My guest today is J.L. Wilson, author of several books for Cerridwen Press. J.L. says she writes what she calls “sexy/cozy” mysteries: a mystery with a bit of romance, all featuring older heroes and heroines and all set in Minnesota or Iowa. Her tag line is: “Mystery with a touch of romance, romance with a touch of gray.” But she also writes futuristic and time-travel.
If you’re new to e-books make sure you check out J.L.’s article when you visit her website. It’s full of details to help the newcomer understand e-books and how to read them.
Today J.L. is talking about older heroes and heroines and she’s giving away a download of If Not For You. To go into the draw to win J.L.’s book all you need to do is post a comment. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see if you’re the winner.
I come to romance books with a bit of an unusual background … I’d never read a romance novel until about three years ago. I didn’t know they existed, really — somehow I just never got around to reading them. I discovered them by accident (a hilarious story which I will share with you in the bar at a conference if you and I are in attendance together). Suffice it to say, once I found them, I read a LOT of romance books one right after the other.
But I didn’t find any that had heroes or heroines I could relate to. I wanted older people, women with some years on them, who’ve been divorced or widowed and aren’t the dewey-eyed innocent. Babies? Nope, not in my world! Marriage? Maybe…
So I started to write my own books, all starring older heroes and heroines, usually in their 50s. Both parties are often quite happy single and when they meet the other party, they’re surprised by love. My books are about normal people like me and you who get caught up in circumstances that totally throw them outside their comfort zone.
Take my latest book. “If Not For You”, stars an older heroine, Layla Whitford. She’s 50ish and has recovered nicely from her divorce to a workaholic businessman. Then an accident throws her together with Max Lerner, a — yep, you guessed it — workaholic businessman. Of course, it turns out it wasn’t really an accident that brought them together. Someone wants them to meet and that’s the driving force in the book: who wants them together, and why? And why is somebody out to get Layla, who (as far as she knew) didn’t have an enemy in the world. Before now, the biggest problem Layla had was getting the flat tires on her VW Bug fixed. Now she’s got Max Lerner in her life and suddenly her world is upside down.
In more ways than one …
So how do you feel about older heroes and heroines? In my books, I often talk about some of the insecurities they feel when they finally Get Busy and get naked (you know, the whole body image thing). And I talk about some of the issues they’re facing: retirement, trying to find a suitable dating partner that’s the right age, competition with the younger set… issues that anybody re-entering the Dating Game will face if they’re in mid-age.
Thoughts? Comment about this and I’ll be happy to give away a download to one lucky person of If Not For You, which stars Layla (the heroine about whom my critique partners said, “I want to be her when I grow up”) and Max (the hero that one reader said “…made me realize I could never sit in a conference room again without having erotic daydreams”).
You can visit JL Wilson at her:
Website
MySpace
Crimespace
I like older heroines! they are awesome specially with the younger men… hhehee demi moor cant be the only one having fun
by Tina brunelle January 23rd, 2008 at 3:04 am“Mystery with a touch of romance, romance with a touch of gray.” What a fantastic tag line. JL I’m so curious to see how you handle the 50ish heroine. Hmm when I look in the mirror, I count my wrinkles, try to tuck my belly and straighten my shoulders. And yet in South Florida where I live I see a lot of autumn romances. I definitively want to read your book but I wonder how you reach a younger audience?
by Mona Risk January 23rd, 2008 at 6:23 amMy heroines all worry about exactly the same thing, Mona. And to be honest, some of the younger members of my audience do, too — none of us is happy with our bodies, are we?
I think the main point I try to get across with my heroes and heroines is that they are okay with where they’re at — yes, they might want to improve their looks, but none of them want to turn back the clock and be young again. They got to where they are with experience, and they wouldn’t trade that for a thing.
Although Max (in If Not For You) has a few qualms about dating a woman his age. He’s always had Arm Candy Chicks before.
Boy, is he in for a surprise with Layla!
by J L Wilson January 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 amI’ve always liked the idea of second chance romance. I can root for a heroine of any age. : )
by Liz Jasper January 23rd, 2008 at 11:40 amSounds awesome JL love the save a tree read an E Book. Amen to that sister!!
by Amy Ruttan January 23rd, 2008 at 12:12 pmI definitely don’t identify with the younger heroines any more and tend to enjoy stories with heroines that are more my age.
I don’t think of myself as old though. I think of myself as forever thirtish and enjoy reading heroines about this age.
But bottom line, all I want is a great story. It doesn’t really matter what age the characters are, as long as they engage me. I don’t page through a book to check on the ages before I start reading.
JL - your new release sounds great and I see you’ve received some good reviews for If Not For You.
by Shelley Munro January 23rd, 2008 at 12:21 pmI admire you for writing about “older” heroines and heroes. There are a lot of us out there. My heroine, Sally Carter, in Isabelle’s Diary is 42 and getting over a messy divorce. The hero is 35. I loved writing their story.
by Anita Birt January 23rd, 2008 at 12:45 pmJL, can you tell us about other older hero/heroine books you have out? And are there other authors you can recommend?
I see Anita has her Isabelle’s Diary.
And commenters: Do you like an older heroine/younger hero scenario? Curious minds want to know. Well, my curious mind
by Shelley Munro January 23rd, 2008 at 1:40 pmReading about older heroines and heroes is great, especially when you are getting older yourself. Reading about older ones doesn’t seem to make you feel so old.
by Rebekah Elrod January 23rd, 2008 at 1:44 pmI like the idea of a second chance at love too. Now that I myself have a few years under my belt, lol, I appreciate the humor and love of a more mature couple. I don’t have any problems with the storyline of an older heroine/younger hero, as long as his life experiences give him some maturity and he is at least in his mid-twenties. Younger than that gives me the willies.
by Cathy M January 23rd, 2008 at 1:49 pmEek, Cathy! You’re right. Younger than mid-twenties would be way too much like cradle snatching!!
by Shelley Munro January 23rd, 2008 at 2:05 pmWell, all my books have older h/h. There’s “Your Saving Grace” (out last year), “Forgiveness” (out last year, it’s a paranormal/time travel/reincarnation story) and my books with Wild Rose (”Brownies, Bodies, and Breaking the Code” and “Candy, Corpses, and Classified Ads”, coming soon).
I’ve got another CP book this year with an older heroine: “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere”, and my next paranormal with them is “Endurance.”
All have heroes near 50, heroines at 50 or thereabouts.
I used the ‘older woman younger man’ theme in my latest WIP (not sold yet, heck, the ink is barely dry). But that one wasn’t the hero and heroine, it was a subplot. Maybe I can come back here and talk about it when I sell it.
You know, I like younger guys, but I do prefer older men. They can be just as much fun, if you find the right one.
In this book (If Not For You), Max normally has women 20 years younger than him. He discovers the joys of sex with an ‘older’ woman — someone his age. It totally catches him off guard and makes him re-think a lot about why he always dated younger women in the first place (was he so concerned what other people thought? Did he really like those women, or was he trying to make a point?)
I think, in the end, he discovers there’s more to a relationship than the sex.
Of course, the sex ain’t bad ….
by J L Wilson January 23rd, 2008 at 2:22 pmI prefer older heroes and heroines myself. A good thing because my oldest hero is 260 years old.
I guess it’s mostly a case of ‘write what you know’ and being past 50 I don’t know much about being young.
Plus I find young characters rather shallow a lot of the time. I certainly was when I was young. So they’re not very interesting.
I have had younger female characters in some of my ’short pieces of smut’. Always with an older guy who shows them experience counts for a lot.
by Rob Graham January 23rd, 2008 at 3:06 pmI enjoy books with older heroines. I can relate to them better.
by Estella January 23rd, 2008 at 3:14 pmNow that I’ve hit the other side of 25 (OK, and I’ve been here for a while) I have a hard time with characters written as “24 years old” or even “26 years old,” especially when they’re written in an unrealistic lifestyle. I prefer characters to behave like they’re in their late 20s or older (mature, responsible, bills to pay, some emotional experience and growth behind them) and I honestly picture every character as “early 30s” until they’re named otherwise.
The only older romance I’ve ever read was “Harold and Maude,” which I read when I was a teenager (and adored). And who didn’t love “On Golden Pond”?
by Emily Ryan-Davis January 23rd, 2008 at 4:31 pmShelley, thanks for hostessing me here today, I enjoyed myself. I’m off to my first night of Citizen’s Police Academy. This is my chance to get some great details for my upcoming books.
J
by J L Wilson January 23rd, 2008 at 4:48 pmOlder characters will become much more popular as the boomer generation starts getting tired of reading about 20-something heroines. And I will be interested in reading about them because I’m in my 40’s and have different issues than virgins.
by julia January 23rd, 2008 at 8:04 pmYou know, the older I get, the older my characters seem to get too :)
Your book looks really great, JL!
by Jenyfer Matthews January 24th, 2008 at 12:03 amSince I’m in my twenties I write heroines in their late twenties/early thirties b/c that’s what I know. BUT I definitely read books w/ older H/H. As long as the characters are easy to relate to and the plot is intriguing, age isn’t much of a factor.
by Katie Reus January 24th, 2008 at 6:48 amIt sounds like you write some very interesting books.
by Larena Wirum January 24th, 2008 at 11:47 amThank you, JL! It was great having you here as a guest.
*WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT*
Congratulations! The winner is Estella. Estella email me at shelleymunro @ gmail .com (no spaces) and let me know which format you’d like.
And everyone else - thank you for coming along. I have another guest next week on Friday so please visit again
by Shelley Munro January 24th, 2008 at 12:39 pm