Skylar Hamilton Burris's Blog

Genre Bending

In the publication world, marketers want books to fit in neat, little genre boxes. This makes them easier to both shelve and sell. If you’ve written a “Christian novel,” there best be a conversion in the third act. If you’ve written something with a romantic subplot, but that’s not the focus of your book, how do you classify it? Where do you shelve a book that mingles literary fiction, horror, fantasy, and comedy?

Genres are useful from a marketing standpoint and for giving readers some general concept of a book, but they are often limiting and misleading. Real life doesn’t fit neatly into a box. It’s full of mystery and wonder and sorrow and joy. Fiction very often doesn’t fit neatly in a box either.

Wiktionary defines “genre bending” as “the subversion of tropes associated with a particular artistic genre or the synthesis of multiple genres.” The romance that does not end in a happily ever after, the horror novel that is written in a literary style, the work of dystopian fiction that focuses on family life, the drama that is rife with comedy…all of these types of works are “genre bending.”

So when I released my latest book, Covid-39: an apocalyptic family drama, I didn’t know how to categorize it. The novel takes place in a semi-dystopian future in the American South. Events quickly disintegrate, and soon enough the reader finds himself in an apocalyptic world. There are some traditional elements of horror (the book does have zombies of a sort, after all), but the emphasis is on the development of the two main characters, who are struggling to survive the collapse of civilization while also learning to cut toxic family ties. There’s even a smattering of romance, though that’s not the focus of most of the book, so I couldn’t call it a “paranormal romance” without disappointing regular consumers of the genre.

In the end, my book was shelved (virtually) in two primary categories: apocalyptic fiction and family life fiction. And I suppose it is a work of family life fiction…with zombies.

Despite it’s inability to fit neatly in a genre box, I hope you’ll give my latest novel a try. It’s now available in paperback and Kindle editions, just in time for Halloween. My eldest child, who is currently studying Graphic Design, kindly provided me with the main illustration used on the cover. You can get your copy here: Covid-39: an apocalyptic family drama.

New Editions in Ebook Format!

My publisher, who brought out my first novel over a decade ago, has returned my publishing rights. I've now brought out a third edition of Conviction in an inexpensive Kindle format. If you didn't get a chance to read it the first time around, take this opportunity! Conviction: a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Book Signing and Wine Tasting!

Readers, you're invited to a Writers & Wine book-signing event at WineStyles in Flower Mound, Texas the evening of Thursday, April 30 from 6:00-7:30 PM. Local north Texas authors, including me, will be signing books at the wine shop, and you can enjoy a free wine tasting when you stop by.

Bring a book of mine you already own for me to sign, or buy a new one at the event (cash and checks accepted).

I hope to see you there. If you don't live in the area, but you have friends or family who do, be sure to let them know about the event!

WRITERS & WINE
at WINESTYLES
Thursday, April 30 from 6:00 – 7:30 PM
6100 Long Prairie Road
Flower Mound, Texas
http://www.winestylesflowermound.com/

I will have the following titles available for sale and signing: When the Heart Is Laid Bare, Conviction: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, An Unlikely Missionary, and the second edition of my poetry collection, A Greater Sound By Far. You can even get a copy of the last printed issue of Ancient Paths literary magazine (Ancient Paths Issue 17), before it became an online publication!

Now on Kindle!

If you've been waiting for the Kindle version of my newest novel, When the Heart Is Laid Bare, it's now available from the publisher!

http://www.amazon.com/When-Heart-Laid...

New Literary Fiction Novel

My newest novel, When the Heart is Laid Bare, is now available at Books A Million as well as Amazon.

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Heart-...

New Novel Now Available!

My latest novel is now in stock at Amazon. Books A Million will have it August 19, and it will be available to order through Barnes and Noble by September 30. http://www.amazon.com/When-Heart-Is-L...

Get an Autographed Copy of My New Book

I am auctioning off an advanced, autographed copy of When the Heart Is Laid Bare. 15% of the proceeds will go to Habitat for Humanity. Bidding starts at below cover price.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...

Giveaway Winners

Congratulations to the Goodreads Giveaway winners. Bailey, Eloise, and Samantha have each won a free copy of When the Heart Is Laid Bare and should be receiving that copy in mid-August. If you didn't win the giveaway, I hope you will still consider ordering a copy of the book from BAM, B&N, or Amazon. The release date has now been delayed until August 19.

Plotter or Pantster?

Check out my guest blog post about the writing process:

http://ellenmandeville.com/plotter-or...

And don't forget to enter the giveaway for When the Heart Is Laid Bare! Just a few days left.

Giveaway for My New Novel!

Enter the goodreads giveaway for The Heart Is Laid Bare, which releases July 1st.

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...