Freezing Point

Recently, Martha featured my latest romance novel, Under the Redwood Tree, on her blog. That story is the first book in a series of contemporary romances I’m writing for Heartsong Presents. In almost all of my Heartsong Presents romances you’ll find an element of mystery or suspense. When I first plotted Seasons of Love, my first novel, the story ended up having elements from both the mystery and the suspense genre and I realized then that I prefer a romance with those elements.

I enjoy reading romantic suspense, but in writing for Heartsong the story must focus on the romance. That means that no matter if there is a suspense element or not, the heart of the story revolves around the romance between hero and heroine. The romance can exist on its own without any other plot elements.

Even though I enjoy reading romantic suspense, so I’m familiar with the genre, I had to take a completely different approach when writing my first romantic suspense for Love Inspired Suspense—Freezing Point. For LIS, the romance and the suspense plot are both integral to the story. From the first chapter, readers want to see a plot that is both suspenseful and fast-paced. The suspense plot is at the core and the romance is connected to the suspense plot so deeply, that pulling out the romance will kill the story. Neither plot element can survive without the other in a romantic suspense.

Depending on the publishing house, well-paced dialogue will carry most of the story rather than large sections of internalization or description. For me, writing romantic suspense is much easier than writing romance. That might be because its fast-paced so the story goes swiftly for me as the writer and it makes for a quick and fun read for you as the reader.

Thank you, Beth for being with us again this week. Beth is also a Carol Award winner for her book, The Camera Never Lies, a suspense for Barbour. Congratulations on that great award. I love reading suspense or mystery of any kind, and when a romance is involved, the story is even better. I'm in the middle of reading Freezing Point now, and is does move fast, and is keeping me turning pages. I hope to finish it today. Scroll on down for an opportunity to win a copy of Freezing Point. 

Now it's our readers' turn. Elizabeth is giving away a copy of her book to one of you lucky readers.

Leave a comment and answer the question below to enter the drawing. 

Do you enjoy reading suspense thrillers or mysteries? Why or why not?

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