Romantic Comedy vs. Drama...Finding the Balance by Jannine Gallant

It occurred to me our two movies this month represent these categories. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is drama. Crazy people in an insane asylum. Screams drama, right? He's Just Not That Into You is billed as romantic comedy--a group of young adults filled with angst over their romantic problems. Their situations are silly and over the top and funny. But there's a darker side to their problems, as you'll find in most romantic comedies. The balance is necessary, or the film turns into an...um...Jim Carrey movie. LOL As for our Cuckoo's Nest, well, have you ever seen Jack Nicholson not be funny? He lightens a serious situation with some really comic lines.

So, basically we need to mix our drama and our comedy in the right proportions to come up with a winning combination. Whether it's in a movie...or a book. I never really thought about it before, but subconsciously I've been doing this all along in my writing.

Asking For Trouble is romantic comedy. I've mixed an inept uncle (the hero) with his precocious baby nephew, and thrown in a heroine who saves his butt on more than one occasion. The resulting situations are funny. (At least I hope they are.) But underneath runs a thread of heartache for both characters because they feel their life goals are simply too different to find common ground, despite the love they share. A little tragedy mixed with the babysitting mishaps. Without the drama, my book would have turned into a Three Stooges episode.

I also write romantic suspense. Some of it can be pretty dark. In A Deadly Love, a serial killer is cutting the hearts out of women--literally. But there's a giant dog who constantly digs holes in the neighbor's yard and a grandmother who wears tie-dye and has some great one-liners. They make the reader smile. (I hope.) Again, a little balance to keep the reader entertained while they bite their knuckles, wondering who the killer will strike down next.

So, do you like your romantic comedy with an underside of drama...and vice versa? Or is mixing genres not your thing?

Visit me at my website to find out more about me and my mishmashed works! 

Cold Hearted Killers by Jannine Gallant

Or are they? I've written quite a few suspense books that include killers and stalkers. They prey on innocent women. What's not to hate? Right? There's the dilemma. Somewhere deep down, I want readers to relate just a little to these villains. I generally include scenes from the killer's POV, and I try to give them a motive for their unconscionable behavior. Because in their minds, everything makes perfect sense. They have a reason for killing, one so compelling they can't NOT follow through even when regret rears up to confuse them. In the end, they have to stick to the plan.

Here's a sample of a killer's reasoning from A Deadly Love.

Brooke was gone. Gone. He pulled at his hair as the pressure built inside him. Tonight was the night he was supposed to take her. He stared up at the full moon and resisted the urge to howl and shriek and pound his head against a tree. She was ruining it for him. Brooke held the final piece of his heart. After he was finished with her, he would be free.

He dashed tears off his face and took a steadying breath. He couldn’t have Brooke tonight, but the game was over for Marnie. The bitch would die, and good riddance. It was hard to believe he’d ever loved that one. There would be no regrets this time, no niggling feeling of remorse after it was over. He would give her one final chance to escape before reclaiming that particular piece of his heart.

He's a serial killer intent on making his heart whole again. How? By taking back the pieces he gave to women he loved over the years. Undeniably crazy, but to him it's the only way.

In Every Move She Makes, a stalker is bent on winning the woman of his dreams. And no one will stand in his way.

They’d left him no choice. If he wanted a chance with Jordan, he had to get Lafferty out of the way. He’d waited patiently through all the years of her marriage to Bryce Carpenter, and once she was finally free of the philandering asshole, he’d given Jordan a chance to make a new life for herself. He wasn’t interested in a rebound relationship. He wanted forever.

Even a patient man like him had his limits. Right now, he was damned tired of waiting, sick of always losing out to someone else. Never again would he be second best. Once they were together, Jordan would discover Kane wasn’t half the man he was.

Heart pounding, he carefully set the gun on the seat next to him then drove into the approaching darkness.

The stalker feels he's been patient and reasonable. In his mind, any action he's forced to take is completely justified. For me, a villain who's evil with no redeeming qualities doesn't cut it. He needs a reason for his madness. Who are some of your favorite literary killers?

If you want to read more about my villains and the heroines they terrorize, A Deadly Love is available most everywhere ebooks are sold. Every Move She Makes is in it's second incarnation, re-titled and currently being shopped by my agent as the first book in a series. Hopefully I'll have good news to report soon. Find links and blurbs for all my books on my WEBSITE.

Family--In Life and Books by Jannine Gallant

Most people celebrate holidays with their family, and I'm no exception. Going home, connecting with our roots, spending time with relatives... But holidays are always hurried and hectic. When my girls were little, I started a tradition of taking them to see their grandma and grandpa and great-grandma for a week each summer in the little Northern California town where I grew up. Plenty of time to relax and relive my youth and watch my daughters grow from playing in a wading pool to running through the sprinkler to swimming in the river as they became more and more independent.

We lost my dad nearly ten years ago, and my grandma has lost most of her mobility and a lot of her short term memory. Still, we bring her out to my mom's house for that week. It's difficult--but worth it. At 97 she represents a generation that, for the most part, is gone now. Over the years I've listen to her stories and written them down. I've done my best to keep her history alive--and make sure my daughters have plenty of memories of their own. We owe a debt to those who paved the way for us as we grew into adults. Giving back to that older generation by listening and spending time with them is the least we can do.

Family connections are a big part of my writing. Nearly every one of my ten books features extended family--parents, siblings, and in A Deadly Love, grandparents. My heroine, Brooke, moves to her grandmother's home in the redwoods when she discovers her elderly relative is struggling financially, and the two set out to turn her big, old house into a Bed and Breakfast. At the same time, my hero, Dillon, is dealing with a senile grandfather who lives like a hermit in a shack in the woods. Both characters show their strength and compassion through these relationships, and I hope, give the book more meaning and depth.

I thought I'd share a short excerpt with Brooke's grandma giving her granddaughter some sage advice. Enjoy!

  June clicked off the TV with the remote. “I’m sure you two can work it out.”
  “I burned that bridge, Grandma. Anyway, it isn’t like our relationship was going anywhere.” She swallowed against the hot lump in her throat. “Not that I wanted it to.”
  “Oh, honey, you don’t fool me.” Her eyes softened. “You care about that man.”
  Brooke blinked back tears. “I’ll get over him. Eventually.” She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath. “I accepted Carter’s invitation to the black and white ball.”
  Her grandmother’s lips firmed. “When I was young, girls didn’t keep company with one man when they had feelings for another. It made things simpler.”
  She squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t know why I make it so hard. I really don’t.”
  June stood and walked over to her chair. She laid her hand on Brooke’s shoulder. “You’re afraid of being hurt again. Carter is safe.”
  “Maybe so.” She rested her cheek on her grandmother’s frail hand. “Men are overrated. Who needs them?”
  June chuckled. “I’m afraid we do. The dishwasher was making a funny noise when I ran it earlier. I was going to ask Dillon to take a look at it.”
  Brooke jumped to her feet. “We don’t need him. I’m a whiz with kitchen appliances.” She draped her arm around her grandmother’s thin shoulders and headed for the kitchen. “That dishwasher is no match for the two of us.”

Do you have an older relative who's been an inspiration? Please share.

Info on all my books can be found on my website. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

Anatomy of a Mystery by Jannine Gallant

I write in multiple genres - contemporary, western, historical - but they all have one thing in common, an element of suspense. Suspense is fun. It keeps the reader guessing. Or at least I hope it does… Which brings me to my topic. How does one write a mystery?

I currently have two published novels that fall into the “who dunnit” category. There’s plenty of romance, but the plot revolves around discovering the bad guy before he ramps up his reign of terror. If the author chooses not to let the reader in on the villain’s identity, she has to play by a few rules.

1)      The villain cannot come out of nowhere to be a complete surprise.

2)      Clues must be left along the way.

3)      The reader should be able to figure out the bad guy’s identity, but not until the end of the book.

So, how hard can it be? Actually, it isn’t as difficult it may seem. I pick a cast of possible suspects and give them all opportunity. Each has to have a few issues to be believable bad guys, which leads to motive. Sometimes I keep myself guessing until I’m absolutely positive I know who the real culprit is. The key is to keep all possible suspects in play in the beginning. As the book progresses, the author narrows down the field. By the end, there should only be a couple of strong contenders left. You want your reader to have that ah ha moment when they know they’ve figured out the villain’s identity. If your reader is completely shocked and surprised, you haven’t done your job of laying a trail of clues.

One catch – it’s easy to fall into a habit of creating similar bad guys. I used to read a famous mystery writer who shall remain nameless. After reading a few of her books, it became a game to determine the villain based on the book blurb. I was nearly always right. So, get creative. Invent new and unique personalities for each bad guy. Most importantly, have fun and readers will too!

A Deadly Love

In the heart of the redwoods, a madman waits...

Recovering from a broken engagement and determined to start over, Brooke Wakefield flees to her grandmother's home deep in the redwood forest. Discovering her teenage crush lives next door is a less than auspicious beginning. The last thing she needs is another man to break her heart, but every time Dillon glances her way, her heat level soars.

Dillon Tremayne isn't looking for a relationship. With a young son, an eccentric grandfather, and a logging company running him ragged, he can't afford any romantic entanglements. But Brooke's humor and strength are hard to resist.

When a woman from his past is brutally murdered and another disappears, Dillon is heartsick--and terrified the killer will target Brooke next. Can Brooke and Dillon find love in the heart of the forest? Or will a madman's twisted dream destroy their chance at happiness?

Victim of Desire

Ex-soap star, Rachel Carpenter, is a single mom coping with the daily problems of raising three daughters and operating her bookstore in the Napa Valley wine country. Kane Lafferty is a burned out police detective struggling with his own demons. The attraction between the two is immediate, though they both have reasons to avoid a relationship. At a wilderness camp in the High Sierra, their passion grows. But someone is watching. A man obsessed with Rachel since her soap star days is determined to have her at any cost. Danger mounts as the stalker’s reign of terror escalates. Kane risks his life to protect Rachel and her daughters, but can he uncover the predator’s identity in time? Or will Rachel have to sacrifice herself and her relationship with Kane to save her family?

Today I’m giving away a PDF copy of one of my romantic suspense books – winner’s choice. Please leave a comment or email me at jannine @ janninegallant.com to be eligible to win. Who are some of your favorite suspense authors? If you’ve read mine, did I do my job and keep you guessing?

Website           Amazon           Barnes & Noble

Introducing Brooke and her crazy Grandma June by Jannine Gallant

A Deadly Love released yesterday, and I’m so excited to share my heroine, Brooke Wakefield, and her grandma, June Ransome, with you today. Here’s an interview conducted by Liz Appleby of the Woodvale Chamber of Commerce. Brooke and June will be around all day to answer questions, so we’d love to hear from you!


Liz: (Pushes her glasses up her nose and checks her notes.) Ladies, I’m so glad you can answer a few of my questions today. As you know, the Chamber of Commerce is making a big push to promote tourism here in Woodvale. Tell me all about the new bed and breakfast you’re opening.

June: Oh my goodness, when Brooke told me I needed to do something for income after Eli’s investments failed, I was at my wit’s end. (Reaches over and pats Brooke’s hand.) Lucky for me, my sweet granddaughter came to stay with me and had the perfect answer. You should see all the work she’s done on the house. It’s turning into a regular show place.

Brooke: (Smiles at Liz.) Ransome House has been occupied for over a hundred years by our family, but the house is in great shape. Most of the changes have been cosmetic, painting and decorating, that sort of thing. It’s been a fun sprucing up the place.

June: (Leans forward.) Brooke needed a project to keep her occupied after she and her fiancé ended their engagement. You wouldn’t believe why they—

Brooke: (Lips tighten.) Ms. Appleby doesn’t care about my personal problems, Grandma.

June: Well, it doesn’t matter anymore, not with you and Dillon keeping company. (Big toothy grin.) Dillon lives next door, and he is the most wonderful man. But, I’m sure you know him, Liz. The Tremaynes have lived in Woodvale as long as the Ransomes have.

Brooke: (Sighs.) Grandma, I’m sure Ms. Appleby would rather hear about the bed and breakfast. That’s why she’s here.

June: Of course. We’ll have four guest rooms when we’re finished, and they’re all just as pretty as can be. And Brooke bakes the best breads and pastries. Our guests are going to love them!

Liz: When do you intend to open for business, Mrs. Ransome?

June: We were hoping to open to the public in the spring, but now with this madman running loose, killing women… (Takes a deep breath, her thin chest heaving beneath her hot pink T-shirt.) Maybe we don’t want to open until he’s caught.

Brooke: (Eyes darken with emotion.) We’re all praying it’ll be soon.

Liz: (Takes her glasses off and polishes them.) We certainly are. Serial killers are definitely bad for business. (Stands and winks at Brooke.) For the record, I agree with your grandma. Dillon Tremayne is both kind and gorgeous. If I were twenty years younger, I’d give you a run for your money with that man. Now, about that tour…


Blurb:

In the heart of the redwoods, a madman waits...

Recovering from a broken engagement and determined to start over, Brooke Wakefield flees to her grandmother's home deep in the redwood forest. Discovering her teenage crush lives next door is a less than auspicious beginning. The last thing she needs is another man to break her heart, but every time Dillon glances her way, her heat level soars.

Dillon Tremayne isn't looking for a relationship. With a young son, an eccentric grandfather, and a logging company running him ragged, he can't afford any romantic entanglements. But Brooke's humor and strength are hard to resist.

When a woman from his past is brutally murdered and another disappears, Dillon is heartsick—and terrified the killer will target Brooke next. Can Brooke and Dillon find love in the heart of the forest? Or will a madman's twisted dream destroy their chance at happiness?


Buy links for A Deadly Love are available on my website.

Milestones by Jannine Gallant

Milestones…the times in our lives when we sit back and take stock of what we’ve accomplished—and what we have yet to achieve. I had one yesterday. The big 5-0. It’s a bit daunting, knowing you’ve lived for half a century. I’ve been mulling it over for a while now as the day approached, wondering if I’m where I want to be both personally and in my writing career.

Turning 40 didn’t bother me at all. Probably because I had a three and a five year old, and simply having an adult conversation felt like a major achievement. LOL The last time I remember thinking in terms of life goals, I was thirty-two. I told my then boyfriend that my five year plan included marriage, owning a home, kids, and publishing a book. We’d been together for five years, so it was a “fish or cut bait” conversation. We got engaged, bought a lot and built a house, and were married later that summer. Both my daughters came along within the next three years. So that left THE BOOK.

Getting published didn’t happen in the five year span of my goal. Those were the days before digital publishing and small presses. I did have an agent, got positive feedback from several big publishers, but no contract offers. After baby number two, my writing time went downhill fast. So, it wasn’t until my youngest was in school that I wrote the book that eventually sold. Victim of Desire was published by The Wild Rose Press in 2010. Since then, I’ve published four novellas with TWRP and a second full length novel with another small press. I have a third novel, A Deadly Love, scheduled to release in August.

So, back to my original question. Am I where I want to be personally and in my writing career as I hit the big half century mark? Personally – yes. I live in a beautiful place, Lake Tahoe. I’m still married to my husband. (Apparently my proactive approach all those years ago was a success, ladies. LOL) My girls are happy and healthy, even if they do come with a lot of teenage attitude! Money’s tight in the current economy, which leads me to my writing. All those books published with not much more than pocket change to show for it. I’m thrilled to have produced what I feel are quality stories. I’m exceptionally pleased that reviews for my books have been favorable. But, my new five year goal is to actually SELL books.

I think many of us are in the same boat. In fact, that baby must be a giant ark to fit all of us who qualify! I adore the editors I’ve worked with at TWRP (three so far.) I love the professional treatment, respect, and encouragement I’ve received. But sales are discouraging, even with increased promotional efforts on my part. So what’s an author to do?

I’ve decided to be proactive and diversify. I just finished writing (and editing to death) a historical romance that is an old fashioned, sweeping saga full of trials, tribulation, and triumph. I’ve queried a couple of larger publishers, hoping my publishing history will at least get my manuscript read. If this fails, I plan to shop it to agents who can approach the other biggies. My theory for this book is THINK BIG. Then there’s the other big fish out there – the indie market. I’m currently working on a series of three novellas that I plan to publish independently. Series seem to be successful in the indie world, so I spent quite a bit of time coming up with a premise that I think will fit into that increasingly huge market. That’s my game plan. And I’m sticking to it! LOL

I’d love to hear what you all think. For those of you who’ve chosen the path of diversity, has it worked for you? What are your five year plans as you hit the milestones in your life?

All my books are available through my publishers, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. Links are on my website.

American the Beautiful

By Jannine Gallant

One of our April topics is Keep America Beautiful. I feel blessed to live in an incredibly beautiful place – Lake Tahoe. I can walk out my door and hike for miles in the pristine wilderness. The lake is a few minutes walk from my house. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Of course there are drawbacks. When I’m fighting with a four foot high berm left by the snowplow, trying to clear my driveway in a raging blizzard, I tend to forget what a joy it is living in Tahoe. No place is perfect! But after the storm passes, the glistening snow covered world is magical.

When it comes to my writing, I’ve capitalized on the Beautiful America theme. Two of my books are set partially in Tahoe. Maybe This Time features Emerald Bay on the cover, something I specifically asked for from the cover artist.

The balance of the story takes place on the California coast. Our shoreline is truly spectacular, but then I’m a teensy bit biased being a California girl born and bred.

Not one of those SoCal beach babes, mind you. I grew up at the very top of the state in the Redwood Forest. You can’t really do justice to the sheer power of a redwood tree in a photograph. You have to stand beneath one, with your head tilted so far back your neck aches, to appreciate the grandeur of the world’s tallest tree. The thick redwood forest, shrouded in fog, has an eerie feel to it that called to me as a writer.

So I wrote A Deadly Love about a serial killer loose in these woods. This book will be released in August.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos of my beautiful corner of America. For more information on my books, please visit my website and blog.

What Makes a Horror Story Truly Horrific? By Jannine Gallant

Do severed limbs and spouting blood make you cringe in terror—or roll your eyes? If you’re like me, violence for the shock factor doesn’t keep you glued to the TV screen or turning those pages. Discerning viewers and readers want something a little more subtle when they’re in the mood to be scared.

I was trying to think of a suitably eerie topic for my October blog, when my younger daughter plopped down a work sheet for her 7th grade language arts class on the table in front of me. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. A shiver ran through me. It has been at least 35 years since I read the story, but I remember every nuance of the setting. The building tension as the villagers’ nervous laughter turns to silence, then anxiety and dread when they open their slip of paper. The relief that follows for all but one family. The dawning horror as the first rock is thrown and my imagination takes over. All without a single drop of blood shed. Hollywood could take lessons from Ms. Jackson.

Hollywood has gotten it right a few times. Who can forget the look on Jack Nicholson’s face in The Shining? Yikes! Has anyone ever watched Jamie Lee Curtis walk down the dark street in the original Halloween without feeling their heart pound in their chest? It’s the anticipation of knowing what waits in the dark that gives us goose bumps and nightmares. We don’t need to see the violence. Our imaginations are our own worst enemies—or best friends if you like having the pee scared out of you! LOL

I don’t write horror, but I do write suspense. The same principles apply to both genres. My editor offered me a contract for my latest effort not long ago, but she wanted me to add scenes from the killer’s POV to build tension and add to the creepy factor. A Deadly Love is about a serial killer stalking women through the redwood forest of Northern California. I grew up there, so I knew the habitual fog and drizzle made a suitably chilling background. But did I want to witness murder and mayhem first hand? Shudder. Still, I had to write those scenes…

I drew inspiration from The Lottery. I wrote about what the killer was thinking, his frustration and anger because no one understood his motives. I showed the women waiting for their fate to play out, how the reactions of each reflected their different personalities. I’m please to say my editor loved the new scenes. A Deadly Love won’t be published until sometime next year, but you can tell me then if I managed to send a little chill down your spine…

For information and news on my current releases, please check out my website at http://www.janninegallant.com/, like my JannineGallant.Author page at Facebook, or follow me twitter.com/#!/JannineGallant on Twitter.