Hello! Before I try to write something interesting here, I thought I'd introduce myself. I'm LK Hunsaker and I write mainstream romance with an artsy twist. Artsy means I focus on the arts: music, dance, theater, fine art, and literature, and at least one of those is a main part of every novel. The twist is that they also focus heavily on social issues and deep personality issues, family rearing and such that shows why the characters react as they do. But, and this is a BIG but, they're not slow and lumbering and hard to read like much literary fiction! Think Joyce Carol Oates meets Jennifer Crusie or women's fiction meets romance. ;-)
Maybe because of the psychology in my novels, a friend and fellow writer recently said I was the Queen of Underlying Emotional Currents. That's a crown I'll proudly try to wear, although I'm sure there are those who could dethrone me. But speaking of Queens and Crowns, did anyone in the States happen to watch Castle on Monday? For those who didn't catch it or don't get it, it's a brand new series (with a sexy and charming hero - Nathan Fillion) about a best selling mystery novelist who gets pulled into helping the police department solve murder cases. Aside from being funny and intelligent, it's a real boon to writers who have too often seen eye-rolling when telling others what we do. [You write romance? Oh. Nice. Sorry, I have to go….] Or instead of eye-rolling, they back away like you're the devil incarnate about to pollute their perfect souls. We've all had that, right?
Well, I'd like to tell them all to go watch Castle. It's fun to see him work out the stories of the crimes to help solve cases and seeing how he can because of all the research he's done for his books, PLUS, and this is a big plus, his knowledge of how stories come about. The first episode showed him figuring out why the beautiful female detective became a detective instead of something more glamorous. Far-fetched? Not hardly. See, there are things writers have to understand in order to write good novels and WHY is a big one.
How does this relate to romance? Look at the myriads of relationship problems couples have. Maybe instead of spending big bucks in therapy, or along with it, they should check into more romance novels or talk to a romance novelist. We know the whys. We know how to dig into the stories to come out with answers or at least paths to answers. That's what we're trained to do. We have a viable place in society's well-being. It's all in the pages.
By the way, I'm not knocking therapy. Heck, I have a psych degree and plan to head toward art therapy eventually. And I work for a sandplay therapy center.
If you want to find me out there on the web, my website that seriously needs to be redone is at www.LKHunsaker.com and today I'll be updating my links so you can find me in tons of other places, if you're curious enough. Also, and this is a BIG also (sorry, I'm getting carried away), my Ebooks are on sale this week for Read an Ebook Week [www.ebookweek.com]. Find them for next to nothing, and a couple of short stories for nothing, at www.Smashwords.com by searching LK Hunsaker.
It's nice to meet everyone and another thanks to Lindsay for starting this blog!
Welcome to Lindsay's Romantics, where we post on all kinds of romance topics.
8 comments:
Excellent blog, Loraine! Thank you! I love your fellow-writer's description of you and your work as Queen of Underlying Emotional Currents! From reading your work that sounds so apt.
And the eye-rolling? Yes, I've had that.
Super blog and lovely pic. Have you visited that castle?
Hi LK! It's nice to meet you. I like the Queen and Castle analogy. When I first read the post title and saw the photo, I thought you wrote historical. But the way you used the two is really interesting. Good post, and nice way to introduce yourself.
I love the arts too. A little known fact about me-- until recently, I was a dancer, Contemporary Ballet mostly. I have used my performing arts experience for characters and stories as well.
Lindsay, yes! We were in Scotland last summer, also Ireland and England. We visited St. Andrews for the golf course but had to tour the town while there. Such a gorgeous place! I have a photo album from the trip here: http://www.writing.com/main/photos/item_id/1448306 if anyone is interested.
Hi Kaye! I love historicals but don't write them.
Way back in my younger days, I took ballet classes year after year. Classic, but contemporary ballet sounds interesting. I love that you use it in your work.
My daughter is trying to talk me into attempting belly dancing with her this weekend. Hmm.. could be good novel fodder even if I embarrass myself. ;-)
Good luck with the belly dancing!
Maybe that's another blog item...
I've been to St Andrews, too: it's a super place.
Kaye, fascinating to learn you were a dancer! I bet you're super-fit!
OK, no one has 'booked' the blog yet for tomorrow, so it will be a case of whoever claims it first or places their entry first. I leave it to you, my fellow bloggers! (Or you can email me.)
Hi Loraine, thanks for introducing yourself and your work. So true about having to discover the WHYs. That's one reason I love writing romance. And I feel you're correct about the therapy value. Not only because it is about the heart, but because romance novels explore relationships in ways that truly matter to the heart.
Bowing down to the Queen (if I curtsy, I might get stuck) --
Awesome post, LK.
I think writers who care about the characters enough to dig below the surface flaws and issues and find the underlying reasons they act and react come out with a stronger story.
Lindsay, maybe so ... how to embarrass yourself in front of your daughter, lol!
Savanna, yes, exactly. :-)
Bekki, thank you! Agreed completely.
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