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I don't talk about it much, but I get a lot of grief about my books. Most of the time it comes from readers, who aren't sure where to find them in bookstores. Sometimes they are shelved in mainstream, other times romance or sci-fi/fantasy. I, for one, am grateful to be in a bookstore anywhere at all, but I understand how frustrating it can be.
The truth is, my books are a blend of genres. There is action-adventure, mystery, fantasy, suspense and romance. There are snobs out there in the world who love to say, "I don't read genre or romance books." It makes me laugh. You'd be hard pressed to find books on the top 10 fictions lists, that aren't genre books of some kind. So evidently someone is reading them.
I learned during my job as a journalist covering TV and Film, that mixing genres can make things more exciting. The first time I was really aware of this was with Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." He was able to mix horror, comedy and drama, in such a clever way. I knew that if I ever decided to write fiction that I would want to do the same sort of thing.
In Dragons Prefer Blondes you'll find a mystery, lots of action adventure, humor, drama, suspense and of course a little romance. I encourage you to step out of your reading comfort zone, and try something new. Years ago I used to say I didn't read historical romances and then I discovered the lovely Jodi Thomas. Same thing with fantasy, and then my Dad told me about this chick Laurell K. Hamilton.
I'm just saying... Maybe you should check out that Candace Havens. I hear she really mixes things up.
I'm doing a treasure hunt contest on my Big Summer Blog tour. All you have to do to enter is make a comment here, or visit and make comments on any of the blogs on the list at www.candacehavens.com.
Candace Havens, 
Dragons Prefer Blondes, 
paranormal romance, 
Berkley, 
Penguin Books
Mixed Genres'
I too come from a journalism and entertainment background so I can truly relate to Candace! Probably the first time I really noticed humor and horror along with paranormal was when I saw the original "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" movie! In one of the lines Buffy was talking and referred to a destinal mole on her which signified she was out of the ordinary, she said something to the effect,
"Oh, you mean this big ugly hairy thing on the side of my neck?!" I was hooked from that moment!
P.I.
mix away!
My love of mixed genre reading goes back to when I first picked up Diana Gabaldon's Outlander back in 1992--romance, historical fiction, fantasy/time travel, mystery.... Not too long after that I started reading Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series, more genre mixing. I like books that refuse to be pigeonholed, so I'm looking forward to picking up Dragons Prefer Blondes--sounds right up my alley.
Mixing Genres
I think mixing up genres can be confusing to the people who have to figure out where to display the books, but I think it's a good thing for the industry. It will keep things from getting stale and is always good for the avid reader (like me) who is looking to be swept away into a book. So I agree with the others, mix it up!
Margay
Let them have tags
I grew up on fantasy and science fiction and prefer reading genre to literary or non-fiction. As Candy said, with the blending of genres and the still sectioned sections of a physical bookstore, yes, it can be difficult to find books by your favorite authors. I've seen some in-store kiosks where you can look up a book by title or author, but they haven't embraced the fluidity of tagging. Which means I can't search for a book that has been labeled with 'strong heroine', 'dragon', 'romance', 'blonde' and 'Texas'. But that's okay, I know I need to read Candy's latest book to get all that, and more. :)
Genre Blending
Just curious, though. Is it more difficult to market mixed genres than it is something not quite so varied? I'm having a heck of a time placing my not quite a romantic suspense and not quite a thriller novel.
But I do agree with one of your commentors, putting all your books up front on a table would take the guesswork out of where they're shelved!
Romantic Suspense and Thanks
Hey You Guys,
First, thanks for hanging out with me. Second, if you come back tomorrow to post, please make sure you put your name. So I can get you in the drawing!
Third, as to the Romantic Suspense questions. I have some friends who are in the same boat. I think, from what I've seen and read that danger, mystery and jeopardy are what make a good Romantic Suspense. You probably need to decide to add a touch more romance. I only say that because my friends who did this, did sell. Just an idea. :-)
i like books that mix genres
i like books that mix genres but i agree that sometimes it can be hard finding them in a bookstore or describing them to friends. everyone seems to want these tight little well-defined boxes of types of books but i prefer more mixed bag stuff.
mixed genres
I'm not too worried about what the book is classified as if I buy books that I'm gonna enjoy.
mixed genres
Fantasy is my comfort zone, but I believe that no genre is pure. Even horror is mixed with mystery, suspense, and sometimes romance. Mixed genres? I believe it's very true.
Dottie :)
You know the answer don't
You know the answer don't you? Just get them to put your books on a big front of store display on their own.
Reply
SeriouslyKooky, I love the way you think!