What Kinds of Books are Passe'?

Hi everyone--

I hope you had fun reading an excerpt from ZAM's new book and if you missed it, scroll down to the next post below. The winner of a book from her backlist will be announced later tonight.
So having a great author on the blog made me think about how writers create exciting genres.I was at a meeting of a bunch of romance writers the other day and the conversation turned to what kinds of stories are new and what are passe’. It got me thinking about what you, as a reader, would say to that question, because, after all, you are the only one who has a say in the final decision about what does and does not sell. Here are some of my thoughts.

The big question is always “are vampires finally out?” I’d say vampires have never been and will never be out – for the right vampire, that is. Yes, we get tired of the same old bloodsuckers. We got bored with the “can’t go in the sunlight, can’t be seen in mirrors, yada, yada”. What did we get? Sparkly vampires in high school. Bingo, not boring. We didn’t like the “Count from Transylvania” image anymore. How about some huge, alpha males in shitkickers that mate with human females and only fight against really bad guys who smell like baby powder. We’re still not tired of them. Good writers continue to make vamps exciting – like Z A Maxfield’s Noturno and S J Frost’s Natural Instinct and Enduring Instincts. The vamps are not totally new and different, but the stories are and that’s what counts.

When the world thought vamps might be out, shifters came in. Wolves were the biggie (and still kind of are). But in the last few years, authors have turned humans into everything including dragons. Some of the books are now passé and boring. Others are so clever you never want them to end. Try Jet Mykles Leashed series and the terrific anthology, Shifting Sands, that turns men into the animals of the Chinese zodiac. What a great idea and one that makes you feel like you’ve never read shifters before. Lynn Lorenz's Bayou Dreams  series makes you care about shifters all over again.

(Of course, i have to put in a plug for my witches in Spell Cat and the upcoming Brush with Catastrophe that will be released on Oct 30. Did you know a witch's sperm can't live outside his body or that of a female witch? Did you know that witches can't vomit? Now you do! LOL)

It may seem like historical novels have been done to death and you can’t stand one more Regency gown and then Jianne Carlo comes along with a series about Vikings. You decide you like historicals real quick. Contemporary stories never go “out” in the hands of Sloan Parker, Ethan Day and Josh Lanyon. So I think the bottom line is simple. Yes, when certain types of stories are hot, it may be easier to sell a mediocre book in that genre, but really good books make the genres hot. That’s why we follow our favorite authors no matter where they lead. We know, no matter what, they’ll make them good.

So you probably read more than I do. Tell me what type of story you think will be the next big thing. Are zombies here to stay? Have you read anything new and fresh that will have everyone copying it six months from now?

Thank you so much for coming by the blog. I'd love it if you'd follow.  : )