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4.13.2011

Love Story

I’m reading The Time Traveler’s Wife right now. I bought it on a whim during an impromptu trip to Barnes and Noble last week. I was feeling exceptionally romantic that day and was tired of reading Twilight.

I feel like I’m constantly trying to find that perfect love story. One that isn’t excessively melodramatic or too smutty {I really don’t enjoy gratuitous scenes of pornography in my reading material, thankyouverymuch}. I want something pure and sweet and maybe-not-so-believable. I want to read about a modern day Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, or Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. I don’t want Romeo and Juliet or Wuthering Heights, and definitely not The Notebook {I hate that book. Vehemently hate it}. I feel like even if love is there, I’m too distracted by the negative and the death and the tragedy to appreciate it. I suppose that for some, the tragedy is what intensifies the story, but that isn’t how I react to it.

I can't say that I am necessarily enjoying The Time Traveler's Wife as much as I thought I would. It's not the story that I was looking for; it's not the heartwrenching romance that I am so desperate to find. It's a good book, though I now know why everyone warned me that it gets slightly confusing, what with all the time travelling and being in two places at once and impregnating your wife as your younger self while your current self is sleeping in the bed next to her. Creepy? Absolutely.

I guess in part, that is what motivates me to write. I know that I'm never going to find the story that I'm looking for unless I write it myself. It doesn't matter if it's gets published or if anyone else reads it. All that matters is that I get it down on paper. Becuase if my story is written somewhere, that means it's real.

But it would be pretty awesome if I did get published. A few weeks ago, I impulsively entered a contest without really thinking about what it might lead to. It's for a full publishing package at a respectable self-publishing agency. In the first round, I had to fit a summary of my book into a tweet. 140 characters.

So I did, and last week I was notified that I am a finalist. On Friday, I sent in a 250 word synopsis. And now I wait. I wait to see if what I've been writing for the past year and a half has any potential at all.

Self-publishing isn't necessarily my preference for publishing my book. But I figure, if I win this thing, it's a start. I get to retain all the rights to my work, which means that eventually, down the line, if someone else decides that it's good enough, it can be published in a more reputable way.

I wanted to share with you my synopsis, and see what you all think. I know I've shared a lot with you about this book, so I just have to tell you how much your patience with me means.

*     *     *     *     *

Jane Austen once wrote that “happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” While this antiquated notion of matrimony may not fit with the present requirement of love in marriage, it’s still a truth universally acknowledged in the small town of Selden, Kansas. To understand Selden requires abandoning the ideals of equality, love, and compassion, and replacing them with the simple fact that all young women must surely be in want of a husband.

To be clear, Kate Devlin did not initially condemn this fairy tale life that most young women in Selden dream of. Her want of a husband paralleled, if not exceeded, that of the other girls in the town. But when her beau of eight years was exposed as a philanderer, as the men of Selden were generally tolerated to be, she committed the unprecedented crime of refusing to forgive him and packed her bags for Los Angeles.

Her heartbreak still fresh in her mind, Kate plays it safe, accepting a date with an acceptably attractive accountant that drives a Honda. When he breaks her heart too, she is forced to realize that nothing is ever as it seems, and finds herself being swept up in a dangerously impractical romance with Jackson Traver, the world’s most celebrated young actor. It isn’t long before she is back in Selden for the wedding of her teenage sister, where she is once again confronted with what love means in this place, and fights to claim it for her own.

*     *     *     *     *


Do any of you have suggestions for a good romance that I might enjoy?

xoxo,

13 comments:

Unknown said...

well I do not know what to really suggest to you, I truly enjoyed 'The Time Travelers Wife'...in fact when I enjoy them, I have a hard time watching it on film so I refused to watch this! :)

If you find your ever elusive book let me know! :) and I will give it some more thought on a good one to suggest!?

tierdear said...

Maybe I'm cheesy, but I really enjoyed Nicholas Spark's "Dear, John". Even though Channing Tatum is super hot, I liked the book better than the movie.

I also LOVED Margaret Mitchell's "Gone with the Wind". (There was also a sequel written many years later called "Scarlett" that was great too.)

Also another "book turned movie" was "PS I Love You". I thought the book was better.

Hope that helps! I don't normally read romances, but I'll try to remember more that I've read.

xoxo

a_jorgenson said...

I don't read much romance, I'm a huge fan of Dean Koontz (mystery/thriller) and John Updike stories.

Your 250 is ahh mazing! Seriously! I'm so impressed! Let us know how it goes!

<3
aj

Sarah said...

I really enjoyed your synopsis! I think it's amazing, Joelle! I'm hoping that you'd win the contest. Definitely hoping to read your whole book sometime soon. :) x

b. lee said...

Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas - James Patterson is one of my fav. romance reads * congrats on becoming a finalist :D

Lindsay said...

How exciting that your a finalist! Keep us posted on what happens!!

I agree with b.lee that Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas is an amazing read. I read that thing in less than a day and loved every second of it.

But when it comes to most love stories, the classics are what I find the best. Jane Austen's stuff is flawless of course...I also finally read Jane Eyre last summer and fell in LOVE. For me, it was the perfect classic unconventional love story :)

Emily said...

Your writing is classic and lovely! I am sure you will go far!

I could not recommend I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (of 101 Dalmatians Fame) heartily enough- it is easily the best book I have read, and is far from your usual romance. I think you'd adore it!

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Farber is also a fantastic study of complex relationships- it's sort of a twisted Jane Eyre, and brilliant. It's gritty, graphic, and all around taboo, but I think it really might help you explore some more tangled emotions that seem like love.

The Pact, by Jodi Picoult. I think it absolutely counts as a love story.

...and I'm sure I'll think of more. I'm currently reading the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which isn't a romance but I am falling in love with it just the same. Have you read it? It is BEAUTIFUL!

Happy Reading!

Emily said...

Your writing is classic and lovely! I am sure you will go far!

I could not recommend I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (of 101 Dalmatians Fame) heartily enough- it is easily the best book I have read, and is far from your usual romance. I think you'd adore it!

The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Farber is also a fantastic study of complex relationships- it's sort of a twisted Jane Eyre, and brilliant. It's gritty, graphic, and all around taboo, but I think it really might help you explore some more tangled emotions that seem like love.

The Pact, by Jodi Picoult. I think it absolutely counts as a love story.

...and I'm sure I'll think of more. I'm currently reading the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which isn't a romance but I am falling in love with it just the same. Have you read it? It is BEAUTIFUL!

Happy Reading!

hizzle said...

I've been looking for more of your writing in your posts! Did you decide to stop doing that? I must have missed that.

The Time Travelers Wife was pretty good. Not the best story ever, but I did enjoy it. I have to agree that Gone With the Wind is a good one, too. I recommend My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares. I'm not sure if you just didnt like The Notebook because of the story or if that just isnt your style, but there are quite a few Sparks books that are really good... If you like his stuff. The Notebook is not one of my favorites by him. Some people really love Ian McEwan, you might check out Atonement or something of that sort if you havent read his stuff. And the Anne of Green Gables series has some great love in it in the later books.
What about Outlander? I have not read the book, I'm about 50 pages in, but according to quite a few people it's amazing...
Well, I'll keep an eye out for you some good recs.
Keep us posted on your book! You definitely are talented enough!

Kaitlyn Thatcher said...

Joelle your synopsis sounds amazing! I adore the first paragraph and the play on Pride and Prejudice. It so makes me want to read the rest of the book! I lighter hearted romance that I read over the summer is called Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. Her books are all light hearted but this one has a really fun twist at the end that totally made me cry. It's like a romance within a romance. Plus, it's really funny and the characters are completely lovable. Probably not the great american romance your looking for but definitely a great read.

Married In Chicago said...

Oh my gosh! Sign me up for an advanced copy! From that synopsis I'm sold on the whole book! You are amazing.

LCR said...

you are an absolutely wonderful writer. now i feel even more pressure as a guest post here;) AHH!
loved it. can't wait to hear more.
xo
L

Unknown said...

Good luck in the contest, i hope you win. I would love to read your story!