An Important Question for my Flisters

[mlsky]

Okay, Flisters, I have a question for you all. When you're picking up a book to read, what are you looking for?  angylinni and I are brainstorming ideas for Ellipses and we think contemporary romance/fiction is someplace we should be exploring. Thoughts on this, anyone? Several of our lines are geared towards niche markets, so we’d really like to target

Comments

[jessicaj703]

My favorite genre would probably be best described as sci-fi action with good characterizations and some believable romance where appropriate. I like actual plot and realistic characters more than anything. Also, for sci-fi, a world that feels "lived-in", where the facets don't need to be explained in every paragraph. (i.e. Good writing. ;)

[mlsky]

This is my preferred genre, too. :D And Spec Rom, too.

I completely agree about plot, realistic characters and the lived-in world. Info dumps drive me bat-crazy.

Thanks for responding!

[thrace_adams]

The cover art and the title - if those are interesting, I'll pick it up and read the blurb on the back. If the blurb is interesting I might give it a go.

I like paranormal and some dystopian, I like romances but not the bodice ripper Harlequin ones - I like a bit of plot behind my romance LOL.

Does that help at all?

[mlsky]

Yeah, it helps a lot. For clarity, when you refer to bodice rippers what are you thinking? Is it more cover related or story line?

Heh...or both?

Thanks for the response. I'd also love to chat about writing. Do you avoid writing for the genres you read? Or does it make a difference?

[thrace_adams]

Hmmm I guess I'm thinking of the utterly predictable Harlequin (not a malign of the label by any stretch) erotica/romance that is churned out every month - girl wants boy, girl gets boy, girl loses boy, girl gets boy back - type of formulaic stuff? Does that make sense? And as for cover - yeah, they usually feature a big hulking guy with a big buxom heroine in some sort of strikingly romantic pose

[scifishipper]

I hadn't read a book in years, but this summer I read six in a month, all in a genre I've never been interested in - mysteries! I read all of Tana French and Gilian Flynn's works and even started my own first novel, which is a mystery. I was that inspired. Another flister is also now writing a mystery novel because of the same set of works, particularly French. (Now, if I could only get time to actually get down to writing for real!)

[mlsky]

Inspiration for the win! Curious question from me...will your mystery have romance or be straight whodunit (or well, just straight up mystery)? I love both, but find myself leaning toward romantic suspense when I have to choose one over the other.

Also, do you have a preference to time or era with mysteries? Something from say the Victorian era or more modern like the last fifty years up through the present day?

Thanks for the response!! I'm so thrilled to have them. :D

[soleiltropiques]

My favorite genres are:

-urban fantasy
-science fiction: especially the sci fi romance if well done, and the space opera stuff. I LOVED the early books in the Honor Harrington series by David Weber.
-traditional fantasy: especially that with strong female characters, an original univers/setting

I do also read straight fiction although for the past few months I've definitely been on a binge with regards to the above.

I do have a profile on Goodreads (and I've written a bunch of reviews for various books I've read), if you're interested and on there I could friend you there...

[mlsky]

Oh yes! I'd definitely be interested in the goodreads friending. I'm in the process of getting my user name straightened out. (Long story... but I should be mlsky over there, too.)

Sci Fi romance and Spec Rom are both close to my heart. It's what I like to read and write. Although I tend to avoid reading it when I am writing though. :) I love traditional and urban fantasy, but lean more towards the urban. Sometimes there's a little too much info dumping in the traditional, at least I seem to run into it a lot. :(

When you read straight fiction, do you enjoy romantic elements in the story (with a HEA or HFN) or something else?

Thanks so much for responding. I'll look forward to seeing you on Goodreads. :D

[soleiltropiques]

Hi there!

When I went on Goodreads, the only mlsky that comes up is 'Skylin O'Thomas' (?) Is that you? My username is 'Coucher de Soleil' (i.e. sunset). I checked and I seem to be the only one with that name.

In straight fiction, yes, I do enjoy romantic elements in the story. I suppose what aggravates me with a lot of the romance genre (what I've read of it, anyways) is that in a lot of cases the romance seems to be the be-all end-all of the story, and they also tend to be written pretty badly. It isn't that I think that something always has to be 'happening' in a story in order for it to be interesting, but I do think that it must be well written, which includes being interesting in some way (i.e. whether by plot or psychological exploration or what have you). I guess that's what I find is the most important element.

[justascrewup2]

For books in general, I read scifi, romance and YA supernatural/distopian. For romance, I'm mainly a victorian romance person, but I do read some contemporary. I did one supernatural romance and found it kind of weird, but maybe I wasn't reading the right one.

[mlsky]

Ah, I love a good Victorian romance. Can't write them to save my life so reading is always fun. :)

Do you like your sci fi reading to have romantic elements or straight up, hard sci fi? Ang is writing a distopian story right now that's soooo good. I can't wait for her to finish. :)

Supernatural romance tends to be hit or miss with me, too. I can't always put my finger on why, but I think it has a lot to do with not always being able to suspend my disbelief. The weird gets in the way of the story maybe. *nods* Yeah, I'll go with that. :D

Thanks for responding. I appreciate the input. :D