Women come in all shapes and sizes, right? Right. And women say they prefer to read about real women, not heroines who are movie-star glamorous with slender (but perfect) curves, and long, shapely legs the hero can’t keep his eyes off of. Those legs were a recurring theme in a romance I read recently!
Women want relatable characters, or so they say… but how relatable is TOO relatable? How fat is too fat?
Plus-size women are just as beautiful as skinny women, and many men prefer them. There’s no one-size-fits-all… pun intended! The right hero for each heroine will find her amazing and gorgeous and perfect for him. That’s what really matters in a romance, right? The chemistry? But in Real Life™, whether a woman feels attractive to someone else isn’t (or shouldn’t be) the driving force behind her decisions about her body.
If you’ve read my December release, The Cowboy’s Mixed-Up Matchmaker, you’ll remember that Lauren is conscientious about her weight. She’s a busy veterinarian, and she eats her stress… but here’s the thing. She’s busy. She’s active. She goes on long trail rides. Yes, her muscles scream with agony, but it’s doable.
Lauren thinks she’s fat, and her mother’s snide comments affirm that to the reader. But is she? The covers for the Montana Ranches Christian Romance series don’t show the heroine, only the cowboy hero, so I didn’t have to show you the image I had in mind for Lauren. But I divulged it anyway. [Click for Matchmaker’s Pinterest board.]
Years ago when I had a literary agent, I sent her a proposal for a series of books that she didn’t sell and thus I didn’t write, at least not in the format I’d intended at the time. I’ve certainly cannibalized the core ideas for some of the Urban Farm Fresh Romance stories. Over a year ago I realized that the first story in the abandoned proposal would, with very little tweaking, fit Peter Santoro’s situation. I began setting him up for the fall in Wishes on Wildflowers, where he and his two cousins Basil and Jasmine start a venture gardening other people’s urban backyards for profit.
So now we’ve come to a heroine who is a young family lawyer and who not only thinks of herself as overweight but actually is.
My Urban Farm Fresh Romance series covers are illustrated by my daughter, Hanna Sandvig. We found a pose we wanted to use for Raindrops on Radishes, but the woman was too thin to be Sadie Guthrie. Because the covers are illustrated, not straight-up stock photos, we discussed how much padding to put on Sadie.
How much was too much?
We wanted the cover to be appealing to the widest range of Christian romance readers — of course — but not to deny the fact that Sadie is, in fact, more than five or ten pounds overweight. Sadie is at least as busy as Lauren, but her job is not active. While Lauren wrestles calves to give them shots, Sadie sits at her desk, taps on her keyboard, and counsels clients. Where Lauren gives a (vague) nod to nutritional guidelines, Sadie just doesn’t like vegetables. At all. Cooked or raw. And she doesn’t apologize for the lack.
How on earth did a woman like her get embroiled in a romance with Peter Santoro, who holds down an active full-time job as a biologist for the Department of Fish and Wildlife AND a second job growing vegetables for sale AND loves to play three-on-three basketball with his cousins and friends in his rare spare time? Sadie can’t even walk around one Bridgeview block without huffing and puffing!
Well, that makes for a story, doesn’t it?
About Raindrops on Radishes:
Family lawyer Sadie Guthrie snaps up a heritage house with a backyard perfect for her dreams of a relaxing oasis. Now some guy is digging in her garden and thinks he has a claim to it. Too bad he doesn’t realize he’s taken on an attorney in her den.
Urban farmer Peter Santoro counts on the yard next door for his veggie-growing business. When the old woman dies and the property is sold, the new owner refuses to honor the previous agreement. Peter is soon torn between his need for income and an attraction to the hard-hitting, curvy lawyer, but is his interest for all the wrong reasons?
What’s a guy to do when his arch enemy invites him to be her plus-one at a fundraiser for his favorite charity?
I want you to know there’s no judging here. I carry some extra weight myself. It’s a moot point whether the extra pounds contributed to my heart attack in October, 2017, or whether the undiagnosed heart issues I’d experienced for the nine years prior caused the weight gain that may have contributed to the heart attack. Skinny people can have heart disease, too, and many people who carry more extra weight than I do seem to have healthy hearts!
But, I feel like surviving a heart attack gives me a bit of a platform to give you straight talk. Are you sedentary? Make a plan to move around more, however that looks for you, and then do the plan. Get out in nature more. Take more walks. Eat more veggies… like radishes! While scares can come out of seemingly nowhere, in general, health is far more about what we eat and how active we are than it is about numbers on a scale.
Talk to me. What do you do to keep healthy? What could you do better?
And… would you read a romance with a “fat woman” on the cover? Because Raindrops on Radishes is now on pre-order, and Sadie could use your support as she struggles with her weight and seeks out her happily-ever-after.
Valerie Comer is a USA Today bestselling author and a two-time Word Award winner who writes where food meets faith and fiction. She injects experience laced with humor into her green clean romances. Her life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily-ever-afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.
You crack up. “Those legs were a RECURRING theme in a romance I read recently!” I haven’t gotten further than you first paragraph, laughing.
So looking forward to this story!
I was laughing so hard, I didn’t read my message for correct grammar and spelling!…
Anyhow, I wanted to write, You crack ME up.
Hi Valerie, thanks for this post. I think any woman who is honest will admit to struggling with weight- particularly if you have had kids and like to eat chilli chips!!
I love to keep active but struggle when life is busy- so I do things like walk from my office (at one end of the school campus) to meet with a colleague/student in person rather than just email; walk down to the staff room to print. Just a small thing but at least I am moving. I could do better in being more consistent during the week- and maybe eating less chilli chips:)
Blessings:)
PS, love the cover!
So now to answer your question. (I checked my Amazon and it tells me I pre-ordered your book on Dec 20. Good job!)
So, as a self-employed translator (and remote localization coordination assistant for YouVersion) and even as a teacher, I do have a *sedentary* job.
More than 5 years ago, on Aug 11, to be precise, I started working out in my living room (just push a chair over to make room in front of my laptop) and I’ve been working out literally every day (or night), either inside or I go ride my bicycle, going to school, church, grocery shopping.
I started out to strengthen my back and it has really helped to strengthen my core and back muscles (I never knew you had to have a strong core to help your back out, go figure). Weight has not been an issue in my life, thankfully. Working out daily has been a great experience. I have a Google spreadsheet where I check off the days and where I kept the links to the YouTube videos – indoor walking, cardio, strength/toning, HIIT, kickboxing.
I eat LOTS and lots of fruit and veggies (and oatmeal for breakfast) but that’s because I don’t really know how to cook, and it’s not so much fun cooking for yourself either anyway, at least for me. Hence, very few of my meals have meat, unless I’ve just visited my parents and got their (on purpose) ‘leftovers’ of meaty dishes that they freeze for me and I take back to Bavaria in their icebox.
Also, if you want us to read an Interview with Sadie and Peter, we’d be happy to. :-)
Those are always so much fun.
I love the idea for this book, and will have to read it, seeing as I read Wishes on Wildflowers and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’m packing way too much weight, and have high blood pressure as a result. Seven weeks ago, encouraged by the weight loss of a friend through a specialized diet program, I joined up and am happy to say I’ve lost about 13 kilograms so far. Still quite a way to go though. The diet is costly, as such, I’m way too scared to cheat in the slightest.
Just over a year ago, I had a meniscus repair to my knee, and the recovery was s…l…o…w… I bought an exercise bike and to help strengthen my muscles and try lose weight, and was pretty good at doing a 5 kilometer cycle most mornings. Alas, I got out of that routine, which isn’t good because I am VERY inactive in my job. Hours will go by writing at my desk without getting up. I really do need to get more regular with those morning cycles.
Thanks for the reminder of how important it is, Valerie :)
Preordered! Just wish this was available in time for my holiday in a week’s time :)
Hi Valerie! Body image what a fantastic topic. I also chuckle when I read your opening paragraph. As a young woman, I was slender with long shapely legs. So I chuckle how authors, especially petite author’s approach this topic. If guys made mention of my legs, they were fortunate to get one date, if any. Also it was a nightmare to find slacks or jeans to fit right.
As a teacher, I had a pretty active life style. Most schools in the Midwest are one story and as teachers we do lots of steps. My mother was a nurse, who grew up on a farm, so we ate healthy – lots of fruits and vegetables, homemade bread, homemade meals. Nothing out of the box. No junk food for snacking. My weight gain started at menopause and when my thyroid went out of wack. My father was slim, never over weight and had heart disease, but with modern medicine and superb heart doctor lived to be 96. His mother had heart disease and without medical attention lived to be 86. Genetically I take after my paternal grandmother and I have heart disease. Fortunately I was diagnosed early for high blood pressure and cholesterol and my meds are working. Running Oma Daycare and chasing a two year 50 hours a week, keeps this retiree moving.
Raindrops on Radishes (eat them whenever I can) is preordered. Looking forward to your next release. Best wishes and Happy Writing. May we all get moving.
You crack me up, Anke! I just adore you ❤️
Ah, Valerie, you are too funny?!
This was definitely one of my favorite books from you, I know I say that all the time, but u could seriously relate to Sadie and the ew vegetables….lol!
The cover is perfect, Hanna did a fantastic job as always!!
Valerie – I appreciate your desire to reach a bigger (no pun intended) group of women as I am overweight as well. I do sit behind a desk all day and with various other interests that also are not active, I tend to push exercise to the back burner. Consequently, I’m dealing with type 2 diabetes on top of menopause. I do need to move more, it’s that simple.
I look forward to reading this book! I love fresh veggies and would be willing to have a cute neighbor garden in my back yard in exchange for some :)
Seriously, haven’t you ever noticed how some male characters (or at least their authors) have a thing about legs? I listened to this one in audio – maybe the narrator had a special voice for the legs, I don’t know, but they jumped out at me (pun intended) many, MANY times. Didn’t she have any other noteworthy characteristics? Just gorgeous, shapely, and let’s not forget LONG legs?
Okay, I’m done the rant. If one of my heroines ever has long, shapely legs, know that I snickered every time I wrote it, kay?
Good for you, realizing you needed to take action and then doing so purposefully! I agree, cooking for one is not as much fun. My hubby works away a lot, and I tend to cook extra when he’s home and freeze meals so I can eat properly (and mindlessly) when he’s away.
I’ll keep an interview in mind for my next post here, unless I come up with a better idea. Sometimes I get the strangest inspiration. See above. LOL
Thanks for the pre-order!
There are so many simple things, right? Take the stairs, not the elevator. Don’t seek the parking spot closest to the store entrance. Giving up chilli chips, though – that sounds harder!
And, yes, most women tend to struggle with weight. If not when they’re young, then as they/we age. Yet we certainly don’t like to talk about it, me included!
I love the cover, too!
Being a writer is SO SEDENTARY! Our brains and fingers are the only things getting a real workout. I’m trying to use the Pomodoro technique, but instead of working for 25 and moving around for 5, I’m trying for working for 50 and moving around for 10. I have a really small house, so it’s hard to just “be active” in it accidentally.
My computer has the ability to rise on an arm to be used as a standing desk, but I’m embarrassed to say, especially in the light of today’s post, how rarely I do that. Such a simple thing that literally takes me 30 seconds to switch, and I almost never do. Bad Valerie.
Thanks for the pre-order, and long-distance hugs.
To be fair, all the mentions of the heroine’s gorgeous legs were in the hero’s thoughts. He didn’t keep talking about it. You’re right — if he had, she should’ve belted him!
Genetics do play a large role, don’t they! I have hereditary high cholesterol but my doctors didn’t pay attention for decades because I had no other heart disease markers. But weight crept up over the years and so did the blood pressure. At any rate, I was nearly taken out by the combo.
Yes, chasing the grandkids can keep one active! I’m looking forward to getting out on the trampoline with mine again this summer. I haven’t been up to it for a couple of years, but it’s definitely on my goals for this year.
Thanks for the pre-order!
Thanks for the beta read! And pack in those veggies, girl. Have you tried cooked radishes yet?
We’re in good company in our inactivity! But good company won’t save us from the results of what we are doing to our bodies. I’m sorry to hear of the diabetes – that’s a nasty addition to health issues.
There are organizations in quite a few cities where people can loan out their backyards to others who wish to garden. Sorry, I can’t guarantee the cute thirty-ish guy, though!
Loved this post, Valerie!
I just hopped over to Amazon and pre-ordered your book.
I happen to have radishes in my refrigerator right now to snack on with homemade hummus. LOVE them.
Regarding overweight heroines, I agree. And would add that women of any shape or size should be in our books because we all come in different shapes and sizes. :)
Just curious, was the book with the perfect legs written by a male or female. I’m guessing a woman, but again, I’m curious. Sure wish I had perfect legs lol.
I don’t love the bite of raw radishes, but it turns out I LOVE them roasted!
Female author! And thanks for the pre-order. (((hug)))
Looking forward to your book! I’ll have to check to see if I preordered it. No, I don’t like radishes. Yes I enjoy books with different sized women. My mother was in extremely good shape as a world level athlete, she could outrun me any time, but died of breast cancer. She also liked radishes! I can remember her eating lots of them. We eat a heart healthy diet most of the time and try to walk 2 miles 4 times a week. As I’ve gotten older its been harder to keep an ideal weight, so I have more pounds than I should. We’ve discovered a basketball gym nearby with a walking track around the courts. Its ridiculously cheap to join at $2.43 a year. Its not fancy but it works. That’s made it a lot easier to get our walks in on cold dark winter nights.
Have you tried roasted radishes? Seriously delicious! I still don’t care for them raw.
Wow, that is a CRAZY price for a walking track! Getting my walks in in winter when I had a day job (and it was dark when I got home) was much harder than now when I can go anytime. Of course, having an open schedule means I can put it off, too…
Thanks for the pre-order!
So glad the book is finally on pre-order!! Can’t wait to read it. My husband and I recently started eating more nutritiously, and have lost a lot of weight. Since it’s been real rainy the past couple of months, we haven’t done as much walking.
I prefer books that don’t dwell on the hero’s abs or the heroine’s gorgeousness :-)
It really is more challenging to get outside every day when the weather varies so much! Congrats on the changes in your lives that have led to weight loss. I know it’s not easy!!!
I don’t think Sadie thought about or mentioned Peter’s abs once. I’ll have to look for it when I do my final edits this week!
Thanks for the pre-order. :)
This post made my day!
I am active from 5:15 am until about 8:00 pm. My day is crazy. I am a teacher — one of those teachers who is constantly on the move. I roam my room going from group to group. And, I teach all six periods throughout our school day. I don’t get a conference period. Sometimes, the only time I sit is during my 25-minute lunch. Then, when I get home it’s time to care for my beautiful 6-year old while daddy is off to his night shift. I’m working on homework, making dinner, cleaning up after dinner, running errands, night-time bath routine, reading to my daughter, prayer time, and then kisses goodnight. I always plan to read a chapter or two by the time I get to 8:00 pm (and a little free time), but I usually end up asleep on the couch by 8:30. pm. I used to get discouraged because I couldn’t formally workout, but then I got a FitBit watch and realized the amount of steps I do in one day is more than the average required for a healthy 30-something woman. A large part of my healthy is not stressing the small stuff, and to do all my back and core stretches. Some of those stretches can really break a sweat!
Wow, yes, it sounds like you keep plenty active! My Fitbit is more likely to tell me to get off my butt and move around than tell me what an overachiever I am! YES to not stressing the small stuff. You go, girl!
Thank you for making me laugh about the same LEGS twice in a day. LOL
You’re welcome, LOL.
Hi Valerie. You chose an interesting topic. I wonder what a poll of romance readers would say about heroines who are overweight. It nice to be indie because many publishers shy away from heroines who are different. I play tennis for fun and fitness. I also have a fitness tracker set for 12,000 steps. I make it most days. We also have stairs in our house, and my office is upstairs.
I’m impressed with the 12K steps! I used to do 10K most days. My sights now are lower, but I’m building up and need to reset my Fitbit for maybe 7500. I want it achievable but a stretch!
And, yes, I’m pretty sure no traditional house would have touched this story with a ten-foot pole. We’ll see how it does indie!
I need to try them roasted.
Try this one: https://valeriecomer.com/recipe-roasted-radishes-asparagus/
One word–menopause. I was fine (not great, ,but fine) until that hit, and then my fat molecules up and MOVED to my tummy and hips. What’s with that? I walk on the treadmill five days a week and try to do muscle exercises on three. Slowly seeing progress, but the scale went up a LOT faster than it’s moving down. Again–what’s with that???
Oh, Lady, I SO hear you!
I’ve been overweight for as long as I can remember, sometimes just a little but other times not so little. So when it comes to characters, a chubby protagonist doesn’t even make an impression on me. I expect them to reflect the variety found in real life. The perfectly shaped women and ruggedly handsome men have always seemed unrealistic to me.
Fortunately, except for some arthritis, I’m very healthy. We like eating healthy and we live a pretty sensible lifestyle. My hubby walks quite a distance with the dog every morning. I admit to being far too sedentary — my writing as well as much of my church work is done on computer — but I do enjoy my gardens when the weather cooperates.
Sounds like you’re doing what you can, Carol! I’m glad I’m not alone in finding perfection unrealistic. :)
I love this post and this concept, Valerie. Preordering the book and sharing the blog post.
I love that she’s heavy set – looks more like me! I think the general public are much more accepting about this than even 5 years ago. I think it’s awesome that as an indie author you have the flexibility to show a heavier heroine on the cover, not just describe her.
I relate to Sadie – my job is pretty sedentary and I always have the best of intention of exercising more, eating healthier, but it’s just hard. My hubs is one of those people who hadn’t run in the past year, but could hit the ground right now and run a 5k – no lead up. It make me cringe, but also jealous. I do like vegetables, but ice cream is more delicious.
I like the idea of Peter pulling her out of her comfort zone to do “fun” exercising. I love to hike, love to dance, but don’t get to do either too often. I took Zoomba for awhile and loved it.
Thank you!
The ultimate showdown we face every day: ice cream versus radishes… LOL
So true. LOL, I now have a pinched nerve in my shoulder caused by the position I’ve had to put my mouse since buying an ergo keyboard (which is about 6 inches longer on the right side because of an additional keypad). I’ve had to shove my keyboard forward and try put my mouse in front of it, as the musculorskeletal doc said I need to keep my arm closer to my side to ease the tension where it’s pinching.
I wish my desk could rise so I could stand. But even if it did, I don’t know that I’d be able to work that way. My back gets way too sore if I stand for too long. Thinking of buying myself one of those big gym balls to sit on. It’s apparently excellent for strengthening your back. LOL, not sure if I’ll break another arm trying to master sitting on it though :)
You can cook them?
Ooh, that sounds so divine. Unfortunately, my very strict diet I’m on doesn’t allow me oil of any kind…only spray ‘n cook. And the dressing is taboo for me, BUT, I can use a reduced oil brand of honey and mustard dressing, so I might just try it out with that. After I’ve checked if I’m allowed asparagus and radishes on the specific list of veggies I can eat.
I was slim until I hit my 30’s but many overweight women were much stronger than me, both aerobically and strength-wise. Now that I’m in my late 50’s, I carry a few extra pounds. I’m not obese but I definitely need to eat better and exercise more. I lost my access to the women-only gym when we moved back to my hometown 3 years ago. There is a gym here but I’ve been too intimidated to check it out. I keep telling myself I can exercise at home and I can, but I don’t! Keep preaching, girl!
I would love to see more books where the women struggle with their weight. So many of us do. And most books talk about how slender the woman is. Thank you for writing one where the heroine is larger.
You are so right! We CAN exercise at home, but DO we? Some have really made that work for them. Other than walking, I haven’t, either. Next step for me, now that I’m stronger/healthier, is regular workouts. Thanks for the reminder.
I hope you love Raindrops on Radishes!
Arranging a work desk ergonomically can be quite challenging. I found I needed it as low as possible to not strain my shoulders. That evolved to me writing on my laptop in the recliner for a year or two. Then I bought a “desktop” with a wall mount instead of a base. I am still writing in my recliner! Now I have a lapdesk with my keyboard and touchpad on it, and it works well for me. I can push the monitor against the wall when not in use (truth: it’s nearly always swung out…)
The other beauty with this setup is I can swing it UP and put my lapdesk on a tall stool so I can use it as a standing desk. I need to get that into my routine again. I used to do it more. If you can figure out a quick/easy way to raise your computer parts, try doing it for ten minutes a day, then ten minutes morning and again afternoon, and build it up. But that sure doesn’t work if it’s a big hassle. I also sometimes take the laptop and work standing at the kitchen island. Thank you SO MUCH for reminding me that I need to do these things more again. Schedule them in with timers, even.
I have a big ball but I rarely use it anymore. I used to. See above. LOL. A friend has a “regular” desk chair with a partial ball as the seat. Apparently that gives the same core balance benefits but without the danger of the whole thing rolling you off!
If you want to talk healthy, long-term food plan sometime, message me on Facebook or look into Trim Healthy Mama. Some of the principles are surprising, but they really work. Hundreds of thousands have women have lost weight… and most (those who stayed on board) have kept it off. It’s not short-term. It’s life. And that recipe would fit right in, nearly any day of the week!
You sure can, and all the spiciness goes away. Radishes are very low-glycemic and, it turns out, delicious.
LOL, yes, I saw those while investigating my options and have found a place that sells them without me having to sell body parts to obtain it. The jury is still out as to which way to go :)
And that reply should have gone by the ergo ball chairs :)
I figured availability in South Africa wasn’t a given! (((hugs))) my friend.