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“Suspense is worse than disappointment.” – Robert Burns
“The suspense of a novel is not only in the reader, but in the novelist, who is intensively curious about what will happen to the hero.” – Mary McCarthy.
Happy 2024 Romance Readers!!
January is a busy month. We’ve got the New Year’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr. holidays happening. We quickly make resolutions and then there’s 17 JAN – National ditch your resolutions day. Personally, I set goals so I’m not so disappointed when my resolutions fall short. 
This newsletter I thought I’d take a look at the romantic suspense genre. I think it’s a genre that never gets old and never gets dull. Done right, this genre will keep the reader flipping pages to the end, yet there’s a nuance to writing a romantic suspense, and some important elements to keep in mind.
Here’s a fun activity to keep you busy:
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Romantic suspense is a hybrid genre blending both romance elements and suspense/thriller elements. The plot focuses on a mystery, suspense, or thriller storyline and the romance develops in the context of a life/death dilemma or crime. Since both genres have high stakes, you get double the intensity.
Writing a successful romantic suspense requires authors to balance character development with a fast-action plot. The suspense drives the plot, which is filled with high pressure situations that bring out the best (and worst) in the hero and heroine. The romance usually occurs in the quiet periods, and gives the readers' adrenaline a chance to get to normal.
Another thing to consider is your hero and heroine. “Typical” romantic suspense heroes are police, firefighters, or military, but they don’t necessarily have to be. You can weave in an anti-hero or even a washed-up detective. In the past, heroines have “typically” been damsels-in-distress, but more modern heroines usually “own it.” They can be successful in their careers and their lives without necessarily being damsels. However, when you’re writing for romantic suspense, keep in mind one or both of your lead characters need to have that “one” thing that makes them better than the average joe and ready to tackle the suspense plot point of your story.
Keep in mind:
When you’re writing a romantic suspense story (or reading one), one or both of the lead characters are facing danger or a life-threatening situation. The plot should include high pressure situations that are more intense than the average internal/external romantic conflict you find in other subgenres.
Emotions are heightened, such as anticipation, apprehension, excitement, uncertainty, and even intrigue. Some physical examples of this can involve hearts pounding, adrenaline skyrocketing, and hands trembling.
The 3 P’s are a great guide to writing a romantic suspense: #1 – Problem -- should include strong conflict and your dangerous/life-threatening situation #2 Proximity – Keep your hero and heroine close. This builds the tension in your suspenseful elements and your romantic ones. #3 Pacing – move swiftly to drive the action, but use a breather to build character.
One of my favorites:
Write or Share a romantic suspense from your portfolio and I’ll include it in next month’s Romance/Love Newsletter.
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#608003 by Not Available. |
Sharing a submission that was sent in for my 31 OCT NL about love letters:
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Feedback from my Romance/Love Newsletter dated 27 DEC 2023:
Osirantinous 
To be honest, I totally have no idea what you mean by the 2+2 and the 4  , but your second bit on New Year's Eve has sparked some ideas for my characters, yay. Of all my characters, it's actually only Xavier and Liam in the story you highlighted here (thanks!!) that pass NYE, but now I'm going to put everyone in the zone and see how they react!! (Possibly some will be like me, totally in bed long before midnight.)
Glad to have provided some inspiration! I love it when things come together! 
As for 2+2 = 4, here’s what I was trying to get at: Here’s the 1st 2: He stepped backward and smiled. Here’s the 2nd 2: She pursed her lips, as the air cracked around them, wanting to close the gap between them, yet she held back, meeting his gaze. (The 4 – what can you imply from the above?). 4: He’s confident he has her attention. Or maybe: She’s very aware of his presence, his nearness, but doesn’t want to tip the full range of her emotions to him just yet.
StephBee - House Targaryen is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. Her contemporary romance, "A Polish Heart" is now avail on Amazon as an ebook. Darrin travels to Poland for a job assignment but is gobsmacked by his beautiful translator.
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Amazon's Price: $ 14.99
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Romance/Love: January 24, 2024 Issue [#12373]
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