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Men Writing Romance & Mystery

One of the questions I’m often asked is why I chose to sign with a traditional romance publisher since I primarily write mystery/thrillers involving spies and private eyes. Aside from the security of a series contract and the perks that come with it, I did this for a couple of other reasons. One is that I like to include strong romance elements in my stories. Private eye mysteries and action-packed spy thrillers are fun to write, but it’s more interesting when you can include a femme fatale for the hero to interact with when he isn’t solving the crime du jour. 

Another benefit is the opportunity it gives me to write something different. My publisher issues short romances throughout the year, and I’ve published several lightweight romantic stories under these umbrella titles. They’re akin to those Lifetime or Hallmark movies that clog the TV schedules at Christmas. I like writing these because it gives me the chance to flex my creative muscles and come up with conflicts between the characters that don’t rely on “who done it?” I enjoy the challenge of developing a believable romantic relationship with a lot of teasing and flirting. This is something I include in my mystery/thrillers, but it’s fun to write one where the characters are brought together by something other than a dramatic situation. 

I recently released my annual summer short beach read, part of a series I started three years ago called “Key West Heat.” My newest entry is “Once Upon a Sunset.” The only thread between the stories in this series is that they all take place in Key West, Florida, with different characters and plots. I do the same with my publisher’s annual Holiday Stocking Stuffers, which are also stand-alone entries. I like the challenge these shorter books present, developing characters and plots in 12,000 words or less. Unlike the full-length PI and spy novels in my other two series, where I can spread out the exploration of personality and background, the shorts force me to do it more succinctly. 

After writing a few of these, I made an interesting discovery when I went back to full-length novels. I found that I was now able to develop the characters without devoting several paragraphs to telling their history. This kept the fast pace I like to use and still painted a complete picture. I also discovered that sometimes, less can be more.   

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I'll be candid. This week's blog prompt confuses me: "How getting the call (or acceptance) changes lives."

Call for what? Acceptance for what? By whom? "Getting the call" could apply to so many things: a call to religious or civil service, a call to a job opportunity, or something else. Acceptance always helps. It took a long time for my family to accept that, yes, I hear voices; yes, I need to write them down; yes, I want to make my living as a writer; no, it's not a crazy concept. Acceptance, however, isn't always necessary when it doesn't apply to everyone.

And it never applies to everyone.

You cannot please everyone. Even J. K. Rowling's breakthrough novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which made her and her title character household names, has haters. Of 29,160 reviews, 479 reviewers posted their loathing for the story in 1-star reviews. Jane Austen's iconic romance Pride and Prejudice has 8,365 reviews, of which 351 express their extreme displeasure. Award winning children's book The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister has 1,072 reviews, but 202 reviewers posted 1-star reviews. (For what it's worth, I happen to agree with those who find that book's message distasteful.)

Nope, acceptance is nice and validating, but it ain't necessary.

How much poorer would the world be if Vincent van Gogh had occupied his life with respectable, practical employment rather than his art? Without Jane Austen's contribution, an entire sub-genre of romantic literature might not exist--or certainly in its current and enduring state of popularity. She wrote her stories in an age when respectable ladies' names were published three times in their lives: upon their birth, upon their marriage, upon their death. Anything more frequent earned criticism.

I can't say I've "gotten the call," so, therefore, I cannot say that getting "the call" has changed my life. As long as I can remember, I have told stories. Since I could write, I have written them. There was never a moment that I could pinpoint and say, "This is what I was meant to do!" ​What am I without a story? Nothing. Or at least much reduced and dwindled.