I'd be happy to....

Happily ever after endings sometimes fit and I adore when they work and make sense. I have to admit though that I enjoy a less than happy ending at times. When writing romance, or erotic romance, readers expect the HEA and an author is obligated to supply it. Don't and you risk losing readers, possibly permanently.

HFN, or happy for now, also works a lot of the time. Again, I'm all for it, when the story goes that way and the characters need that kind of ending.

Okay, get your rotten tomatoes and other assorted tossables. *G* I've written a few stories where the ending isn't really clear. Usually, when I get an idea for a book or story, I know how it's going to end. I may not have the complete story line or plot, but I know Jane is going to rescue Joe from the kidnappers and they'll live happily ever after, or not. There are some stories that simply don't have that clear cut an ending. There are times when the characters don't deserve happy endings. Heck, I've written a few pieces where the characters die horribly and deserve every moment of their torment. *G*

And what about the character who doesn't want happy? Joe Shmuck murders someone and is haunted by the ghost. Joe has a love interest, a nice job and all the trimmings. But, deep down inside, poor Joe wants this ghostie to scare the pants off him. Maybe literally. LOL Say Joe is slipping it to his wife and ghostie whispers something naughty into Joe's ear. Scares him spitless and his wife must know somethings up... errr down... and Joe is happy as a clam. He's paying for the deadly deed but can still take care of his family. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the nicest of scenarios, but life isn't always nice. Right?

Romance is escapism and thus the happily ever after. Apparently it's doing extremely well right now too, and that can't be a bad thing. I think if a book is clearly marked romance, a reader has every right to be upset if a HEA isn't supplied. You really want what you're paying for and an unhappy reader is an scary thing... gulp!

What's your take on how a book ends? Do you think the good guy should always win and the mystery solved or is there room for the not quite answered questions to leave you wondering? Perhaps that ghost really isn't finished with Joe. Perhaps Joe's wife is going to get into the act later.

Aloha

by Jamie Hill

Let me be totally honest with you—I’m not from Hawaii, never been there, might never go. Recently I wrote a story for Total E-Bound’s Pleasure Bound Anthology (coming June 2009) and I had to choose an exotic setting. Folks, I’m from the Midwest. California is exotic to me. Anyway, they let me choose Hawaii. I scoured the internet for details on the Hawaiian language including pidgin slang, which I found very interesting and entertaining. Now I like to sprinkle it in my conversation. Maybe it makes me feel like part of Dog the Bounty Hunter’s posse. I dunno.

But, I digress. (Get used to it.)

Howzit? I’m Jamie Hill, erotic romance author and another member of the new Get a Grip crew. This is my introductory post where I tell you all about myself so I’ll try to make it wiki wiki—very fast. *G*

I write contemporary erotic romance with happy endings. Originally published in 2006, my first novel and anthology stories (most can still be found at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid) were all heterosexual. Pretty soon I discovered there was a market out there for gay and lesbian books. Personally, I’ve always felt that love is love and hot sex is hot sex, no matter who's involved. So I gave it a shot.

I have two lesbian titles right now with a third due out this summer. I have six or seven gay novels and stories, with about a dozen more due out this year. (Yes, I discovered this is my favorite genre to write. Leave out the women and their angst, make it two men and what fun you can have! Hee hee hee) My gay and lesbian titles can be found at Phaze and Total E-Bound Publishing. I also have hetero titles at both places and at Freya’s Bower, where I have a fun romantic suspense chapter book called Edge of Sanity.

I’ve written lots of different types of romance: straight contemporary, paranormal with ghosts, suspense, and horror (scratch the happy endings in the horror stuff.) With my writing partner Jude Mason I’ve written shape shifters (cougars, bears and wolves), and we have a new series out this year involving m/m sex and ghosts. Yum! I’m also tinkering with D/s and BDSM.

I guess you can see, I don’t fit into a niche. I tell people to wander around my website to discover what kooky things my imagination has conjured up. I always label my books so you’ll know what you’re getting. If a certain genre isn’t to your liking, keep looking. I’ve got lots to choose from.

That’s me in a writing nutshell. Oh, there are plenty more stories to be told, but since this is a weekly blog, I’d better save some for later. Pau hana. Quitting time.

Mahalo, thanks for stopping by our blog, and I promise you I won’t be acting like a mainlander and trying to speak Hawaiian next time. Oh wait, no promises from this crew! You never know what might happen here... and don't forget our contest! Every time you leave a comment this week, you're entered to win a $30 Amazon gift certificate!

A hui hou – See you again!