By Jessie Carson and Jenn Snider Cruise
Ah the classic romance novel… filled with drama, excitement, obsession, elation, heartbreak… the highs and lows of relationships. Who doesn’t love a good love story? Even though you may not consider yourself a reader of romance, romantic relationships have endured as a popular narrative force of fiction for generations. Lately, however, the Romance genre has been in the midst of a popular renaissance, and more and more writers are exploring genre-bending romance with others like fantasy, sci-fi, paranormal, and noir.
In general, readers of the Romance genre know that there will be a happy ending for the characters, and sometimes this is what we need – to know that, above all, love endures. But a romantic novel can give the reader much more than a blissful resolution; they can also share stories of characters dealing with grief and loss, give us a glimpse into long-lasting friendships, and bring us into magical realms or other worlds. And, for those of you paying attention to such things, sales for romance novels have been increasing since 2020, clearly indicating that there’s a hunger for these kinds of human stories. All of this is resulting in new writers of romance playing with form and blending styles in ways we haven’t read before, and we’re here for it!
For all those readers and writers out there compelled by these passionate narratives, join local writers Rose Graceling-Moore and Hypatia Rae on November 14th for an enlightening conversation about the romance genre, its versatile nature and ability to encompass various subgenres with playful, meaningful, and surprising outcomes!
As two authors exploring romance writing, Rose and Hypatia will discuss what makes for a great romantic tale, how to build readership across genres, how they approach romance tropes, and how to world-build both ‘real’ world and fantasy worlds. With distinct styles, they will delve into similarities and differences in how they craft love stories in their respective genres, and offer inside views into what connects them to this popular genre of fiction; with Rose concocting sweet and spicy contemporary romance complete with magical elements, and Hypatia taking you to far off places in her second world romantic fantasies (romantasy).
The event will include short readings from both authors, and questions from the audience about reading, or writing their own, romantic fiction. We would love to see you there –
Thursday, November 14th
6:30 – 8:00 pm at Equator Coffee – Almonte
Admission: Pay-what-you-can at the door or in advance via Tickets Please
Presented by Almonte Readers & Writers
