I'll Have a Love, Ghost and Fear Martini a guest post by Jeff Bennington

[image error]Are you one of those people who insist upon keeping the food on your plate separate? Does it gross you out if your gravy oozes over into the green beans?

If so, you might also be the type of person who has strict guidelines in your literary genres of interest. For example, you might be a straight-laced romance reader, or a high-intensity horror blood bather.

On the other hand, some folks enjoy double dipping, splashing their ham in the glazing, potatoes and cranberry sauce! I'll admit it. I'm a dunker. I dunk my cookies and doughnuts deep into my milk, until my fingers bleed that beautiful milky white juice all over the place.

I dip my turkey into the gravy and swirl it through the stuffing, hoping it'll grab a few spicy chunks of stuffing along the way, and I mix my genres.

That's right, I like variety when it's served together.

When it comes to writing novels, I think I'd get bored if my books headed down a one-way street. I like action. I like drama. I like romance. I like Horror and I love the supernatural. What I don't like, is choosing one genre over the other.

In my opinion, a good story can and should encompass multiple genres, just like a good meal serves a main dish with multiple sides that accentuate and compliment the overall flavor.

Honestly, I don't understand why the publishing industry has such hard-core genre barriers. Well, I take that back.

The answer is likely simplicity and because broad genre categorizations make their work easier; not to mention the fact that folks like to know what they're reading. But is that really what readers want? I hope not, because I don't write like that. I write multi-genre fiction, a full course meal served on a single plate.

I like mixing my food and I like mixing my genres. People and life are not one-dimensional. Why should my writing be that way?

I think you can create extra depth to a story if your zombie is in love with a beautiful Zombie-assassin and decides to put an end to all human snacking and mutilations, if it means he can win the love of that chick with the zombie-zapping lazer.

It's an ideal scenario, adding conflict in ways that maybe you hadn't thought of. Think of it…Horror and romance…Suspense and fantasy…dark fiction and Christian fiction…Chick-lit and true crime…ohhhh it sounds soo good! Absolutely yummy!

My latest book, REUNION, is much the same.

The main dish is definitely a thriller, but the sides include a simmering sample of the supernatural, a tangy touch of romance, and a scoop of horror as frightening as House on Haunted Hill. Some have enjoyed the originality.

Some have commented that the characters seem vividly real. I think it's just a matter or breaking a rule…the "What genre is this rule."

I wasn't thinking about the genre when I started writing REUNION; I was thinking about the story. I didn't want to waste time running through a market analysis of my readership. I just wanted to write. Maybe I should've honed the story to align with one of the sizzling hot genres so as to get a bigger piece of the market share.

But I guess I don't think like that. Call me non-business savvy. I don't care. Sometimes the story should be born the way a first love develops, pure, unadulterated and honest. Don't confuse that with lack of editing. REUNION was twice edited and finally proofed by bestselling author, Scott Nicholson's proofer, Neal Hock, a great book polisher.

The point is, a good martini isn't made from pure Vodka…that would be too hard and bland. A good martini is made with a strong base, but with splashes of fruit and Triple Sec and ice and salt. In my opinion, a good thriller should have other genres like a slice of cherry-red horror floating on top, a splash of romance for flavor and a dash of paranormal sprinkled around the edges!

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As a bonus, I'll donate a copy of my short story, The Rumblin', to anyone who visits this blog until Aug, 2nd. Here's a smashwords coupon code to get a copy of that short story…it's perfect for camping season…CODE: GL29P

-Jeff Bennington[image error]

Author of REUNION

Print: http://www.amazon.com/REUNION-Jeff-Bennington/dp/0615450865/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Reunion-ebook/dp/B004S7AR0E

Nook: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/REUNION/Jeff-Bennington/e/2940012369024

The Writing Bomb: http://thewritingbomb.blogspot.com/