I love flowers. The other day I couldn't resist a bouquet of tulips from the market. They were this shade of purple pictured on the left. Maybe it's because I'm a spring baby born in May but I love tulips and crocus'. Especially purple. Normally I wait for my husband to buy the flowers but he's been lacking in that department lately so I bought them for myself and every time I look at them I smile. My husband bought me roses two days later. I guess sometimes men need a strong hint!I've been working on perfecting my pitch for my book. It's been rather frustrating since I can't seem to get the wording just right. Not to mention that I have nightmares now that my book is just not what people are looking for. By people I mean editors and publishers of course. It just isn't all that dark and dark paranormal seem to be what is selling right now. Or those brooding tortured heros.
I recently picked up the latest Johanna Lindsey book, "Captive Bride." I've enjoyed her writing in the past and figured she was a sure thing when it came to an enjoyable read. Quite honestly her book annoys me. I like the heroine, she's a strong independent female but I don't care that much for the hero. First he decides he wants her and proposes the night after meeting her. Then when she tells him no he has her brother shipped to Cairo a month early. She joins her brother and the first night there he kidnaps her and takes her to his desert tent. Then he pretty much forces her into sex that she doesn't want but can't help but enjoy. It makes her hate herself for liking it and him for touching her. I mean it goes on and on.
Now if you like that kind of hero, great. He sounds way too controlling and too much like my husband for me. I am so sick of men taking charge in my life. So I just want to smack the heroine for falling in love with him after all that. What's wrong with a hero who is understanding and loving and supports his woman while being strong? I hate these heroes who think they know what's best for the heroine and don't ask her, they tell her. I was reading another author's blog recently and in her 'about me' section she'd posted that one night after arguing with her husband she decided to write about the perfect man and that's how she became a romance author. That pretty much sums it up for me I guess. I have the controlling know it all hero at home. I want to write about another type of man.
So is there a market for the gentler man? I hope so! And I hope that writing paranormal doesn't mean I have to write another vampire book. God, aren't there enough of those? I don't mind reading them but I just can't get excited about writing one. The trouble is I'm not the one deciding who will publish my work. And I'm not the one who decides what type of book publishers are looking for right now. My only hope is to make my pitch interesting enough that someone will ask to see more. That is nerve wracking enough!