It seems like here in the United States, it's either hurricanes or political news. I'd say hi to my parents who were with the Red Cross in Louisiana the past two weeks, but they are barrelling up I-55 toward Memphis to get out of the way of Hurricane Ike. To everybody in that area, stay safe. Those of us in the Midwest of course get tornadoes but they are over relatively quickly in comparison.
So putting aside the irony of a hurricane named Ike bashing Cuba (a real 1950's Cold War throwback), we turn yet again to politics. Not to get into party affiliations since that is a huge can of worms that I'm pretty sure my fellow Sizzling Pens and I don't want to open, but I have been wracking my brains to think of any romance titles with politician heroes/heroines. Susan Donovan's The Kept Woman popped to mind, and nothing else, really.
I think it is due to a few different reasons. Either people are sick of politicians (like during election year), they are bored by them (non-election years) or they think they are all crooks. Probably not a popular combination for your average editor.
Wait, I just thought of a biggie--Welcome to Temptation by Jenny Crusie, where the hero is a small town mayor and that is integral to the plot, especially when the heroine comes to his small town to film a soft-core "adult" film. Who else can get away with writing politicians? If you can think of any, let me know. And do you find them appealing in romance novels?
Friday, September 12, 2008
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9 comments:
I think most people read romance books to 'escape' and politics are so controversial. I think it might be tough to write about one.
Katie
One of my favorite Blazes (by one of my favorite Blaze authors, Karen Kendall) was titled Midnight Madness and featured Florida Governor Jack Hammersmith (The Hammer). It was ridiculously funny and he was insanely sexy. The book is one of a handful of Blazes I refused to part with when I did my "Buy One Get 2 Free" promotion earlier this year.
I don't think I'd shy away from proposing a hero or heroine in politics. I think by nature, it creates good conflict since it's one career where a person's personal life ends up under such scrutiny.
Lori, You beat me to it-- I was about to comment on Karen Kendall's book. It was awesome.
SEP did one a few years back-- I can't remember the title-- but the heroine was running for President.
Nora Roberts did the MacGregors long ago and made Alan a senator and then president . . .
Linda Howard, in her old Silhouette days, did one with a fighter pilot turned colonel turned politician in some of the later books in the series . . . I think it was the Mackenzie series.
And I just read, like last week, Susan Donovan's The Kept Woman. I thought it was pretty good.
And to answer the second half, yes I really do like political heroes-- but I think th reason why is the ones in novels are usually the "good guys." I'm not nearly so receptive of the real thing . . .
Y'alls both beat me to it! Immediately Karen's book popped into my head. It was a great book, very funny. The entire series (I think 3 books) featured unconventional heroes - including one who worked at a beauty salon, the governor and hmmm was the third one an athlete? I can't remember. They were all good.
Were you thinking of SEP's "First Lady"? (Is that what it was called?) She was the president's wife, and after he died, they wanted to keep her in the White House. It did have very political connotations.
I loved that book. It was a classic SEP with an insistently single hero who ends up with a mixed bag family at the end. And a baby named Butt. LOL!
It was First Lady I was thiking about. Didn't she end up as president? Or is that one of Iris Johansen's I'm thinking about?
I loved The First Lady. And Welcome to Temptation. I'm sure I've read others with political characters, but can't think of one now.
I don't care to talk or read about politics in real life, but I don't mind reading about them.
Tracy, I think you're right. She did end up as president in the end. I'd forgotten that part.
jenny book that was good.
susan donovan, the kept woman
carly phillips, the heartbreaker
susan mallery, tempting
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