Tonight, while performing my rather undefined duties as a bride's maid, I had a hilarious conversation with several high school friends--people who have known me half my life, or more.
While laughing through tears and eating Texas sheet cake that tasted like "grass" (i.e. mint--FRESH mint, like a mint bush had been thrown into the dough), I was answering questions about the newlyweds and some details about how not to get pedicures before massive hikes because of the bride's experience while hiking with her fiance--including her toenails falling out.
One of my friends said, "Yeah, when you leave in details like that, it's not as romantic."
The other replied, "This is Sheralyn. She couldn't write romance if it killed her."
*GASP*
EXCUSE ME?
I was appalled, but I was the only one at the table who was. They all gave me matter-of-fact-looks that essentially said they agreed: I couldn't write romance.
My own friends? Doubting me? Collectively?
It cannot be!
And yet, it is...
Now I don't usually consider myself a prideful person, but I guess in some regards I am, because I totally want these four women to EAT their words. And in order to do that, I'M GOING TO WRITE A ROMANCE!
And not just any romance--a romance made to order. That's right. I'm taking orders. What kind of clean romance do you want to read? Beauty and the Geek? Best friends? Boy meets girl? Bodyguard? Love in the work place? Marooned on a desert island? Love with a rodeo clown?
Is he hot? Is he not? Is she a snob or a doormat? Throw it out there.
Because I'm very much in the mood for a challenge, and what I'll do is get a consensus of the most popular themes mentioned and create a poll. Whichever theme wins the poll WILL BE WRITTEN.
Then I shall prove that I can indeed write a romance, and that it did not kill me...
Knight scales the walls of the heart of Little Miss Guarded and wins her over :)
ReplyDeleteOh, I cannot wait for this! If you write romance as well as you write sass, this will be great! I vote cute, shy, kinda nerdy sports medicine senior rehabilitating senior basketball star hottie girl. They will learn there's more to life than winning games and getting an A. (ie winning the heart of a new friend)
ReplyDeleteOooo!! Exciting!
ReplyDeleteShe has to be sassy, and so does he. There has to be tragedy involved, and it can't be cheesy or cliche. It can't be a beauty and beast version... done and redone too many times..
Or cinderella.
Enjoy!
Ok, so far we have:
ReplyDelete* Man woos jaded woman
* Beauty and the Geek/Nerd (kind of the reverse of "Just Wright")
* Two sassy souls dealing with tragedy
That sound right?
Those (many of you) who haven't voted, do you want to support one of these, or something else entirely?
I'm down for love in the workplace. Complicated, somewhat forbidden, but oh so exciting!
ReplyDeleteVote from Facebook:
ReplyDeleteI was telling my husband about your request for input on what we'd like to see in a romance novel. Here's his vote; a popular girl, a geeky guy, aliens, and the church ( without being preachy). He says it can't be done. :-) He thinks he's such a comedian!
I for one can't wait to see what you come up with.
Vote from Goodreads:
ReplyDeleteMarooned rodeo clown... :)
Wow. I just don't know if the LDS market is ready for that one :)
From Facebook:
ReplyDeletelol, Love it. you should make a pirate theme...everyone loves pirates...
OMGosh!!! This is beyond hysterical and I am THERE. You can do this Shera!
ReplyDeleteI vote for beauty and the geek. I think she can be either a doormat or a snob, either one would work for me. But I think he should be "just okay" and not, in particular, HOT.
Hurray! Can't wait to read it! (and be jealous everyone because I'm on Shera's front line!) Woot!
Oh no, no you don't. I mean, yes, you can most definitely write a romance, I totally believe you can, and I will read it for sure. But I am so not going to tell you what kind to write.
ReplyDeleteHere's my vote: Something that's not cliche, that hasn't been done a zillion times before, and something set somewhere interesting. Hey, I know, maybe Hawaii. =) That's my vote, She-ra. Do with it what you will.
Hey, girl, I just finished CITY OF ANGELS and loved it! Rhea is so funny and smart and sexy - just like you! Whaddayamean by your friends saying you don't know how to write romance - you got romance in City of Angels!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats!
xo,
Kimberley
We have another vote from Facebook specifying that there be no vampires.
ReplyDeleteDone.
Another requests pirates, though I must confess that is iffy... especially if aliens are also to be involved ;)
Beauty and the Geek seems to be a front runner, along with some others. What I might do for the final poll is write either a synopsis or the first few pages of a book and have you vote on the one you most want to keep reading.
How's that sound? :)
So ... beauty and the geek? Could it be the Beauty is the boy and the geek is the girl? Because it's always the other way around. Ohhh and maybe they can be alien pirates. ;)
ReplyDeleteYes! Alien pirates who aspire to be rodeo clowns! Done! :) I have faith in you Shee. ;)
ReplyDeleteJee
Have your friends read any of your books? I've been reading them since they arrived on the shelves years ago....and they're filled with romance! LOVE THEM.
ReplyDeleteKimberley & Jasmine- THANK YOU for seeing the romance in the Rhea books. I didn't think it was THAT subtle ;)
ReplyDeleteJee- Whoa. Alien pirates who aspire to be MORMON rodeo clowns? Some how I see that as more of a graphic novel. Want to do the drawings and I'll do the storyline? lol
Haha! That's totally what those brownies tasted like! I think you should write something involving vampires and werewolves. And mormons. Wait, has that been done before?
ReplyDelete