Toni Noel tells us "Why I Write Romantic Suspense"

Why I Write Romantic Suspense

Writing romantic suspense is far more complicated that writing a simple romance. The writer has to remember to sow seeds of doubts, plant red herrings, and delay solving the mystery to allow the hero and heroine time to fall back in love.

I like to think of myself as a juggler, trying to keep the threads of three or more stories going at the same time. Internal and external conflict, the villain's goal, the hero and heroine's desire to be alone, even in a crowd. Toss an idea up here, a clue there, see who notices, and how that character reacts.

The real reason I write romantic suspense is because this genre has so much more to offer the reader, scary hooks, more reader involvement, events that reel the reader in from the first page, a hero to die for and a heroine who quite possibly might. Then there are the story questions -- What if they get hurt? Or killed? -- in addition to the usual questions: Is the heroine ever going to get kissed? And what's keeping him from falling in love?

Some mystery writers write the chapters as ideas come to them, and later spread the completed chapters out on the floor to decide what order to place the chapters in the finished book. That method might work for a mystery or thriller. It won't work when there's a budding romance involved.

In the romantic suspense novels I write, one event must follow the next and the next in the order required to tell the story, solve the mystery and watch the couple fall in love. Plotting these novels is like carefully shuffling two decks of cards. One deck represents the mystery, the other the romance. All the events must be seamlessly merged or the reader will be drawn out of the story and will likely throw the book across the room. Or delete it from her e-reader, a new and very real threat.

I write the kinds of stories I like to read, books about real people facing danger while falling in love, a kind of double jeopardy. And yes, I'm a true believer in romance. If my hero and heroine face death before morning, they're certain to want to spend their last night on earth in each other's arms.

I once became so enthralled reading a romantic suspense by Karen Robards I experienced chest pains, but no way would I put that book down. I just slipped another nitroglycerine tablet under my tongue and went right on reading. The author of Heartbreaker did a superb job of reeling me in, then keeping me hooked.

Law Breakers and Love Makers, released by Desert Breeze Publishing last October, is a delightful romp through some frightening scenes, a fun read. You won't need nitroglycerine under your tongue to read this novel, but you will need to hold onto your seat. Once the rollercoaster ride starts, it doesn't stop. And just when you think there's no way Zoe Westmore will get out of her final predicament unscathed, she surprises you.

In Temp to Permanent, someone is entering the heroine's business after hours and disrupting her work. Can she share her concerns with the new temp, or is he the one causing her loss of sleep? If the temp is responsible for her business worries, why is she falling in love with him?

The hero believes someone is out to run the heroine's business in the ground and is determined to prevent it. He's also determined to keep his hands off his lovely boss. Does he succeed?

Here's a blurb: Can a secretive temp and a business woman expecting full honesty from her employees find happiness in each other's arms? Carina Carrington hopes so. She owns a successful advertising agency and the respect of her peers until someone starts sabotaging her business. Is Greg Lawless responsible, the skilled temp filling in for her ailing secretary? Carina has visions of spending the rest of her life with Greg, not sending him to jail. Then a dangerous old flame kidnaps her and Greg must unlock the key to his identity and find his boss before time runs out for her.

Visit Desert Breeze Publishing's Web site to download the book and find out what happens next.
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-113/Toni-Noel-Law-Breakers/Detail.bok

And visit Toni at her web site: http://www.toninoelauthor.com