If I had to read one CBA romance novel, what novel should it be?
Call this an olive branch, a white flag, a peace accord. Or if you want to be nasty, you can just say I caved.
I recently exchanged emails with a published CBA “inspirational historical romance writer.” She said she had to stop reading my blog because of how hard she felt I was on Christian romance writers.
…we know that we are held up as an object of ridicule in the mainstream literary community, even more so than regular romance. And it’s flat out bigotry from some of them. So, when we start to get it from Christian authors too, it’s kinda like going to the Christian grad seminar and finding out that not all Christians need apply.
I’m not saying that I expect others to say they like historical romance if they don’t. In fact, I don’t personally care for a great deal of the historical romance on the CBA market, and I’m passionate about finding authors who are raising the bar for Christian fiction. But there are ways to say such things that don’t feel hurtful…
This saddens me.
Look, I write supernatural suspense. Sometimes I refer to it as horror. My genre is not nearly as popular in the CBA as is the above author’s. In fact, I am often on the defensive about it. You see, horror writers and the horror genre have been stereotyped in the same way that romance writers have. Christian horror writers maybe even more so! (And in case you hadn’t noticed, most of these are men.)
That said, I have no desire to demean, disparage, or ridicule romance writers. Seriously. Will I continue to be critical of Christian romance? Absolutely. But in case you haven’t noticed, I am critical of a lot of “Christian” things. Point is: I am not really an ogre. I don’t like that the above romance writer is mad at me. I am a lover not a fighter. In fact, I want to include more romance in my novels.
Stop snickering!
Anyway, I wanted to challenge myself and I need you to help me. I have never read a CBA romance novel — historical, contemporary, or otherwise. And I wouldn’t know where to start. This is your chance to give me some advice.
If I had to read one CBA romance novel, what novel should it be?
I realize there are probably many worthy selections. But if you have one, please leave a comment on this post. Tell me what CBA romance novel you think I should read and why you think I should read it. If there is any sort of consensus, or if one of your recommendations just strikes my fancy, I will do two things (1) Read that entire novel, and (2) Post a review on this blog. I promise to be open-minded, fair, and nice.
P.S. — This white flag is intended as a truce, not a target.
Mike, I’m not in a position to defend Christian romance because I don’t read it (and honestly didn’t know Francine Rivers was considered a Christian romance writer because the one title of hers I read was not a romance). I’ve read a couple books some friends recommended (a Lori Wick title and one by Lynne Austin) and some friends or acquaintances wrote. Some, like any other genre, were better than others.
I think you’ve made valid points about knowing or implying the content of the books. I don’t think that can give an accurate estimation of the quality of the whole genre, however, just as I don’t think reading one title can. In the end, when you rely on hearsay, it all depends on who you listen to. My guess is, you can find just as many satisfied readers of Christian romance as you can detractors. If you choose to listen to the detractors, I’d suggest you ask them if they’ve read Christian romance. It’s so easy for a categorical opinion to be formed and repeated until it becomes fact in the minds of many, when in reality the image is far from the actuality.
I’ll reiterate. I firmly believe this because of the way speculative fiction is summarily dismissed based on one or two “failed” titles — books that may bear no resemblance to 20 other titles languishing on editors desks because of that categorical judgment against the entire genre.
And thank you for issuing the horror challenge, but I’ll have to decline. For one thing, I haven’t ticked off all the horror readers and writers (so far) on my blog. 😉 For another, I’m not declining to read horror because I think it’s poorly written or shallow. In fact, some weeks ago, I wrote about horror over at Spec Faith, putting it in a favorable light, I believe. See “What Gives You Nightmares?” My decision has to do with the fact that I don’t need troubled sleep. 😆
Becky