Inspy Romance

Inspy Romance—Fall in Love With a Good Book

A Taste of Romance

by

One of the fun things about having spent middle and high school in the DC area was how easy it was for our youth group to participate in some of the bigger youth conferences. They almost always came to DC or the surrounding area that was a doable drive, so we could pile in the church bus (sometimes a charter, but that was rare) and go en masse to sit an listen to music groups and teachers as they toured the youth group circuit.

(I saw DC Talk several times when they were still trying to get noticed by a label and just after their first record released (I have an autographed cassette tape of that album and it’s a cherished possession.) )

And on more than one occasion, the big name speaker would use his kids as examples in his talks. Usually, these examples were considerably unflattering to the child (because obviously he couldn’t just go up and brag about the wonderful things they did, he needed an example of typical teenager wrongdoing and the loving, perfect Christian response to it as a parent.) You can tell I wasn’t a fan.

I would often leave those rallies thinking, “Man, I’m glad I’m not his kid.”

It stuck with me. And so, when I was casting about for a reason my heroine might have changed her name and moved across the country, I thought – as I tend to do with all my stories – what if? What if she’d grown up as the daughter of a big name Christian speaker? And what if he used her as an example in his talks?

And what if the things he talked about her doing weren’t actually things she’d done, but were instead things he needed for his illustrations?

And what if she got a reputation from it anyway?

Eureka! (I don’t actually shout Eureka, but it fit here. In my mind, at least.)

And so Rebecca Fischer was born. Rebecca, who used to be Marie. And who, as Marie, had fallen head-over-heels with Ben as camp counselors in college and then promptly disappeared when the summer was over.

This story is A Pinch of Promise, the second book in my Taste of Romance series.

I love this series, but it’s not one that does amazingly well if I measure by sales (which is really how author measure things most of the time.) I suspect it’s because the books were written before I started seriously thinking about trope prior to and during the writing. I know we all (me included!) kind of roll our eyes at the trope-filled titles that we see out there, but they sell. And when it comes to choosing between an income that helps me help my family and titles that don’t make me cringe? I’ll choose the trope titles all the way home.

I go back and look at the series fairly frequently, trying to decide if there’s a way to make the tropes more obvious. But the other part of the problem is that, because I wasn’t focusing on trope? There aren’t that many in each one.

Book one, A Splash of Substance, is pretty much opposites attract. That’s it. It’s not really hate to love. It’s not really grumpy sunshine. Although I can see little bits of both of those in there, too. Ish.

Book two, A Pinch of Promise, is second chance and hidden identity.

Book three, A Dash of Daring, is friends to more with teachers. (I’m not sure teachers are a trope, but I know people sometimes look for teacher MCs.)

Book four, A Handful of Hope, is…yeah, I have no idea. It’s two people who meet and find out that love can be hard but worthwhile. But it doesn’t really slot into a trope that I can figure out.

Book five, A Tidbit of Trust, is maybe hate to love (I don’t love the word hate, but he definitely has some preconceived notions that he has to get over) and reformed bad girl.

And if you had any idea how long it took me to try and come up with those tropes? Well, so much for getting more done today.

Even without the clear tropiness (It’s a word, I promise!), I really think these stories are worth a read. And as such, right now, books one and two are free on Amazon through Saturday. The whole series is in Kindle Unlimited if you read that way.

If you haven’t already, I hope you’ll give them a try. Here are the links:

A Splash of Substance

A Pinch of Promise

For fun in the comments, I’d love to hear your best “out there” trope-based title. Have some fun with it and smush in as many as you can!

Elizabeth Maddrey (292 Posts)

Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.


Comments

  1. I tend to read second chance or small town books. I don’t feel very creative this morning so I don’t have an out there title, Jenny and Her Ex Next Door Neighbor.

  4. I’m not a fan of trope titles – I know they help sales and I totally see why authors do it, but I love the romances I grew up reading from my grandma’s bookshelves which all had such lovely and intriguing titles! Now they would all be called things like ‘The Millionaire Italian’s Secretary Fiancee: Enemies to lovers’ and the mystery is lost.

  6. Hmm. I’m attracted to the stories that don’t neatly fit into a troupe. Life is more complicated than that! Reading your descriptions of these books, and how that don’t fit those troupes exactly, made me want to read them! Especially A Pinch of Promise!

  7. Heh. I tend to agree with that sentiment. But we are definitely in the minority there. It’s been fun to challenge myself to have solid tropes but make them not obvious. Beyond the title I guess.

  8. I love your series. Having been born in DC and then raised, married and raised my kids in the suburbs it was fun to relate to the stories.

  13. welcome today. I love second chance and mail order brides etc. recently I have almost finished a series “Love at the Doggy Spa” by Elsie Woods. It is romantic and funny. And its in a Doggy Spa woohoo

  14. I like any and all tropes or no tropes! Everyone doesn’t fit into the same boxes, and just because “someone” says you have to have tropes doesn’t mean you do! I also don’t sit and analyze a book, or dissect it like in Lit class with the Bronte sisters’ books. One of my favorite books is part of the Burning Dress series, and that tells you nothing about a trope. I have both of the books in my TBR stack! After reading this, I really need to move them up!!

  16. I spent a lot of years agreeing wholeheartedly that you didn’t have to do what “the experts” said with your books. And I guess if you’re not trying to help support your family and writing just for fun that’s true. But sales figures don’t lie and tropes sell stories. :)

  17. I like lots of different kinds but here r a few that I enjoy

    Second chance romance where one of them makes a mistake and comes back years later to fix it.
    Enemys to love
    Dating a friends brother or sister
    Secret child or baby that ex didn’t know about until later

  18. I loved all your Taste of Romance series, and I am one of those who might notice a trope, but don’t care that much about tropes :-) I just buy all your books because I like them :-) (And if it says Millionaire or Billionaire in the title, I’m apt to ignore it, except for yours).

  19. I must say as a reafer I don’t really pay attention to the tropes in a story but I can see it would be important for sales. It seems to me that having a “tropey” title is kind of like SEO for books. It’s not always the exact way you would word something but the best for it to be found by those who don’t even know they are looking for it. My title would be The Billionaire Cowboy’s Nanny’s Secret Christmas Baby

  23. Thanks for the freebies!
    Ha, I think either way authors always make coming up with titles seem like an easy task when it’s actually not. What I mean is, I can’t seem to think of one right now, but your post did make me think of Jessie Gussman’s previous titles for her Sweet Water Ranch series (like, “Cowboys Don’t Marry Their Best Friend”) as well as the ones for one of her newest series (“Dreaming of His Convenient Kiss” or “Dreaming of Her Secret Santa’s Kiss”).

  25. You’re right! It’s kind of sad, though. I do readily admit that if I’m forced to chose a favorite, a marriage of convenience will win every time, probably because that’s what I grew up reading. Honestly, though, I don’t care about the trope once I find an author I like, I’ll read whatever they write! Even tropes I never thought I’d read, I’ll read if that/those authors write in it!

  28. I wonder if there’s a way to do a modern mail order bride. Probably not – but it’s something to ponder. (Although I say that and I realize I have read one – The Manila Marriage App by Jan Elder. And it’s a delight. Hm.)

  30. Thanks for the freebies! I have read the last two books in the series and I am excited to jump into the first two.

  32. I’m more of a friends to dating trope person. I guess that’s because it mirrors my own life.

  38. Thank you for the books. I’m looking forward to reading them.

    I feel like a dinosaur. I’m sorry, but I don’t get the whole trope thing. 😲 I read the blurb for a book and if it sounds good, I get it. I love reading Amish romance, cowboy romances, second chances, and just clean Christian stories.

  39. um now I need to go look at my kindle
    Show me a second chance by Alexa Verde
    Hi secret daughter by Laurie Larsen
    Falling for the foe by Milla Holt.

  42. I am sorry, but I cannot think of any titles tonight. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.

  43. I love the titles of your books! In fact, I like titles that allude to the story in a way that you only discover as once you read them. I am especially moved by a title that I later discover is the last sentence of the book or something significant in the book.
    Tropes…I love best friends to lovers, enemies to lovers (when done right) and opposites that attract, I don’t mind billionaires or marriages of convenience either.
    Some titles could be:
    – My best frenemy
    -Opposites marry contractually
    – A convenient wife for the millionaire.
    – Too opposite to love?
    – The secret baby of my best enemy

  44. I don’t think I’ve really ever paid attention to “tropes”, I like what I like wherever it falls or doesn’t lol. I couldn’t even tell you what tropes are in the books I read, if it sounds interesting I will read it. I certainly like certain book types but the tropes vary all the time. There are books I will avoid but that’s more the type e.g. thriller or fantasy then a trope.
    Guess this might make me a bit of a unique reader. Wish I could think of a book with an unusual trope I’m sure I’ve read a few.

  45. I don’t have a favorite trope, but I do know that I like the story behind the trope to be believable. I really don’t enjoy an enemies to more story where the relationship feels like it goes quickly from enemies to dating without ever really feeling like they resolved anything.

  46. I’m not good at coming up with titles. I think A Pinch of Promise sounds good, I’m looking forward to reading it. When it comes to reading I don’t look for or avaois specific tropes, but will read a story if it sounds good.

    I’m a PK and the premise for A Pinch of Promise reminded me of mini stories that my Dad would sometimes use to illustrate a point in his sermons. But he never used our family as subjects. I really appreciated that.

  47. Not sure about the trope thing. I read books that interest me, that are clean and Christian, and hopefully I learn something that draws me closer to HIM.
    Generally don’t read books about The Billionaire this, that, etc, but I have read some that I enjoyed.
    Blessings.

  49. Second chances, marriages of convenience, and friends to more are some of my favorite tropes.

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