Welcome to the Nickel Nasties series! In celebration of my first scathing Amazon review for A Ranger's Tale (1 in 58 ain't bad), I've decided to devote February to the stories that garner so much stereotype and ridicule, but still comprise one of the world's best-selling genres: ROMANCE! I hope you'll enjoy this series. Please leave comments for the wonderful contributors. And...don't forget to check out their books!
The Unlikely Romance Writer
by
Bellakentuky
I am a man and a short story writer. My stories have run the
gamut of subject matter, but only recently did I attempt my first romance.
It happened has a result of a contest which was sponsored by
the Boroughs Publishing Group. They held a short story romance contest back in
the summer of 2012. It was something in their guidelines that caught my eye.
They said they were looking for something different.
Writing something different has always been my strength, so, I
decided to give romance a try. The result was a short story titled, A Matter of
the Mind. I tried to make my entry different in a number of ways. I put it into
a science fiction setting. My heroine has some significant personal flaws. My
hero was handsome (although not breathtaking) and relied more on his wit and
charm for sexual attraction. Finally, instead of the heroine falling head over
heels upon meeting the hero, she hates him. It's only after she begins to
confront some of her own personal issues and opens her eyes to his charisma
that she— Well— by the end of the story you can imagine.
So, how does a first time romance writer do against experienced
fellow authors who entered the contest?
I placed in the top five and Boroughs published my story.
What did I learn from the experience? First, and foremost, are
the benefits of working with a good editor. When Boroughs decided to publish my
story, I was assigned a top notch Editor there named Chris Keeslar. His efforts
improved the story so much that I was blown away.
Secondly, I learned that writing romance isn't as easy as many
people might think. Incorporating the subtleties of sexual tension (without
going overboard) and moving an interesting plot forward requires a great degree
of skill.
And finally, I learned that when it comes to the romance
reader, you need to give them what they want. You can push the genre a bit, but
the readers want a "happily ever after" ending— Period.
For my own taste, I would like to see more experimentation with
the genre.
****
Matter of the Mind
Kathryn Oaks is a beautiful
thirty-four years old career woman, a world-class athlete, MENSA member, and a
PhD in Physics and the Medical Sciences. Her analytical mind is taking her to
the pinnacle of her career, she has been chosen as the Chief Medical Officer
aboard Project Pandora, a space ship preparing to embark on an extended mission
to a distant planet. But, Kate isn't without personal problems and maintaining intimate
relationships is one of them. So her heart sinks, as the rest of the crew is
announced and she learns that the Chief Flight Engineer is a man she loathes, a
man who is her complete opposite, a man who is every bit as smart as she is,
but also is something she isn't, a person who lives life to its fullest. But,
strange things can happen when hurtling through uncharted space. And Kate is forced
to face her inner demons. Perhaps, she isn't everything she thought she was,
and he isn't everything she thought he wasn't. A Matter of the Mind is part of
The Lunchbox Series, a line of short romance stories published by The Boroughs
Publishing Group. These stories are meant for quick entertainment. They can be
purchased individually as E-books at all major online retailers. They can also
be purchased in groups for a discount at the Boroughs Publishing Group website.
Buy it at these retailers:
****
Kent DuFault is a short story writer. He writes under the pen name, Bellakentuky.
You can check out his work here; http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B006RASQUI
Web site: http://www.bellakentuky.com
Web site: http://www.bellakentuky.com
Hi Kent, I enjoyed your post. I applaud you for writing a story outside your normal genre. The fact that you did it so well speaks volumes about your writing ability.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, a happily ever after is a must in romance.
It's good to see you again, Kent. I'll check out your sites.
Hi Kent! One of my favorite things about writing contests is how they can push us outside of our comfort zone. I think I would write the same story line over and over again if it weren't for contest prompts and flash fiction challenges. :) Sounds like you're the same way. I can't wait to see what direction you go in next. More romance maybe?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you about happy endings. I love my romance mixed with fantasy or Science Fiction, but it must have a happily ever after at the end.
Congratulations on landing such an awesome editor. So many people make editors out to be pretty scary, but your experience sounds incredible. Thanks for sharing it!
Hello Kent - I'm glad that you decided to try your hand at writing romance. It's always rewarding when you challenge yourself to write something out of your comfort level. The brief description of the story you wrote for the competition sounds intriguing. Plus, a hero who's handsome and has with and charm? I'll definitely have to check it out :)
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone for their comments and inspiration! Kent aka Bellakentuky
ReplyDelete