Monday, February 8, 2010

An Eye Opener

Many of you haven’t heard of best selling author Allison Brennan. *shaking head* You don’t know what you’re missing. Let me fill you in. Aside from the fact that this woman writes stories that are nearly impossible to put down, there’s another reason she’s my female author hero. Let me explain.

I’ve been reading romantic suspense novels for a long time. Heck, I can’t even remember when I first discovered them. And as much as I loved them, there often seemed to be something missing, something I found in thrillers. Yet, I wasn’t satisfied reading those either. Actually, there was one particular thriller author who teased me, but didn’t deliver. He had male and female leads that raced around trying to stay alive with absolutely no romance between them. I turned page after page waiting for some sort of flirty interaction, but nothing ever happened.

And then along came Allison Brennan. She gave me exactly what I was searching for. All the dark, gory, demented elements I enjoyed along with a wonderful budding romance that turned into a happy ending. Before I discovered this amazing author, I never knew the two genres could mix. What a relief, especially considering—no surprise—I write dark romantic suspense novels now, too.

Maybe we shouldn’t always listen to those famous rules. Sometimes we just have to go with our gut. I’m sure that’s what Allison Brennan did, and look where she is now. Thanks Allison for opening my eyes to a blend of darkness and love.

What about you? Has an author or book opened your eyes to anything?

14 comments:

  1. I write YA fantasy... And I KNOW it stems from my early love of Piers Anthony. I haven't read any of his books in years, but when I was a teenager I devoured them. I loved the concept of books taking you out of the real world for a bit and I haven't stopped reading the fantasy genre since!

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  2. She sounds like she's right up my reading alley. Thanx for the heads up I'm jotting down her name!

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  3. That's why there are sub-genres for everything now! Some books can't be placed in just one box.

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  4. A children's book surprised me once with the depth of the main character friendships.
    Winged Writer

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  5. I think that's great! I've heard if what you want to read isn't out there, write it. This shows you you can!

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  6. J.K. Rowling, definitely. She's so amazing. I don't know how the woman goes from day to day with how much attention she gets. It takes a strong person to do that, and I find that I've inherited some of her writing style, which is awesome because she writes so beautifully.

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  7. I'm constantly inspired by so many authors, and I definitely believe in the "write what's inside" theory.

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  8. Love dark thrills mixed with my romance. Actually, I think it's thrillers/suspense/sci-fi/fantasy etc that I like, but they ALL need some romance.

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  9. Lynnette,

    I'm passing on the Sunshine Award to you. You may pick it up at my tarot blog, Tarot Guidance.

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  10. When I was young, Phyllis A. Whitney. I read her book Dream of Orchids when I was 13, and I knew that was the kind of story I wanted to tell. A good spooky mystery with romance. Now,
    my favorite is Minette Walters. She's a mystery writer not romance, but I love how she writes her heroines, and no two books are alike.

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  11. Yay! Some more authors to check out. It's nice to see what others are reading, too.

    Lynnette Labelle

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  12. Allison Brennan is in my local RWA chapter. She's very generous, having opened her home for the Christmas party last year. I've yet to meet her in person, since I've missed the meetings she was able to attend, but when I do, I'll have to get her signature for you. :)

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  13. There are so many authors I love that inspire me as a reader and writer. Sandra Brown is one of my favorites! I haven't read Allison Brennan but I will now. :)

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