On Romance

I've been busy this week, writing as well as corresponding with fellow writers. The Internet is a beautiful thing. Just how did we manage a scant decade or so ago? The info out there is as we all know, mind-boggling. I love being able to shoot a post off to my agent or editors and have an instant answer. My CP's are just a click away. The age of instant gratification is here to stay. And speaking of instant gratification, I believe in my heart of hearts IG plays a huge role in the popularity of romance. The HEA (happily ever after) is an instant certainty. While you may spend hours getting to it, you know it's coming. And with romance, the guidelines being what they are (and for those of you who pooh-pooh the idea, you're wrong. Romance has a formula. It's simple. h/h meet, jump through emotional as well as plot hoops then voila the HEA. Oh and for those of you think it's a cinch to write, be my guest. Oh, and after you've done that go get big bucks for it. I dare you.) the reader expects to be gratified at the end. There are no secrets when you pick up a romance novel. You know the minute you get it into your hot little hands there will be a satisfying emotional ending at the end of the roller coaster ride.
The HEA is the hook.
A romance cover and blurb screams this at a potential reader as she or he walks by. Hey! You there! Stop for a minute. If you give me a few hours of your time and make an emotional investment in me, I will not disappoint you.
Look, I didn't watch Titanic. I knew they sank, and I didn't want to invest myself emotionally only to lose the characters I would inevitably grow to care about. Had I had a clue to the ending of Cold Mountain I would never have watched it. I was so pissed off when that movie ended, I seriously considered throwing something at the television. Sorry, I want the HEA. So do a lot of other readers. And there is nothing wrong with it.
That doesn't mean the books have to be sappy sweet. Personally, I like to drop a few bodies along the way in my stories, wrench up the drama, the tension and the anxiety. I want my readers to squirm. But no matter how rocky it gets, they hang in there because they know what's coming. The HEA.
OK, now, so there are some really bad romances out there. I've written a few, luckily they've never seen the light of an editor's desk. I would have been laughed out of the business. Let's face it, there's also some really bad literary crap out there. Kind of like looking at a canvass hanging in the spotlight at the Guggenheim. It's completely white, void of color. You have to look closely. Huh? I know it ain't just me (I said ain't on purpose). I'm squinting now. I don't get it, until someone tells me to look closer, grasshopper become one with the painting, don't you see that itty bitty speck? There up in the corner? It represents our lives in the universe. Yeah, right, OK, moving on to something more lifelike, like that fly on the wall. Not for me folks, I'll take a painting with some color over that. Just like I'll take a well written, riveting romance over some literary work I don't get. It's not that I'm dense either. I have enough brains to raise four kids, startup and run a successful business for nearly 20 years and sell three books to big NY print publishers with more in the wings.
Here it is. I'm easy. I love foreplay, emotional and physical. I love to escape. I love suspense and growing right along with my characters. I love big bad alpha males, and the big bad kick ass heroines who love them. I don't do wimpy and I don't read it. TSTL? (too stupid to live, usually applied to the heroine but sometimes the hero, Ack, those are really bad) I'll throw that book against the nearest wall and never pick that author again. I've been doing quite a bit of reading lately, and let me say, as a romance author there are some stories out there that give me the willies. But, there are so many more wonderfully written love stories. Love stories with characters who stay with me long after I read The End. Characters I want to know in real life. Stories where I laugh and cry, and get all hot and bothered, and sigh when it comes together for that HEA.
Romance. Gotta love it.
K*

Quick intro

OK, so, I'm the romance writer. Karin Tabke. My first release will be January '06, The Hard Stuff, Kensington Books. I've also contracted two ST's with Pocket books, Internal Affairs to be released June '06 and Protective Custody Feb '07. Go ahead, take a stab at the sub genre. My father, a flier, asked me the other day when was I going to start writing literary works, you know the kind he could tell his buddies about. I assured him, it wouldn't be in his life time. I write romance: hot, sexy, roller coaster ride, curl your toes romance, and I'm proud of it.
OK, so now that you know my secret, Natalie has invited me to be the voice of romance here at Inside of a Dog. I'm happy to oblige.
I plan on offering a review or two, industry news and any gossip I may come across, and occasionally a rant, although Nat does it so much better than I. :)
So, look for me to post the 2nd and 4th weeks of the month and if the muse strikes or there is a hot topic I can't wait to share, I'll post more frequently.
In case any of you have cop questions or want a mild form of entertainment you're welcome to visit my site. www.karintabke.com
So until next week, or maybe sooner, ciao.

K*

Marianne Mancusi Needs Your Help

While attending the RWA conference in Reno earlier this month, Marianne Mancusi's house was hit by lightning, and it burned to the ground. I can't even imagine the horror. The only thing worse would have been loss of life, and luckily, Marianne was away.

But she has nothing left. Because it was a rental, she did not have homeowner's insurance, and unfortunately, also did not have rental insurance.

But the publishing industry has rallied around Marianne, and many, many authors have banded together to raise money AND to help her get back on her feet.

You can read more about this effort on the Literary Chicks Web site.

Also, you can go directly to E-Bay to the Marianne Fire Fund, and bid on critiques, books, and other tidbits that writers have donated.

Currently, my manuscript critique offer has a bid of $5.50. That's pretty damn cheap. I usually don't work that cheap, and Marianne has needs, so GO BID!

Left Behind....

This past week was the RWA conference in Reno, and all my writing friends were gone. Gone, gone, gone. Oh, they'd pop up on IM once in a while to tell me about all the fabulous parties they were drinking at, and all the authors, editors and agents they were schmoozing with, but they were still gone, gone, GONE.

And me? Well, I was NOT at RWA. Now, I'm sure my curmudgeonly friend Rob would point out that I don't really write romance. To which I would reply, "Well, I HAVE before. Sort of. It's hard-edged romantic suspense."

Then Rob would say: "Well, you don't belong to RWA."

At which point I would say, "Well, I'm GOING to join. After all, I HAVE been talking about it for two years."

Then Rob would say: "Did I mention you don't write romance?"

It's so irritating to have a conversation with Rob, even an imaginary one where he doesn't actually get to say anything and I just ASSUME what he is going to say. That's what happens when you get to know someone really well, and they get to know you, too.

He thinks I'm a wingnut.

He's probably not too far off, particularly today. I am bone tired, not because I was dancing and drinking at the fabulous RWA parties (note to self: Must ask good friends Jennifer Apodaca and Karin Tabke if there was dancing at RWA. Am well aware there was drinking, in copious amounts.)

Annnyway, I'm tired because I'm working on revisions for my second book, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, coming sometime in the next ten years, provided I get these revisions done, from St. Martin's Press.

Not only that, but my oldest daughter had a foot and leg surgery that required complete bedrest and a complete inability to walk. I've been playing slave mama for four days now, and haven't had much sleep.

And then there's the damn HORSE I was dogsitting. No, I am not hallucinating. He actually IS a dog, but he looks like a horse. He's a great dane puppy, and he went home today. I'm sure he's glad about that, since there is absolutely nothing left in my backyard to destroy or eat or tear up, and he was probably getting bored. The first SIX days were a hoot for him though, especially the day he played tug of war with the hose and discovered that water pipes are not very strong when being tugged at by a great dane.

He hid behind a tree for about 20 minutes after the geyser went off, which of course did not work very well because he IS A GREAT DANE!

So, in between all of that I was trying to work on revisions and hearing in snippets about the fabulous time being had by all at RWA.

Since I wasn't there, how about it RWAers. Please comment on this post and tell us what went on for you at RWA.