On Writing Romance--Roberta Capizzi

I'm starting a few feature with my blog where I host another author on Thursdays and Fridays. On Thursday, I will feature either an interview or guest post, and on Friday, I'll highlight an excerpt from the author's work. First up is an Indie Romance writer Roberta Capizzi, author of The Melody in our Hearts. She explains why she chose her genre. Enjoy!

On Writing Romance – by Roberta Capizzi

In a time when vampires, werewolves, action, mystery and hot, steamy sex stories turn writers into billionaires, why should anyone bother reading plain romance? And why should an author bother writing about romance if nobody is interested in it anymore?

Well, as a person who’s always swum against the tide, I’ve wanted to use this attitude in my writing career as well, and yes, I’m guilty: I chose romance. In a recent post in my blog, I listed the five reasons why I will never be a best-selling author and to summarize them all in one the main reason is because I want to be true to myself. I believe in romance and happy endings. Is that a crime?

Let me ask you a question: Have you ever been so engrossed in a book that, when you reached the end and returned to reality, you felt totally lost, as if you’d just lost a friend? Have you ever finished a book and kept thinking about that world even after days had passed? Well, that’s what happens to me after I read a good romance book, and I’m telling you, it’s not easy to find books that can stir such strong emotions in the reader – at least in me. But romance books do it.

Now, tell me: can that happen to you if you read a paranormal or a mystery or a fantasy book? Hmm…I doubt it. I mean, I absolutely loved Twilight, although I’ve never been a fan of vampires, but when I finished it, I didn’t go around fantasizing about bumping into my personal Edward Cullen because it was just a story!

Well, after reading good romance books (let me give you a couple of examples: Rosamunde Pilcher and Nicholas Sparks) I realized that those stories could as well be true, that they could actually happen to me, too. Sure, why not? The heroine was an ordinary girl, went on a holiday to visit some relatives, met Mr. Gorgeous, and they fell in love. Happy Ending. What’s so impossible with that?

Well, in case you’re wondering: no, the meet-cute hasn’t happened to me yet, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not likely to happen like in a book. Am I a dreamer? Yes. But I’m also a romance writer.

Which brings me back to the theme of this post: writing romance. So, why would I bother writing romance when I know it’s not so trendy anymore? Because, well, in a world where happy endings rarely happen, and Prince Charming became extinct some time during Ice Age, all we’ve got left are dreams and good books that can take us on an emotional journey, a journey that will touch our hearts, make us smile, bring tears to our eyes and, if we’re lucky enough, change our lives for the better. I believe a good romance book can do that, unlike other genres; when I’m finished reading (or writing), I feel hope building inside of me that, even if only in our dreams, there’s still hope for a happily ever after.

Flash Fiction

I thought I'd post a piece of flash fiction I wrote that never found a home.

The Stench

By: Jamie Marchant

             That smell. You know the one I mean. The odor of death and decay. It fills my bedroom, making sleep difficult. Kasey hops onto the bed and kneads me, purring loudly. I pet her absentmindedly. She seems so sweet, so innocent, but I know she’s responsible for the aroma. Beneath her soft fur lurks vicious predator. A killer who toys with her prey.

            Unable to sleep, I cast off the covers and go to the open luggage closet, fearing a rodent rots at the bottom of the pile of suitcases.

            I haul the luggage out piece by piece, struggling not to allow that leaning tower to collapse on top of me. Kasey sniffs at the suitcases. Finally, I lift the last piece, and there lies a chipmunk looking merely as if it’s asleep. No obvious wound marks the body, no visible decay. The only sign of death is the stench.

            I understand the law of the jungle, the rules of predator and prey. Some animals must die to give life to others, but this chipmunk’s death profited no one. It did nothing to sustain Kasey’s life. I am complicit in this death, for it is I who rescued Kasey from the humane society. It is I who allows her to roam freely. In rescuing Kasey I prevented one senseless death. But how many more am I responsible for?

Demons in the Big Easy Goes Free

Demons in the Big Easy will be free on Amazon on Friday, Jan. 18 and Sat., Jan 19. Pick up your free copy, and be sure to write a review.

Demons in the Big Easy

I've just released my self-published novella, Demons in the Big Easy. It's available now on Amazon in Kindle format and will be available in print in a couple of days. If you enjoyed The Goddess's Choice, you should check this one out. It's only just over 50 pages, so it will be a quick read, and I would appreciate any reviews. You can read about it below.


Adventurous in her youth, Cassandra built gateways between Domhan and its parallel realm of Earth. Now she’s too old for that kind of thing. But something is making it easier for demons to pass into Domhan. Not only that, but their behavior becomes inexplicable: whenever Cassandra banishes one, it laughs at her rather than resists, and it promises it will soon devour her essence and that of every resident of her small village. Cassandra is certain such a thing is impossible, for strong wards protect her village.

But then Cassandra’s granddaughter Aine falls through an unstable gateway. Cassandra is the only one within a hundred miles capable of creating a gateway and bringing Aine back. Despite her aching joints, Cassandra goes after her, and the gateway lands her in New Orleans. But something goes wrong with her tracking spell, which indicates Aine exists in four different places at once. As Cassandra struggles to find the true location of her granddaughter in the Big Easy, she discovers the source of the demons’ confidence.  Now, with an unlikely pair of allies—her timid granddaughter and a homeless man who may or may not be crazy—she has to not only save her granddaughter but also prevent both Domhan and Earth from being overrun by demons.

Christmas Blog Hop

Christmas Wishes Blog Hop

While you're here, be sure to check out The Goddess's Choice. It will make a great Christmas gift for the fantasy lover in your life. The Kindle or Nook version is only $.99 through January 1. And be sure to enter the Christmas Wishes Blog Hop contest. You can win a Kindle Paperwhite, A Nook Glow, and a $90 choice gift card for either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Both Tablets will come with a book bundle!!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

What I've Been Reading

I've joined some reading and writing groups on Goodreads.com and have been reading their offerings. I'm going to use my blog to review these books.

Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines. The novel tells the story of a librarian who can reach into any book and pull out whatever it describes from disruptor guns to Alice in Wonderland "Drink Me" potions. He is up against vampires of every variety that has ever been written about from sparkly Twilight vampires to the southern vampires of Charlaine Harris. I rated it 3 stars. I enjoyed the book, but I had a few problems with it. The first is simply personal preference. Since he can pull anything out of a book, he frequently uses sci-fi books and gets the described weaponry. This way he mixes fantasy with science fiction. I am not a science-fiction fan and prefer my fantasy a little purer. Second, the romance didn't work for me. It wasn't developed enough, and I don't buy the conclusion he comes to in the end. The whole romance has a YA feel to it without a YA solution. I think it should have been either left out (which would hurt the book) or spent more time on so that you could truly feel their attraction to each other.

Early Release of Novel

I just got word for my publisher that The Goddess's Choice, which I thought was coming out next Fall, is coming out next month instead. I'm a little nervous about doing publicity for it. I'm not good at that kind of thing. I've never been one who liked to stand out in a crowd, much more the fading into the background type, and I like personal thing to stay personal. But I want the book to do well, which will mean book signings, readings, and interviews. I hope I'm up for it.