As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art.
Welcome to the September 10th stop on the blog tour for The Starlight Motel by Amy Craig with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Guest Post
Pros and Cons of Writing Contemporary Romance
Writing contemporary romance comes with its own set of advantages and challenges. The genre’s broad appeal, emotional depth, and creative freedom are significant benefits, but authors must also navigate competition, genre stereotypes, and the balance between realism and escapism. For writers passionate about love stories set in the modern world, the pros often outweigh the cons, making it a rewarding and fulfilling genre to explore.
For Indie Authors tapping into a wide audience, the numbers speak for themselves. Shout-out to WordsRated and K-lytics for the following stats:
The contemporary romance market is thriving and continues to show impressive growth. In 2023, the genre generated over $1.44 billion in revenue and sold more than 39 million printed units, reflecting a 52% increase compared to the previous year. This marks the third consecutive year of positive growth in romance novel sales in print formats.
Romance novels have consistently been the highest-selling genre on Amazon Kindle, with more than 100 sub-genres providing ample opportunities for authors and publishers. The genre’s performance was notably boosted during the pandemic, leading to a new level of success. Romance e-books dominate Kindle sales, with authors like Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry leading the market.
The primary readership for romance novels is predominantly female, with 82% of readers being women and the average age being 42. Interestingly, the demographic has been getting younger, with a significant portion of readers now aged between 18 and 54.
Overall, the contemporary romance market is a robust and dynamic segment of the publishing industry, offering numerous opportunities for growth and success for authors and publishers alike. If you love reading romance novels, be careful peeling back the curtain and discovering how authors make the sausage! (LOL, So many puns I’ll choose to skip.) Here are five pros and five cons from my perspective:
Pros:
1. Wide Audience Appeal. Contemporary romance is one of the most popular genres in fiction, and it attracts a broad and dedicated readership. This popularity can lead to higher sales and loyal fan bases. The contemporary romance market is also diverse and has many subgenres (like romantic comedy, romantic suspense, and new adult) that allow writers to find their niche.
2. Relatability. The modern settings and current issues in contemporary romance make the stories relatable. Readers can see themselves in the characters and situations.
3. Creative Freedom. Writing contemporary romance allows for a great deal of creative freedom. Authors can explore a variety of settings, professions, and cultural backgrounds, and address current social issues. For a while, I felt like western classics with “diverse” twists were the only thing big publishers promoted to mainstream US audiences. I think that experience is changing. Unique, compelling romances featuring diverse characters are improving the market, reader expectations, and reader explorations.
4. Emotional Connection. Romance stories inherently focus on emotional development and relationships, which can create a strong emotional connection between the readers and the characters. They can also trigger authors and readers. Trigger warnings help people screen their reads for sensitive subjects. Hopefully, they don’t also give away the plot.
5. Versatility. Contemporary romance can blend with other genres such as mystery, thriller, or fantasy, providing diverse opportunities for storytelling. In addition to contemporary romance, I also write romantic suspense. There are no dead bodies in THE STARLIGHT MOTEL!
Cons:
1. Genre Stereotypes. Contemporary romance can be stereotyped as formulaic or lacking in literary merit, which might deter some readers or reviewers. The genre is also filled with well-known clichés and tropes, and it can be difficult to create fresh, original stories without falling into overused patterns. Then again, those tropes and stereotypes can satisfy readers who know what they like.
2. Market Saturation. The popularity of the genre means there is a lot of competition. Standing out in a crowded market can be challenging for new or emerging authors. Social media is the bane of my existence, but once I get over my reservations, I enjoy interacting with fans and seeing comments and reviews.
3. Expectation of Happy Endings. Readers often expect a happily-ever-after (HEA) or happy-for-now (HFN) ending, which can limit the range of possible story outcomes and might feel restrictive to some writers. A lot of things can “go wrong” before the lovers find their HEA, so hang on for the ride!
4. Balancing Realism and Escapism. Writing contemporary romance requires a balance between realism and escapism. Readers want relatable stories but also look for an element of fantasy or idealization in romance, which can be tricky to navigate. Paranormal romances feed off fantasy, but sometimes I read contemporary romances and wonder where I can find the secret planet where all these hot, perfect, contemporary lovers reside!
5. Criticism and Stigma. Romance as a genre often faces criticism and stigma from those who may not consider it “serious” literature, which can frustrate romance writers. I play tennis. The other day, one of my tennis acquaintances said, “How’s the smut?!” She meant to be funny, but we were there to play tennis, not debate the value of modern, contemporary pulp fiction. Instead of taking offense, I took the high road and beat her 6-0, 6-2. Whatever works!
About the Book
The Starlight Motel
by Amy Craig
Published 26 August 2024
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Page Count: 348
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
Experienced muralist Kada took charge of her family’s Palm Springs motel to give her mother time to grieve. As a grant deadline approaches, Kada must convince her mother to manage the motel so she can return to her art. Late in December, Kada encounters a horseman approaching the property. Dane, the reserved son of a local farming family, is a loyal workaholic with limited spare time or experience outside the valley. When lightning startles his horse, he lingers at the motel and stirs up Kada’s emotions about leaving the desert oasis. Wary of mixing business with pleasure, she struggles with her attraction. As New Year’s Eve approaches, will the cowboy convince her to chart a new course?
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Excerpt
Her skin warmed from the heat of his palms. “I can’t afford to sit around the laundry room and gossip with the guests.”
“Trust me, Kada, I’m not here to gossip.”
“You’re ready to pitch in on odd jobs? You’re such a good neighbor.” She swallowed past the dryness in her throat. She had a three-date rule, but if she never started the first date, did the rule apply? “Thanks for helping with Lucky.”
“Any time.” He tipped up her chin. “Are you sure that’s where you want to stop? You brought me your number and rode out into the desert with me, but now you’re skittish?”
Her throat felt parched, but she wanted to lean forward and test his intent. Instead, she kicked her feet against the machine’s vibrating drum. “I’m not skittish, but I’m not into quick romps on a washing machine.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I wasn’t suggesting a quick romp.”
She wanted to test the innuendo behind his offer, but the sequence felt out of order. Before she considered kissing the handsome farmer, she needed dinner, candlelight, and time to breathe.
Her body offered a different opinion. Clearing her throat, she hopped off the washing machine, ducked under his arm, and ran her tongue along her teeth. In the tiny room, his skin smelled like fresh lime, warm spices, and a hint of honey, but his shirt held the leathery undertones of a hard day’s work. He looked handsome, and she wanted to taste his kiss, but she needed a different setup. “Or long romps.”
About the Author
Amy Craig lives in Louisiana with her family and a small menagerie of pets. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense featuring intelligent heroines. In her spare time, she plays tennis and expands her husband’s honey-do list. Before writing, she worked as an oilfield engineer, project manager, and incompetent waitress. For more information and giveaways, visit www.amy-craig.com or follow her on social media channels.
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Giveaway Alert!
Amy Craig will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway| Aug 26 | Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews | Aug 27 | Kenyan Poet |
| Aug 28 | Sandra’s Book Club | Aug 29 | Literary Gold |
| Aug 30 | Joanne Guidoccio | Sept 2 | One World Singles Blog |
| Sept 2 | Long and Short Reviews | Sept 3 | Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read |
| Sept 4 | The Avid Reader | Sept 5 | Hope. Dreams. Life… Love |
| Sept 6 | The Key of Love | Sept 9 | Maggie Blackbird |
| Sept 10 | Westveil Publishing | Sept 11 | Guatemala Paula Loves to Read |
| Sept 11 | Sea’s Nod | Sept 12 | Fabulous and Brunette |
| Sept 13 | Read Your Writes Book Reviews | Sept 16 | Gina Rae Mitchell |
| Sept 17 | Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess | Sept 18 | Country Mamas With Kids |
| Sept 19 | The Clog Blog | Sept 20 | The Faerie Review |
| Sept 20 | A Wonderful World of Words |
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Thank you for featuring Amy Craig and THE STARLIGHT MOTEL today.
This looks really good. Thanks for sharing.
I enjoyed the guest post. Sounds really good.
Thanks for sharing THE STARLIGHT MOTEL! I hope your readers enjoy Kada and Dane’s slow-burn, Palm Spring romance.
This sounds like a book I would enjoy reading!
This looks like a fantastic read.