Mystery or Romance?

When I wrote my first published novel, Thirty-Nine Again, I didn’t know a lot about romance categories. I just knew what I liked. I liked mystery and suspense, and I liked romance. I figured it would be great fun to combine the two. I also liked humor, especially chick lit books by writers like Helen Fielding and Tori Carrington’s Sofie Metropolis books. So I decided to throw in some humor too.

Then I got really carried away, much the way I do when I am working in the kitchen, and I threw in a few more favorite ingredients. Hot Latino guy – check! Mysterious government agency – check! Older heroine – check! Who had breast cancer – check! Wait – what??? Breast cancer? Older heroine with breast cancer? That sound you hear is the sound of most agents and editors shuffling their papers and looking away as they lost interest. Despite the fact that those who buy the most books are well into their thirties and even older, most agents and editors get really panicky when you mention that your heroine is turning thirty-nine for the second time!

You mean she’s forty??? Yes. And a breast cancer survivor too? Yes. Well, is it tearful women’s fiction? Um, no. It’s romantic suspense. With a mystery. And some comedy. Also she’s a little bit psychic.

You would think agents would have loved a story that covers so many of their favorite categories, but it turns out they get nervous when you mix so many genres together. Despite their lack of enthusiasm, I persevered and found a home for my book at The Wild Rose Press, a small publisher who is willing to mix genres – and even has an entire line devoted to heroines who are over 40!

And as it turned out, the mystery and the romance and the humor and the hot Latino guy and the 40-year-old heroine all seemed to work together pretty well. Thirty-Nine Again has received a lot of great reviews, including four stars from RT Book Reviews, who called it a “first class mystery and a first class read.”

So whether you are looking for mystery OR romance OR an older heroine, may I humbly suggest you check out Thirty-Nine Again? You can order it from your local bookstore or online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Or go directly to The Wild Rose Press and buy it there.

I’ll be here at Coffee Time for the next three days. Over the next couple of days, I’ll tell you more about why I decided to make Sabrina a breast cancer survivor, and I’ll also be sharing an excerpt from the book and the very cool trailer from Circle of Seven Productions. So stay tuned!