Once Upon a Seaside Murder by Maggie Blackburn

Dissing a Whole Genre: Bad Karma

When the Beach Reads series begins, my main character, Summer Merriweather, is a book snob. She grew up with a mom who owned and ran a romance-themed bookstore and she found it embarrassing and appalling. A weird kind of rebellion, right? So, she became enamored with Shakespeare. It set her apart from her mom, her mom’s friends, and the local reading group. She became a Shakespeare Professor.

When she comes back to Brigid’s Island because her mom passed away, she picks up the last book her mom was reading–a romance–and finds herself reluctantly loving the book. Loving it so much that she seeks out other books by the same writer.

Careful readers caught that I was not anti-romance genre, but that I was and am anti-genre bashing of any kind. I rarely place my own views into my books. But this was intentional. I don’t think anybody should care or remark on what anybody else reads. Romances. Mysteries. Space alien soap operas. I thought that a character who was definitely a snob and turned it around by the end of the book would make that point. Some readers didn’t quite get that and just wrote her off as a snob. I say look deeper. People change, characters change–it’s one of the reasons stories exist. If you want characters with no growth, then you are not my readers.

Personally, I read across genres. I’m a cozy mystery writer, sure, but give me a good historical fantasy and I’m thrilled. And I live some romances, too, particularly those with a little suspense in them. One of my favorite books this year was based on the Authurian legend. Next year, it might be a dragon book or a paranormal romance. (I love a good vampire romance!)

Summer is on her own reading journey—as well all are. Stay tuned for more.

Learn more about Once Upon a Seaside Murder and Maggie Blackburn at www.molliecoxbryan.com. Want more author news? If so, click here to read my Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.

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