From Loretta:
Today I ordered new eyeglasses. If I could have got away with not doing it, I would have, because I love my 1960s glasses. But I am getting blinder and it takes extra time to put new lenses in old frames because they have to go far away to a special place where one ancient person still knows the arcane secrets of those old frames. This would mean I’d have to live with contact lenses for a couple of weeks. Though I am very, very young (in my mind, anyway), the days have long passed when I could read comfortably wearing contact lenses. Especially old maps and old books. So I chose new frames. Sob.
Normally, getting something new is not a traumatic experience. In classic Gemini fashion, I love change. I get a new hair style about every six weeks, and my hair has been every color in the hairdresser’s palette. Not completely. Once it was a little bit blue, and another time a little purple. But yes, it was completely orange for a memorable six weeks or so. I listen to a college radio station in order to hear new and different music. And I love giving away last year’s clothes and getting new stuff, as my credit cards will attest.
But I have been so attached to those cat’s eye glasses.
Still, it has been a really long time. Five, six years? More?
Time for a change.
And the new ones are pretty cute.
Which brings me to today’s subject: Trying something different.
Some months ago, I had an interesting email exchange with historical romance writer Michelle Styles, who lives in the UK. Reading her signature line, I was astonished to discover the title The Gladiator’s Honor.
It turned out--wonder of wonders--that she was writing historical romances set in ancient Rome for Harlequin Mills & Boon. I told her I was intrigued, and she very kindly sent me her book. At that point I was deep in deadline frenzy, then revisions, then copy/edit--and well, you all know the drill by now. Then the holidays came. And finally, finally, the other day, as I waited for my husband in the dental surgeon’s office, I began the book. Unfortunately for my husband, there was a very long wait. Fortunately for me, there was a very long wait because I was completely captivated by the book.
It was different!
Ancient Rome. Not England. Not early 19th century.
And because it was set in ancient Rome, the author was able to tackle subjects that relate to that specific time and place, yet resonate in our own. The “honor” of the title is a crucial theme in the book.
And because the hero is a gladiator, he’s all big and muscle-y, plus tall, dark and, you know, Italian. And because he’s a gladiator, he’s dangerous. Hot. Yes. Don’t go by the picture on the cover. But you know all about not going by the cover, since the Wenches have compl--er--explained about covers. At length. Repeatedly.
So I wondered, How many of you would want to read this book? A lot of you? Would you like the complete change from the familiar settings? Can you see ancient Rome-set romances becoming a big thing?
We’ve been hearing a lot of complaints from both readers and authors about how narrow the historical romance genre has become, squeezing writers out and into other genres. We’ve heard publishers saying that readers choose with their pocketbooks--and readers saying they don’t get a choice anymore.
Don’t get me wrong. I love early 19th century England. I loved it before I started writing and it’s one of the reasons I started writing Regencies. I am endlessly fascinated by mundane details of the time period, as last week’s blog attested. That doesn’t mean that this is all I want for my leisure reading. In fact, I’ve found it’s better for my writing to avoid similar types of books, especially when I’ve got a work in progress.
But since so much historical romance is set in late 18th and early 19th C England, I have ended up reading other kinds of books: mystery primarily, and some fantasy and non-fiction--and, of course, Wenches' historical novels.
This time, though, I didn’t have to worry about being influenced by the author’s approach to the time period, and I wasn’t fussing about her interpretation of history and critiquing, say, the language. My sense was that she got everything right, but since I know so very little, Hypercritic wasn’t at work. Nor was Envious Author thinking, Now why didn’t I think of that?
Because it was completely different. I could sit back and enjoy it as a normal reader would. And I am pretty sure that normal readers would enjoy this book.
What I was thinking was, We need more of this.
We need more that’s completely different.
I’m pretty sure a great many of you think so.
But my question is, Would you buy a romance set in ancient Rome?
Or in the world of the Vikings?
Or 16th century Venice?
If you had a vast array of settings to choose from, what would you actually pay actual money for? If you really could vote with your pocketbook, in other words, what would you vote for?
