Into the Fire

Those of us who read a lot of books rather quickly decide the fated label of the novels we tackle. Once we begin to express our likes and dislikes on our blogs, our preferences become common knowledge to those who visit us on a regular basis. Sure, every now and then we throw in a complete surprise but with me probably not very often.

I’m up front about what genres I enjoy, the authors I select repeatedly, and those I might read again but with no guarantees. Since I write what I prefer to call non-traditional romance, it’s a bit disappointing that there have been few recent romance novels which even slightly tempted me to read them. There can sometimes be a fine line separating a romance novel from what is now a genre unto itself called “Women’s Fiction”, but other times the line is marked and specific. Women’s fiction is supposed to cover “issues” that pertain to women which may or may not include romance. This genre is not supposed to fall into category romance definitions but can include romantic content.

One of my favorite authors when it comes to romance is Kristen Heitzmann. The reason for this is she captures the UST (Unresolved Sexual Tension) perfectly. The dialogue and situational conflict ring true. Her characters can be attractive, quirky, desirable, naïve, intimidating, and/or well versed in flirtatious behaviors. The stories are never just about romance. In fact, the romance is a by-product of the circumstance, and it works so well even when the reader knows what’s going to happen. The “hows” and “whys” come in multiples and variances. The relationships within the stories resonate with depth and meaningful characters. They aren’t “fluff” and they don’t always come easy. In other words they feel real. Within that reality she weaves the gospel message concurrent with story parameters, and it’s never forced.

When I read what I consider a bad book, the usual common denominators are unlikable characters and poor, unrealistic dialogue. Unlikable characters will turn me off to a story faster than anything else. It’s impossible to criticize category romance for being predictable or formulaic because those qualifications define it. However, if the heroine or protagonist maintains an unlikable persona, forget it. The novel fails at the most basic level of appeal.

One of the most unfortunate results when reading a novel is to complete it and immediately give it an “indifferent” classification. Not saying it’s bad but neither saying it’s good makes it next to invisible emotionally. Nothing to make us particularly care one way or the other. Nothing to make us remember the book so we can recommend it with any enthusiasm. Nothing.

Avid readers share the “good” books. And, yes, no one knows how completely opposite opinions on the same novels make it impossible to universally agree. Subjectivity rules. Every now and then a book will speak to wide audiences but positive agreement for most books varies widely.

One thing all readers agree on is that they have read novels which fall into these three descriptions: the good, the bad, and the indifferent.

Lord God Almighty, help us to write well, to write meaningful stories to honor you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.