Platforms and Themes: Typecast and Loving It!

I write mysteries. I write romances. My mysteries always have some romance in them. My romances always have some mystery or suspense in them.

As I mentioned in a post several weeks ago, I seem to be getting known for the combo. Last weekend at Left Coast Crime I enjoyed being on the panel From Romance to Murder: Love and Death. Not all of the panelists wrote romantic mysteries. In fact, some were more inclined to have love interests murdered. Me? I love writing genre fiction, partly because you know you have to have a satisfying, and perhaps happy, ending.

My romances always end on a happily ever after, and the suspense or mystery is resolved, too. Even if they’re part of a mini-series, the romances need to be able to stand alone, so a satisfying wrap-up is necessary.

In my mystery novels, all murders are solved by the end, although the relationships don’t necessarily get resolved. But hopefully the endings entice readers to look into the next story to see what’s happening on the romance side.

I’ve finished the first manuscript for my new spin-off mystery series about Lauren Vancouver, Pet Rescuer. Yes, she has a love interest--at least a potential one. We’ll see where she wants to go with it...

This coming Sunday is when I appear on a cross genre panel for Mystery Writers of America, Southern California chapter. With me will be a sci-fi mystery writer and a writer of mystery graphic novels. I, again, will represent combining mystery and romance.

My Story Stew University on-line class Blending Romance and Suspense begins on April 19. I’m really looking forward to it. Once again, here’s the link to Story Stew U: www.storystewuniversity.com Join me there! I’d love your input on combining the genres that are so much a part of my life. I’ll, of course, be teaching what I know, or think I know, and giving my suggestions and opinions there, too.

And... this just in! I’ll be presenting a morning workshop at the September meeting of the Orange County Chapter of Romance Writers of America. The topic? Looks as if it, too, will be about combining romance and suspense!

Am I being typecast? Maybe, at least to some extent. But I also have a panel on the paranormal coming up, as well as some for which I don’t yet have a topic. Plus, I’m working on other ideas that don’t fit smack into a romance or mystery.

But if I do turn out to be typecast to some extent, at least it’s for something I really enjoy!

Are you typecast in anything? And do you enjoy the combo of mystery and romance?

Themes

As a Killer Hobbyist, I’ve made pets the main theme in many of my posts. I write about pets in my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series, and will also write about pets in my upcoming Kendra spinoff about Lauren Vancouver, Pet Rescuer.

In addition, I write a paranormal romance mini-series for Silhouette Nocturne about Alpha Force, a secret military group of shapeshifters. More animals! I’ve also written one Nocturne about a woman with Valkyrie powers, but so far there aren’t any sequels in sight. My next Alpha Force story will be a January 2011 release: Alaskan Wolf. Yes, a werewolf!

So, pets are definitely a theme in my writing. But they’re not the only one. Just recently, I’ve had that made very clear by three separate opportunities that were, coincidentally, thematically related!

Monica posted a really great KillerHobbies blog entry recently about how, to be a published author, you also need to go out there and promote yourself and your stories. Definitely true.

When I was contacted about possibly giving an on-line class at the new Story Stew University, I suggested that I present one about blending romance and suspense, since I write... romances and suspense! My mystery protagonists all have some romantic interests, and my romances all contain suspense, so this seemed like a good topic for me.

I’m also attending Left Coast Crime this year. Why not? It’s in Los Angeles. I recently received my panel assignments. I’m on one about cozy mysteries, also featuring our very own Betty Hechtman. The other one? It’s about combining romance and mysteries.

Also, just this week, I was contacted about participating on a panel about cross-genre writing, sponsored by the local chapter of Mystery Writers of America. One panelist combines horror and mystery. Another combines sci-fi and mystery. I was invited to participate because I combine... what else? Romance and mystery!

So, it looks as if combining mysteries and romance is my current theme, even though I didn’t sit down and make a concerted plan to obtain publicity from it.

What’s your theme? Does it involve your hobby? Crafts? Types of writing or reading?

BTW, please check out my Story Stew University online class, to begin on April 19: Blending Romance and Suspense. Here’s the link to Story Stew U: www.storystewuniversity.com You’re all welcome to take the class! (Although I know that a lot of you know much of what I’ll be discussing. But you never know what secrets you might learn...!)