Friday again? Why, yes, it is. I always look forward to hosting K.D. Richards on HFMFF. For so many reasons, mainly because she’s whip smart, writes wonderful blogs — https://bit.ly/3OHM8qG — previously she talked about playing the violin as an adult. Moreover, I highly recommend her West Investigation series. And check this out! She has a new release. Please welcome K.D. Richards! ~ Donnell
The Lure of Romantic Thrillers
By: K.D. Richards
Author K.D. Richards
I love reading and writing romantic suspense. This probably comes as no surprise to those of you familiar with my West Investigations series. Before I jump into why I think romantic suspense is the best genre, permit me a moment to say that romantic suspense can be defined in many different ways. Some writers and readers define romantic suspense as novels that equally balance romance and suspense. Others don’t rely as much on the exact mix of romance and suspense, but base their definition on whether the romance or the suspense could survive if either were ripped from the novel.
To me, each of the definitions is a little bit right and a little bit off base. Every writer and reader of romantic suspense will come to the genre with a slightly different idea about what a romantic suspense is and isn’t. And that’s one of the things that makes the genre so diverse and reading different romantic suspense authors so exhilarating.
Okay, so why do I love reading and writing romantic suspense? That’s easy. Action and romance! Who wouldn’t be hooked?
Romantic suspense novels combining tons of tension, complex
characters and oodles of suspense are what keep me turning the pages. Intricate plots driven by characters making, oftentimes not so great, choices and figuring out how to come back from those choices make for a compelling thriller. And what could be more thrilling, more exciting, more suspenseful than falling in love!
For me the fact that romantic thrillers have at least two plot lines, the romance along with a mystery plot line, also keeps things interesting. These novels tend to be character-driven stories that also have plots with enough intrigue to keep my interest on multiple fronts. Because both lives and loves are in jeopardy, the suspense is often heightened in romantic suspense novels. From a writer’s perspective they can be a lot of fun to write. Car chase? Yes. Flinging yourself off a cliff to escape a madman? Of course. Kicking you-know-what to save the man you love? Absolutely!
In my most recent book in the West Investigations series, Shielding Her Son, my heroine, Erika, has been on the run to protect her son from her former husband’s controlling family for years. Unfortunately, she’s been found out but luckily for her new hunky neighbor, James West, is determined to keep her and her son safe. But can she keep her heart safe from him?
So how do you define romantic suspense? What do you look for in a romantic suspense novel? Let me know below. And look for Shielding Her son available now.
About Shielding Her Son:
She thought she’d escaped her past… Has it caught up with her?
Erika Powell has lived in hiding for years to protect her son from his wealthy, tyrannical grandfather. Wary of strangers, she’s suspicious of James West, who’s renting a neighboring cabin, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when attempts are made on Erika’s life, James fears he may have endangered her—because the undercover PI’s investigation of Erika may have led someone dangerous right to her.
About the Author: K.D. was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs just outside of Washington, D.C. A writer since a young age, after college she earned a law degree and worked as an attorney and legal instructor for fifteen years but never stopped writing fiction. She currently lives in the Toronto area with her husband and two sons.
Subscribe to her newsletter at kdrichardsbooks.com
Follow K.D. Richards on Twitter at @kiadwrites
K.D. notice the pull quote I used from your blog. Nailed it, girlfriend, Romantic Suspense, Romantic Thrillers, a rose by any other name. Two of the most successful genres combined? A win/win in my opinion. Can’t wait to read Shielding Her Son, and I see you have another book up for preorder. No wonder you’ve been quiet. You’ve been busy! Thanks for being my guest today!
Enjoyed this post, K.D., and I like your definition of romantic suspense. I agree that we all come to that genre with different expectations, partially because I think we come to the romance genre with different expectations too. Some want more romance than others, some like it hot, some like it sweet; and romantic suspense can offer the same wide variety of romantic elements. Congratulations on your new book! It sounds super!
Great interview! And I love the definition of romantic suspense! Looking forward to reading Shielding Her Son!