J.A. (Julie) Kazimer is a very busy lady (including serving with me as a co-editor over at the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers blog). She lives in Denver, Colorado and writes novels (although I don’t know where she finds the time). Her books include CURSES! A F***ed-Up Fairy Tale, Holy Socks and Dirtier Demons, Dope Sick: A Love Story and FROGGY STYLE as well as the recently released, The Assassin’s Heart, and the upcoming mystery series, Deadly Ever After from Kensington Books.
J.A. spent years spilling drinks as a bartender and then stalked people while working as a private investigator.
Welcome, Julie!
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Thanks, Pat, for having me!
This week my very first romance novel hit the shelves. I know, I’m shocked too. Romance? Me? I’m not a romantic. I like murder (not murdering mind you, no need for the police). I like plot twists and turns, not sex scenes. So how did I end up here?
The answer is an easy one.
All stories, no matter what genre or type, are, at heart, a love story.
I’ve often argued this with writers, mostly of the male persuasion. I guess some men don’t like to be called romance novelists. Go figure. Now you might be shaking your head, saying, well, my story is about a man who climbs a mountain. There’s no love interest at all.
Or is there?
What motivates this guy to climb a mountain? Love of nature maybe? Love of self? Love of adventure?
Take a look at most stories. They have an outright love interest. Heck, one of the go-to-standard-plots (of which there are apparently only 5) is Boy-Meets-Girl/Boy-Loses-Girl. Hence the ‘Meet-Cute’. This is where your hero and heroine meet in an awkward way, which later blossoms into a tricky, miscommunication filled relationship until the final chapter, when all problems are solved.
If it sounds cliché, the reason is simple. It is.
But it also works. Why? Because love is a basic human need, a desire we long for, a reason we buy books. I started my reading journey with a romance tale—Cinderella to be precise—as do most kids, whether it’s the Grimm sort of tales or a Disney version. I will finish the same journey, lucky enough to have experienced hundreds of thousands of different kind of loves.
What’s your favorite ‘love’ story?
Comment before midnight Mountain Time Tuesday, March 4th, and you will be entered to win a copy (ebook or paperback) of my romantic suspense, The Assassin’s Heart. U.S. and Canada residents only for the paperback. Anyone can win the ebook. The winner will be posted here on Wednesday.
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Thanks, Julie. I never thought about my suspense novel being a love story, but now that I read your post, I see that love plays a big part in what happens throughout the story. No sexy stuff, though.
Learn more about Julie and her novels at her website or on her writerly talk blog More Than a Little F***ed Up. She can also be found (way too much of the time she says) on Twitter as @jakazimer and on Facebook as Julie Kazimer.
I have recently become quite the fan of your books, Julie. I am on my second one with many more to come and can’t wait to start reading “The Assain’s Heart”!
Congrats on your first Romance Patricia. This is Yvonne Lewis as one of Lee’s ambassadors for the A to Z Challenge.
I was unwell last week so rested up to find I was hacked so have had to re-start another blog.
My new blog is chasingrainbows69.blogspot.com
Good luck with the challenge.
Yvonne
I just love those memes that have very random things about THIS STORY ‘a better love story than Twilight’. But it is true and conveys the point that some of the most unlikeliest stories are stories of love at their core.
I’m a professional wrestler and have had a love for wrestling since I was a little more than the glimmer in my mother’s eye. I have seen events and storylines take place that even a toddler me could see as a sort of love. Not all of that ushy-gushy, lets hop in the sack love but a love that is so much more deep.
Take, for example, the story of two friends who loved each other in that non-platonic, we are partners sort of way: Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant. For many years, these guys were the best of friends in storyline and would always come out to save each other and help each other and their love for each other as wrestling brothers was so sanctimonious that Andre refused to try and take the top title in all the land because his best friend and brother held it. Macho men would call that respect but pushing off that chauvinistic label, that is what purists would see as love for one another.
Granted, the crescendo of the story was Andre turning on his best friend and brother after many people getting in his ear, the fantasy writer in me has always had them write an ending of Hogan coming to Andre on his deathbed and offering him the title but that is another story for another day.
And that, my friends, is a better love story than Twlight. 😉
Congratulations on your book, Julie. I so agree that there is a love story at the heart of every story no matter what genre it falls under.
Wow. My two favorite beauties of the blog-o-sphere in one place at the same time? *knees weaken*
Favorite love story? Hmmmm, I’ve so many wrinkled paperbacks with 1/2 naked hunky guys and hot girls wrapped around each other, it’s hard to pick. Still I think I’ll go with the latest Webster’s romance dictionary, ‘cuz its got every single hot-n-sexy word in it.
Congrats on your new romance book. It may turn out to be your new romance as well.
Hi, Julie,
My favorite mystery novels always have a romance otherwise for me they would be dull and wooden.That’s why I write romantic mysteries. Your novel is definitely to my tastes.
Love makes the world go around, so only fitting it should be in a story.
I’d say love is at the core of every story in one form or another. That theme ran through my books as well, and I didn’t even try to make that happen.
Congratulations on your first romance, JA!
Oh Julie, fun to see you here and your book looks wonderful. I’d comment more, but I need to go put it on my “to-buy” list. 🙂
So true about all stories having the love angle as an integral part. Without passion in a protagonist (or antagonist) why would we the reader be very interested in knowing the story? The drive of the characters is what moves the character arc and without rive we don’t go anywhere. No love? I might as well read a math textbook and see if I can fall in love with numbers and formulas.
Lee
An A to Z Co-Host
Tossing It Out
When I first starting writing, I read a writing book recommended by someone and the one thing that stuck with me matched Julie’s statement. Every story is a love story. It really is true.
Enjoyed the post.
I can buy the premise that everything is a love story. It all hinges on how you define love. That said, there’s a big leap between the premise and the closing scene. Thanks for a thought-provoking post and best wishes for success in your writing.