I’m a longtime Sue Grant fan. I love that fact that she so neatly brings romance fans into the SF/SFR genres. That’s not an easy task, trust me. It’s also not easy because, as Sue and I have discussed, it’s difficult to find editors who work both aisles. Very often we’re edited by someone who has a heavy romance background or science background. This affects the balance and tone of the final book. Yeah, we write our stories and yeah, we write for our readers. But when your editor says CUT or CHANGE THIS (and they’re the ones signing the checks), you do so or you do give it very serious thought. I’ll come right out and say I’ve made significant changes to my work based on my editor’s recommendations and sometimes I get feedback from fans that that wasn’t what they wanted. But when you’re hip-deep in writing and editing, it’s not always easy to figure that out. My editor’s feedback is the one I’m getting at the moment. I personally think she’s brilliant and I adore her. But sometimes we’re off base. Sometimes we’re spot-on.

Thanks all for your kind comments on my books! Again, I’m trying to keep as many people happy in both aisles as I can. I can never make everyone happy but I try as hard as I can.

Recommendations: don’t forget small press. I came out of that and there are still very groundbreaking works being penned there. Stacey Klemstein’s ZARA MITCHELL series starts with THE SILVER SPOON (Echelon Press) and continues in Feb 08 with EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. Think Roswell. Think Starman. Think V. With romance.

Isabo Kelly is another name to watch. She writes fantasy but also has SFR in her Marshall’s Guard and Kierna Rhoan (I may have that last spelled incorrectly–working with only two cups of coffee under my belt).

Pat Waddell also came out of small press: her Alliance was a small press release. She wrote historicals (Kensington, I think?) and is now back in SFR with Tor.

I think what’s happening–and this is IMHO–is that since SFR doesn’t have a clearly defined niche, following or shelf (I’m shelved in SF, Sue’s in romance), you’re going to get a bit of mixing of sub-sub genres in our books until we find our place in the sun, or in the galaxy as the case may be. Some, like Sue and Rowena Cherry, will inject more humor in certain books (to try to take the scary edge off SF or just because, hey, it’s one of those snarky days). Klemstein writes much more intensely. Me, it depends on how much caffeine is in my veins.

So some of our stuff may be lighter (and that may annoy certain readers). Some may be more intense (and that may annoy certain readers). I get flack for writing in first person (Gabriel’s Ghost). I get flack for my furzels (Games of Command). (I also get lots of kudos on both, so who’s to figure?). I think some of it comes from “well, I read X by Y last year and it had a certain flavor and was SFR, and now I’m reading yours and it’s nothing like that.”

Nope, chances are, it’s not. SFR is still expanding and evolving, trying to do what no other genre has to date: be both “tastes great” and “less filling” at the same time.

Please just keep reading us, talking about the books, posting to blogs and telling booksellers that SFR is a Fun Read. We love the feedback. We think the future is, well, very very exiciting (even if the ‘future’ is my character’s present day).

Hugs all, ~Linnea, back to deadlines…

Does Waddell write paranormals? Or am I thinking of someone else? Is she straight SFR?

Hey, Jane! Not sure, to be honest. She’s in my TBR pile based on a recommendation, but I haven’t read her yet. If I remember correctly, she’s written more historical romance that SFR. I suspect her SFR is stronger on the romance than the SF…maybe like Catherine Spangler or CJ Barry? I want to add Robin Owens to that list, but she’s another SFR (or “futuristic romance”) writer I’ve got in my TBR pile but haven’t read yet, so I’m not sure about her SFR.

IMHO, Linnea Sinclair is very good at straddling the SFR fence, but it can give her grief sometimes from readers. “True” SFF enthusiasts complain there’s too much romance. Romance readers might get impatient with the amount of SF in her work.

I’ll admit for Games of Command I was so taken with the main characters that I wanted more romance, less science fiction. (And some people might think the cutesy sentient cats were a bit much). Her Gabriel’s Ghost is my favorite of hers, and I also think it has the strongest romance.

But that’s not to say her SF isn’t fun…I really do think she’s strong in both. I think Zombie is going to be a little different that the other books from Sinclair and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Does Waddell write paranormals? Or am I thinking of someone else? Is she straight SFR?

I read Patti O’Shea’s “Ravyn’s Flight” 5 years ago when it came out - loved it then, but I’ll admit I don’t remember a lot of the details.

And I’ve got Patricia Waddell’s “True Blood” on my TBR pile, but I’ve heard good things about it!