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| Vonnie Davis |
Yet a few have remained in my memory. And
those few, I read over and over to study why. Why did they make an impression?
I’m currently reading Linda Howard’s Mackenzie’s Mountain, a romance I first
read twelve years ago and once nearly every year since. I read it last week and
as soon as I finished, I started it over again, hunting for the “whys” of its
appeal. There are point of view shifts within the paragraph. Dated
philosophies. Said tags galore (my pet peeve). Yet, for me, the book creates
all the warm fuzzies I want from romance: The strong alpha male and the plucky
heroine who goes toe-to-toe with him.
Nora Roberts’ MacGreagor series is a
favorite, too. She taught me the value of secondary characters, of weaving
family into the romance.
Jill Shalvis is a master at internal
dialogue. I’ve learned a lot from her writings, too. Her description of Wade in Slow Heat as he leans in an open car door to talk to the heroine is a lesson in itself. Thank you, Jill.
While I also enjoy historical romance, some
are so shallow in research that the story could be set in any era or any
country. I love the stunning details of historical research that transport me
almost from the first paragraph. Beth Trissel, Susan Macatee and Claire
Ashgrove excel.
In her Plum Series, Janet Evanovitch taught
me ways to write humor. I’ve read every installment, and every time I do, I
sleep fitfully. I think it bothers my romantic mind that she won’t or can’t
choose between Morelli and Ranger. Go figure.
Do you enjoy learning the craft of writing
from other authors? What things have you learned in your pleasure time of
reading?
