Guest Author: Linda Poitevin (+Contest)

Linda Poitevin

Linda PoitevinI am excited to welcome author Linda Poitevin who is celebrating her soon-to-be release contemporary romance, Gwynneth Ever After.

Gwyn Jacobs doesn’t believe in fairy tales. Ever since her ex-husband walked out, leaving her alone with three small children, Gwyn has been mother, father, and bread-winner all rolled into one. Her own scarred heart aside, she refuses to open up her children’s lives to the possibility of another heartbreak, and so she has an unbending policy of no dating and no unattached men in their lives.

Until her very own fairy tale falls into her lap…and the hero won’t take no for an answer.

Make sure you stick around to the end. We’ll be giving away 3 ecopies of Gwynneth Ever After.

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Crossing Genres

Huge thanks for hosting me today, Jackie — I’m thrilled to be a part of Literary Escapism, and to have the chance to let readers know about my current project, a contemporary romance entitled Gwynneth Ever After that I’ll be self-publishing in just a few days.

But wait…don’t I write dark urban fantasy? What does a contemporary romance have to do with warrior angels and cops and Armageddon?!? Well…not much, really. It does, however, satisfy a part of me that still likes to believe in life’s gentler side — and in the happy-ever-after moments, too. After all, I’ve been married for 27 years, so I can’t entirely ignore the romantic in me. ;)

While this crossing over from one genre to another seems to be becoming more and more common in today’s publishing industry, the traditional thinking has been that once an author has built a brand, he/she risks ticking off fans who pick up a book by them only to find their genre expectations have been dashed. It’s for this reason that many authors who write in multiple genres use pen names when doing so (Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb is probably one of the most famous to do so). Respectully, I’d like to disagree…for two reasons.

First, it’s generally pretty easy to tell from a cover what kind of story you’re going to be getting—if not from the artwork, then certainly from the back blurb. If I pick up one book with a couple in a passionate clinch and another book featuring a blood-spattered knife, I consider myself intelligent enough to know I’m not getting two of the same kind of story.

Second, I like to have my reading world shaken up now and again. To me, finding something in a different genre by a favorite author is almost like finding a whole new author altogether. I personally think it’s rather fun getting to see another side of someone whose work I’ve enjoyed — kind of like having a conversation with an old friend and discovering something new and unexpected about him/her that changes your perspective a little. Or like peeling back the layers of that onion to which Shrek famously compared himself. ;)

Third, I read across multiple genres. An author whose voice I already know and admire will be an automatic buy in any genre…so why make me go through the process of discovering a “new” author?

Well, that’s my opinion…what do you think? Do you like it when your favorite authors cross the genre lines? Do you find it confusing, annoying, or intriguing? Would you prefer them to use pseudonyms?
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Excerpt: Gwynneth Ever After

LPoitevin-Gwynneth Ever AfterGareth took his leather coat from the closet. He turned to face her, his expression filled with purpose.

Gwyn swallowed – hard.

Take control. Take control now, before he –

She stuck out her hand into the space separating them, mortified to see it shake wildly, too terrified to remove it.

“Goodbye,” she said, her voice thick and unrecognizable even to her own ears. “And thank you again for everything. I enjoyed meeting you.”

Her insides cringed. Dear lord, could she have chosen less adequate words?

A wickedly lazy smile curved Gareth’s lips. “A handshake?” He raised his gaze to hers and shook his head. “I don’t think so, Gwynneth with two n’s.”

Gwyn backed away, coming up short against the wall by the living room doorway. He wouldn’t…he couldn’t…not now…

But Gareth’s pursuit was measured.

Unfaltering.

Relentless.

It brought him to within a scant few inches of her, where he stopped. He braced his left hand against the wall by her head, then lifted his right hand, still gripping his coat, and did the same on the other side. Before she could draw the breath she so desperately needed, his head descended.

His mouth fastened on hers with a jolt that traveled her entire length, at once both hard and gentle. Coaxing, demanding, promising…delivering. When Gwyn’s own lips parted under the mind-spinning assault, he wasted not an instant in taking full advantage. His tongue slid against hers, tangled with it, and took complete, uncontested ownership.

Not once did his hands move to caress her.

Not once did his body touch hers.

But he imprinted himself on her as indelibly as if he had possessed her in every way imaginable.

At last, his breathing unsteady, he drew back. One at a time, he dropped his hands to his sides and stepped away. He slid his arms into his jacket and shrugged it up onto his shoulders.

“I’ll go now,” he said, his voice thick, “but just for the record, I haven’t agreed.”

“A-agreed?” Gwyn whispered. Of its own accord, her trembling hand found its way to her mouth. Her fingertips brushed against lips that felt as if they belonged to someone else, because surely hers wouldn’t have responded with such abandon…

“Not to see you again.” Giving her a slow half-smile that focused her on his mouth all over again, Gareth pulled open her front door and disappeared into the night.
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Meet Linda Poitevin!

Linda Poitevin is the author of the dark urban fantasy series, The Grigori Legacy, from Ace/Roc Books. She lives near Ottawa, Canada’s capital, and in her other life is wife, mother, friend, gardener, coffee snob, freelance writer, and zookeeper of too many pets. She loves to hear from readers and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and at her website: www.lindapoitevin.com (where you can also find more about Gwynneth Ever After).

Contact Info
Website: www.lindapoitevin.com/
Blog: Blog
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Want to purchase Linda’s novel?
Gregori Legacy

  1. Sins of the Angels
  2. Sins of the Son
  3. Sins of the Lost (Oct 15, 2013)

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Contest Time!

Thank you Linda for taking the time to stop by Literary Escapism!

Linda is giving away 3 ecopies of Gwynneth Ever After.. To enter, all you have to do is answer this one question: Do you like it when your favorite authors cross the genre lines? Do you find it confusing, annoying, or intriguing? Would you prefer them to use pseudonyms? Remember, you must answer the question in order to be entered.

Even though I’m not giving the additional entries any more, you can still help support the author by sharing their article, and this contest, on your blog, Twitter, Facebook, or anywhere you can. After all, the more people who are aware of this fabulous author ensures we get more fabulous stories.

The winner must post a review of the novel someplace. Whether it is on their own blog, Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing or wherever, it doesn’t matter. Just help get the word out.

The contest will stay open until June 30th at which time I’ll determine the winner with help from this snazzy plug-in that I have.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

19 Comments

  1. I like it when authors cross write. I read all kinds of genre so I think it is fun to find an author that does the same. Roberts/JD Robb definitely has a different voice for each genre, so you know which genre she is writing.

  2. I think it’s great when an author writes in a different genre, and would actually discourage them from using a pseudonym. It’s an author’s writing style rather than a particular genre that makes me seek out more of their work. I’ve yet to meet the person who will only read one genre; and if I ever do meet that person, I will encourage them to broaden their horizons a little!

  3. I read a lot of different genres and have no problem following an author who writes in different ones. I don’t like pseudonyms though. It makes it more difficult to find new books by an author I like.

  4. I was fortunate enough to get to read Gwynneth Ever After ahead of scheduled release. You all will want to read this book. It is quite simply perfect. =)

  5. I have no problem with cross overs, no need to stick authors in certain holes! If an author is good I need to keep reading it!

  6. Great book. Authors Ann write whatever they want :-). Although we appreciate revisiting char hearts from books we love!

  7. I know publishers have often insisted that writers use pseudonyms when they write in different genres but I’ve never understood why. It’s just one more way in which publishers don’t trust readers’ intelligence. I’d much rather be able to see a writer’s complete body of work, rather than trying to keep track of them under various names. Best wishes on the new release.

  8. Thanks for the great post and congrats to Linda on the newest release! I don’t mind when authors go different different directions/genres. As long as they are writing and creating, I don’t mind at all :)

  9. Cross whatever genre like you want, if it’s a genre I like I will follow the author. But I do NOT like new names. There is this author I really like. Well I just read a novella I really liked too, and I went to look for more and oh it was by that author I like. But as I do not spend time on author websites I miss when they post under different names..and that makes me sad :/

    And I have read the book so do not enter me ;)

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