Friday, February 12, 2010

Love is in the Air...

by Jennie Bentley

Happy upcoming Valentine's Day, y'all!

Looks like we don't have a scheduled blogger today, so I'm gonna hijack the blog for a minute to ask a question.

I recently sent the manuscript for DIY-4 to my editor. It'll be released sometime in late 2010, just in case you wanted to know. At least I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a release this year.

Before I sent it to the publisher, of course, it got vetted by my agent, who reads and critiques all my manuscripts.

Her comment on this one? "It's very smoochy. Have you ever considered writing straight romance?"

Um... yeah. I considered writing straight romance once. It's about eleven years ago now, before I started giving birth and any semblance of romance left my life. I even won my local RWA chapter's annual contest one year, with a manuscript called "A Fine Romance." (Yes, like the song. LOVE the song!)

Romance is the biggest selling slice of genre fiction out there. It had more than 13% market share at last count. And yes, I do read romance. Paranormal and contemporary, mostly. A little bit historical. Besides that, I like a good love story in everything I read and write. Love makes the world go round.

So in honor of Valentine's Day, let's all share our favorite fictional love stories. Who makes you melt, personally? Scarlett and Rhett? Russ and Clare? Ron and Hermione? Lord Peter and Harriet? Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet?

Have a lovely, romantic day, everyone!

13 comments:

Joyce Tremel said...

Thanks for stepping in today, Jennie.

I don't read much romance, but I do like there to be some in whatever I read.

I have to go with Russ and Clare. I LOVE those books!

Dana King said...

This probably isn't what you had in mind, but the first one I thought of was Sam Spade and Brigid O'Shaughnessy. Maybe he loves her, and maybe she loves him, but he's sending her over because he won't play the sap for her.

More in line would be a connection--not a romance in the true sense of the word--between Philip Marlowe and Lola Barsaly in the story RED WIND, for whom he has fake pearls made so her illusions of an old lover won't be destroyed.

Karen in Ohio said...

Although it doesn't strictly fall into the romance category, I love the Gabaldon Outlander stories. Jamie and Claire, definitely, because it's a grownup romance.

Jenna said...

Actually, Karen, "Outlander" is sort of considered a romance. Time travel paranormal stuff. And Jamie and Claire rock!

Dana - good suggestions!

Joyce - yeah, Russ and Clare are great. One of my favorite couples, for sure!

Dru said...

I like Scarlett and Rhett.

JournoMich said...

What a lovely idea for a post...I don't really read romances, honestly--no hedging here. But my favorite right now is the one I am reading (wait, didn't I just say I DON'T read them? online doesn't count.) on Simone's blog. Check it out here.

This Valentine's Day I will have my MIL in town. Romantic, right? Actually, it might give us free babysitting to go out for our first V-Day ever! Yep, ever. 7 years of marriage. Ever.

Michele
SouthernCityMysteries

Gina said...

I don't generally like romances, so my pick has to be the doomed unrequited kind (sort of like my real life): Severus Snape & Lily Potter.

Jenna said...

Ooooh, Snape and Lily! LOVE IT!!!

Wilfred Bereswill said...

Romeo and Juliet.

Besides nt understanding half of the dialog, someone ends up dead.

Ramona said...

A tie: Jane Eyre + Mr. Rochester
and Anne Eliot + Capt. Wentworth

Jemi Fraser said...

I think my fave couple ever has to be Anne Shirley & Gilbert Blythe :)

Patg said...

Oh Ramona, yes, Ann Elliot and Captain Wentworth is my top favorite. Though I will always consider Elizabeth Bennet the best female character ever written.

Peter and Harriet for sure.
And Stephanie and Joe are an interesting couple. Ranger is strictly sex. And yes, I think she should have both.
Patg

kanishk said...

I do like there to be some in whatever I read.


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