Love Inspired Suspense

No sinister reason huh.  Well ok I'll believe you.  I've always been rather gullable anyway.

romantic suspense stories are just really exciting! :) it gives me a good time reading. glad to have this here. 

I'm with you, Camy. Romantic suspense books are great reads and SH does a wonderful job of delivering a thrilling story.

Margaret 

I do! I am waiting on December's to arrive in the mail. I already read the November books go figure. I love the fact that the paperbooks come out almost 2 months in advance, when you subscribe to them. Its great!

Thanks! I posted that and then they arrived the very next day. Since I started reading them I forgot to come back in here and update it he he.

Too bad you can't do a historical suspense... but if I had to choose- historical.  So many women are looking for historical novels without all the sex and there seem to be so few writers that fit in this category whereas there are a great # of authors that write in the suspense category- whether it be mystery, romance etc etc.  Don't get me wrong- I love every Love Inspired Category and I could choose one to write it would so be Suspense!  But that's me.  I think if you pray on it the answer will come.  It may not be until you're story is underway, but it'll be there.  What fun- to be at the start, so many options... where to start?  I'll keep this in my prayers for you as well- that no matter how tedious or annoying the writing may be, that the story and the finished product is nothing but joy for you!

~Kimberly

Actually, one of the LIH authors HAS done historical suspense, and it was wonderful! Hmmmm.

I love reading all three categories (as well as others which are, alas, not published by the Harlequin group at this point).  You're right, Kimberly, that it's hard to find a good, no-sex-but-plenty-of-good-romance novel these days, aside from in LIH. It bugs me, too, especially the so-called Regencies, where they have the H/h having sexual encounters, and then he marries her after ruining her. It just wouldn't have happened. He'd have made her his mistress and maybe treated her kindly enough, pensioning her off at the end, but a man (especially a nobleman) wanted to make certain his firstborn male heir was actually his son. The best way to do that was to marry a young, unsullied woman of good virtue. There was so much promiscuity that in order to ensure the succession, they went to the Marriage Mart (AKA Almack's) and found someone they thought they could deal with well enough. Sadly, love seldom fit into the bargain. It was a time when, if the Wesleys hadn't been around preaching and leading people to the Lord, England would have had every bit as bloody a revolution as France had. That might make a good book, right there... but not for this NaNo. Maybe next year.

I am praying about which book to write. I appreciate your prayers!

(((((Margaret))))) (((((Kimberly)))))

Let's see, so far the tally is

• LIH, 1
• LIS, 2
• LI, 0

Since we're voting, I thought I'd put this out for discussion. When you read (or write) romantic suspense, is it the romance or the suspense that compels you more?

I think the suspense intensifies the romance. I love feeling like the characters must be together and that without each other they would not be as strong, as brave or as capable. And I mean both the hero and heroine when I say that.

 I think a good romantic suspense is character driven, but has a compelling mystery or suspense plot that makes the reader want to keep turning pages because it is exciting but also because it draws the hero and heroine together.

I agree with you, Shirlee. I think it intensifies the romances--everything in the story.

Margaret 

The romance and suspense should build on each other.  If you could cut out either one it would be less than half a story.  You shouldn't be able to go through with red and blue highlighters and mark which scenes are romance and which suspense.  It should be pretty much all purple, ya know?!

An LIS should be like a three-fold cord.

I also think that there is an element of suspense in most fiction, except for slice-of-life. Without it, nothing is happening...

The struggle for me always lies in making the story seamless so that the suspense, the romance and the faith element are so completely part of each other that one could not exist without the other. Sometimes as I write, I wonder if I'm leaning too far toward suspense or romance or if the faith element is too overpowering or too subtle.  I think some stories naturally lend themselves to the suspense thread and some are more driven by the romance, but, either way, the reader must feel as if both are vital to the plot.

 LIS word count makes it imperative that stories start with a bang (sometimes quite literally) and continue at a rather quick pace. One might think that after writing fifteen books for the line, I'd be a pro at pacing, but that's another thing I sometimes struggle with. The last thing my readers want are ten pages of dialogue when a truckload of bad guys are on the loose just waiting for a chance to do away with my heroine or hero or both! Thankfully, I have mastered the art of slicing and dicing. I can cut out unnecessary scenes like a pro. I'm also becoming quite good at slicing and dicing characters. But that is a discussion for another time!

Hope - I can't affored the bookclub anymore. Purchasing homeschooling text books for two girls is my first book priority...and they get expensive. 

But, like you, I buy as much SH as I can. 

First let me say I pray regularly for all the writers (and readers too) at Steeple Hill.

I especially pray for the members of this forum.

Luv ya guys!!!  (((hugs)))

Aurelene - I'm praying for your BIL and SIL for God's grace, mercy, and healing to touch them in awesome ways.  :)

Kim - Praying for your dd's knee situation and the Lyme disease. That's one to keep an eye on. Good that she and her doctor are on top of it.

Today-I-was-in-a-shopping-center-where-a-Salvation_Army_Store-is-located.Everything

was-half-off.There-were-shelves-of-books.On-the-shelf-I-found-some-paperbacks-was

a-LIS.I-bought-the-book,"Framed!"....by_Robin_Caroll-for-49cents.Its-dated_February_'09!

Since-I've-been-reading-to-my-special-needs-patient,this-book-will-be-just-the-thing.

I-noticed-how-the-last-LIS-held-his-attention.I-like-the-general-category-of-Steeple-Hill

books-but-the-LIS-are-the-best!

Aurelene

I need to put a note on my computer, too. LIS=Love+Inspiration+Suspense. Like a braid.

Hope, I like that. Keeps it in perspective.

Margaret