Guest Post: The Top 5 Things A Romance Must Have by Arianna Skye

The top 5 things a romance must have
(besides romance, because that’s a given).

5. Interesting and believable characters. Characters with complicated and complex pasts really pique my interest. I am a total sucker for the tortured hero too! It’s great seeing the man break out of their shell and face their fears.

It’s also important that the hero and heroine actt in character. There’s nothing more jarring than a character doing something completely out of character without any rhyme or reason. Another character issue that seriously irks me is the hero or heroine doing something so incredibly dumb that I don’t care whether they live or die.

4. A well developed and plotted world. The best books in my honest opinion are the ones where the author did his/her research or designed an engaging and interesting world. Some people say that contemporaries don’t need world building, but that’s a bunch of baloney. The world of a doctor is going to be totally different than the world a Chef is used to. Just like the world of a stay at home mom is going to different from the Wall Street day trader.

Historicals, even if set in a steampunk or fantasy world should have period appropriate dialogue and situations. There is only so much artistic license one can take. If you think no one is going to care about the historical details, you’re wrong! I’m a pretty lenient reader. I will let a few incorrect details slip. Other readers are not so forgiving. If you’re writing a historical piece, even if it’s set in an alternate fantasy world, you need to do your research.

3. Engaging and believable dialogue. Strong and snappy dialogue really work for me as a reader. Long passages of dialogue, especially if it servers no purpose, really bore me. Add an extra yawn if it’s stilted. The best way I’ve found to make sure the dialogue reads naturally is to read it out loud to myself. Try it. You’ll be surprised what you hear.

2. Strong Sexual Tension. The best books are the one where the sparks between the hero and heroine practically leap off the page. What kind of story would there be if the hero and the heroine instantly fall in love and have no conflict or tension between them? Might as well start the book with “THE END” instead of “CHAPTER ONE”.

1. A Happily Ever After! I passionately dislike love stories that end in tragedy or the hero and heroine don’t end up together. If an author does this, I will throw the book against the wall, stomp on it and toss it in a fire. (By golly, I hope I’m not reading it on my Kindle)

Arianna Skye is the erotic pen name of paranormal romance author, Sidney Ayers. She loves infusing stories with humor. What would the world be without a little bit of laughter? Arianna writes a plethora of genres, ranging from historical, to paranormal, to contemporary. A native of Michigan, Arianna still lives in the same town she grew up in. No matter how hard she tries, she just can’t seem to get away. Michigan is in her blood, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. To learn more about Arianna/Sidney and her books, you can visit either one of her websites at www.ariannaskye.com or www.sidneyayers.com.

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Read Excerpt Not your (grand)mother’s fairytale… Rhiannon Kinsley’s life goes from boring to downright crazy when a freak lightning bolt strikes her laptop. To make matters even more bizarre, strange words and symbols flash across the computer screen and she hears a mysterious voice. Time to call the men in white coats! Then Cerne Silverwing, an intriguingly sexy man, appears. He insists she’s a faerie princess whose fate will determine his own. What a crock! Now she knows who really needs those white coats. With the Dark Faerie forces threatening his kingdom, Cerne kidnaps Rhiannon and brings her to Fey, a land where magic knows no bounds. He’s performing a duty to save his kingdom and nothing more—a duty that will bring him his wings and the strengthened magic that comes with them. If he doesn’t unite with the princess as her consort, those wings will never grow. But this princess grew up in the land of laptops and instant messages, and she’s convinced they’re both crazy. Despite their differences, the two are thrust together to defeat the whip-wielding Dark Faerie Queen before she takes over the kingdom. Passion and peril aside, will Rhiannon and Cerne discover their true destiny?

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