As some of you know, I came up with an idea for a series a while back. It will be a western historical series. With a female protagonist who is a Pinkerton Agent.
I was thinking if I write it along the lines of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, there is never really a HEA. Which is most likely why her books are not in the Romance line up at stores. So... My thought was, though I have an on again off again relationship between my protagonist and a U.S. Marshal, I would still need a HEA ending in all my books to keep it on the romance shelves- right?
My thought was to incorporate a romance between two secondary characters in each book which would end happily ever after. What do you think? Would this be too distracting from the main protagonist or just the right fuel for the romance audience (besides the protag and her marshal) to keep romance faithfuls reading the next book?
Have you ever read any books like this? With the secondary characters falling in love, but the main story is about the main protagonist. If so, could you give me the titles and authors so I can read a few and see if I can really pull this off.
12 comments:
Hmmm...I don't know, Paty. I've never read any books like that, but perhaps you'll be the first to start a trend. ;)
Nora writes a series of futuristic RS that revolves around one couple - her "In Death" series written as JD Robb. People rave about it - technically still a romance as it follows the couple along their life path from single, to married, etc. There are some 16+ books in the series, so it obviously works. I've never read them because once I start I'll have to read all of them (I'm so friggin' compulsive, it's sick). You might want to pull a couple and see how she does it for the romance sake.
ALICE SAID:
Paty, I have read books that do as you say, the second couple's love and HEA as the subplot. In one series, the main couple were married and so that even though the H/H were in love, there wasn't that thrill of discovery, etc. Secondary characters took care of it. In others, the woman is older and quite happy being single or happily in love without the HEA. In still others, the characters have some main resaosn they can't be together, but they love another.
All that said, they were mysteries and in that genre, anything goes. In a romance, and I may be soooo wrong, I think the love affair of a like aged female character would quickly overshadow the heroine's life. I started to write a book like that once, even though the heroine would have her own HEA, the other female was pregnant and even I, as the writer, found myself thinking it was her story--not a good thing in a romance.
So, I guess I don't have much to offer. I would think you would need to have a monogamous relationship, keep the focus on them and create a HEA every time that moved their relationship forward. Then you can throw in subplots, but the romance there wouldn't overshadow your heroine's love. Lots of mysteries do this--Diana Mott Davidson in her culinary series and Mary Daheim in her Bed and Breakfast serie, Dorothy Gilman in her Mrs, Pollifax series, MC Beaton in her Agatha Raisin series--all have female characters who met their true love (or re-met them) in book one or so and over the years, have married and suffered the trials and tribulations, etc...while uncovering mysteries.
Break new groud! Bethany is a lot better read within romance, maybe she'll have a better answer for you.
Alice
Interesting blog.
I guess it would be like Lula falling in love, or the other chick that works at the bail bond office finding a lasting relationship...
I'd be afraid the story would become too much about the secondary characters. Why are you so concerned with the books being shelved in romance? What about mainstream or suspense, or mystery?
But then again, if you've never heard of such a premise...good. Different (at least to a point) is what sells.
I have been absolutely no help.
You're welcome.
Ha!
Or, I just thought of this, what if your heroine meets someone, falls in love at the end of book one. In two they make some sort of lasting commitment, end of book two. In book three she questions her choice and now we've got Oprah and her longtime love, what the heck was his name? They loved, they intended to marry, they never quite got there. They finally broke up.
Maybe yours just never quite break up, but maybe they never quite get married either. Maybe they come close a time or two but something always gets in the way -- like Ross and Rachael on friends.
See, to me, this sort of thing is much easier to work with than a straight-forward romance.
Best of luck, my friend.
Oh, and what exactly is a Pinkerton agent?
I have read a series a lot like this. Miriam Grace Monfredo writes a series set in the 1860's that features a female Pinkerton Agent as the protagonist ("The Stalking Horse," "Sisters of Cain," "Brothers of Cain," "Children of Cain."). The US Marshalls also feature in some books. These books are set on the East Coast, but her research is impeccable--critically acclaimed in fact. You might find them worth a read. Because the main romance is on-going, these are shelved under mystery. Much to my mother's dismay, Monfredo hasn't had a new book since 2002--lack of hardcover commercial success with the unique premise may have hurt her deal with Berkley or perhaps she has simply moved onto to other things. Regardless, my mother misses these books a lot, as do I.
Suzanne Brockmann's RS usually has 1 HEA romance, and one or two (or three) continuing romances--and the balance varies depending on each book. These are shelved under Romance. Most books that I have read where the MAIN character's romance continues are shelved under mystery/mainstream, but this isn't a bad thing. Remember too, that in many libraries and bookstores, they shelve you with your other books, regardless of subgenres (thus even Debbie MacComber's mainstreams are in romance, and many stores have the JD Robb series in Romance). My two cents--don't try so hard to fit the romance category if that's not where this series wants to go.
Ah... you have all given me some great things to think about.
Danita, A Pinkerton agent was the first Private Investigator only the government gave them the authority to arrest people. And the private sector(usually railroads and stage lines) paid them.
I guess I shouldn't be worrying about keeping it in the romance line up. It would be kind of a mystery every time as well as the ongoing love interest. I figured the first book would be the initial meet of the Pinkerton and U.S. Marshal.
ELI- I've been avoiding the JD Robb books for fear I'd read and not write! Guess it wouldn't hurt for research purposes to pick one or two up. :)
Alice, I loved the Mrs. Polifax books when I was only reading mysteries.
Wavy - I didn't know there was another Pinkerton series. Yikes! I'll have to get some and see if I'm planning anything like hers. I wouldn't want to step on toes.
Paty, Monfredo's series is set in NY and other east coast and southern settings. Most of the books revolve around the civil war: escaped slaves, money issues, conspiracy etc. Like you, she does like really plucky heroines, but your voice is way different, and if you're planning more American West settings w. non-civil war plots, you wouldn't be honing into her line at all. And after all, there are 50 million series about female PI's. What I thought you might like the books for is all her research--she talks about her research a lot in the backs of the books and she's got some great primary sources noted.
Wavy- all my stories would be set in the West- a little in the Midwest. I ordered a couple of her books from Amazon. I bet she got a lot of her information from the same sources I am - Allan Pinkerton's own stories and several biographies on the Pinkertons. There is a lot of info about them. Great stuff!
I hope you enjoy the reads! My mother guards her signed copies with her tight little fists or I would have volunteered them :)
Isn't research fun? You and my mother could wax eloquently about primary sources and biographies for hours . . . Much as I love both research and historical books, my hats off to those who manage to combine it in a good fiction---like you do so well!
OK, I'm going to reveal my ignorance here: What is an HEA? or an HEA romance? I've obviously missed something.
Barbara,
HEA=Happily Ever After.
It took me a moment to figure it out, too!
Alice
LOL - sorry Barbara and Alice! I forget not everyone knows all the little acronyms.
I've pretty much came to the conclusion to not have another love story going on, well maybe subtly, but not to overshadow the angst the heroine feels about not wanting to settle down just yet, even though she's given her heart to the U.S. Marshal.
Thanks everyone for your insights!
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