Genre Confusion

The literary world turns on genre.

You can’t write a book unless it’s in a genre and abides by the rules of that genre.

So, if you’re writing a romance, the rules are that there must be a central romance story between two people with an emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending. There are various other rules but those are the critical ones.

And, within the romance genre, there’s every gradation of spice.

Like a sweet romance. That’s a Hallmark romance. You know, G rated. Nice and sweet. No racy sex.

Then, spicy romance. Okay, a little spice to pep things up.

Then, steamy romance. Now things are getting hot and heavy.

Then, erotic romance. Nothing left to the imagination here. But, the focus is still the romantic story.

Finally, erotica. And, here, the romantic story yields to the sex, lots of it, and, yes, very graphic, and sometimes raunchy.

So, what are Kris Kassady Sexy Stories?

My team has been thinking Erotic Romance.

But, one newsletter, after looking at a story we submitted, reported back it was Steamy Romance. And, guess what, in that newsletter, Steamy Romance cost $10 more to feature than Erotic Romance. Okay then, we’re learning something new every day.

But, what do you think?

Are Kris Kassady Sexy Stories sweet romance, spicy romance, steamy romance, erotic romance, or erotica?

For me, it’s about the story, not the labels.

Thank you for taking a chance on me.

Kris

Hey Kris...on The New Summer Series

What Books are in the Summer Series?

Kris: Summer Buddies was published last year and is live. Summer Wind was published last week and is now live. Summer’s End is underway and will be published in December, 2021.

What do the books in the Summer Series have in common?

Kris: First, they are romantic adventures about summer love. What is it about summer that makes love in the sun so special? We all had our summer loves, didn’t we? It’s just been such a drenchingly romantic time in most of our lives. Do you remember your summer love experience? Of course you do. It was special.

Second, the stories are about real people. Not billionaires, millionaires, vampires, aliens, or movie stars. Real people who are mechanics, boat builders, soldiers, school counsellors, waitresses, cowboys, and cowgirls. The kind of people who are fighting their way through life’s challenges. These people need love too, don’t they?

Do the books in the Summer Series need to be read in sequence?

Kris: No, each story stands alone and the books can be read in any sequence.

To find out more, and read a preview of Summer Buddies and Summer Wind, go to the Novels page here.

Highly Recommending Michelle Hazen’s Breathe the Sky

I loved Michelle Hazen’s Breathe the Sky so much. Let me count the reasons.

Michelle writes beautifully. Clear, crisp, efficient. Lovely setting descriptions. Great dialogue. Keeps the plot moving. I enjoyed every word and every sentence. She’s a gifted writer.

She writes about real people. The romance genre has a big tent. Personally, I’m not into vampires, or werewolf bikers, or billionaire dominators, or paranormal, or Sci-Fi. I love stories about real people. Jack, in Breathe the Sky, is a real guy. He builds power lines. Came from a rough family. Got dealt a bum hand and is fighting to make his life right. Mari is a wildlife biologist. The exact opposite of blue-collar Jack. And, Michelle makes it work. Beautifully.

She cares about the challenges of our day and uses her privilege as a writer to educate her readers. But, not in a preachy way. A real-life way. This particular story involves abuse issues, people carrying deep scars. Michelle deals with these issues sensitively. The reader leaves the book with a deeper appreciation of this terrible societal problem. And, Michelle even includes an Author’s Note providing resources for victims of abuse.

And, in a romance, I like some sizzle. Oh, yeah, excellent sizzle here. The intimate scenes are real, and sexy, and fun. Most importantly, they are appropriate to the story, and the characters.

Breathe the Sky gets my highest recommendation. Michelle Hazen is one of the best of our new young romance writers.

Kris Kassady Romance Writer

Breathe the Sky is available on Amazon here.