I'm at the Coffee Time Romance Steampunk page blogging about steampunk romance covers (talk about a topic that never gets old!). In my post, I discuss the challenges facing these covers as well as some of the popular steampunk romance cover elements (so there's eye candy, too!).
At Spacefreighters Lounge, Pippa Jay poses an interesting question: Is There a Market For Non-HEA Romance?
Now, as far as I'm aware, and from what I've seen in publishers submission guidelines, a HFN is the minimum requirement for ANY romance. Is this because that's what all romance readers want? Is there any kind of market for romances without it?Donna S. Frelick responds with In Defense of Happily Ever After:
In Why I Need That HEA, Laurie A. Green poses one way sci-fi romance can experiment with non-HEA/HFN endings:All of this is to say that there is a reason the answer the question Pippa posed in her blog earlier this week is “No. You cannot have a non-HEA romance”……By definition, a romance ends in Happily Ever After, or at least Happily For Now. Romance readers buy it because they expect that ending. Cheat them of it and you will never get them back.
But all that said, I think there are exceptions for when a non-HEA/HFN can work, and that's in the case of a series with a much larger story arch. When the story is building toward an epic climax via multiple books, I think there is room in my universe for a tragic conclusion, provided the series itself ends on a happy note.
In our quest as writers to bring romance and happy endings to deep space, our panel spoke about space regencies, space operas, Steampunk and humanoid aliens with all the right parts. It’s important to use humanoids for aliens so the readers can create a connection with them. Readers have to see something of themselves in the main characters. In writing erotica romance our humanoids can have any attributes we choose to give them to enhance the story as well as the love scenes.
Preparations for the SFR Brigade Midsummer Blog Hop are underway and the prize package is shaping up to be pretty awesome! Here's an update (as of June 12) courtesy of Pippa Jay:
Mark your calendars: The blog hop will run June 21-25.1st Prize - $150 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice) and an ebook bundle (currently Alien Adoration, Dementional, Wytchfire, Ghost Planet, The Iron Admiral, Games of Command, The Key, Once Upon a Time in Space, Winter Fusion, Wither, Clash, Bayne, Maven, Break Out, Ghost in the Machine, Keir and Terms & Conditions Apply)
2nd Prize - $50 Amazon or B&N gift card (winner's choice)
3rd Prizes - three $25 Amazon or B&N gift cards (given to separate winners and their choice)
Also, visit my earlier post featuring Jessica E. Subject's new sci-fi romance releases and enter for a chance to win one of her ebooks!
Joyfully yours,
Heather