Manga and anime aren’t just for kids. I thought they were, before I checked them out. I started out with Trigun, Hellsing, GTO (Great Teacher Onizuka), Last Exile, GetBackers, Rurouri Kenshin, and Full Metal Panic. What I found were interesting and unique story lines, twists and turns, characters I cared about, and a little humor even in the darkest of the dark. A lot like the Shomi books.
I started working on DRIVEN even before I was introduced to manga and anime, but I definitely saw the parallels in the unique world-building and the appeal to the younger reader/viewer.
I saw, too, exactly what Marianne saw and mentioned in her blog…the allure that crossed age barriers and genders. The Shomi books will definitely appeal to a young, hip reader who’s looking for a fast-paced exciting story, but these books don’t stop there. Shomi doesn’t care about age. These stories for the romance reader who wants to color outside the lines, the reader who wants to take it out of the box and discover worlds and characters they never imagined.
DRIVEN is a post-apocalyptic, trans-Arctic trucker tale…no, wait…it’s a sci-fi, futuristic quest…no, wait…it’s a romance with a kick-butt heroine and a hero who falls for her despite—or maybe because of—her secret flaws. And, oh, does he ever fall hard.
How can one book be all that? Pick up a Shomi and see for yourself.
Driven sounds very intriguing. I really enjoy books that are a hybrid of genres. I guess my concern with Shomi is that they will be pigeon holed by their covers (although I’m all for thinking out of the box on the cover front :)). Like, some romance readers will automatically say, “Not for me, should be in YA,” while they do sound as though they have appeal for those who like their genres mixed.
You write Gothics too, no? I used to love Gothics.
I agree that some romance readers may be scared off by the covers. That’s why we’re doing things like this on Sybil’s blog. To help spread the word that there are some great stories behind the covers. Our hope is that enough people will try them, like them, and then tell others.
It may be a tough sell and a slow build, but the stories are original and fun and so I really hope they eventually find their audience.
Remember, no one would THINK about buying a paranormal a few years back…
You want great anime? Two words. Cowboy Bebop.
Devon, though the covers do have a manga feel, I’m hoping that the male/female interaction on all of them will let the reader know that these are romances.
I do write gothics. My next one, Dark Prince will hit shelves in August. And I’m branching out into paranormals, too. Demon’s Kiss will be out in October. Both of those will be out under the name Eve Silver. Driven will be out in September under the name Eve Kenin.
Kathryn, yes, yes, yes! Cowboy Bebop rocks!
Hey Eve, is that YOU on the motorbike?
I think the covers are cool; they really don’t look like a romance, at first glance, but that’s part of their goal, right? To draw in readers of more sci-fi, alternative, etc fiction who would never touch a book with a ‘normal’ romance cover even if they’d like the story inside.
So if you started working on this book before you got into anime, Eve, what inspired you? where did the story and its world come from?
Hey Eve,
Awesome photo! Why the deuce aren’t you using that all over the place. 😉
Liz
Devon that is a big concern I have cuz I wouldn’t have touch them. Don’t read Manga or anmie or whatever. And I have loved what I have read so far. Wired was fab and Driven is amazing. Sorry still haven’t read Moongazer yet but even if it sucks rocks two out of three isn’t bad.
::ducks:: I Kid! LOL now I will feel guilt if I don’t like it hee
I agree liz that is one kick ass photo. Although I don’t know about blurring the lines between author and heroine. Or how readers in general feel about that.
I remember a huge ol deal about JD Robb’s photo and omg she is trying to look like Eve Dallas! (err is that the characters name? I haven’t read them) Again if I am membering correctly (BIG chance I am not) that wasn’t the point and really it was a leather jacket…
I can get it to a point because you want to read the character not the author. LOL than I fuck that all put because honestly, I LOVE that photo and think it completely kicks ass.
So uh yeah… I am useless. Carry on.
LOL. That reminds me of the RT convention this year. Dorchester held a bookseller party and Liz and I came dressed as our Shomi heroines. (Hey-it’s RT!) We found out later that some booksellers assumed we were just models hired to spice up the party and had no clue we were the actual authors of the books. D’oh. That will teach us to be shy.
In any case, love the photo, Eve! I hope that’s in the back of the book!
Caroline, honestly, I don’t know what inspired me. I opened a document to start my next historical gothic, and the next thing I knew, DRIVEN poured out. Of course, I do live in a climate that has very cold winters, and I did start it in winter, so maybe that has something to do with it. Oh, and all the video games my kids play…they might have had some influence…and oh, the fact that every time we go to a family movie, it’s three guys against the only girl (me), so we always end up seeing an action flik…
And thanks everyone for the kind comments about the photo…yeah, it’s me. Here’s the scoop on that: The publicity department at Dorchester asked for a shot that was a little different than the two typical close-up novelist shots that I provided. Hubby took this photo of me on his bike, and as a lark, photoshopped the truck in the background. Publicity at Dorchester liked the picture.
End of story.
I’m not dressed like my heroine (she has blond hair, and I’m definitely not kick-ass, so absolutely no similarity there, LOL!)
Wow. A Last Exile fan! What a relief to know I’m not the only romance author who’s an anime and manga/manwha junkie (and a VERTIGO fangirl too!) I’ll pick up this book just for the Last Exile mention…
I think the photo’s great! I think it would be a point I could argue, about the author dressing like the heroine because she probably likes the heroine’s style. She wrote her!
BTW, looking at that pic you look pretty kick-ass!