Why I Love JR Ward

JR Ward and Susan Elizabeth Phillips, are on my favorite author list for much the same reason (please note that SEP is adult contemporary romance, which I do not represent). They have what I call "The Psychological Screw You" factor. Not so much "screw you" as in the reader, but in terms of character development and plot. If you've ever read a SEP novel, while laughing out loud every other scene, you'll realize that she's great at creating this amazing characters then throwing them down a cliff. The joy of reading about these characters comes when you watch them try to climb back up the cliff. She throws everything into it, too: family drama, past loves, financial ruin, reputation, jobs. Throughout the journey, you become close with the characters. Plus there is a lot of tension and frustration (and the sex scenes aren't there for the sake of being there; they are a result of the characters--not plot devices).

Now, JR Ward does similar things to her characters as well. Each character is so psychologically twisted that they have a hard time being in civilized company. Part of this is a result from the character's self--by that I mean a product of them being vampire (or a mix: vampire/celestial offspring, vampire/demon sucker, vampire/beast). All of them are dealing with scars from their past. Again, as I mentioned above with SEP's novels, the sex in Ward's novels are not plot devices or included for the sake of inclusion. Each scene is a product of the characters and sometimes act as a therapy tool.

(One of the main reasons I mention sex, is that it's one of the biggest mistakes a new writer can make in their ms, and one of the biggest reasons I'll reject a paranormal romance. If I see anything throbbing in the first two pages, it's usually a red flag. It must be done well and, as I said above, as a result of character development.)

Have you noticed that I haven't really talked about plot? It's all about character development. So whoever says that literary novels are all about character development, and commercial novels are only about plot, are dead wrong.

The point of this post, besides paying homage to two fantastic authors and their creations, is to show what I'm looking for when it comes to Paranormal Romance. If anything is going to be throbbing, there better be a good reason for it.

Happy reading!

Wednesday Reads: Haunting Jasmine

Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee was a light, fun, women's fiction with a supernatural element that was a joy to read. Plus, you've got a multicultural character that everyone can connect with.

Synopsis:

A call from the past brings divorcee Jasmine Mistry home to Shelter Island to run her beloved aunt's bookstore, which has always been rumored to be haunted. With that knowledge, Jasmine embarks on a mystical journey, urged along by her quirky family, and guided by the highly emotional spirits of long-dead authors. Surprisingly, she finds herself moved to heal her broken heart when she falls unexpectedly in love with an enigmatic young stranger.

First Line: "I didn't see this turn of events coming, or going. My ex-husband, Rob, used his charm like a weapon, and ultimately he didn't care whose heart he broke--or whose life he ruined. Neither did he care whose bed he woke up in. My mother would say, Well, Jasmine, that's an American penis for you. You should've married a Bangali. Faithful, good, and true to his culture. Her words conjure an image of the royal Bengali penis decked out in a traditional churidar kurta, its head peeking from the gold-embroidered white silk kurta at our Indian wedding."

You probably see why I included the first paragraph instead of first line this time. I wanted to show you a really great opening. You immediately get a sense of Jasmine's voice and what is most important to her: hating her ex and not following tradition. You also see what the main conflicts are, which, incidentally, are also her ex and her culture. In the next paragraph you learn of another conflict, that of her aunt wishing her to take care of her bookstore. And voila! You're in the story.

Brownie Points: I love, love, love that this isn't your traditional "I see dead people," sort of thing. Jasmine sees the ghosts of dead authors in her aunt's bookstore. That's it. But how cool is that?!

Recommendation: Great for people looking for a light read, slightly quirky women's fiction, a little romance, or supernatural. Also fantastic for those who want a multi-cultural novel but have a hard time finding one that appeals to everyone. Also, don't forget to check out Anjali's other novels, website here (I plan to).

Would I represent it? No. And before you ask why I bothered to review it if my answer is no (you know how rarely that happens), I'll explain. As it's the month of Adult Para&UF on my blog, I decided to give an example of something that I love but won't be representing in the near future. I am sticking to Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. Whereas I would classify this as Supernatural, or as I often call it, a Supernatural Ghost Story (which I will actually take a look at in YA--but it needs to blow me out of the water; I already have one--thanks Katy!--and the bar's set pretty high). I have, however, come to love reading things like this.

Change of Topic

For the next month or so, I'll be taking a break from talking about YA--on the blog. I still represent YA, am still looking for YA, and still love my YA clients. But I've been going nonstop on the blog about YA for about a year, so it's time for a genre switch. All my Wednesday Reads will be Adult Paranormal Romance or Urban Fantasy. All my discussion topics will revolve around the same genres.

From you, dear reader, I'd like to get a list of your favorite ParaRom and UF novels (to add to my already ridiculous TBR pile).

Also, any topics you would like to see addressed or discussed, please leave comments, suggestions, and questions in the comments of this post.

Happy writing!

Crossovers

Much akin to the advice do not say that your target audience is everyone, do not include in your query or pitch that your novel is a crossover. Crossover novels are a cultural phenomenon that cannot be predicted (at the very least, your agent or editor will decide to target a wider audience if applicable).

In case you don't know what a crossover novel is, it's a novel that begins either as an adult novel but appeals to young adults, or starts as a young adult novel but appeals to adults. Lord of the Rings (adult to young adults), Harry Potter (middle grade to young adult to adults), The Hunger Games (young adults to adults), are only a few.

To me, there is no such thing as crossovers. I see so many adults reading YA that it's becoming a pointless term, and of course young adults have always read adult novels. But we do need our labels and it makes organizing a library much easier.

Tell me dear readers, your favorite crossover novels? Do you aspire to write the next great crossover?

Happy reading!

Wednesday Reads: Dragon Bound

Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison satisfied the part of me that is restless while waiting for JR Ward to come out with a new book.

Synopsis:

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful-and passionate-of the Elder races. 

First Line: "Pia was blackmailed into committing a crime more suicidal than she could possibly have imagined, and she had no one to blame but herself."

Got my attention. Did it get yours?

Here's what I love about this line: main character is front and center; we know the main conflict (and it's interesting); leaves enough mystery to keep us reading on; we know how she feels about the main conflict and there is more conflict behind it (for some reason she did it but didn't want to).

Brownie Points: For some reason, I'm not sold on the whole turning into a dragon thing. Rats, sure. Parrot, okay. Wolves, oh yeah. But Dragons never intrigued me, even in fantasy. This book managed to change all of that. Hmmm, Dragos was a yummy dragon. Thanks Thea for changing my mind!

Recommendation: Like I said above, readers of JR Ward will love it. Any other ParaRom readers will love it too. Smart. Sexy. Fun.

Would I represent it? Yes, I would. And I am looking for something similar to it. I am looking for Paranormal Romance.

Happy reading!