, has certainly never let sentimentality get in the way of business. At least, he hadn’t until he met Evie Stone.”
Joanne Phillips lives in rural Shropshire with her husband and young daughter. She’s the author of romantic comedies Can’t Live Without and The Family Trap, and the Flora Lively series of mysteries. Can’t Live Without was an Amazon top 20 bestseller in 2012 and her books regularly appear on category bestseller lists. Before becoming a writer, Joanne had jobs as diverse as hairdresser, air hostess and librarian, but now divides her time between writing and finding creative ways to avoid housework. She’s a fan of super-dark chocolate, iced coffee and Masterchef. Joanne blogs about writing and publishing at www.writersjourney.co.uk
Website: www.joannephillips.co.uk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joannephillipsauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannegphillips
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joanne-Phillips/e/B0083UEG86/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2862086.Joanne_Phillips
Buy link: http://smarturl.it/ifgi1x
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May 25, 2014
THE WRITER’S BLOG TOUR – IT’S MY TURN!
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
Douglas Adams
THE WRITER’S BLOG TOUR – IT’S MY TURN!
I was very happy to be invited to join the Writer’s Blog Tour by my fellow writer of Guernsey books, Gillian Mawson .
I do hope that you enjoy your visit and will go on to sample the blogs of other writers, highlighted below. We are part of a growing international community of writers, working to introduce each other’s blog to a wider audience. Christine Findlay, Chair of Bookmark Blair (Blairgowrie Rattray and The Glens Book Festival) in Perthshire, Scotland, invited us to take part. See www.efindlay.blogspot.com
Gillian also invited Rita Roberts and Michelle Higgs to follow her on this tour.
Now it’s my turn to answer the 4 questions posed:
1. What am I working on?
I am nearing the end of my third Guernsey novel, Guernsey Retreat, which is a romantic mystery. Like my previous novels – Dangerous Waters and Finding Mother – the stories are contemporary but with a reference to the Second World War, which had a huge impact on Guernsey and the other Channel Islands. Guernsey Retreat follows a young London woman, Louisa Canning, whose mother died in her arms after a burglary. She sets out to find the father she has never met; to warn him that they might both be in danger as the burglar was looking for jewels belonging to him. Malcolm Roget, Louisa’s father, has recently opened a natural health centre and retreat in Guernsey. He had lost his father in tragic circumstances shortly before war broke out and when Louisa turns up, claiming to be his daughter, a chain of events unfurls that leads them towards solving the mysteries behind the deaths of their respective parents.
Guernsey Retreat is scheduled for publication later in 2014.
2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
That’s a tricky one! The obvious difference, I suppose, is that my books are all set primarily in Guernsey, with excursions to other countries as needed. Indeed, I’ve decided to call the series “The Guernsey Novels”. They are not a true series in the accepted sense, but do all share links with the previous books in that characters from one novel pop up in minor roles in the next. My other “trademark”, if you like, is that I focus strongly on the different generations of women in a family. This is particularly true of my second novel, Finding Mother. And, having been a psychotherapist for many years, I tend to examine relationship issues; both familial and sexual.
3. Why do I write what I do?
My first book, Dangerous Waters, was written as my homage to Guernsey. I lived there for nearly fourteen years and loved it ☺ I never expected to return to England, but stuff happens, doesn’t it? My elder son was able to stay and I go over as often as I can to catch up with him and my friends. In fact I’ve just returned from a week there. Blissful! The weather was gorgeous and I managed to fit in some research for both my third and fourth books.
4. How does my writing process work?
I’m a hybrid writer. By that I mean I do a certain amount of planning and then I let the story/characters take over. I always know where I want to start and which characters will end up together, but the how tends to develop along the way. Unplanned characters tend to appear unexpectedly, but I find this adds to the fun of being a writer☺
Not being a morning person, I don’t start writing in earnest until late morning or after lunch. I like to get my social networking, promoting and marketing out of the way first, together with any domestic chores. If my writing flows, I’ll keep going until 7 or 8 at night and usually write 7 days a week unless life gets in the way!
And finally, I want to introduce you to 3 friends whose work is wonderful – please visit their blogs to find out more. These talented writers will be offering their answers to the same 4 questions on Monday 9th June. And anything you can do to help us all share our words and ideas through your own networks would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Joanne Phillips
Joanne Phillips lives in rural Shropshire with her husband and young daughter. She’s the author of romantic comedies Can’t Live Without and The Family Trap, and the Flora Lively series of contemporary romantic mysteries. Can’t Live Without was an Amazon top 100 bestseller in 2012 and her books regularly appear on category bestseller lists. Joanne loves super-dark chocolate, iced coffee and Masterchef, and divides her time between writing and finding creative ways to avoid housework.
Her blog can be found here: http://www.writersjourney.co.uk
Rebecca Scarberry
Rebecca Scarberry was born and raised in Southern California. She’s retired, and writes full-time. She lives on a secluded farm in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas with her husband and five cats. She has devoted her time to writing fiction since 2009, and has self-published six books in four different genres.
The books she has published are: Jumper, Jumper Bounces Back, Jumper Meets Bouncy, Messages from Henry, Rag Doll, and Where Love Takes You.
Her blog can be found here: http://scarberryfieldsforever.blogspot.com/
Regina Puckett
Regina Puckett writes sweet romances, horror, inspirational, picture books and poetry. There are several projects in various stages of completion and there are always characters and stories waiting for their chance to finally get out of her head and onto paper.
Her blog can be found here: http://reginapuckettsbooks.weebly.com/blog
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April 5, 2014
The Undercover Soundtrack
Here’s a copy of my post on Roz Morris’s website http://mymemoriesofafuturelife.com/ which appeared on 2nd April 2014
‘Tragedy and loss are cornerstones of my story’ – Anne Allen
The Undercover Soundtrack – Anne Allen
‘Tragedy and loss are cornerstones of my story’
Once a week I host a writer who uses music as part of their creative environment – perhaps to connect with a character, populate a mysterious place, or hold a moment still to explore its depths. This week my guest is romance mystery novelist Anne Allen@AnneAllen21
Soundtrack by by Philip Chapman, Denis Quinn, Medwyn Goodall, Terry Oldfield, Johann Pachelbel, Rod Stewart
Thanks, Roz, for allowing me to air my thoughts on the music that influences me while I write. Your series has shown how varied the music is that writers listen to in their search for creativity. My own selection is quite limited in comparison but it did inspire me while writing my first novel.
A meditative space
I do love music but there are also times when it seems to get in the way; I find myself so drawn into the music, particularly vocal, that I literally lose the plot! Music helps to create the mood, spark the creativity but then must either be less noticeable or pertinent to what I’m writing at that time. My normal listening taste is quite eclectic; Michael Jackson, Adele, Nina Simone, Pavarotti, 1812 Overture, Chris Rea… And I love the more meditative New Age music which always formed a backdrop to my sessions when I practised as a hypnotherapist.
While writing my first novel Dangerous Waters I started off by playing New World Collection Relaxation II, a compilation of different artists playing hauntingly beautiful music which fed my soul while I stepped into the unknown as a writer. The first track, Wisdom by Philip Chapman, is played on a piano but with strings in the background and always calms me. My central character, Jeanne Le Page, is a young woman returning to her island home of Guernsey for the first time in 15 years, after fleeing to England as a girl of 16. She had lost her family in a tragic accident and now returns after the death of her grandmother, while also mourning the end of a long-term relationship. Tragedy and loss are the cornerstones to the story but as time goes on, hope of a fresh start and new love appear and the mood changes. My favourite track on this album, Soldier of Love by Denis Quinn, is in harmony with this change and provided the ideal background for the latter part of the writing process.
Seeking catharsis
Jeanne experiences so many conflicting emotions through the story and music helped me to identify with them. I cried at times too, the words and music encouraging me to release my own grief as I wrote. I had lost two people I had loved and writing Dangerous Waters proved a catharsis. Another favourite of mine is the PachelbelCanon which I found inspirational as I grappled with difficult chapters. Bearing in mind that this was the first time I’d written anything more substantial than a 500-word true-life story, I was in a constant state of insecurity; totally untutored. Entering the heads of other characters was also challenging, but I could empathise with some more than others. Molly, a character in the book, was based on a family friend. She was also a hypnotherapist who played a part in helping Jeanne to recover the memory lost after the accident and I played tracks such asDream by Medwyn Goodall and Wings of the Morning by Terry Oldfield during the hypnosis sessions in the story to evoke the right ambience. At least there I was on known territory!
As Jeanne began to blossom and a new man- actually men! – appeared on the scene, I felt the need for different inspiration and listened to a Rod Stewart album. I know, I know! A bit off piste, perhaps, but it was fun and sexy and that’s what I, or rather Jeanne, needed. The album was If We Fall In Love Tonight. The title says it all, but there were particular tracks that, ahem, helped with certain scenes, such as Tonight’s the Night andSometimes When We Touch. Rod’s gravelly voice provided, I have to say, both a distracting but complementary background to the writing.
We all respond to music in one way or another. Memories, both good and bad, are triggered by hearing even just a few bars of a tune that resonated with us at one time. Perhaps we take it for granted that it’s there, in the background of our lives, not always listening. But I’m convinced we would miss it if it was no longer there in our world and we have the composers, lyricists and artists to thank for offering us such a rich choice for our inspiration and comfort. Like books, music enriches our lives and I wouldn’t be without it.
Anne Allen lives by the sea in Devon, UK, having finally settled down; perhaps. She spent many years working as a psychotherapist but knew the ‘creative’ in her had to escape one day. In the past two years she has published two novels, Dangerous Waters and Finding Mother ; her third book, Guernsey Retreat , is due out later in 2014. Her genre is romance/mystery and romance/family drama and Dangerous Waters won Silver in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2012. Her website is www.anneallen.co.uk and she can be found on Twitter as @AnneAllen21.
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Meditation for all
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