The Bell Curve of the HEA

The other day I was pondering why some books work better for me than others; why some books leave me dissatisfied at the end, even when they meet the genre conventions of the HEA.  Perhaps I'd had too much pizza but I came up with what I like to call "the bell curve of the HEA".  (*I'm aware that it's not actually a bell curve, but it is a curve and it sounds good so I'm keeping it.  Also, maths isn't my strong suit.  Go with me here.)

It isn't an absolute answer, but it does go toward explaining why some books don't work for me.

In most romance novels (perhaps this is true of other genres also but I'm sticking with what I know), the "happiness graph" might look something like this:

A Tale of Two A**holes, or: What a difference female agency makes

I recently listened to a book with an asshole hero and, around the same time, read another with a similar type of male lead.  Though there were problems with both, one of the books worked much better for me than the other.     The main reason I disliked the first book was that I could not like the hero.  But in both books, the hero is  an asshole.  So: why did I like one and not other?  This post is the result of my mental ramblings on the topic.  And it all comes down to female agency.

Book 1 was Fever (Breathless #2) by Maya Banks.   This author seems like a lovely lady from what I can tell from Twitter. My opinion of this book is in no way an opinion of her.  She tends to be a hit or miss author for me.  I loved Sweet Surrender and I enjoyed Rush, the first book in the Breathless series quite a bit.  But Fever was not a success.  While lots of people loved Fever (which is fine because Vegemite), it didn't work for me.

The second book was Tangled by Emma Chase.  Ms. Chase is a new author but I enjoyed her writing style and the humour of the book very much. (and again, just because I thought Drew was an ass, doesn't mean I think she is. Just to be clear).

The two books are very different in tone.  But they have in common that the male protagonist is a jerk.  I discussed Drew a fair bit in my review of Tangled. As the book is told from his point of view, we are steeped in Drew from start to finish. 

Fever is told in third person with the POV shifting between the two main characters.  But, Fever is almost always in the male gaze so our hero, Jace Crestwell is the most prominent character in the book by a factor of about a million.

Why Can't People Just Talk To Each Other??

Dear Everyone,

I'm a results person.  I tend to look at where I want to go and plot a course to get me there.  (I am also a details person but for the purposes of this post, that's not so important - although it can make me very annoying.)  In a potential conflict, my goal is to resolve it.  If I think maybe I have misunderstood something, I'll ask a question to clarify.  I don't tend to jump to conclusions without evidence.  I'll ask until I'm clear.  So I don't get the "Big Mis".  It's my least favourite trope in romance. 

Very rarely, it can work for me - usually where the misunderstanding is logical (this takes some setting up so that I don't want to kick either main character) and of short duration.  The longer it is drawn out and the less rational the conclusion jumped to, the more likely it is I'll want to throw my reader at a wall.

Vegemite: It's a Matter of Taste

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vegemiteontoast_large.jpg

I like Vegemite^.  A sparing amount  over freshly made and hot buttered toast, can be just the thing for breakfast if I'm in a toast kind of mood.  Other than that I grew up eating it and I like the flavour of umami reasonably well (or, possibly, just saying "umami"), I really can't explain it though.  I don't expect you to understand.  It is almost black and thick and kind of ... greasy. It is a by-product of the beer brewing process. (And it LOOKS like a petroleum by-product.) But I like it.  It is okay for me to like it.  It is also okay for you not to like it.

If you'd like, I will try and explain why I like Vegemite but if you don't "get it", it doesn't mean I have failed you. I'm  not obliged to keep trying to come up with new ways to justify to you why I like Vegemite. I am not a Vegemite-Evangelist. I'm a Vegemite-Live-and-Let-Live-r.  Vegemite, like many things, is something that ultimately, you either "get" or do not. And LOADS of people DON'T.  LOADS.

Deconstructing my favourite sex scene

Regular readers of the blog will know that I like a good hot sex scene. I read Alisha Rai's Play With Me recently - very hot.  KA Mitchell's No Souvenirs and Regularly Scheduled Life (scroll down a little for a brief review), Heidi Cullinan's Special Delivery and Double Blind,  Cara McKenna's Willing Victim, most everything by Charlotte Stein - all feature very hot scenes which, for the most part, advance the story and reveal the characters (and not just because they're naked).  In fact, I wrote a post a while back saying that I don't like fade to black (except when I do) and why.  So you might be surprised then, to know that my favourite sex scene ever, is not at all sexy. Not the least bit hot.  But I love it. When I need a comfort read and I have a spare 20 minutes, I open the book up just before the scene starts and within seconds sighing in pleasure (er, not that kind of pleasure).   In fact, it has happened that those spare 20 minutes have turned into numerous complete re-reads, but I digress.

The book?  Heartless by Mary Balogh.

Sadly, it is out of print, but I hope it will be available digitally one day soon. I paid a hideous amount for it on eBay five or so years ago and have never regretted a single cent.

It is a book I don't think I can be entirely rational about.  It is my favourite Mary Balogh, a definite Desert Island Keeper and in my top 5 books of all time (don't ask me to name the other 4 - it's too hard).  I'm sure the book has flaws.  I don't care. I love it.  And, I'd like to share with you one of the (many) reasons why.

Here's the blurb (from Goodreads)  Life has taught Lucas Kendrick, Duke of Harndon, that a heart is a decided liability. Betrayed by his brother, rejected by his fiancée, Luke fled to Paris, where he became the most sought-after bachelor in fashionable society.

Ten years later, fate has brought him back home, to the rescue of the very people who had once shunned him. Luke is amused by the advice that a wife will make his takeover of both the title and the family estate smoother, but amusement turns to desire once he sets eyes upon Lady Anna Marlowe.

Unbeknownst to Luke, Anna is also no stranger to pain, but her suffering can't be so easily overcome, not when her tormentor stalks her to the very doors of Bowden Abbey. Luke and Anna, each made fragile by the past, must learn to trust both each other and their love if they are to have any chance for a future together.

Kaetrin's Musings - Now on Facebook!

So, I've been blogging a bit more lately and I decided I wanted to do more stuff.  Lots of my favourite blogs have a Facebook page and I decided to make one too.  Also, learning about how to make things like blogs and FB pages is kind of fun even though there was a bit of swearing involved last night... ahem. Moving on! 

My page is a bit Nigel-no-friends at present, only 2 people "like" me (and one of them is me! LOLOLOL).  I'd promise you a puppy if you "like" my page but I don't think puppies do well with Australia Post so maybe I'll just say, if you are on FB and are so inclined, please head here to like my page and make me feel the love and acclaim of Romance Stadium.

This is just a random pic I took when we went to the Flinders Ranges last year.

Fantasy to the (Hyper) Extreme?

aka a kind of review and a rambling justification for why I like Reaper's Property by Joanna Wylde.

As I start this post, I'm about halfway through the book but I wanted to start getting my thoughts down before they scattered.  Reaper's Property was recommended to me by DA's Jane.  She said it was "hardcore" and "intense and emotional" and she clearly loved it.  Her recommendation was not without caveats however - she noted:  "Anyway, warning warning warning. Know that you are getting an over the top sexist parade of MC full of violence and wrongdoing when you read this book".

There has been comparison with Kristen Ashley's Motorcycle Club (MC) books - I have 1 or 2 on my TBR but haven't read any yet - I keep hearing about engaging stories but also poor grammar and sloppy/no editing and I'm kind of torn about taking the plunge in actually reading them because the latter things mean a lot to me.   This book, a little shorter than a KA book and better edited, lured me because of the promise of engagement and curiosity did the rest.  So I bought it.

I don't usually like my heroes to be less than heroic.  Why then am I enjoying this book, where the hero is named "Horse" (yes, it's after the size of his dick) and is a violent criminal?  It is this question I'm trying to answer and so my rambles begin.

Australia Day Book Blog Hop & 3rd Blogoversary Giveaway

Comments are now closed.  Thanks to everyone for visiting the blog and the good wishes etc.  The winner will be announced later this week.

Because it is my 3rd Blogoversary on Australia Day, I thought I'd join in the Australia Day Book Giveaway Blog Hop.  To celebrate both momentous events, I'm offering 1 lucky winner a $10 Amazon or All Romance ebooks gift voucher (winner's choice).   Entries close at midnight on 28 January (AESD) and will be announced here by 4 February 2013.  Open to international entries.   

Just comment to enter and tell me what your favourite post here has been. Please leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you're the winner.

There are plenty of other Australian blogs participating.  Go here or here to check out the other offerings. Lots and lots of Aussie authors and bloggers are offering some wonderful prizes so why not check them out?

Happy Australia Day and Happy Blogoversary to me! :D

Virtual Advent Tour

When my husband and I first married (December 5th 1998) we didn't have tons of money for a fancy Christmas tree and decorations - especially not so soon after the wedding.  But we thought it would be fun if we bought one really nice Christmas decoration every year, so that eventually, we would be able to get rid of all the cheap decorations and have a lovely set of decorations which would one day maybe become something of a family heirloom to pass to any children we would have.  

The first year, the special decoration was our Christmas angel for the top of the tree.  

A New Alliance

Brie from Romance Around the Corner put her wishlist together of what she wants to see in romance next year.  You should read it; it's a very good post and I agree with all of her list.  The comments turned to important topics (as they do) and pretty soon, there was demand (from me) for a button.  Mandi from Smexy Books took up the challenge and rallied to the call and lookie here:

ETA: I misread the tweet. Brie made the button. Credit where credit is due and all that.  :D 

So, who will join me in this new Alliance?

Sign up in the comments.

Email Subscriptions

Hello everyone.  Because Feedburner is no longer supported, I have deleted that widget and put a new one on.  So, if you'd like to subscribe by email to the blog, please sign up again.  I'm using Nouri.sh.

Any feedback is welcomed. :)

I love this community. I really do.

Anyone who follows me on Twitter will know that my stepdad had a brain bleed yesterday and he's currently in the ICU, with a shunt draining the excess fluid from his head to relieve the pressure.  He's hanging in there, can move all his limbs and recognises people.  He's still a bit confused and a bit slurry but the doctors are saying that's to be expected.  He was having another CT scan today to check on the status of the bleed and plan future treatment. So far, so good.

When I first got the call, after a mild meltdown and a phone hug from my husband, one of the things I did was to post a Tweet asking for good thoughts and prayers.  And boy, did you guys really come through.  I've often wondered when I see someone sharing bad news or troubling times on Twitter and I've sent a message of encouragement whether I'm intruding or whether it actually has any meaning (this is more a function of me second-guessing myself as opposed to anything else) but I can honestly say, having been on the other end of it yesterday and today, that those messages of encouragement really do mean something.  They helped.  It's always good to know there are people on your side.

I don't know if other book comunities are like this, if it's just romancelandia or even if it's just *my* book community; but in any event, I love it.  I wanted to say I appreciate you guys so much - from the interesting and smart discussions we have such as here, to the support we as a community give when one of us suffers a tragedy (such as a husband being taken from his family before his time as a result of a crime or a cancer scare, etc) and most especially today, to the support given to me.  I couldn't fit it into 140 characters so I'm posting here.  It's my blog and I can be sappy here if I want to! :)

In other news, I have a review up at AudioGals today of Getting Rid of Bradley by Jenny Crusie and I have a number of other reviews lined up.  I'm also planning a giveaway to celebrate the release (on October 15) of Tigerland by Sean Kennedy so watch out for that in the next little bit too.

Sometimes I get down about the reviewing/blogging climate and some of the crap that goes on, but really, you guys (and you know who you are) make it fun and worthwhile.  So, thank you. 

Kaetrin

Are Eve and Roarke archetypes?

ar·che·type/ˈärk(i)ˌtīp/

Noun:

A very typical example of a certain person or thing. An original that has been imitated.

Wikipedia has an extra definition:  An epitome— a personality type exemplified, especially the "greatest" such example. I've been listening to some of the In Death books on audio lately and then I found I just had to skim the first 3 books for the Eve and Roarke bits (plus a bit of Portrait in Death too) because I just enjoy them so much.  I started to wonder if because I enjoy them so much I am seeing them everywhere lately - or, are Eve and Roarke archetypes?  Eve Dallas: *  kick ass cop *  devoted to justice and the rule of law *  tortured childhood *  tough but has a streak of vulnerability associated with said tortured childhood *  has very few close relationships Roarke: *  criminal past, now (mostly) legitimate *  super rich at a very young age *  has his own idea of justice and the value of the law *  tortured childhood *  is totally and completely devoted to Eve

Why fade to black doesn't work for me. Except when it does.

I finished Susanna Kearsley's The Shadowy Horses a few days ago and I started thinking about "fade to black" or "bedroom door closed" books.  As a generality, I prefer my fictional bedroom doors wide open and the lights left on.  But I started to wonder why that was - and why some books which do fade to black work really well for me.  And here's what I came up with.

I think there are two aspects at play during a sex scene in a romance (as opposed to erotica) - there is (often) something physically arousing about it and there is something I'm going to call, emotionally arousing.  I can't say I'm immune to the physical "symptoms" of a well written sex scene but for me, the bigger payoff is in the emotionality.  I think very often the sex scene creates a "shortcut" to the emotional arousal I'm seeking - the heightened emotions which are often present being key here.

Fade to black books, with only kisses (and few kisses) do not usually give me the emotional arousal I'm seeking when reading romance.  What causes this emotional arousal?  Well, it can be kissing or handholding, the hand on the small of her back as they walk, her hand in his (or his in his for that matter).  It might be internal dialogue or conversation (conversation is the better of the two) where the couple's emotional connection resonates (“When the day shall come that we do part," he said softly, and turned to look at me, "if my last words are not ‘I love you’-ye’ll ken it was because I didna have time.”  Jamie to Claire in The Fiery Cross - although The Fiery Cross is in no way a fade to black book of course.).  In a sex scene it can be the desperation of one to physically connect to the other, the primal claiming of "mine", a more tender or reverent loving after a crisis perhaps, the delight one partner takes in the body of the other, the care taken in ensuring his/her satisfaction - the physical display of the emotional connection.