Are there some book themes that are auto-buys for you?
A topic that no matter who writes it or how crappie the cover you think ah-ha, it’s one of those and I have to have it now! And you start reading while you’re still in the store, then you’re sitting on the floor and people are giving you the evil eye and tripping over you and you don’t care. I’ve been there.
I’m a sucker for love and laughter especially mixed with suspense. I’m okay with love and laughter on its own as long as it doesn’t drift into characters being stupid to get a laugh. That happens a lot and I hate, hate, hate stupid characters. They’re supposed to be heroes and heroines for Pete’s sake! Stupid doesn’t work.
And suspense by itself doesn’t work for me. So often it drifts into the gruesome or morbid or dark and I hate all those things too. But I love a good mystery. So, if you put the two together it’s an auto buy for me.
And I love, love, love cowboy themes and Southern themes. Not always an auto buy but sure makes me look twice. ‘Course if there’s humor involved then it’s a must-have and if there’s humor and suspense and in the South, well dang, girl!
And that brings us to what themes you won’t read no matter how many of your friends insist this is the best read ever! I cannot read horror no matter who writes it. Scares me to death, can’t sleep, double lock all the doors. After reading In Cold Blood I put heavy furniture in front of the back door for weeks! My husband and kids thought I was nuts…that’s because they didn’t read In Cold Blood!
And I can’t do vampires. I know, I know…there are lots of vamps out there that are humorous and have mystery but the neck biting thing just grosses me out no matter how gorgeous the neck-bitter is.
http://www.romantictimes.com/books_themes.php
Here’s a link to RT’s theme page where they list the themes and the books that best represent the theme. They even talk about what is the appeal. Very fascinating stuff.
So, chickies, the question is…
What is your fav theme that you auto buy and what is the one theme that makes you squirm when you just think about it? I’ll give away a Hot and Bothered tote from the answers.
Thanks for playing!
Dianne Castell
DianneCastell@hotmail.com
Don’t care for amnesiac hero or heroine…although *G* I used it once.
I tend to like friends to lovers, or scorned lover/redemption type things.
Oh, loooove redemption themes.
And friends to lovers is fun. All the ‘this will ruin our friendship trama’ and it can be humorous.
I really dislike intense BBSM – no matter how much the H/H get off on it. Pain is not sexy!!! Now a little bondage or light spank is fine.
I really enjoy the strong heroine who knows how to take care of herself and her needs, but who is also woman enough to let the man be the man. As long as we have smart interesting characters, I enjoy all the storylines.
I enjoy family relationships with trials and tribulations which are eventually worked through. I dislike searching for a long lost love which will never work out.
Hey Chickie!
Great topic. My favorite topic right now is the whole hell versus heaven thing. I started reading Meljean Brooks and I am hooked on the theme, except that there is not much out there.
But I pretty much read everything and devour them as long as the plot is thick and good. If it is a wimpy plot, I have a hard time getting through it.
Billie Jo
As an avid Lurker to this blog, and many, many others, I now feel the need to put my 2 cents into the pot, so here goes nothing.
I usually don’t auto-buy any particular theme. I’ll pretty much read anything you put in front of me, with one exception.
I absolutely will not purchase and/or read any book in which the heroine has a child and then decides to hide her pregnancy from the father. Whether it’s the billionaire’s hidden baby, the sheik’s hidden baby, or the doctor’s hidden baby, I will not, repeat, will not read it.
In a moment of desperate boredom, I traded several books with my mother. In her collection, there were many, and by many I mean ALL, of the books she had, contained a hidden baby plot. I was bored, and like I said I’ll read anything once (I may not enjoy it, but I’ll read it anyway).
In my attempt to relieve that bit of boredom, I was introduced to a seemingly strong heroine, who gets pregnant, decides the father can’t handle the news, and bolts. After a bit of drama and angst, the hero finds out about the baby and wham, the couple are back together. I forced myself to finish this book.
The next time I was bored, I dug back through mom’s stack, and selected another hidden baby plot randomly. That time I was so disgusted with the heroine’s actions, I didn’t even finish the book.
In my opinion, the heroine should have the courage to stand up for her child, no matter how much she thinks the hero is going to hate her, because eventually he will find out, and all hell is going to break loose.
I just don’t get it. Real life circumstances may require a hidden baby, (ie an abused wife gets pregnant, leaves her husband, etc.) but in a romance novel, I just don’t see the point.
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents for the day.
I have several authors who are automatic buys for me.
My favorites are contemporary, romantic comedy, COWBOY, romantic suspense, and then erotica. I like light BDSM when it has a story to go along with the book, not just people having sex to fill up the pages.
Brown nose here, Dianne, I absolutely loved your Forty and Fabulous series and the “U” family. These are books that can be read more than once and totally enjoyed.
It used to be that all I read was horror before 1995 and then a friend was listening to a audiobook at work and introduced me to Susan Elizabeth Phillips and now I’ve read 97% of what she has written.
And I really love the strong independent woman who can take care of herself with or without a man. Of course, with is so much sweeter.
Dianne, I’ m with on the love, laughter, suspense books. Love those. One of my favorite genres is Romantic Suspense. I like paranormal and urban fantasy but sometimes I do want some romance in them and sometimes I don’t.
I’m not a huge fan of historicals or straight suspense/mystery – I want something with a hint of romance – which is pretty odd considering I’m so not a romantic person but I digress. I do like historicals that have Highlanders in it – I think that’s because my ex was Scottish, lol!
Chasity, I agree with the hidden baby thing.
Don’t know if you ever watched Sex in the City but one of the gals gets pregnant and tells the guy, saying she’s not asking for anything but he should know.
How they eventually work it out and fall in love was a great story line, one of my favs of Sex in the City.
A strong woman and responsible way to handle the situation and do want’s best for the baby.
Oh, Phyllis, you made my day. Thanks so much. I can’t imagine writing a book without a touch of comedy and suspense and a big dose of romance.
SEP is wonderful! Loved Nobody’s Baby but Mine. I think that’ s the title. It was a hidden baby but planned as a hidden baby. She wanted a dumb jock for the daddy.
So funny, so touching. Great book.
Hi, Wendy.
Highlanders are wonderful heroes and make for terrific story lines. I don’t ready many historicals but these always catch my eye and imagination.
Hi Dianne,
I love suspense and humor together also, but I prefer the suspense to overide the laughs. I also love ghost paranormals more than vampires.
I love Romantic suspense, I don’t think I could read all horror. But a strong suspense book I just love.
Comedy is a favorite, I do prefer contempts over historicals. I don’t read many historicals anymore.
I do like vampires but its the funny or not so dark ones. Too much blood and gore in the dark ones for me.
I am not to keen on the secret baby thing either.
Infidelity on either part doesn’t fly with me especially if they are supposed to be committed to each other.
Hope you are staying warm. Time to move the cat off the heater here.
“What is your fav theme that you auto buy and what is the one theme that makes you squirm when you just think about it? ”
Right now I’m reading a combination of paranormal and contemporary suspense with a good light humorous contemporary tossed in for good measure.
I love that the heroines are becoming stronger and do not necessarily need that hero to save them but to compliment them.
Hmmm. Well, the “never buy” list is easier than the auto-buy. I do not like cowboys, ranchers or westerns. I have to LOVE the author to be willing to even consider, and even then will go for just about anything else first. I do not care for inspirationals, or ones that are sappy sticky sweet-enough-to-gag me. Historicals I have a very limited list of who I’ll read – I’m picky about accuracy and details. Never Regency. Same with time travel – unless the travel is from contemporary to future or vice versa. I’m also tired of the hidden baby, the unlikely couple brought together to raise a child (you know, brother of mother and sister of father of child who both died in a tragic accident, who hate each other for some reasonable reason but have to work together for the sake of the baby), the medical romance (I used to love them but the few variations on the theme have worn thin).
Auto consider, at least: paranormal (not big into ghosts, though), shapeshifters, vamps, futuristics, BDSM, m/m, menage, SF, fantasy, horror, and combo of those subgenres.
What I really want: characters that I care about. A twist on a conventional plot. Good dialog. Well-written enough that I am willing and able to “suspend disbelief” and escape from my 3D life. Add a dash of humor and I’m yours!
Judy, I so agree on the infidelity thing. Once the h and h meet it’s a done deal. I watched Thomas Crown Affair last night for the bazillionth time. What a great move!
Hi, Ann.
Yeah, a strong heroine is so necessary. I used to read the romances where the heroine was hanging back letting the hero save the day. Then movies like Alian and Star Wars came along and heroines changed forever.
Love it!
What I really want: characters that I care about. A twist on a conventional plot. Good dialog. Well-written enough that I am willing and able to “suspend disbelief” and escape from my 3D life. Add a dash of humor and I’m yours!
Wow, Amy, that says it all. In fact I printed this out and putting it over my computer! Thanks!
Hi, Billie Jo.
Heaven vs Hell is really an interesting theme. I think Lori Foster’s, LL Foster is sort of like that. Basic good vs basic evil in the world where God is acting through the heroine.
Neat stuff! And way different.
The tote winner is… JANE!
Hey, Jane, email me at DianneCastell@hotmail.com and I’ll send you a tote.
Thanks! Dianne
Dianne,
Miranda totally rocked the baby situation with Steve. That’s what I like to see and to read. A strong woman willing to tell the babydaddy about the baby. That’s it. Don’t hide it. Don’t come up with insane reasons to hide it. Blah.
Hi Dianne, Just wanted to stop by and say HI! I’m loving H&B!!!
I love romantic comedies. Got to have humor in the book and probably the friends to lovers is my favorite way for the heroine and hero come together.
Hi, Injen!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying Hot and Bothered. I always hope the reader enjoys reading my stories as much as I love writing them.
Chasity,
Yeah, I thought the baby thing on Sex in the City was a great story line. That Maranda got preg and Charlotte couldn’t was good too. Love that Samantha hooked up with the younger guy and how he stood by her with the breast cancer. So touching. I really liked that series.
I like the friends to lovers. That one has to be my favorite. I also like the one were the hero starts out bad but is redeemable by the end.
I like the reunited lovers theme and friends who fall in love. I don’t like heroine who has pined away for the hero her wholel life.