Which Comes First?
Dear Maggie,
Your TSI series is considered romantic suspense, so which comes first, the romance or the suspense?
Sincerely,
Suspense Fan in Saratoga
Dear Suspense Fan,
Since romantic suspense is considered a sub-genre of the romance category, I’d say the romance has to drive the story. Readers want the depth of emotion they’ve come to expect from a romance novel. They want emotional intensity, and they want the happily-ever-after. But, with a romantic suspense, they also want nail-biting intrigue and danger, so this has to be intricately woven into the tale. It’s a balancing act.
I’m drawn to writing the suspense part of romantic suspense because I also write speculative fiction. My science fiction novels especially tend to have action filled plot-lines with plenty of twists and turns. Pacing, balance, and the right amount of character development all matter. I think about these things when writing romantic suspense as well, but with these stories, we get to have sexy times as part of the package!
Of course, the hot scenes alone aren’t what make a romance novel satisfying to readers. It’s really about the characters falling in love, and their journey toward finding happiness together. When you throw in suspense elements, there are some fantastic ways to challenge those characters, force them to grow, and in some cases, discover feelings they didn’t know they had.
For example, in Lost and Found, the third book in the TSI series, our emotionally stunted hero, Cam Taylor, fights his feelings for the leading lady, Lissa Morgan. The two spend a steamy weekend together after Cam’s disastrous break-up with his fiancé, but afterward, Cam puts on the breaks. When an obsessed stalker turns threatening, and Lissa’s life is in danger, Cam has to be the one to protect her. He can’t stay away. It’s just the push he needs to take the leap and open his heart.
The suspense side of the story often works really well as the backdrop for a blooming romance, or sometimes it can ratchet up the intensity of a relationship in progress. Whatever way the action plays out, it eventually helps push everyone toward a happy ending!
Do you have a question for me? Send it to maggie@msmaggieclare.com, and I’ll answer it here on the blog.
In other news…
I am available for book club events, virtually or in person, so please reach out!
Amazon just launched a new platform called Kindle Vella. Instead of purchasing an entire e-book, readers purchase tokens to unlock story ‘episodes’. The first three episodes are free, and readers can decide if they’d like to continue. I’m currently working on a sexy tale for Vella titled Betrayal, and I post a few new episodes each week. You can check it out here: Betrayal by Maggie Clare.
Tomorrow, we are flying out to LA to move our third son into college. I can’t believe he’s leaving, and at the same time I am so excited for him to pursue his dreams and enter this next phase of his life. We love you, RJ!
