Wait…what?
To start, thanks for having me again Jennifer. You were so nice to give me a guest post last summer for my debut release, Must Love Fashion. On June 4th, the second book in the Darling Cove family drama series, Must Have Faithwas released.
So, I bet you’re scratching your head at that post title. Sadly, it came from a critique from an early draft for Must Have Faith. Faith is the heroine. The runaway bride who comes back to make amends with her jilted groom, Gregory Mallory. Readers met Greg (and Faith briefly) in Must Love Fashion. He is Gwen’s older and smoldering brother. He made quite an impact in a book that wasn’t even about him. Here are some quotes about Greg from reviews:
“I am wondering if Greg gets his story or happily ever after. Hopefully so!”
“I really hope there is another book about Gwen’s brother’s life because I see some drama there.”
“I’m anxiously waiting for the second book in this series, which I hope is about Gwen’s brother, Gregory. That poor man is in desperate need of some loving!”
I created a monster without even trying!
Faith didn’t get pounced on because she left Greg at the altar. It came from the scene where she gets her chance to explain why she left and what she wanted from Greg. (Tease) Of course I was devastated to hear the take away made my critique reader, hateher. I made the suggested changes so readers won’t hate Faith. Please don’t hate Faith. Note- No early reviews for Must Have Faith have said this- whew! In fact, here’s one review on Goodreads that made me swoon:
“Omg!! I love Faith and Gregory!!”
Faith even got top billing!
But it speaks to how romance readers go into a book and the sides they immediately take. What is wonderful about romance is that readers get both angles of the story. Usually. There are exceptions, of course. Through dual POV (point of view), a reader gets into the minds of both characters. But I think so often readers (and I’m included) start on the side of the hero. After all, don’t women read romance for the heroes? I assume that’s what all the bare-chested book covers are about. If mostly men read romance, every cover would look like a cover of Playboy.
We expect the heroine to be worthy of our hero—the man we’ve fallen in love with. Hopefully. The man maybe we secretly want for ourselves. If the writer did her or hisjob. What’s interesting from my own experience, I’d gotten several men to read Must Love Fashionand heard…I’ll call them comments, about Andrew. About his height (He’s 6’4”). About his looks (He’s ‘nauseatingly handsome’).
Since the majority of romance readers are women, opinions tend to swing in the other direction. The likeability factor for a heroine seems to be a target the size of a pin head. A writer can’t maker her too weak, that’snauseating. If she’s too strong, perhaps she’s not relatable. Readers love wounded heroes, but wounded heroines come off as ‘having baggage’.
While plotting Must Have Faith, there was one thing about Faith I kept coming back to. I wanted her to have gone into a war zone. On purpose:
“Wow. You are probably the only woman on the planet who would rather have been in Iraq than marry the most beautiful man in the Tri-State area.”
Give Faith a chance. Don’t hate her. In the end, Gregory doesn’t hate her, so you shouldn’t either.
He wanted her back. One way or another, he must have Faith back.
Details on Must Have Faith:
Title:Must Have Faith, Book 2 in the Darling Cove Family Drama Series
Genre:Contemporary Romance/Small Town Romance
Page Count:264 Pages
Blurb:
Forgiving isn’t easy. Forgetting may be impossible.
Greg Mallory isn’t the kind of man to wallow just because he was left at the altar. Not when there are plenty of women to help him forget his heartbreak. But as the only Mallory son he has an obligation to carry on the family name. When Greg’s runaway bride returns, his head tells him to keep his distance, but his body and heart are both begging for a second chance.
Faith Copeland bolted out of Darling Cove with a shameful secret and stayed away for ten years thinking Greg Mallory would never forgive her. Coming home means facing her past and Greg. She just didn’t think he still had the power to make her melt after all this time.
One moment alone proves their attraction is stronger than ever. Are they brave enough to start fresh? Or will past secrets destroy their second chance at happy-ever-after once and for all?
Book 3, Must Be Crazy goes live October 22nd
Must Have Faith Purchase Links:
Deborah Garland
Bio:
Deborah Garland is a versatile author of women's fiction, contemporary and paranormal romances. Her books are about love and the struggles of complicated relationships. The heroines are strong and witty and the heroes fall hard for them.
She lives on the North Shore of Long Island with her husband and two pugs, Zoe and Harley. They like to vacation up and down the East Coast, but her favorite place is on a bar stool on a Friday night with a Grey Goose cosmopolitan, listening to her husband tell her the same stories over and over.
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Welcome again, Deborah!
ReplyDeleteHi Jennifer, I love second chances romances. You obviously create characters resders respond to. Good luck with sales.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Anna. I wish Deborah lots of sales!
DeleteOops. Typing too fast on the phone. : ( I look forward to buying Must Have Faith at NJRW's Saturday meeting.
ReplyDelete:)
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