Our guest author, E.C. Sheedy, she shares a few of her thoughts on life, writing, and the meaning of romance. And let me just say, we love E.C. !
Oh, yeah, sure, Sybil, make me a guest author in the countdown hours before J.R. Ward’s LOVER UNBOUND is released. Have you got any idea how much I envy J.R. her fantabulous creation, the Black Dagger Brotherhood? And it’s all your fault for putting me on to her boys. Love ‘em, J.R. Totally hooked and can’t wait for UNBOUND!
But I gotta say it . . . as a writer swimming upstream in a river of fantastic paranormal and erotica books, my writerly arms get awfully tired, because I write romantic suspense: murder and sex, fear and love, without an otherworldly beastie in sight. I really do have to get me one of those . . .
But what’s my biggest challenge in writing romantic suspense?
Making ‘falling in love’ make sense in a dangerous world—when falling in love is a danger in itself.
I write gritty but not gruesome, I write sex but not kink, and I write villains you love to hate. That’s my shtick. And I came to it via the back door.
For a while, Life (you know . . . the one with the red capital ‘L’) grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go, leaving no time for me to indulge in fictional dreams. When that L went lower-case again, in an effort to prime my rusty word pump, I wrote a death bed scene where a dying man hands three letters to the woman caring for him; letters that, when opened, would not only put her life at risk, but change it in ways she couldn’t imagine. I sent that scene and a couple of chapters to Kate Duffy at Kensington and, wonder of wonders, she bought it, titled it 
(PERFECT EVIL), and got it out there for the world to see. It was Kate who told me I was writing romantic suspense. Brilliant, that Kate. And ever since I’ve been skulking in the back alleys of Romanceland looking for mystery, murder, and mayhem—and those twisted villains I’m so fond of—so I can toss them on the page and make it as difficult as possible for my heroes and heroines to find their happy ending.
 
The big challenge in writing romantic suspense is giving the main characters enough page time to fall in like, fall in love, then fall into bed, even as some evil SOB with murder on his mind leers and taps his yellowed fingernails on the bedroom window. It’s all got to make sense, right? (even though highly- stoked emotions rarely do!) But according to Arthur Aron, a psychologist who studies such things, “People are more likely to feel aroused in a scary setting.” Well, hot damn . . . But while all that is good stuff, it can be hell making it work on the page. Sometimes the damn plot really does get in the way.
Am I the only reader who goes “Aargh!” when a writer slams a sex scene into a suspense plot at exactly the wrong moment?
But I have to say, plot, characters, and love scenes all came together in KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE. So thanks, Sybil, for inviting me here today—and for putting up an excerpt and the cover of KTG on your site for all to see. I lurves ya . . . 
I’m so excited! I’ve only been reading romance for about 3 years, so there are a lot of “new” authors fo me. I’ve never read any of your books but when you said,
“Am I the only reader who goes “Aargh!†when a writer slams a sex scene into a suspense plot at exactly the wrong moment?”
you sold me right there! The things you mention are just the things I hope the author considered when I open a new Rom. Susp. title. I enjoy “hot”, but not at the expense of a good book.
I love a good romantic suspense story, and the excerpt definitely caught my attention. I will look forward to reading this one.
Alecia, in my books I often have both sex scenes and love scenes; two different things in my mind, and I really struggle to make them fit into the story.
I read a book once where the hero and heroine go at it while they’re trapped in a cabin under seige by the nasty rotters outside, bullets flying the whole bit. I mean really, I think I’d have other things on my mind–no matter how hot the hero was. Like staying alive maybe.
Yes, who knows when the bad guys will come in the door, window, etc. but we can’t keep our minds on that and off of each other’s bodies. (hmph)
Sadly, one of my favorite authors did this in her last book and I’m hesitant to get her new one. I know I need to go ahead, I’m sure it will be good, but I just keep buying other books “first”.
Alecia – I’m right there with you. Had a favorite author do it in a book I read earlier this year and I just groaned and went, “No Way!” I put the book down. Just couldn’t finish it. Depressed me for a week.
Hi EC! I’m excited about your books. See once I read a romance suspense, like you say the danger in them both, I was hooked. I love to read new authors! Are all your books romance suspense, or do you write some suspense straight too? Who are some of your favorite Romance Suspense authors? I like Linda Howards, especially her earlier ones like DREAM MAN, etc. I haven’t read any of her recent ones yet tho. Love to hear who you enjoy reading.
EC, I’ve read authors who said “Kate Duffy” brought me to Kensington and all. So she’s picked some great authors and so glad you are among them at Kensington!
Cathie, I’ve always been a Sandra Brown fan (although I haven’t got her latest yet). I also really, really like Karen Rose. And Linda Howard . . . geez what’s not to like? She is so wonderfully intense! And I’ve just now found Gayle Wilson, so I’ll be tracking her back list. I also read HIGH NOON by the sublime Nora Roberts, definitely a romantic suspense and a great one.
I haven’t written straight suspense, yet, but I think about it sometimes–then I have trouble imagining a book without a romance in it. I love the idea of two people finding love in the middle of terrible danger. It so ups the stakes. But I think I get even more kick out of writing my villains!
I’ve always read suspense but prefer some romance along with it, though like you say, EC, not in the scene when your life is most in danger. I’m just reading some more about your books at your site now, very good, and my mother also is looking for another good suspense author to read.
Thanks for clicking on by my website, Pam. I appreciate it, and I hope I’ve written something you might like. I have to say that I’ve learned a lot from reader blogs–like the importance of excerpts so a reader can get a taste of a writer’s style.
(Yeah, I hear your, “I told ya so!” Sybil.)
Romantic suspense is a favorite of mine but it definitely has to make sense.