Sure, I write ‘traditional’ Medieval Romance, but I’m one to think ‘out of the box’. I do things a little differently sometimes, and it can go either way – it can be a success or it can backfire. Case and point: my novel For Love and Honor.
When I started this novel, obviously, I didn’t think it was going to be so polarizing. A high-born woman falls for a low-born soldier. They go through a lot of trial and tribulation but we know, in the end, that these two can never be together. It’s something that just wasn’t meant to last. We’ve all had first loves, the one that you will always remember and the one who taught you the meaning of what it was TO love. But those relationships don’t normally last. They’re not meant to. That’s what For Love and Honor was; the heroine came to realize her love for Brogan wasn’t meant to last. Loving him had caused her to do all sorts of things she wouldn’t have normally done- lie, cheat, steal – so she made the choice between love or honor. I think she chose correctly but some readers didn’t. I totally get their opinion and respect it. For Love and Honor turned out to be the book everyone either loved or hated. I took a chance… and it semi-backfired. Do I regret it? Absolutely not.
Now I’m at the crossroads of another book that is very ‘edgy’. I’m not going to give the plot away but I have wrestled with publishing it, fearing it will be another FLOH. Personally, I think it has the best opening chapter of any book I’ve ever written. Hilarious and exciting, so based on that alone, I will publish it. The storyline is very different, very romantic and exciting, but, well… weird in places. I wrote it many years ago and upon re-reading it recently, I thought it was seriously strange. Really good, but strange. So… I am taking the chance again and publishing it this summer. It would be a true shame not to. The name of the book? The Darkland. Look for it, but keep an open mind. It’s a dark and twisted Medieval Romance.
I think there’s a little dark and twisted inside all of us, no matter how much we pretend otherwise…. 🙂
4 Comments
rozzie
Yes please publish it! Some people will hate it of course but there are going to be the several myself included that would love to read whatever you write and your take on “weirdness” as you so stated. Plus I enjoy the pyschologically deep complexity of analyzing the characters so this will be fun for me; )
lindam
Go for it for sure….. you do your best work when you are challanged, just think about the Dark One and about the chances you took with that….. it blow everyone out of the water.
MR
You may have been in a strange mood when you wrote it? Maybe your life was in a dark place at the time. Others may be going through a dark place too and can benefit from your story. Mayhap It’s worth taking a chance if it helps people. Or if it only entertains, it is still a worthwhile endevor. But, what if?….that one person that changes the direction of their life because of your words? I say-go for it!
kathryn LeVeque
I’m gonna go for it! Might as well….!
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