Friday, December 22, 2017

Now That You Mention It @KristanHiggins


LUCY BURDETTE: I'm so happy when one of my automatic-read authors have a new release--and these week, I've had two! Kristan Higgins is one of those, and her eighteenth book, a romantic comedy called NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, will be out on December 26th. And I'm delighted to welcome her to JRW today!



Kristan please tell us a bit about the new book--I'm thinking all of our readers w ill want to hear the story about where the bad boyfriend comes from...

KRISTAN HIGGINS: Will you accept pure imagination as my answer? No?

Here’s the thing about Bobby Byrne, the not-hero and delightfully crappy boyfriend in NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT. He’s a drama-feeder. Some men are great in a crisis, and when the crisis fades, so does their affection. The thrill of being a white knight isn’t as thrilling once you have to unsaddle the horse and shovel out the stall, if you will. Bobby is also a guy who hedges his bets; starts scoping out new women before he breaks up with his current boo; gives mixed messages about what he wants in a relationship; hints that he made a big mistake dumping you, then doesn’t return your phone calls.

And yes, I dated that guy, more or less. Like me, Nora finds a much more stable, dependable guy who likes her with or without drama, because he just likes her. Exactly as she is, to quote Mark Darcy. Le sigh.

LUCY: I think mystery writers run into the same problem that romance writers do—getting our books taken seriously. Have you figured out what to say to people who wonder when you're going to start writing "literature"?

KRISTAN: I love a good romance novels, but the idea that they’re less than books from other genres is ridiculous. Finding a kind, respectful, loving partner is one of the strongest urges we have as humans. Why are books about that dismissed? And why are mysteries? Because smart people solve crimes or figure out the answers to complicated situations? Is that a bad thing somehow?

I tend to find that people who dismiss our genres either haven’t read them or are simply rather joyless and boring. When someone asks, “When are you going to write a real book, Kristan?” I answer with a question of my own: “Have you read my books? What’s fake about them?”

LUCY: After two series, your last few books, including next week's release, have been stand-alones. Can you tell us a bit about that transition and the pros and cons of writing each? And what can we look forward to in the future?

KRISTAN: Writing women’s fiction is harder, I think. The nice thing about a romance, especially a romance as part of a series, is that the characters and setting are familiar, and you know how the book will end—the couple will overcome their personal issues and find the love they’ve earned. The transition to a genre that’s a little weightier was a natural step for me. I wanted to write about more than the couple, their witty banter and sexy time (though don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with those elements!). My work was drifting in that direction, and my publisher was all for it. So I write what I consider romantic women’s fiction. There’s a satisfying love story, but there are a lot more things going on as well. Family secrets, personal heartache, job and relationship troubles, things that happened in the past that still nip at your heels.

My next book is in the hopper, and it tackles a really emotional issue: body image and self-acceptance. It’s about three friends who met at weight loss camp as teenagers. Seventeen years later, one of them dies suddenly, and a list they made as kids resurfaces, reminding them what they thought life would be like as adults. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT will be out next summer.

Thank you for having me at Jungle Red with all you fabulous people! It’s an honor! Oh, and one more thing: preorders of NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT support St. Jude Children’s Hospital, a cause near and dear to my heart. You can find ordering links at my website



LUCY: Any questions or comments for Kristan, reds? Theories about why crime fiction and romance are considered less important, even though they sell like mad?

50 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your new book, Kristan . . . it sounds amazing; I can’t wait to read it.

    I don’t really have much of an idea as to why people consider crime fiction and romance as “less important” . . . is there really any writing that’s “less important?”
    The cynic in me is tempted to suggest that those crime and romance stories are the very books the naysayers love to read, but they don’t want to admit it, so they pretend to be so “high and mighty” about what kinds of books folks should read.
    My two cents worth on that is that if the book is well-written and the reader enjoys it and finds it to be a good read, then, for heaven’s sake, read the book and don’t pretend you didn’t . . . .

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  2. Congratulations on your new book, Kristan!

    I think one reason that some people dismiss mystery fiction and romance stories as "less important" starts in the school system. I had many English teachers who dismissed these books as fluff or not real literature. Fortunately I did have a Grade 8 English teacher who believed the opposite. We could read ANYTHING we wanted in our free time in English class. It could be crime fiction, sci-fi, romance, a comic book, a magazine...whatever spurred our love of reading. I remember choosing P.D. James' SHROUD FOR A NIGHTINGALE for my oral book review in that class. The passage I read out loud had the class enthralled (i.e. the death scene with the student nurse).

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    1. Mrs. Shields was awesome, Lucy. She also made me write book reviews for every book I read. From index cards to DOS databases to my current system, my book review database now has over 6000 books, mostly mysteries. And it's all thanks to her.

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    2. I had some teachers like that as well, Grace. So grateful for them!

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  3. How have I not discovered you before now, Kristan? Your books sound wonderful, and I'll be adding you to my read-and-savor list ASAP. I think you are absolutely right that figuring out who you are, and choosing a life partner are among the most important things we do as adults, and if romance novels can serve as a guidebook for young women, they can have a far more important impact on society than any "literary" novel about a middle-aged college professor with a midlife crisis.

    I think romance, and and mysteries, to some extent, are dismissed by the top lofty because women write them. Never mind Dashiell Hammett, the modern mystery was created by Agatha Christie and ingrained into our psyches by Nancy Drew. Girl stuff. Remember how hard the hard-boiled writers fought to keep women out of MWA? Remember why Sisters in Crime became important?

    And romances? Worse girl stuff! Writing about love and babies and all that. And sex, which women weren't supposed to want in the first place, back when romance was an emerging genre in America. The modern romance genre is an area of fiction that was created almost entirely by women who wanted to write stories about other women who were strong, resourceful, and willing to fight to get what they wanted out of life. No wonder the male literary establishment was threatened by it. Romance novels can be pretty conventional, but at its heart, the genre is profoundly feminist.

    So, go you, Kristan! Write the stories you want to tell. Deep. Shallow. Fun. Profound. And don't let anyone tell you they're not important. They don't have to change the world. If they open up new horizons for even one grateful reader, that's plenty.

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    1. Oh lucky you Gigi, now you get to read all of Kristan's books! And I agree about women writers being looked down upon. Honestly, the bias is still there today...

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    2. You hit the nail on the head, Gigi! Hope you like my books, and happy holidays!

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    3. So right, Gigi. Romances (which I love!) are largely created by and for women, and almost any art that does that is treated as second class.

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  4. It goes back to the Victorian age, doesn't it? When women who read novels were considered "insane", needing treatment. It was ever thus, that women who want more are criticized for one damned thing or another. And wanting to know and experience another life, even on the printed page, is part of that. We should just accept our lot in life and shut up. And women writers are even worse, fomenting unrest, don't you know.

    Am I cynical about this? Who, me?

    However, in my experience, those who read, especially those who read widely and across genres, are vastly more interesting people than those who don't. And writers are even more so.

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    1. Strong agreement on that last bit, Karen! I find I bore myself when I read the same sort of book over and over. Variety is really important.

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  5. What everybody else said! For me, I'm going to read what I want to read, and write the same. The hell with "literary" snobs.

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  6. I read very few romance novels (but not none!), but I do enjoy having a romantic element in whatever genre I'm reading, especially in a long series. Clare and Russ, Duncan and Gemma, Ellen Crosby's Lucie and Quinn, all examples of mystery series that are greatly enriched by ongoing relationships (I'm wondering if Jane and Jake will warm up a bit more? part of the fascination of this series). Part of my problem with romances is having no idea who's good, so I will look for one of Kristan's. Then there are the covers! I guess they don't all tend to look like bodice rippers any more, but I wonder if some of those covers have contributed to the genre not being taken seriously.

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    1. Jim, I think that's very true. You notice when science fiction was considered "pulp" it was all laser blasters and bug eyed monsters on the covers. In the past couple decades critical reception of SF has begun to change...and so have those covers.

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  7. I have a friend who is like this. She informed me once that she would never be caught dead with a romance book on her shelf. I think she worries that people will think less of her. So what did I do? I sent her some for Christmas!

    I read what I like and don’t feel bad about it either. If someone wants to judge me based on my reading preferences, that’s fine with me.

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  8. Hi, Kristan! Congrats on the release of your latest book! I’m a huge fan (saw you at the Poisoned Pen last February) and will definitely pre-order NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT to support St. Jude’s! Fabulousness. I love a good cause! I like your response to people who are dismissive of genre fiction. I write mystery and romance so I am ever ready for the shaming, but mostly, I’ve found people to be amazingly supportive — but then I am pretty thick and if someone was mean I probably thought they were joking. Have any of your titles been optioned for film? I can absolutely see your characters on the big screen! Happy Holidays!

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    1. Not yet, though there's always a little interest. One of these days, maybe! Thanks, Jenn!

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  9. Kristan, Kristan! I am SUCH a fan! And you all know Kristan and I met cute, right, perfect for a buddy movie. It was at the RITA awards, maybe 2007? (wow) We were both nominated for Best First. And I was SO annoyed when Kristan won! (I have to say.) I was seething with envy. Then she gave her speech, and it was SO adorable, and so genuine and charming and heartfelt and funny that I couldn't not fall in love with her. SO I thought, FINE. I'll read her book. And I adored it .And we then became friends, and have taught together, and lived happily ever after.
    Plus, her books are endearing and heartfelt and honest and charming and generous and hilarious, just like she is.
    Hurray!

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    1. Always love seeing your name (and books), Hank! We do go back a ways, don't we? How lovely! Give my best to your hubby!

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  10. Kristan, I e actually had someone say to me "when are you going to write a real novel?" As if the characters and their emotions and their struggles in a mystery novel don't count. So short sighted to dismiss genre fiction. Barnes and Noble discriminates with Fiction and Literature along the wall and Mystery and Romance separately. Show me any novelist who writes better than Louise Penny, Denis Lehane...

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  11. Some people I know who dismissed mysteries started reading some in the last couple of years, and discovered that they loved them! They even ask me now which mystery authors I would recommend. Naturally, I recommended all the Reds, as well as the Red-reader/writers!(what a mouthful!)

    I had a college English professor who said that the best way to improve your reading comprehension was to read and read and read. Read anything you love, read fiction of any genre, non-fiction about anything that holds your interest.

    Kristan, I plan to look for your books!

    DebRo

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    1. Thanks, Deb! I agree with your professor. Any book, any time.

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  12. Kristan, your books sound wonderful. How many more readers would there be in the world if kids were told from early on to read what they LIKED! I hope that the Harry Potter books (fantasy, romance, and mystery!) and the YA books being published now serve as "gateway" books to all kinds of reading.

    I couldn't have given a better reason for reading romance than Gigi, but I'll add that I think there's a very strong need for both romance and crime fiction at the moment. Not only do we want to believe that people can find loving relationships, we want to believe that justice will be done.

    Congrats on your book, and I'll be looking for all of them!

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  13. One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite books (Dorothy Gilman's Incident at Badamya) occurs when a highly unpleasant character is 'outed' as the author of a series of gothic romances. In mortal agony, he describes how he spent years and years writing his magnus opus--poured his soul into it, and it sold only 700 copies. So, in revenge, he started writing fluff and it's selling like crazy. The other characters defend his books--telling him how much enjoyment they brought to their readers, how they helped them cope with difficult circumstances, etc.

    I don't care about genre--as long as the book is well-written--and gosh, genre books CAN be well written!! Pick up any Reds' book and see for yourself, all you unbelievers and naysayers!!

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  14. I love books about relationships, so Kristan sounds like yours is right up my alley.
    What Debs said - we need safe places to rest our brains addled by a steady diet of bad news--crime and romance are great refuges.

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  15. Thanks for stopping by today, Kristan, and congrats on the new book. I would never want to be limited to one kind of cuisine my whole life, so why would I want to read only one kind of book? I agree with Gigi that the fact that romance is stereotypically associated with women is the reason it's seen as "lesser." Don't even get me started...;)

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  16. Perhaps because they are often written by women, who, by society's evaluation throughout history, are taken less seriously?
    Libby Dodd

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    1. Unfortunately, I think that's a big part of it, Libby.

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  17. Oh Kristan! I enjoyed If You Only Knew and On Second Thought so much! I love the range of emotions from heartbreak to hilarity. I died laughing when the sisters in one of the stories were conducting a raid on the house where the ex lives. Too funny. I can't wait for the next book to be out. And I need to catch up on your earlier stories.

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  18. Thanks for having me in your illustrious company, Jungle Red Writers! It's always a pleasure!

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  19. Stanley Lieber kept his name to write the great American novel and wrote comics as Stan Lee. He's laughing all the way to the bank and Marvel movie cameos. Please let Barnes and Noble have Romance and Mystery sections because that's where I'm going!

    I had a relative who was proud of not watching TV. Her daughter bought her a VCR and tapes. So she's having us watch PBS's Nature shows and old Hallmark movies that we already saw for free!

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    1. Thanks a million for visiting during this busy holiday season. We can't wait to read the new book!

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  20. I seem to read mostly mystery and crime these days, and I'm having the reading time of my life. I find it so hard to believe that anyone could think less of genre reading. That goes for romance, too. I don't often read romance without a murder (hahaha) because I just like the mystery/crime element mixed in. My favorite books are probably historical, romantic, mystery/crime novels. I can't seem to help myself wanting there to be some pairing up of characters. And, the writing for all of these books is so exceptional. Literary fiction, whatever the heck that really is, has nothing on the writing skills of the mystery/crime/romance writers.

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  21. I love Kristan's books and have read all of them at least once. I also enjoy the good mystery. As long as men are the ones judging the writing of romance or mysteries that are written by dare I say women, the genre will not be taken as series. It also goes back to women not being taken serious in their contributions to the work world or society.

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  22. I am so excited that there's a new Kristan book!!

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