romantic suspense « Dee Savoy

Archive for the 'romantic suspense' Category

Aug

TSTL?

By writerds 2 Comments

Categories: blogosphere, in the news, mystery/thriller, romance, romantic suspense, true crime and writing
Tags: fiction, my work, rockefeller, romance, romantic fantasy, shallow grave, true crime, tstl, women, women in crime

Romance writers are familiar with the concept of the TSTL (too stupid to live) heroine. You know her. She’s the one who rushes into the fray with only a can opener and a bottle of Gatorade. She hasn’t a clue and therefore the hero or some other character must continually rescue her from herself and other dangers.

Most readers are not too fond of the TSTL heroine unless she manages to redeem herself (or she’s Stephanie Plum–sorry, I couldn’t help myself), but since they’re only fictional folk, there’s not too much damage done, except to the psyches of the young girls who admire them.

But I was tooling around the blogosphere today and I happened on an article at the Women in Crime site talking about gullible real-life women who risk much to be with men who mistreat or kill them. Case in point: Sandra Boss and her daughter who was duped by a supposed Rockefeller, a man with no social security card, no job or history of having one, no real family. How the hell did this guy fool a supposedly smart woman duped into sharing their lives and their fortunes with reprobate men.

A big part of the equation is that these men don’t want you to know. They go to great lengths to preserve their con. This is their whole life and when it starts to unravel, they usually do one of two things–kill to cover their tracks or disappear. Luckily for little Reigh Rockefeller (now Boss) her dad chose the latter route even if he took her with him.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that there is something lacking in these women that these men pick up on and exploit. I would agree with that. When you consider that many of these type of love stories begin with the same formula: a whirlwind courtship followed by a quick marriage. Then the woman finds herself separated either emotionally or physically from her family and friends. It’s the same way many abusers and other predators behave: separate the weak one from the herd.

Another part of the equation is the pervasive sentiment that we women are still not complete without a man. We spout crazy statistics like we are more likely to get hit by lightning than to find that man after a certain age. Like a demented game of muscial chairs women are afraid to be the one left without a place to call their own. So, many close their eyes to signals anyone else would see. They don’t want to admit, until perhaps too late, that their (possibly) one shot at love isn’t who or what they claim to be.

But I think it’s also true that some folks take the fantasy of the romance novel and the movie theatre too literally. Some guy sweeps into their life and rather than being suspicious about why some man with millions wants ordinary ol’ you, you swoon. It’s not like Cinderella stories never happen, but more than likely the heroine ends up in divorce court trying to salvage some bit of her life, in a shallow grave–or, perhaps, my next novel. We’ll have to wait and see.

Jun

Let sleeping bodies lie?

By writerds 6 Comments

Categories: my work, mystery, romance and romantic suspense

Almost two years after my second book in my Body series came out, two new and rather delicious reviews have surfaced. The first, posted at Michelle Lauren’s blog blew me away. The review was totally unexpected and absolutely wonderful. Here’s my favorite part:

“Why I Love the Book
Must I count the ways? I haven’t read any mysteries/suspense novels for a long time, but when I received Body of Lies from Ms. Savoy I couldn’t put it down. Suspense is this author’s forte. This story kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters aren’t cardboard cutouts: Although Alex was victimized as a child, she is not a victim. Although Zachery broke her heart years ago, the author doesn’t vilify him. Both characters learn from their mistakes and become better individuals.”

Just as I was basking in the glow, I came upon another review from Reading While Black. Again I was surprised and pleased. Here’s my favorite part of that review:

“One thing I can say for Savoy is that she doesn’t hold punches. This isn’t your Disneyland version New York or of a serial killer. She didn’t hold back on the reality of violent, destructive forces and gut-wrenching circumstances that affect the lives of everyday, ordinary people–especially your average cop.”

Ah, if only I could manage to get the smile off my face.

Jun

Ooops (upside the head, or otherwise)

By writerds 0 Comments

Categories: mystery, romantic suspense, writer's resources and writing

Forgive me folks. It’s been brought to my attention that there is a little confusion involving the class I’m teaching this summer. Apparently in the body of the post it stated that class began the week of May 19, though the schedule for the class lists the first lesson will be posted the week of June 30th. Obviously, that doesn’t jibe and May 19th has already passed, so that can’t be right. Unfortunately, I had intended to give the class in the spring, but that didn’t work out, which accounts for the May 19th date that I forgot to change. Many apologies for that.

So, if you were thinking about taking this course, no you haven’t missed anything. Class doesn’t start until June 30th. Registration is open until the Friday before the first class. Just in case, here’s the complete, revised announcement.

National bestselling, Emma-award winning author for Romance Suspense Deirdre Savoy will be facilitating this month-long workshop set to begin the week of June 30. This workshop is for authors wanting to learn the basic craft of writing romantic suspense or those seeking to add a bit of dramatic spice to any novel.

Course syllabus:

June 30: What is suspense–how do you achieve it and how do you use it:
Jul 7: Dark suspense vs. light suspense–how to create the effect you want
July 14: The devil in the details–making suspense believable.
July 21: Love on the run–how to use suspense to heighten the romance and vice versa.

Each week, a lecture and assignment will be posted. Completion and posting of assigned work for peer review is not mandatory but advised if students want to get the most from the class.

Who should take this course:

–first time R/S authors looking to learn the basics
–R/S authors looking to hone their craft
–any author interested in taking their writing to new levels

How to register: Apply for group membership here. You will receive an e-mail telling you how to make payment. Once tuition is received, you will be added to the group.

Tuition: $25.00 (plus a $2.00 administrative fee).
BONUS: FREE SYNOPSIS CRITIQUE FOR THE FIRST FIVE STUDENTS TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION!

May

Summer Suspense Thing Writing Workshop is now accepting students!!!

By writerds 2 Comments

Categories: mystery, romantic suspense, writer's resources and writing

Course syllabus:

Each week, a lecture and assignment will be posted. Completion and posting of assigned work for peer review is not mandatory but advised if students want to get the most from the class.

Who should take this course:

–first time R/S authors looking to learn the basics
–R/S authors looking to hone their craft
–any author interested in taking their writing to new levels

How to register: Apply for group membership here. You will receive an e-mail telling you how to make payment. Once tuition is received, you will be added to the group.

Tuition: $25.00 (plus a $2.00 administrative fee).
BONUS: FREE SYNOPSIS CRITIQUE FOR THE FIRST FIVE STUDENTS TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION!

Apr

Keeping it real

By writerds 1 Comment

Categories: blogosphere, industry, mystery, reading, romantic suspense and true crime

I think I’m in love with Lee Lofland’s blog The Graveyard Shift, particularly the last entry on “getting it right” in crime fiction posted by literary agent Scott Hoffman. He’s discussing why writers should strive to know what they are talking about, with both agents and the general public. You can read for yourself what he says about agents, but as for readers, here’s my favorite part.

Well, readers of crime fiction like to feel smart. To the extent that you can debunk closely-held myths in the course of your writing, agents, editors, and ultimately readers will love it. If you can tell readers how things REALLY happen—as opposed to the way they look on TV, it will give your work a feeling of authenticity that’s often missing in crime fiction (and nonfiction.)

That’s always been my goal in writing crime fiction–to show what I know that the reader doesn’t without making them feel foolish for believing everything you see on CSI.

So, I end by asking you the same question as Mr. Hoffman does his readers–whast are your bugaboos and pet peeves about crime fiction (or even reportage of true crime)? What story line could you do without ever seeing again? Fess up!

Mar

Hitting the nail on the head

By writerds 0 Comments

Categories: blogosphere, my work, mystery, reading, romance, romantic suspense, sounding off and writing

I had planned to write a rather frivolous post about the hunks on Dancing with the Stars today–until I happened over to Dear Author. The day’s post about the trivialization of serious issues in romance intrigued me, since this has been a criticism of mine about the genre since I first started reading it. In romance, tragedy is often nothing more than a plot device to get the hero and heroine to a certain place in the story, without adequate consideration of what real impact such experiences have on people.

This is how the post starts out:

A legitimate criticism of romance as serious literature is it’s often cavalier treatment of important life topics. Too often, war, separation, human indignity, are treated as plot devices, conflict mechanisms, and not given the attention and treatment those important issues deserve. How many romance books are thought provoking? How many challenge your personal concepts of right and wrong? How many portray multi hued individuals as both heroic and villianous? Surely within the umbrella of the romance genre, there is room for these books.

I can’t argue with anything that is said here, which does not mean, in my opinion, that no romances deal with important issues head on, but, in my opinion, fewer than should do. In other words, if you’ve got a protagonist recovering from a bad marriage, missing child, breast cancer, rape, whatever, or you’ve got a character who’s a soldier or cop, nurse or counselor, they experience life in particular ways that are often glossed over rather than exploited properly for the verisimilitude of their story.

This to my mind doesn’t mean every story has to be heavy or heavy handed. However, if you’re going to bring up the heroine’s unkind personal history, or whatever, let the effects of it reverberate in her life on a deeper level than making her wary of the hero’s attentions. Almost any serious event injected into a character’s life produces a constellation of effects. These can be explored even if you do it in a less than grave way.

I know that I had a hard time writing my hero for Soldier Boys. The story was supposed to be light and airy, so I kept it that way as much as I could. However, the guys a freaking marine sniper, and after reading even minimally about these guys and giving him the background that I did, I knew I couldn’t divorce the story from the realities of the ongoing war and keep it in any way beleivable. So I didn’t. The result is a deeper story, I hope, even though it is also really, really hot. I’ve got my fingers crossed that it works.

But I also don’t think that romance is alone in glossing over serious events or issues. The more suspense and mystery I read, the more I become aware that every genre has its way of trivializing that which it isn’t prepared to deal with. Ever read a sex scene in your average testosterone-filled thriller? Either it’s one of those wham-bam- excuse me while I come, ma’am, deals where it’s over in two seconds (doesn’t say much for the hero if you ask me) or it’s the sappiest bit of crap that no romance writer could get away with in a million years.

The truth of it is, there is room for shades of gray in every genre: true exploration of the human psyche and human emotions in every genre; contemplation of right and wrong and just in every genre and when we gloss over it or exploit it not for what it is but what we want it to be, we do both ourselves and our readers an injustice.

Mar

More proof that testosterone in the wrong, um, hands, just leads to trouble

By writerds 0 Comments

Categories: my work, romantic suspense, sounding off, true crime, writing and wtf?

Here in New York State, we’re dealing with yet another scandal. Our governor, Eliot Spitzer was found to have been a patron of prostitutes in the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC. The same hotel has been linked to two infamous former Presidents: Kennedy held trysts there, while Lewinsky stayed there during Clinton’s impeachment trials. Maybe a smart guy would have picked a less notorious love nest for his clandestine meetings, but there you have it.

I never liked Spitzer, despite his squeaky clean reputation. He just didn’t do it for me and besides, there’s something about the word “spit” in a person’s name that gives me the willies. There are just some bodily functions I’d rather not know about. But what really disturbs me, particularly of late, is that it seems to be those people who campaign and win on their vows to clean up corruption are the very ones that are proven to be most deeply entrenched in it. I doubt I’m the only one on overload.

And now, from what I understand, Spitzer has no choice but to resign. What he did was similar to, but not quite the same, as other recent sex scandals. Not only did he deal with an organized prostitution ring (illegal) he flew one of said high-class hookers from NY to DC at his expense (very illegal). Just in case anyone forgot, the Mann Act, which bars the transport of young lovelies across state lines for a little suh-um suh-um, is still in effect.

Last I heard on the news, Spitzer may be trying to trade his resignation for a guarantee of no prosecution. I know I wouldn’t want to take that deal if I were the one able to prosecute him. Those who make their name exposing others ought to have to suffer the same kind of scrutiny themselves should they take a fall.

Two further ironies come out of this scandal, however. The first is that if Spitzer resigns, David Paterson, currently the Lt. Governor will become the first ever black Governor of the state of New York and only the third overall since Reconstruction. Paterson, who has been legally blind since infancy, would also be the first visually impaired person to preside over the folks in Albany. Aside from that, he’s credited with being a true man of integrity who can reach across the divide that is NY State politics to get everyone to get along. Sounds like there’s no downside to this deal to me.

The second is that Spitzer was a superdelegate pledged to Hilary Clinton at the upcoming convention. The old girl can’t get a break can she? Well, Paterson has also been in her corner, though I don’t know if he is a superdelegate or if superdelegatedom is transferable thataway.

Now I know I pledged to keep this blog more about the writing, so I don’t want to leave out that connection either. I was having trouble figuring out the crime and the motive for the crime for a romantic suspense I’m working on. Usually with RS, the crime sort of comes first, then the characters, then more details. For this one, the characters came first so I was like, okay folks, what’s going on? And they were like, hey, you’re the writer. You tell us. This is the kind of rebelliousness I have to deal with. But anyway, I started thinking high-class hookers, hmm, I could do something with that. You’ve got to take your inspiration where you can get it, right?

Mar

Murderers on my mind

By writerds 0 Comments

Categories: mystery, romantic suspense and writing

I’m currently taking an online course on serial killers given by one of the RWA chapters. Frankly, so far, they haven’t discussed anything I didn’t already know. Well, what do you want for $25? Besides, I’ve already done extensive research on my own so I’m no newbie. I’ve even had some experience with real-live whack jobs, so I know ‘em when I see ‘em. But what I’m finding interesting is the discussion on how these folks come into being. My take is that, like greatness, some folks are born to it, some are made and some have killing trust upon them.

The easiest to comprehend is the last. Some regular guy or girl has to defend themselves, their loved ones or their property and takes a life in the process. Facing such a dilemma we all have the capacity to kill.

Comprehensible to is the made killer, to some extent. The man or woman who was abused, neglected, or otherwise deprived psychologically of the right socializing influences. They know no remorse, no conscience, no compassion, no understanding. As the saying goes, they’d cut you as soon as look at you. You may not like what they are, but you can see where it came from.

Then there’s my least favorite–those folks whose warpedness seems to have no genesis. Their wiring must be screwy since nothing in their background explains why they behave as they do. The “just plain crazy killer.” I hate this guy, partly because I want my villains to make sense, both in real life and in fiction. I want to be able to say this crazy mo fo is crazy cause of X and Y, and I don’t mean his faulty chromosomes. I know there are folks who love this just plain crazy guy, but I don’t.

In fact, I’m reading Allison Brennan’s Killing Fear right now, which has a “just plain crazy” villain. Even though this is the first book I’ve read by her, I can say I like her work (though her heroine in this one suffers from what I call Pretty, pretty princess disease). Her villain is nasty enough to overcome any of my misgivings about his origins as a bad guy.

So I ask you, what kind of villains do you prefer–the crazies you can figure out or the ones nature made that way? Do you prefer nature as an explanation or nurture? Who’s your favorite fictional killer? The creepiest? Who made you sleep with the lights on? Do tell!

Feb

Random thoughts on the upcoming election and secondary characters (how’s that for a title)

By writerds 0 Comments

Categories: my work, mystery, romance, romantic suspense and writing

I’m not going to discuss the Democratic end of the drowning pool, since the contest between Hillary and Barack I find simultaneously heartwarming and the most depressing bit of business I’ve seen in a long time. I was thinking of the Republican side, as in what is Mike Huckabee’s problem? Long after common sense says he can’t win, there he is. My take on it is that Huckabee looks at McCain’s age and figures if he can be enough of a pain in the butt he can give the old guy a heart attack and since he never withdrew like Romney, guess who’s the candidate? Talk about a spoiler!

Maybe not. Maybe that’s a political thriller I’d like to read. But here’s the point I’ve really been pondering–it’s obvious what’s in it for Huckabee for him to stay in the race, but what about McCain? Why doesn’t he get someone in the party to thump Huckabee on his hard head and tell him to sit down?

That’s what I pondered (okay, thought about it once or twice) until I was watching the political shows this Sunday morning. I think it was on the McLaughlin group where someone posited that McCain needs Huckabee to stick around to keep his name in the newspapers the same way Clinton and Obama act to generate press for themselves and each other.

I can buy that. As an author I can appreciate the use of a good foil. Using one character to illuminate the character of another is as pervasive as having a title. However, how we make use of that foil can either enhance or detract from the story.

Most often in romance the foil is the best buddy, who can generally be more outrageous, outspoken or otherwise unsuitable to be the protagonist of that particular story (though they may come back somewhat sanitized in a story of their own). Foils work best when they are fully formed characters in their own right, or at least fully formed in the aspect that is being compared. Think of Hamlet and Laertes. Laertes is the obedient son and dutiful brother, while Hamlet stumbles around, unable to figure out if and it what way to avenge his own father. (Incidentally, if you haven’t seen the Gilligan’s Island Hamlet-a-go-go interpretation, it’s a must-see.)

Come to think of it, mysteries and other genre fiction works basically the same way, as well. Main characters are usually more conventional than their foils. Think Spenser and Hawk or Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. That’s just off the top of my head. There are probably better examples if I really think about it.

One thing is certain in my mind, especially if you are creating a series in which the same characters will appear more than once, you really need to do some analysis of not only each character but how they will relate together, what their relationship is, how it started, what each of them really wants from one another, etc. if you want that pairing to be dynamic and not fall flat. Just one more thing to think about while plotting and planning a novel. Oy!

Feb

I can kill that puppet in three whacks

By writerds 0 Comments

Categories: my work, mystery, romantic suspense and writing

Earlier today, I found myself in the unenviable position of watching a double dose of Family Feud. I hate to admit it, but I think I’ve seen every incarnation this show has offered–from pervie/creepie Richard Dawson to the suicidal guy whose name escapes me to the porcine Louie Anderson. Now we’ve got J. Peterman, I mean John O’something with the voice.

So the question comes up–what weapon could a murderer use to kill . . . drumroll please . . . Pinocchio. Pinocchio? First off, why is anyone contemplating killing fictional characters from Disney of all places? I could see if we were talking about wicked stepmothers. Who wouldn’t want to give Snow White’s step mama a thump on the head for unbridled vanity and poor wardrobe choice. But Pinocchio, whose only crime was trying too hard to fit in. Who’s next? Dumbo?

As you can imagine, this round quickly descended into the macabre. Chop him with an ax. Throw him in the wood chipper. Make him tell lies until his nose falls off. At least that last one didn’t make it onto the board. My favorite answer was the one I least expected–slow torture. Termites.

This doesn’t really have anything to do with writing except that it made me think of all the lengths mystery/suspense/thriller writers go to to have a, if not unique, interesting death occur in their stories. Murder can’t be mundane anymore, it’s got to have flair. Either the motive, the means or the murderer him/herself has got to have a bit of panache. And serial killers fuggedaboutit. I myself had my Amazon killer in Body of Lies who cut off the right breast of all his victims. oogie if you ask me, but others are far worse.

Just something to think about as I get back to my work for the day. In this one, the murder is quite ordinary, but what happens the next day when the body is found–that’s the doozy.

But nevermind that. Tell me, what’s your favorite fictional kill and why? But let’s leave the cartoons out of it this time.


Get into your most comfortable reading chair,
take off your shoes,
turn off the phone
and let Ms. Savoy's incredible talent take you away.


  --Debra Ross,
     Romance in Color

A skewed sense of humor has kept me sane through 10+ years of teaching and almost as many writing. I invite you to come in and look around. Leave a comment if you like. My goal is to leave you with a smile on your face and a few new thoughts to mull over. If you like the blog, please tell your friends. If not, tell your enemies.