I am a diehard fantasy fan. I read it. I write it. I watch it. I decorate my house with it. I tattoo it on my skin. My three published novels are fantasy, and I’ve another in the process. I also work as a fantasy editor with Hadley Rille Books. And yet the novel I just wrote and sold is romance (Seeking Carolina, Kensington/Lyrical. October 2015.) The one I am working on now is as well. The publisher releasing this book is best known as a publisher of romance.
“So…romance?”
Many of those who know me as a fantasy writer have expressed this, eyebrow raised–or, at least, I imagine so. These are the people I must now question whether or not they’ve actually read any of my work, because while it is most assuredly fantasy, it is also romance.
Traditional, HEA romance? No. Seeking Carolina does not fit the parameters of a strict romance either. The story itself focuses at least as much on four sisters as the romantic element. However, the story itself is heavily driven by the romance, as is Finder, A Time Never Lived, and Beyond the Gate. Even my fairy tale, Jingle.
Life revolves around love. Romantic love. Familial love. Platonic love. Having it. Not having it. Wanting it. Avoiding it. Being hurt by it, bereft of it, in it. Love begins in a myriad of ways, but always ends in tears. At least, for one person, even if those tears are of releif. I cannot imagine a story without love at the core. I’m not saying that love and romance must be the focus of a story, or even exist as a plotline. But it’s there. It drives our characters. I would be interested to know if anyone can come up with a story not driven by love.
So when people ask me, “So…romance?” I am going to say, “Yes, romance,” and end it there. I’ve not abandoned fantasy for a more lucrative genre. I’ve been writing fantasy for…egads, twenty years now. It’s time for a little switch-up. Maybe I’ll find some new fans, and maybe–just maybe–they’ll read some of my fantasy work and realize, “Hey, I do like fantasy!”
But that’s a story for another time.
Modesty Is For Suckers 
Lovely post, Terri!
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Thanks, Mary Beth!
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Congratulations on your new website. Looks great! I went to RWA in NYC a couple years ago and Harlan Coben, a wonderful thriller writer, was a speaker. He too said the same thing when one woman asked why he was speaking at a Romance Writers Conference. She must not have read his book, because at the core of even his most edgy thriller, is love.
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Thank you, Deb! It really is true that at the core of EVERYTHING is love. It is one of our survival instincts, honed and nuanced by civilization.
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So glad you’re standing by your story! Genres, feh! You know, love is everywhere and your fantasy stories are about many things, but love is amongst them. Congrats on Seeking Carolina and your new, quite fabulous blog! Can’t wait until SC is published next year!
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I understand the need for genres, but I dislike boundaries as a rule, so–there you have it. Thanks for all you did, Sharon (and will continue to do, I am certain.) You’re the best. And I can’t wait for next year either! But I am looking forward to the process, the cover, the editing, the ANTICIPATION!
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You’ve got to follow your writing heart ❤
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I do! And this is where my heart is right now. I love the town I created, and the people in it–both living and not-so-living. 🙂
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You haven’t switched genres (not that there’s anything wrong with that …) You’ve just switched settings.
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You are exactly right, Cal. Exactly right. Thank you!
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Great post and site! (I should try to do something with mine.)
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Yes! You should! Sharon showed me the ropes. I’d never have figured it out myself. But now that I’ve got a little bit of a feel for it, I’m finding it less daunting.
Thanks for coming by, Renee!
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(I just “followed” your wordpress blog!)
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Love is love not fade away… 🙂
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🙂 (I just got Styx’s Come Sail Away stuck in my head!)
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Love this, Terri! Golden, just golden . 🙂
Congrats on the new blog and website! Looks awesome. I really need to update mine, lol.
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Thank you, Linda! XX
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I was so happy to read this post. I just finished Finder (loved it!) a couple of weeks ago and my first thought was “She may think she’s writing fantasy, but this is a big fat romance!!” But that goes to exactly what you said. Love is the most popular, well, I’ll use “trope” for lack of a better word, of every genre out there. It’s at the core of so many stories. So whether it’s dressed up in fantasy, contemporary, suspense, historical, or whatever, love rules the world!!! 🙂
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It absolutely does, Maura, no doubt about it. Glad you liked Finder! It really is a big ol’ romance.
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