Monday, October 1, 2012

I write romance.


Every now and then, someone will find out for the first time that I'm an author, and inevitably they'll ask, “What kind of books do you write?” I've learned that I can never know what kind of response I'm going to get when I answer that question. 

When I say, “I write romance.”

Sometimes I get this face:


Or this one:



Sometimes I follow it up by saying something like, “They’re clean romances.” or "They're Christian romances."

Then I get this face:



Or something like this:


Sometimes I tell people that I've been writing the racy stuff for years under a pseudonym, but they never fall for it. :) 

So I just want to say that I love writing romance, and honestly I've learned to love the broad range of reactions I get when I talk about writing. People are all so unique in their combinations of personality and past experiences. 

And who wouldn't want to spend their extra time coming up with stories about how two people find love?

Readers - What kind of books do you love to read?

Writers - Do you ever get strange looks when you tell people what you write? Why do you write what you write?

28 comments:

  1. Hehe, my husband would always call the books I read "smutty Christian romance novels." He knows they really aren't smutty, though. ;P

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  2. I laughed at all the pics! Um, yes I get a mix of reactions. And I so enjoying toying with people when I get the scrunched nose reaction.

    Yay for a Monday morning blog post!

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  3. I'm partial to sci fi/fantasy. And was surprised when I enjoyed the cross over romance of The Outlander series and Dragon Riders of Pern.

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    1. I haven't read those, CJ. They sound interesting.

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  4. Oh yeah, I get those faces. Especially when I say I write Historical Romance for the Christian market. :D

    As a reader, I read just about anything. Mystery, thriller, a little horror, contemporary romance, historical romance...can't get enough of reading.

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  5. That's hilarious!! I don't remember strange looks. Mostly they'll make a crack (mostly my husband's friends) about kissing stuff. When I say Christian romance a lot of people think it's cool and are surprised that there's such a thing. LOL

    I love almost all genres, especially when there's some kind of romantic thread!

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    1. My husband loves to tell his softball friends and hunting buddies about my writing. I really don't think those guys read much Christian romance :)

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  6. Ha! Great pictures. Yeah, people kind of look at me like they don't know what I'm talking about. But I LOVE writing romances!

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  7. Oh dear. As a romance author, I feel your struggle. You never really know what people are going to say. And it's sad, really, because I love to talk about what I do.

    ~JD

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    1. The more we talk about it, the more people will get used to it. Romance writers unite! ;)

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  8. I know! I get a look that always makes me feel like I need to clear my throat when I say I write romance. LOL

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  9. Oh, your post made me smile soooo much because it took me forever to *admit* that, yes, I write romance. I used to cop out and say contemporary fiction. But no...I write romance. And I'm proud of it. (Though i still sometimes feel the need to add the caveat that there aren't any half-dressed men and women on my future covers. :) )

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  10. LOL, I still haven't overcome the fear of saying what I write. I usually say "inspirational romance and women's fiction" since my stories have women's fiction threads in them. Truthfully, they're mostly romance, but somehow adding the extra words makes me not blush quite so much. :)

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    1. I went through the "women's fiction" stage for awhile too, but now I'm proud say I write romance!

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  11. Ha! Love the pictures! I haven't told very many people I write romance yet, but I have gotten the "how embarrassing for you" look a couple of times. I think if people actually read some good inspirational romance, they'd love it.

    Here's to holding our heads high. Go Romance!

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  12. LOL! I love the faces! ROMANCE!! YES!! I've gotten a few eye rolls, and one person nearly choked on their salad...haha. I just smile.

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  13. So funny, Julie! Those pictures cracked me up. I'm still figuring out what I write, but I think I'm beginning to lean toward women's fiction.

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  14. Love the pix of all the different facial expressions. I'm sure some people are confused when I tell them I'm an inspirational/devotional writer... I simply love sharing the truths of God's Word with today's generation!

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  15. Ahh, yes, I love reading romance books...those make me smile and cry and say, "Awww". It gets even worse with movies...my reactions fire up really quickly when it's a romance film - love those.

    Hilarious and so true post, Julie! :)

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  16. My favorite is Christian Historical, and if there happens to be romance among the pages too, then so be it! :)

    Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. It's great to meet you!

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